Whether he’s blessing people with Birkin bags, high-dollar stocks, or a hologram of a deceased relative, Kanye West has made it clear he isn’t your typical gift-giver. This was further demonstrated in the latest episode of the Rap Radar Podcast, featuring special guest Conway the Machine.
At one point during the sit-down, the Buffalo-born rapper spoke about his trip to Kanye’s ranch in Wyoming, where he gave Ye a sneak peek of his 2022 album, God Don’t Make Mistakes. Conway recalled playing the Wallo276-assisted track “Stressed,” which tackled Conway’s mental health and alcohol issues.
“That third verse, I talk about how I was on that bottle. I was drinking, you know, I’m sipping, I’m getting nice, you know what I mean? Every day and shit,” Conway told hosts Elliott Wilson and Brian “B. Dot” Miller. “I’m just giving my perspective of what I’m dealing with with that. And he heard that shit and he didn’t say nothing. He just got up and walked out the room, right?”
Conway said he didn’t really understand why Ye abruptly dipped out but was convinced it was a good sign.
“I’m like, ‘He must’ve been feeling that shit,’” he recalled. “N***a came back and gave me an autographed Alcohol Anonymous book; like, ‘Yeah, read that, dawg. I love that record. That shit, I felt that.’ We had a whole different conversation that I don’t want to share.”
Though it was unlike the rapper's usual extravagant or expensive gifts, Conway was moved by the gesture.
The former Griselda member had previously teamed up with Ye on “Keep My Spirit Alive,” a standout cut from Kanye’s 2021 Donda album. Conway spoke about the experience during his Rap Radar appearance.
“I never had nothing,” he said. “To just to be the guy to receive, it’s just like, ‘Man, why doing this? Why you showing me that love? Why you having me come out there to be on the album? I barely got 100,000 followers. I ain’t on the radio or in the club, none of that.”
Kanye has been quite open about his past struggles with alcoholism, and even went so far as to describe himself as a “functioning alcoholic.” The multi-hyphenate spoke candidly about his issues during Awaken 2020, a prayer rally that took place in Tempe, Arizona.
“I never thought about the effect alcohol could have had on my life,” he said, before referencing his infamous stage rush at the 2009 VMAs. “I was drinking on the red carpet, and then running on stage a few minutes later. And everyone around said, ‘Nah, he ain’t really no alcoholic.’ And then you get to the point where you’re drinking Grey Goose and orange juice for breakfast, thinking, ‘Nah, I ain’t really no alcoholic.’”
He then described the moment he realized he had a problem and decided to stop drinking:
“There was some vodka in the refrigerator at my office, and sometimes I would just go ahead and take a drink from it in the middle of the day, and I was walking toward that kitchenette area, and I stopped myself and I said, ‘Devil you’re not gonna finna beat me today,’” he continued. “And it’s something that we take on, day by day. Every day that I don’t pick up that drink, I beat the devil.”
