Kanye West has come a long way from lobbying Dame Dash and Jay Z for a record deal as an artist. Since his debut album, The College Dropout, in 2004, he has re-shaped the sound of Hip-Hop, and all music, time and time again.

Not one to settle, West has pushed boundaries in other areas, as well. He is deeply involved in every aspect of his presentation from artwork to video to set design. And, of course, over the last several years, he has immersed himself in the world of high fashion. His sneakers, the Yeezy Boosts (in partnership with Adidas) have been among the most heavily in demand of any footwear.

Over the years, Kanye has become even more recognized for what he’s said in life rather than on record. His public lambasting of President George Bush in the midst of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy remains legendary. His monologues during concerts (often dismissed as “rants”) became viral sensations. And, his heated exchange with legendary DJ/VJ Sway Calloway was one of the biggest media moments of 2013.

Each of these factors and more, have given Ye a lot of influence–so much so that TIME magazine has named him one of its 100 Most Influential People and put him on the cover.

Here’s a video of Kanye talking about the distinction. Rather than focusing on himself, he speaks in depth about his and humanity’s collective duty to help one another. Take a look at the video and read the article here.

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