Kanye West broke his “no more press” policy for a second time this year (two Kanye interviews in the same month; would you believe it?!) as he spoke with W Magazine in Paris earlier this year during the making-of Yeezus.

Not only touching on his then-upcoming album — including a pretty hilarious anecdote about the time he played Kim’s mom some of his music — the G.O.O.D. Music mogul opened up about his immersion in Parisian fashion and architecture culture, his fearless aspirations to “push forward” civilization in various different fields, and being involved as a creative director in an upcoming Jetson movie. It’s also revealed that Kanye is launching a men’s capsule collection of jeans, tees and hoodies for a “hip” French brand in July.

During his time with Kanye in Paris, writer Christopher Bagley observed the dramatic changes in the creation of Yeezus. The album went from being “almost finished” to “30 percent complete” within the space of a month, and Yeezy’s engineer, Noah Goldstein, revealed that the rapper/producer would scrap half a project if a single beat inspired him to take a new direction. And that “I Am a God” track? Apparently, it was inspired by a perceived diss from a major fashion designer.

All in all, this article provides great insight into the man’s mission “to make Kanye West as dope as possible.” And yes, Yeezy provides some classic quotes on his well-documented ego, too.

Read highlights from Kanye’s interview with W Magazine after the jump…

Inspiration behind “I Am a God”:

Last fall, a few days before Paris Fashion Week, West was informed that he’d be invited to a widely anticipated runway show only on the condition that he agree not to attend any other shows. “So the next day I went to the studio with Daft Punk, and I wrote ‘I Am a God,’ ” West says. “Cause it’s like, Yo! Nobody can tell me where I can and can’t go. Man, I’m the No. 1 living and breathing rock star. I am Axl Rose; I am Jim Morrison; I am Jimi Hendrix.”

On the critical response to his fashion lines:

“The first collection was way better than the second,” he says. “It was more artful. It was 30 collections in one. It just takes time for me to slow down and think like a normal person.” Established designers, West notes, are already “in a position to go crazy. I tried to come out of the gate going crazy. And it didn’t work. So now I have to somehow put out something that says, ‘I look sensible!’”

The time he played Kris Jenner (Kim’s mom) some of his music:

He plays her some of his unfinished songs, including “Awesome,” which is clearly about Kim. When she exclaims, “Great job!” West doesn’t find it as flattering as Jenner evidently intended. He raises his eyebrows. “Great job?” he says and sets off on a comic riff that cracks up everyone in the room. Toasting with his champagne glass, he says, “Great job, Baccarat, for making a glass that can hold liquid!” He looks down at his waist. “Great job, belt loops, for keeping my pants up!”

On his appearance on Keeping up with the Kardashians:

“Oh, that’s just all for love. It’s simply that. At a certain point, or always, love is more important than any branding, or any set of cool people, or attempting to impress anyone. Because true love is just the way you feel.”

On the sex tape that surfaced last year:

“For the most part, I’d rather people have one of those home videos than some of the paparazzi photos that get published,” he says. “At least I recorded the shit myself. That tape couldn’t have hurt me in any way if it came out—it could only have helped.” He finally decided against releasing it, but don’t be surprised if he changes his mind. “Now, I just do exactly what I want, whenever I want, how the fuck I want,” West says. “‘Fuck you’ is my message.”

The dramatic creative process behind Yeezus:

In March, when West first plays me some of his new songs, he says the album is almost finished. In April he tells me it’s only 30 percent complete. Noah Goldstein, West’s chief sound engineer, says this is typical of West, who thinks nothing of throwing out half an album if he composes a new beat that inspires him to change direction.

On branching out creatively:

“People say, ‘Why do you want to destroy your name?’ But I don’t care about my name as much as I care about my ideas. I could do something completely wrong, and people could hate it, but then someone else could see it and do it completely right. And it’s a push forward for civilization.”

On his narcissism:

“On one end, I try to scale it back,” he says. “Because I don’t want to close any of the doors needed to create the best product possible. But my ego is my drug. My drug is, ‘I’m better than all you other motherfuckers. Kiss my ass!’”

“I made [“I Am a God”] because I am a god,” he says finally. He laughs for a second, then stops. “I don’t think there’s much more explanation. I’m not going to sit here and defend shit. That shit is rock ’n’ roll, man. That shit is rap music. I am a god. Now what?”

Read the full story on W Magazine.

Bonus: Read some brilliant Kanye quotes on porn, Watch The Throne, Yeezus, Christianity and being intimidated by Tarantino.

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Kanye West ‘Yeezus’ (Full Tracklisting & Credits)
The Essential ‘Yeezus’ Reading List
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Kanye West Reflects on His Career, the Grammys, Love Life, ‘Yeezus’ & More with New York Times