Meet Kanye’s Biggest Fans in Line for His London Pop-Up

On Friday morning, Kanye West's new pop-up shop selling a slice of Life of Pablo merch landed in its temporary UK home on Old Street, east London. We asked the people lining up to tell us why they were there, why they loved Yeezy, and what they'd just thrown a whole heap of cash at.

Cameron: The prices kicked me in the ass. I thought it was going to be cheap but it's Kanye West so people will buy it anyway. Fuck Supreme! I bought a Life of Pablo T-shirt. I'm coming back tomorrow to get the military jacket.
Henry: I spent £90 [$117] in total. I've been a fan of him since I was young. I love what he's doing with the clothing and 21 stores worldwide and that. I love how he's doing it internationally. He's just the man. He's one of the most influential rappers.
C: Every time you go to these events, you see people in all types of clothing. That's because of Kanye West and the whole culture he's built up. He's changed since 2012. You didn't know him before. But now he's standing out, he's being different. We want to be like him. He doesn't care what people say. I have the same motivation.

I've been here since 6:30 AM. We've been queuing for a good four hours. It's really cool but I'm going to re-sell it. I'll come back when the queue's massive. Kanye's different, he's someone who speaks out and isn't afraid to get into trouble. He says what he thinks, that's quite fun to listen to. It creates a lot of banter. He's very much about, 'let me tell you what I think about everything,' rather than what should be said. He doesn't care about political correctness, not in rap music. I admire that. It's rare. It's so hard not to offend people these days online or in person because everyone finds something to get offended by.

Geraldine: We just arrived from Belgium two hours ago. We came as fast as we could. I'll hopefully get a sweater and a T-shirt. That's probably it because I don't have that much money!
Geraldine's dad: Daddy will buy her whatever she wants!
G: He's a really good rapper. We love his music and his style. We're really blessed to be here. He always speaks the truth, he loves himself but he's not afraid to say anything. I just think his style is really cool.

Brahm: We came down from Worcestershire. We got up at 4:30 AM, left at 5:30-ish. We're hoping to buy anything and everything.
Josh: What makes Kanye West cool? What doesn't?
B: He's a creative genius when it comes to everything. He engages people in such a draw that it draws you in. It's that creativity, it's that spark that'll always keep him cool.
J: He's my hero, definitely. I'd say he was the greatest rapper alive right now.

I don't think he's really that cool. He's pretty mainstream, he goes out with the most famous woman in the world. But he's got his head screwed on with fashion—he's managed to make his way into the industry. His merch is pretty cool, I'm just not that sure about Kanye himself.

I'm hoping to get just a crew neck and a T-shirt. I'm hoping to spend £135 [$175]. I'm planning to keep it for myself. Personally, I'm not a massive fan of him or his music. He's not the greatest rapper alive. Eminem is.

I love his music more than anything. I've been listening to him since I was 14. I think he has amazing ideas. I know people hate him but I'm one of the ones who think he's a genius. I don't think many people have as big of an influence on young kids as he does.

I think he's had a big impact on music and fashion. It helps that he's tied to the Kardashians, which have a huge influence in fashion, especially these days.

His music inspires me. I think he's an amazing artist. He has no boundaries, no limits. I think it's really interesting, you can see it in his fashion. Clearly there's a big hype on it. It's a fun way to shop.

People from all races and countries are here so it's pretty cool. He has a passion and he says what he feels. It speaks for us, I guess. It inspires me for sure. I do architecture so in my first year, I'll be listening to Dark Fantasy while designing and Spaceship. Kendrick's the greatest rapper alive, though.

I spent £600 [$783]. I just like his music, really. His style too. The style now is these big sweaters. I bought two camo jackets. Dark Fantasies is the best album. I am inspired by him, I'm a video editor and a filmmaker. I love every one of his albums. He's an asshole outside of his music.

His merchandise brought me here. I'm keeping it. I'm planning to spend about £250 [$325]. I love The Life of Pablo, that made me want to buy the stuff really. The Life of Pablo is probably my favorite album of all time, that I've listened to. I just love him as an artist. I just love his fashion sense. It's made me want to buy the gear.

I had nothing to do so I thought it'd be good to do this. His FU attitude makes him cool. I guess people like a rebel, someone that goes against the system. It's something to admire.

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