I loathed Kanye West.

Then, I watched Jeen-Yuhs.

The documentary showed me another side of Kanye, a younger, gentler side that was just as ambitious as the artist is today but without all the rage and the hatred and the vindictiveness.

Early on in his career, while Kanye still struggled with bouts of mania and narcissism, he was incredibly grounded; a groundedness that was in no small part due to his mother, Donda West.

*in walks Donda*

Towards the end of the first part of what will soon be a three-part documentary, Kanye is sitting with his mother in her kitchen in Chicago, reminiscing on old times when she suddenly says…

“I was thinking about something I was gonna say to you, Kanye, that I thought was important…”

Kanye stops smiling and takes on a straight face as he listens to what his mother has to say.

“

… you got a lot of confidence that come off a little arrogant even though you’re humble and everything –– but it be important to remember that the giant looks himself in the mirror and sees nothing…

”

Donda goes on to explain to her son that you can’t be a star and not act like one, that you have to have some oomph.

But, that you can have this oomph while maintaining your humility.

In her own words, she describes this as…

“[You] can stay on the ground and you can be in the air at the same time…”

Be a man in your head and your reflection in the mirror, but a giant in the world that you embody.