Kanye West wasn't wrong to appoint himself "Yeezus," back in 2013, because
according to some music conspiracy theorists, his destiny to become one of
music's most innovative figures was determined long ago; let's say, back in
1972, exactly five years before he was even born.
1972 was the year when the late David Bowie released his rock opera, 'The Rise
and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.'
This was his fifth studio album, and a springboard for Bowie's alter-ego, Ziggy
Stardust. This blog from 2007 claims to be the "Official Blog for the Kanye
West, David Bowie Conspiracy." The blogger made a case for how Bowie and West are
inextricably linked in the most peculiar of ways. Now it all began with the
release of "Ziggy Stardust," on June 6, 1972. The breakdown goes something like this.
The cover of Bowie's 1972 album featured an image of the rock star posing on a
dark London Street, surrounded by cardboard boxes and concrete. The only
really prominent focal point of the picture,
apart from Bowie's great shock of blonde hair: a single illuminated shop sign
hanging just above his head that reads "K. West." Coincidence, perhaps?
The theory then digs a little deeper beyond the superficial name drop, dissecting the
meaning behind the first track on the album, "Five Years."
The lyrics paint a grim picture of a world set to end in five years time.
Unless, that is, a so-called "Starman," descends upon earth to save humanity
from itself. Fast forward five years, two days later and on June 8, 1977 Kanye West
was born. Bowie's predicted "starman" had arrived. In a 1974 interview with Rolling
Stone, Bowie gave an oddly prophetic description of how his alter-ego
eventually leaves this earth: "as soon as Ziggy dies onstage the infinites take
his elements and make themselves visible," he said at the time. Fittingly, when the
rock icon died on January 10, 2016, West was one of the first artists to
commemorate him, tweeting just one hour after the official Facebook announcement
of Bowie's death: "David Bowie was one of my most important inspirations, so
fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime."
It was this tweet that spurred a Reddit user to revive the original
conspiracy theory, but this time with a few key updates. The theorist points to
Bowie's final album, 'Blackstar,' as a not so thinly-veiled confirmation
that West is his chosen successor. First, the rapper is, quite literally, a black
star, and second, the album's first track, titled "Blackstar," features some eerily
revealing lyrics. "Something happened on the day he died," the lyrics read.
But no conspiracy theory is complete without a few more critical tie-ins. The
third track off Bowie's "Blackstar," is titled "Lazarus," a nod to the biblical
character of the same name. In the Bible, Lazarus falls ill and dies. He is placed
in a tomb, and Jesus brings him back from the dead. It's important to note here
that the third track off "Yeezus" is called, unironically, "I Am a God." The theory is
helped along here by the fact that the outspoken rapper also posed with the
crown of thorns on the cover of Rolling Stone
back in 2006. Could the Jesus-West comparisons be any more clear? Oh, and one
more thing: three days before Bowie's death in
January 2016, Sia previewed her new song "Reaper," which coincidentally was
co-written and co-produced by none other than Bowie's new creative spirit
incarnate, Kanye West.
My name is Rob Sheffield and I officially do not
believe any of these WTF Music Conspiracy Theories.