The many faces of Kanye West: producer-turned-hit rapper takes hip-hop in new direction

Ebony, June, 2004 by Kimberly Davis

As for his future, West says he is feeling pressure to release another album by December. He's also working with his own stable of artists (GLC, Consequence and Common) and has cuts on the latest albums from Janet Jackson, Dilated Peoples and Brandy.

But on this day, he worries that, maybe, he's had it as a performer. There are no rhymes, after all. A certain uncertainly creeps into his voice, and you aren't sure whether he's joking or not when he says, "This may be my last album. I don't know."

For now, he'll continue to tour, squeezing every last single out of Dropout that he can. For the guy who "did that song with his jaw wired shut," what's next is in God's hands.

"A lot of times I get frustrated, because I'm scared [and] I don't think I could do it again," West says. "My [future] is in God's hands. If He wants me to make another album, then He'll give me the inspiration to do so. I can't force it."