Kanye West's Yeezy Season 4 may have come and go, but the rapper, who doubles as a designer insists his fashion collaboration with Adidas is one of the 'top four trendsetting brands'.


He spoke to W magazine's first-ever his-and-hers fashion issue, spoke candidly with the publication about his frustrations with the fashion industry, explaining that people don't take his designs seriously because he is a musician. 

'Think of how it is now – [Yeezy] is one of the leading trendsetting brands now; like top four trendsetting brands,' he said. 'And, and that's with little to no support on the apparel side. Meaning, I went and did a deal with Adidas and I basically still had to do the apparel in LA and build my own atelier and get consultants and build a team.' 

Kanye noted that it is difficult for people to understand how difficult his foray into fashion has been, recalling how he tweeted bout being in $53 million in personal debt in February.  

'The people who know what the f**k I'm talking about know what the f**k I'm talking about,' he said of the tweet. 'So I refuse people who write me off as some rich kid taking a hobby, fashion as a f*****g hobby or a fashion plate.'

Kanye explained that his critics accuse him of putting himself on the 'same level' as other designers when they know very little about him as an artist.  

'No one, um – very few people even knew that I have a f****g Ph.D. in art, you know?' he said. 'And not that that would even make the difference, but me saying that makes the difference to the exact people I'm talking to it's, like, shut the f**k up. 

'I will f*****g laser you with alien f*****g eyes and explode your f*****g head. Shut the f**k up – try to write a rap. Okay then. I made this f*****g T-shirt, now shut up. And it cost me everything I had and I gave everything I had.'

- People Magazine