Kanye West says he’s never read a book: “Reading is like eating Brussels sprouts for me”

nme.com:

Kanye West has revealed that he feels an aversion to literature, comparing books to Brussels sprouts and explaining that he sees evolved forms of communication as crucial to his vision of an optimised future.The revelation came in a new episode of the podcast Alo Mind Full, where the rapper joined Alo Yoga co-founder Danny Harris and host Alyson Wilson to “paint a sonic picture of what’s on his mind”.

Harris spoke of a book he’d read over 100 times, which included philosophies on self-confidence that he and West mutually agreed on. “[West] was telling me that he hasn’t read this book,” the entrepreneur said, “but I was telling him that every positive attribute [detailed in it], he naturally embodies.

And that’s extraordinary, you know, to have that confidence – you know, from being such a young kid and going out there and inspiring and having this vision, and actualising it, is extraordinary.”West responded to the sentiment by clarifying that he’d not only skipped on reading the book Harris mentioned, but “actually [hasn’t] read any book”.

He explained: “Reading is like eating Brussels sprouts, for me, and talking is like getting the Giorgio Baldi corn ravioli.” (Giorgio Baldi is an upscale Italian restaurant and celebrity hotspot in Santa Monica, California).The rapper continued with an anecdote about Mike Howe, inventor of the Ripsaw combat vehicle, saying: “When his mum texts him long paragraphs, he reads the first sentence and the last sentence.