Smarter than Kanye
Theologist, Philosopher, Intellectual, Performer, Musician, Orator, Writer, and I suspect that’s not nearly the whole of this man’s life, Cornell West, is one of a kind. Softball Marxist, Southern Baptist, Jazzbo-HipHopper, Serious Jokester, Popstar and Pundit rolled into a likeable ball.
Cornel Ronald West (born June 2, 1953) is a Professor at Princeton University, where he teaches in its Department of Religion. West is known for his combination of political and moral insight and criticism and his contribution to the post-1960s civil rights movement. The bulk of his work focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society and the means by which people act and react to their “radical conditionedness.” West draws intellectual contributions from such diverse traditions as the African American Baptist Church, pragmatism and transcendentalism.[1]
His activism, academic credentials, political experience, and philosophical ruminations are noteworthy, but I know you are more interested in his contributions to pop culture, so here:
West appears in both The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. He plays Councilor West, who serves on the council of Zion. West’s character advises that “comprehension is not a requisite of cooperation.” In addition, West provides philosophical commentary on all three Matrix films in The Ultimate Matrix Collection, along with integral theorist Ken Wilber.
West makes frequent appearances on the popular political show Real Time with Bill Maher.[25][26][27][28][29]
West was featured on Starbucks Coffee Cups with The Way I See It #284 quoted, “You can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people. You can’t save the people, if you don’t serve the people.”
West’s book “Race Matters” appears in a second season episode of the West Wing, in which the character Charlie Young is reading at his desk.
In Anna Deavere Smith‘s work Twilight: Los Angeles, she briefly delivers a speech in the style and words of West.
In the 2008 film Examined Life, a documentary featuring several noted academics discussing philosophy in real-world contexts, Cornel, “driving through Manhattan, . . . compares philosophy to jazz and blues, reminding us how intense and invigorating a life of the mind can be.”[30]
West appeared in the rock-umentary Call + Response, a video aiming to raise awareness about human trafficking.
Rapper Lupe Fiasco mentions West in his song ‘Just Might Be OK’ from his album Food & Liquor with the line ‘I ain’t Cornel West, I am Cornel Westside, Chi-town Guevara.”
West has recorded a recitation of John Mellencamp‘s song “Jim Crow” for inclusion on the singer’s upcoming box set On the Rural Route 7609.
West has recently completed recording with the Cornel West Theory, a Hip Hop band endorsed by West which also bears his name.[31] He has also released two hip-hop/soul/spoken word albums, one under “Cornel West” (entitled Street Knowledge), the other under “Cornel West & B.M.W.M.B.” (entitled Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations).[32] Both works are musical expressions of West’s personal politics and beliefs which he has annunciated in his previous written works.
He appears in conversation with Bill Withers in the Bill Withers documentary, “Still Bill”.
Harvard University‘s undergraduate student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, suggested in October 2002 that the premise of Law and Order: Criminal Intent episode “Anti-Thesis” was based on the West’s conflicts with Harvard president Lawrence Summers.[33]
West appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on February 1, 2011 to begin Black History Month, and held a near hour long discussion on the importance of studying black history for all people to answer the question, “What does it mean to be human?”
Everything that isn’t italicized came from that wonderful Wikipedia.
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