Kanye West has both directly and indirectly made himself the subject of idol worship over the course of his career. Last year, a group of yahoos started a cult religion named Yeezianity but who can blame them after the superstar rapper went from preaching “Jesus Walks” to “I’m a God.”
Now a group calling themselves Channel222 have replaced God’s name in the Holy Bible’s book of Genesis with Kanye’s to create the Book of Yeezus and they’re selling it on Etsy.
Before you scream blasphemy, allow them to explain themselves. But, blasphemy.
So and So,
Each generation champions a superstar, so consistently relevant that they come to accompany that generation through its evolution, being a part of and ultimately shaping its identity. Such past icons have been the likes of Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, or Michael Jackson. For this generation, Generation Y, Kanye West is not only its greatest spectacle, but in some senses, a spiritual figure.
We are here to spread a doctrine. Well, a pseudo-doctrine. We ask you to use your pulpit for Good.
A few months ago, my brothers and I embarked on a creative journey that began with a “What If?”:
What if the Bible, the most singularly significant publication in the ancient canon of Western tradition, were updated to reflect our modern society? What would it look like? What we came up with was an interventionist art, coffee-table novelty, that will appeal to both Kanye fans everywhere and those made curious by this enormous cultural phenomenon.
At it’s simplest, it is the book of Genesis, modified to feature “Kanye” or “Yeezus” in the place of God or Y—A. “In the beginning Kanye created the heaven and the earth… And Kanye said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
In a sense, Kanye’s awesome and orchestrated spectacle is truly a religious experience. In a foreword, we explore our consumerist, quick-fix, and information-culture, and celebrate Kanye and the outsized significance he plays in our lives. All of this, bound in a black, hard-cover gold-leaf imprinted book.
Flip through the gallery below to see the Book of Yeezus with your own eyes.
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Photos: WENN, Etsy/Channel222
