Director Joseph Kahn Says He Won't Be Working With Kanye West Ever Again

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Director Joseph Kahn attends the Variety's Creative Impact Awards and 10 Directors to watch at the 29th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival at Parker Palm Springs on January 3, 2018 in Palm Springs, California.
Joseph Kahn says Kanye West/Kardashian culture goes "hand-in-hand with the Trump world."

Joseph Kahn has worked with pretty much everyone in the music industry, from Imagine Dragons to Aaliyah, but he doesn't seem to have any interest in working Kanye West. When Business Insider asked him whether he'd direct a music video for Kanye West, he said, "No, absolutely not."

Joseph Kahn's been doing a press run this week in support of his forthcoming film, Bodied which hits theaters on Friday. He explained how the culture surrounding Kanye West/Kardashian clan goes together with Trump's world and due to that, he won't be working with 'Ye in the future.

"I find the Kanye/Kardashian culture so — to me it's hand in hand with the Trump world," he said. "There's a lack of thought that's masquerading as thought. It's using the power of brand as the power of thought. And if anything, I'm so immersed in the power of brands, I try to put thought in the brands and I don't see thought going on there. I just see crazy people flinging around and just trying to make money and call it thought."

Kahn is an OG in the game, and at this point, he has the luxury to choose to work with who wants. He explained that he has to continue to be careful with his brand and his skill set and use his platform responsibly.

"I choose who I want to work with," he said when asked about whether it's been a conscious decision to stray away from working with Kanye West in recent times. "I have to be very careful what to use my skill set for. Everybody loves to make money, obviously, everybody loves to be comfortable, but you also have to be careful what you put out there. Look, I make silly music videos for a living, but I just want to make sure that I'm being responsible with the power that I've been given."


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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