Kanye West: Now, when I listen to your shit, I hear similarities. I actually wanted to work with him (Jon Brion) so I could be like the rap version of you. That was one of my main goals. The albums that inspired me for Late Registration were your first one, Tidal [1996] and Portishead's Dummy [1994], but especially your lyrics and how you sing. How is your vocabulary so ill? Were you tight in vocabulary in your school?
Fiona Apple: No, but I just love words. I love looking at phrases books and word origins books because they have so many obsolete, never-used phrases. They have a rhythm to them. You can build a whole song on a phrase that you like because it will spark something in your head, something that's going on with you. You'll hear a phrase and it will just ring true to you. I just love that.
Kanye West: One thing that I like to do is use words that have never actually been used in a rap song before. I also like to take words that have negative connotations and show their real meaning. Like the word "pop." This is a pop album, but pop has a negative connotation if you're a "real artist." The title of The College Dropout--that's what that was. What is so negative about dropping out of college? Why do we automatically shun people who drop out of school?
Fiona Apple: It's a word without a context.
Kanye West: Exactly. And if you think of the examples of people who have dropped out of college that pop into your head, they're like Bill Gates and Michael Jordan.
