Kanye West is gracing one of five covers for TIME magazine’s annual 100 Most Influential People list as one of their Titans.
In the feature written by Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, he credits Kanye for being a “boundary breaker.”
Kanye West would be the first person to tell you he belongs on this list. The dude doesn’t believe in false modesty, and he shouldn’t. Kanye’s belief in himself and his incredible tenacity—he performed his first single with his jaw wired shut—got him to where he is today. And he fought for his place in the cultural pantheon with a purpose. In his debut album, over a decade ago, Kanye issued what amounted to a social critique and a call to arms (with a beat): “We rappers is role models: we rap, we don’t think.”But Kanye does think. Constantly. About everything. And he wants everybody else to do the same: to engage, question, push boundaries. Now that he’s a pop-culture juggernaut, he has the platform to achieve just that. He’s not afraid of being judged or ridiculed in the process. Kanye’s been playing the long game all along, and we’re only just beginning to see why.
Watch below as Kanye West shares why he doesn’t care about his legacy.
Kanye isn’t the only one in the West household to make TIME’s 100 list. Kim Kardashian also made the list as a Titan for being “The First Lady of Fame.” *blank stare*
“Empire” creator Lee Daniels also made the list as a Titan.
His feature was written by Oprah Winfrey, who praised him saying, “His eyes and ears are attuned to nuance. He knows how to rattle the nerves of the zeitgeist. He is an undeniable, singular voice, the likes of which we’ve rarely seen.”
Ballerina Misty Copeland is also gracing TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People issue as a Pioneer.
Misty’s feature was written by Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci, who praised her for being “ballet’s breakout star.”
Like all gymnasts, I’ve done some ballet—it’s a part of our program. And people don’t realize the tremendous amount of time and work you have to put in to do the maneuvers they do. Ballerinas like Misty Copeland look so beautiful and perfect, but it takes thousands of hours of hard work to make it look that easy.
It was an honor to learn that a movie about me inspired a 7-year-old Misty to see the joy in movement. When I competed in the 1976 Olympics, no one thought that a 14-year-old from a place people couldn’t find on a map could contend. Misty proves that success is not about how you grow up or the color of your skin. Her story—of overcoming personal and physical challenges to become a soloist at the American Ballet Theatre—is the story of someone who followed her dreams and refused to give up. In that way, she is a model for all young girls.
It doesn’t matter where you’re from. If you have the passion like Misty, you can be the best at what you do.
“Orange is the New Black” star Laverne Cox, Reese Witherspoon, and Emma Watson also made the Pioneer list.
American Sniper actor Bradley Cooper covers TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People issue as an Artist.
Oliver Platt penned Bradley’s feature where he praised his friend for being a “cinematic chameleon.”
I met Bradley Cooper in 2007, shooting an arc on the FX drama Nip/Tuck. Our characters had this wonderfully twisted relationship: I was a closeted TV producer in mad, unrequited love with Bradley, the ambitious, manipulative star of my soap opera. During our first take, he grabbed me by the lapels, threw me against a wall and launched into this insane in-character, off-script rant about how my not going to the gym was breaking his disgusted heart. Apparently, in our line of work, this is how great friendships begin. Turns out this psycho was in fact a loving, grounded, hardworking fellow whose priorities in life are his dog Charlotte, the Philadelphia Eagles and showing up for people he cares about. And yes, he’s a dazzling actor. Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, The Elephant Man—these are increasingly brave, eccentric, breathtakingly diverse performances. I barely recognized him in American Sniper; physically and emotionally, he actually kind of disappeared. It’s hard to make people, especially your friends, forget who you are onscreen. But Bradley’s that good. And I think we’ve seen only a hint of what’s to come.
Amy Schumer, singer Audra McDonald, Chris Platt, and Kevin Hart also made the list as Artists.
Chris Rock penned Kevin’s feature where he called him the “humor’s honest broker.”
Right now, Kev is the biggest stand-up comedian in the country. I don’t even think there’s a No. 2, to be honest. I wrote, directed and starred in Top Five with Kevin Hart. And I made sure Kevin was in every ad. I put emails from Kevin in my movie. I shouldn’t have even called it Top Five; I should’ve called it Kevin Hart Presents Chris Rock’s “Top Five With Kevin Hart.”
Hillary should announce Kevin as her running mate and be done with it. After he makes you laugh for an hour, you feel like you’re his friend—you feel his joy and his pain. If he has asthma, you have asthma. That’s because Kevin’s vulnerable. When he’s talking about his kids, his kids know more than him. He’s not afraid to be “father knows less.” That makes him a new kind of cool. Not a keep-a-distance-from-the-audience kind of cool, but a lovable, show-your-warts kind of cool.
President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Adam Silver were among those listed as Leaders.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg graces TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People issue as an Icon.
Taylor Swift, Abby Wambach, and Dr. Jerry Brown were also listed as Icons.
Visit Time.com get the full scoop on TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2015.
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