Kanye West Said He’s Running For President, Despite A Crowd Laughing At Him

Forget Calabasas and his music career, because Kanye West is apparently eyeing the Oval Office and a name change while he's at it. While the rapper-turned-gospel musician hasn't exactly made a secret of his presidential aspirations in the past, 'Ye appeared to set his sights on a career in politics and the highest office in the land once again while promoting his new line of biodegradable shoes. Kanye West wants to run for president in 2024, if his latest speech is to be believed, and he's also considering making "Billionaire" a part of his full name.

It's no secret that 'Ye wears many hats, including rapper, gospel singer, and fashion designer, and it looks like he's ready to add politician to his list. The "Gold Digger" hitmaker last voiced his dreams of leading the White House back in 2015, seeming to hint that he was considering a 2020 run. While those plans appeared to get put on the back burner, West suggested that the 2024 election was in his sights while speaking at the 2019 Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York on Thursday, Nov. 7.

West began by telling the audience that he was planning to move all Yeezy manufacturing to South and North American in the coming years, including a plant at his Wyoming ranch, explaining how doing so would create countless jobs in the United States. However, when he tried to link his doing so to being elected to the presidency, the audience didn't have quite the reaction he was looking for.

"When I run for president in 2024, we're going to definitely..." West began, pausing as the crowd erupted with laughter. Unamused, he continued, "Now what y'all laughing at? When I run for president in 2024, we would've created so many jobs that I'm not going to run, I'm going to walk." You can watch the moment for yourself at the 24:30 mark in the video of the panel below:

In between asking African Americans not to vote for the Democratic Party to avoid being a consumer demographic and dubbing his Yeezy brand the "Apple of apparel," 'Ye also reflected on a name change he's been considering.

West opened up about how he had been going through his own personal "Vietnam" and mental health struggles with not being taken seriously, which he said was a product of having multiple projects and careers. As a result, he said he had a very in-your-face name change in mind when he hit billionaire status, which shows he's not one to shy away from calling attention to his talents.

He added, "Now that I’ve made it through Vietnam, when Forbes wants to call me a centimillionaire and people say it’s crass to call yourself a billionaire, I might legally change my name to Christian Genius Billionaire Kanye West."

Now, considering that it's 'Ye, I'd take everything with a grain of salt, and wouldn't bet for certain that Christian Genius Billionaire Kanye West will for sure be on the ballot for president in 2024. However, the "Follow God" musician is known for marching to the beat of his own drum, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility until 'Ye says otherwise. Stay tuned.