October 08,2008

Kanye West Talks About His Late Mother, Donda; Debuts New Video On 'Ellen DeGeneres Show'

By Jocelyn Vena (MTV.com)

Kanye West talked to Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show Tuesday (October 7), and not only unveiled his new video for his single "Love Lockdown," but also opened up about the new way he looks at life since his mother, Donda West, died last November from complications following a cosmetic-surgery procedure.

Apparently that new outlook is what made West change his mind about his vow to never again work with MTV following the 2007 Video Music Awards. "Well, a lot of things changed and, you know, with my mom passing ... one of her goals was, she really supported me and she always wanted me to be the best that I could be and not get hung up on the small things," UsMagazine.com quoted the rapper as saying. "So, with her not being here to try and talk me into doing things, I ... just try do things she would want me to do."

DeGeneres, who had met West's mother, said, "She was amazing. ... She was just lovely, and you were as close to her as I am with my mom."

The interview took a brighter turn when the two talked about fashion, according to People.com. The rapper praised the talk-show host for her wardrobe choices, telling her, "You have really great style," and even admitted that he would "completely wear" her outfits.

And he had words of advice for viewers who aren't sure how to find their sense of style: "Seriously, [DeGeneres] is one of the people you should look at whenever you're trying to figure out how to put together an outfit - especially for guys."

The "Love Lockdown" video that DeGeneres deemed "brilliant" can be seen on her official Web site. The track is the first single from 808s and Heartbreak, which was recently slated for a November 25 release.