Celebrity Chatter: Kanye West Calls 'Runaway' Phoenix A Metaphor For His Career

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Kanye West Calls 'Runaway' Phoenix A Metaphor For His Career

'It definitely relates to everything that I've been through, like ... burning to the ashes and rebuilding,' 'Ye tells MTV News.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Kara Warner

Kanye West at the "Runaway" premiere
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

The central storyline (as it were) of Kanye West's "Runaway" film involves a phoenix played by model Selita Ebanks, who falls to earth, is rescued by West and subsequently teaches him about societal ills and whatnot. Or something like that. It's "very abstract" after all.

And, as you can probably guess, the phoenix also serves as a rather apt metaphor for West's return to the spotlight ... something he explained when MTV News caught up with him at the Los Angeles premiere of "Runaway" on Monday. But — in much the same way he chose the artwork for his upcoming My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album — his decision to incorporate Ebanks' character into the film wasn't purely based on the metaphorical.

"I love characters in general, but [I loved] how colorful the bird is and just the design, it's just something I would've picked or drawn as a 5-year-old," West said. "It definitely relates to everything that I've been through, like, burning to the ashes and rebuilding and becoming a better person and delivering better product."

Regarding that last point, West hinted that "Runaway" might not be his only foray into the world of film (or dance, or theater). With Fantasy just around the corner, he's looking to push the artistic envelope even further.

"I was just moved by the classic dance, and I just wanted to crash it against the pop music," he said. "[I love] film and actual theater, and just mixing those things together, and getting as many people that are experts in their field to help me bring this vision together. That's what I'm looking for right now."

Are you excited to finally see Kanye's "Runaway" film? Tell us in the comments!

Kanye West's "Runaway" will premiere on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on MTV, MTV2 and BET, and will also stream live on MTV.com, BET.com and VH1.com, followed by a live Q&A session on MTV and MTV.com.

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