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Kanye West made an appearance at Los Angeles Trade Technical College’s Gold Thimble Fashion show on Friday, not to perform, but to speak.
In a seven-and-a-half minute speech, posted on the fashion and lifestyle website Complex.com, the 37-year-old rapper urged the students to follow their creative visions, in spite of their critics.
“I always had to fight to be accepted to love and I empathize with anyone in this era who has ever loved fashion,” notes West, explaining that the desire to be a fashion designer usually isn’t met with the same enthusiasm as the more traditional career choices.
“It’s a tough world out there,” Kanye warned, explaining, “You’re gonna prepare yourself for politics, bad bosses, hatin’ employees, and usually, when you’re the absolute best, you get hated on the most.”
“If it’s in your gut, if it’s in your soul,” he declares, “there’s nothing, there’s no worldly possession that should come between you and your expression.”
Back in September of 2014, West visited LATTC as part of his community service requirements stemming from an incident involving the paparazzi at Los Angeles International Airport.
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