Kanye West explains how he influenced Drake, The Weeknd, Young Thug and more

Today (March 15), Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign sat down with Big Boy for an exclusive interview. During their 80-minute conversation, the Chicago rapper spoke about the role he played in the careers of The Weeknd, Drake and Future, among others.

“I done invented every style of music of the past 20 years. I created this genre. I created [The] Weeknd genre, [Travis Scott], Drake… I’ma go ahead and say it — with all love — Future and [Young Thug] also ‘cause of the Auto-Tune album,” West claimed. “They added what it was to it.”

The LP that West appeared to be referring to was 2008’s 808s & Heartbreak. Tracks like "Love Lockdown" and "Heartless" heavily relied on the aforementioned computer software.

Whether musically, fashion-wise, or in terms of cultural impact, West has influenced and worked with many of Hip Hop’s favorite artists. The Weeknd, whose track “Tell Your Friends” was co-written by the 24-time Grammy Award-winner, previously cited him as an inspiration.

During a 2015 interview with Pitchfork, the singer praised West for contributing to Beauty Behind the Madness. “I feel like I’m going through what he’s been going through — reinventing himself and pushing the boundaries. And he looks at himself as pop. He says, ‘I’m a pop artist. You can’t put me in one category,’” The Weeknd explained.

Similarly, Drake told MTV in 2009, “Before I ever got the chance to meet him, Kanye West shaped a lot of what I do, as far as music goes… I'd even go as far as to say he's the most influential person as far as a musician that I'd ever had in my life.”

Drake and West have collaborated on numerous occasions over the past two decades. The latter produced “Find Your Love” and “Show Me a Good Time” from 2010’s Thank Me Later. They also joined forces for “Forever,” The Throne-assisted “Pop Style,” and “Glow.”

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