Ye: 'I Actually Haven't Read Any Book'

If Donda West, former chair of the English department at Chicago State University, was still alive, she might be startled by a claim her son Kanye made during a podcast Friday. The rapper, now officially known as Ye, claimed he had never read a book and said "good conversation" is a better way of learning, USA Today reports. When Alo Yoga CEO Danny Harris referred to a book during a chat on the Alo Mind Full podcast, Ye said, "When you said I hadn’t read this book, I actually haven’t read any book." He added: "Reading is like eating Brussels sprouts for me." He also said he doesn't like long text messages and often only reads the first and last paragraphs.

Ye studied English at CSU but dropped out in the late 1990s and released his debut album College Dropout years later. Rolling Stone calls Ye's anti-reading stance an "especially odd choice" in light of his new education venture: Donda Academy, a private school in Simi Valley, California, that he named after his mother. On its website, the school for students in kindergarten through 12th grade says it includes "core classes of language arts, math, and science" along with "enrichment courses including World Language, Visual Art, Film, Choir, and Parkour."

During Friday's podcast, Ye said curriculums should balance reading with other methods of learning. "We have to balance things with curriculums that allow for self-confidence," he said, per USA Today. "Because so many of the schools and modern indoctrinations take away from the confidence that these future leaders would have in themselves." Rolling Stone notes that Ye made an even bolder proposal during the podcast: "I'm really big on outlawing stairs," he said. "Everything should be designed like an old-folks home. If we’re lucky, we’ll all turn to old folks." (More Kanye West stories.)