Billy Corgan believes Kanye West may have taken a page out of his playbook when it comes to navigating fame, courting controversy, and challenging the public’s perception of artistry.
During an appearance on Popcast this week, host Jon Caramanica asked the Smashing Pumpkins frontman about the similarities between himself and West, particularly regarding how they’ve both approached their careers.
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“I hear a lot of Kanye in you,” Caramanica remarked, prompting Corgan to respond, “Isn’t it the other way around? Didn’t I come first?”
The singer and guitarist then shared, “When we were making Mellon Collie [and the Infinite Sadness], Kanye was literally working one block down the street at the Gap.”
Although Corgan said he didn’t know West at the time, he remembered hearing about the rapper’s ascent in Chicago and recognizing something familiar in his approach to celebrity.
“When I first saw his game, I thought … was he influenced by the way I did this shit?” Corgan said. “Because it was the same game. Pick fights, do crazy shit.”
The 59-year-old musician characterized their shared approach as a “cognitive dissonance game,” wherein deliberately provocative behavior forces audiences to confront their opinions about an artist’s work.
“By creating the cognitive dissonance conversation, you have to choose,” he continued. “So, when I ask you a question like, ‘Has my work been fairly assessed by your critical class?’ it forces you to make a decision of my value.”
Corgan added, “As an artist, that’s what I saw Kanye doing. It was like I’m going to pick the fight and make you decide whether or not I’m a genius or not; whether I’m an idiot or not. That’s what that game is, and I wonder if he got that game from me, but maybe it was just in the water.”
Despite drawing parallels between their public personas, Corgan acknowledged that he and West have had little direct contact. In fact, he said their only conversation was a friendly phone call lasting approximately 15 minutes.
Corgan is currently revisiting his own legacy with The Smashing Pumpkins’ ongoing Rats in a Cage Tour, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Get tickets to the concert series here (you can save $20 on your first order of $200 or more with promo code COS20 at checkout).