> He does not entertain the derision he receives for his erratic cycles of hype and retreat, because they are part of his hyper self-conscious creative rhythm, part of his prayer ritual.

Right. He has also publicly admitted that he has bipolar disorder -- a devastating illness that causes behaviors remarkably like the ones so relentlessly romanticized in this article.

I think Kanye West is a genius. But I also think it doesn't help him or anyone else struggling with mental illness to perpetuate the myth that his symptoms are an essential part of his "process."