Although he's been telling us this all along, Kanye West's genius is officially getting the recognition it deserves. Yeezus will receive the Visionary Award next month at the 2015 BET Honors. According to Billboard, Ye will be one of five luminaries, including Usher, actress Phylicia Rashad, Johnnetta Betsch Cole, and John W. Thompson, honored at the eighth annual ceremony hosted by Wayne Brady.
"Kanye West will be honored for his extraordinary contributions across the arts, including roles as a record producer, rapper, filmmaker and fashion designer. He's a multifaceted trailblazer and pioneer whose accomplishments are all marked by his unique and forward-thinking approach," read a statement on the BET Honors website.
Usher will receive the Musical Arts Award for his 20-year career in the industry. Rashad will be given the Theatrical Arts Award, and Betsch Cole, the director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African Art and former president of Spelman College, will be given the Education Award. Meanwhile, Thompson, Microsoft Chairman Virtual Instruments CEO, will receive the Technology and Business Award.
Past honorees include Maya Angelou and Whitney Houston.
The BET Honors ceremony will be taped on Jan. 24 in Washington and will air on February 23. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the National CARES Mentoring Program.
Interestingly, news of West's upcoming honor comes just days after sources told Page Six that the rapper is ready to retire from music.
"After his next [collaboration] with Paul McCartney comes out, he's going to step away from music and concentrate on clothing...He got a $15 million signing bonus from Adidas, but his line has been pushed back four times because he hasn't had enough time to work on it."
We certainly hope that's not true, but at least we'll have his upcoming album to look forward to, which he just premiered live for Seth Rogen.
Do you think West deserves the Visionary Award? Sound off in the comments section below!
