"We shine because they hate us," raps Kanye West in 2004's 'All Falls Down' - and that's exactly what he does. The more mockery and derision he faces, the more he simultaneously plays up, knowingly, to his reputation, and continues to call out the issues of race, the media and creativity in society. Here's 13 times he's had something important to say.

During a live PSA to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrine, Kanye went off script. "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If they see a black family, they're looting, if they see a white family, they're looking for food, and you know, it's been five days because most of the people are black... America is set up to help the poor, the black people as slow as possible. George Bush doesn't care about black people." At this point, he got cut off.

"Welcome to today’s news, ladies and gentlemen. We’ve got Americans getting killed on TV, kids getting killed every weekend in Chicago, unarmed people getting killed by police officers… It makes you just want to reflect on what are the things that are a little bit more sensationalized than others."

"The bitter sound bites that everyone loved from last year that got taken out of context or misunderstood did come from a place of saying, ‘Yes, part of the reason why I’m not allowed to be in power is because of race, because of people’s perception of celebrity, because all they want to present to young black men is the idea of making it to the league or making it to be a rapper, but not the idea of becoming an owner.’ And they would do anything they can to make it seem like a truthful idea is a stupid idea, or a crazy idea."

"The concept of commercialism in the fashion and art world is looked down upon. You know, just to think, 'What amount of creativity does it take to make something that masses of people like?' And, 'How does creativity apply across the board?'"

"I don’t know if this is statistically right, but I’m assuming I have the most Grammys of anyone my age, but I haven’t won one against a white person."

"An artist’s career doesn’t happen in one cycle of news—an artist’s career happens in a lifetime. And if you’re a true artist, you’re willing to die for what you believe in."

"For me and my life and creativity, it's been challenging. I was able to ascend to heights because of the foundation that my mother and my father and my grandfather laid through civil rights."

Speaking of the difficulties he encountered being taken seriously as a black artist in industry meetings, West explained, "For me to have the opportunity to stand in front of a bunch of executives and present myself, I had to hustle in my own way. I can't tell you how frustrating it was that they didn't get that. No joke - I'd leave meetings crying all the time."

On the state of modern politics: "I believe that utopia is actually possible — but we're led by the least noble, the least dignified, the least tasteful, the dumbest and the most political. So in no way am I a politician — I'm usually at my best politically incorrect and very direct."

"Know your worth! People always act like they're doing more for you than you're doing for them."

Speaking to Zane Lowe of the uphill struggle of being a black artist: "I have driven my Truman Show boat into the painting. I have hit a glass ceiling."

"If everything I did failed — which it doesn't, it actually succeeds — just the fact that I'm willing to fail is an inspiration. People are so scared to lose that they don't even try. Like, one thing people can't say is that I'm not trying, and not I'm not trying my hardest, and I'm not trying to do the best way I know how."