A Video of a Teenage Kanye West Performance Resurfaces After 18 Years
The video shows Kanye West way before he knew about Kim Kardashian, before he released his first studio album, and way before selling millions of records.
A then-unknown Kanye West performed at the 1996 Fat Beats’ 6th Avenue location, but his verse was recorded on an old 8mm tape until this week.
Radio host DJ Eclipse, sent the vintage footage to Complex with the following note:
Yesterday I started converting old Hi8 video tapes to DVD and came across some interesting footage from that day … [W]hat took me by surprise was the appearance of this 19-year-old kid who at that time nobody knew. At least in NYC.
Kanye West was just 19 at the time, a recent high school graduate and about to start painting classes at The American Academy of Art. The art path did not really last but, his rapping skills did.
Check out the video below:
Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.