I'mma Let You Finish

“Everybody always says, 'Be humble. Be humble.' When the last time somebody told you to be great, be amazing, be awesome? Be awesome!" —Kanye West

Richard Sherman just won the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks, but his legacy from this past NFL postseason will almost certainly be his epic 30-second interview with Erin Andrews following his team’s National Football Conference championship game victory over the San Francisco 49ers. After Andrews asked him to take her through the final play of the game, Sherman spared no words: "I’m the best corner in the game! When you try me with a sorry receiver like [Michael] Crabtree, that’s the result you’re going to get!"

Sherman’s comments sparked a national debate. Some argued that his comments were completely inappropriate, rude, and unnecessary. Others argued that he was simply caught up in the excitement and intensity of the game and that his comments were excusable. Fewer people argued, however, that his comments were completely justified, backed by both his dominant performance in the game and his remarkable career.

I watched Sherman’s interview shocked like the rest of America, not knowing at first what to think. Not only was it probably the most fascinating 30-second interview I’ve witnessed, but it also oozed confidence, pride, and hard-earned satisfaction not normally seen in post-game interviews. It instantly reminded me of the adjacent words spoken by my favorite rapper and self-proclaimed god, Kanye West.

Now, justifying Sherman’s raw, biting interview by likening him to Kanye’s equally controversial character may not seem like appropriate justification at all. In truth, many Kanye fans don’t like to pay attention to his personality—they’d rather just focus on his music. Kanye West is undeniably one of the, if not the single, most commercially and critically acclaimed artists of the past decade. After gaining success as a hip-hop producer in the early 2000s, Kanye has released six solo albums, all of which have received huge critical praise and sold at least one million copies. He has also released an album and toured with Jay-Z, signed a clothing deal with Adidas, and given a speech (lecture? rant?) at the Graduate School of Design this past fall. For most of his fans, these accomplishments are enough to offset his sometimes off-putting personality.

For better or worse, I have a much harder time separating his personality from his music and other achievements. As is true with many hyper-successful athletes and artists, Kanye’s pride, which often manifests itself as egotism and vanity, is a huge part of what makes his music so great. His confidence is certainly what led him to believe that he could rap when music labels told him he would never succeed. Further, his unflinching self-assurance allows him to take huge, unrivaled musical risks on his albums. Indeed, it is largely due to his confidence and—in popular terms—ego that Kanye West is Kanye West.

The same is true with Richard Sherman. After his team’s victory and his ensuing interview, Sherman was both chastised for his brash, egotistical personality and praised for his athletic performance. Yet his personality and performance are undeniably linked. Sherman’s confidence likely allows him to be the spectacular, Pro Bowl football player he is. And it is likely this same pride that allowed Sherman to dominate the NFC championship game, setting up the final interception that carried the Seahawks to victory. Without his exceptional level of confidence in his abilities, Sherman may never have even made it to the NFL.

That’s not to say humility is wrong or useless, or to say that everyone should go around declaring "I am a God"(even if I sing this to myself every morning in the shower). But when celebrities like Kanye or Sherman forgo their politically correct, media-savvy filters to reveal their true confidence and pride, less of the national conversation should be on about muting them. We should instead acknowledge and even celebrate their confidence for driving them to be among the greatest at their respective crafts. By celebrating hard work and confidence, the true message of Kanye and Sherman—to fundamentally believe in yourself—will shine above the petty discourse about what is and isn’t appropriate to say.

Plus, I could use a couple more Taylor Swift interruptions to spice up my life. Thanks for letting me finish.