Ben Zand produced a captivating documentary focused on R. Kelly's sexual abuse allegations earlier this year, offering an intimate look at the former R&B mainstay. Now he's back with another documentary on BBC Three, focusing his attention on Chicago's most influential and infamous rapper, Kanye West.
Zand, who says he's a "massive fan" of Yeezy, talked with a number of Kanye's close collaborators and friends for his new documentary, Searching For Kanye West, hoping to offer some insight into what has been one of his wildest years yet. The documentary includes interviews with GLC and Tony Williams among others, highlighting both his upbringing and the moment he lost his mother, Donda West due to complications from surgery.
As Zand points out, both of Kanye's parents were heavy into the civil rights movements, and he even got the opportunity to speak with someone who worked with Donda. When it comes to how Kanye leans politically now, it also led to an interview with far-right personality Candace Owens, who Ye has aligned himself with in the past year.
Later on in the documentary, Zand attempts to look into why Yeezy has had such a different approach to politics in recent times, asking some close collaborators if he's struggled with the idea of being a celebrity. It's a fascinating look at his status as one of the most divisive musicians around, even if Zand doesn't get the chance to speak to him directly.
