Inside North West's Relationship With Kanye West
Kanye West has done some potentially irreparable damage to his relationship with the public, but it's clear that his oldest daughter, North West, still admires the "Can't Tell Me Nothing" rapper. Among Ye's many controversies of his own making are his anti-Semitic social media posts, including a since-deleted 2022 tweet that read, "I'm going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE." In response, Adidas terminated its long-standing partnership with Ye. But the loss of her ex-husband's professional relationships hasn't been Kim Kardashian's top concern; she wants to preserve Ye's relationships with his children.
In a 2022 appearance on the "IRL Podcast," Kardashian revealed that she was still blasting Ye's songs in the car with the kids amid the singer's fall from grace. "I definitely protected him, and I still will, in the eyes of my kids, for my kids," said the mother of four. "In my home, my kids don't know anything that goes on in the outside world." It's through North that fans have seen the most evidence that Ye is still a major presence in his kids' lives even when they aren't with him. Ahead of Halloween in 2023, North dressed like the bear mascot from her dad's 2007 "Graduation" album for a series of TikTok videos. While in costume, she danced to some of the songs from the record.
Throughout the evolution of their father-daughter relationship, we've seen North celebrate Ye's creative triumphs often, but her dad isn't always supportive of the ways North chooses to express herself.
Ye's daughter gave him a new purpose
In 2013, Kanye West did a solid for this then-mother-in-law by agreeing to be a guest on her short-lived talk show "Kris." Ye even allowed Kris Jenner to share the first photo of North West with her audience, and he remained engaged throughout their lengthy discussion about parenthood. Ye revealed that he went through a dark time after the 2007 death of his mother, Donda West, but becoming a husband and father gave him a new outlook on life. "I felt like sometimes I didn't have something to live for," he said. "Now, I have two really special people to live for, a whole family to live for."
Ye's paternal instincts quickly kicked in when he became a first-time father. "My only goal is to protect my daughter," he told Jenner. One of his biggest concerns was the paparazzi, and he confessed that it really bothered him that he was struggling with getting North properly secured in her car seat. He pointed out that this prolonged her exposure to the photogs.
Fatherhood also made Ye reflect back on one particular instance where he wasn't on his best behavior: When he interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV VMAs. He imagined how he'd feel about North being in Swift's position. "The last thing I would want to happen to my daughter is some crazy drunk Black guy in a leather shirt to come up and cut her off at an awards show," he said.
North West is her dad's twin
As North West grew older and more of her personality came out, her mom realized that she had a lot in common with her dad. In a 2014 appearance on "Today," Kim Kardashian revealed that Kanye West's distaste for the paparazzi had possibly rubbed off on baby Nori, whose reaction to their flashing camera lights Kardashian couldn't quite read. "She does this either a mean, angry Kanye face or a pose," she said. But during Kimye's 2019 Vogue Arabia interview, Kardashian didn't list the sourpuss expression as one of the similarities between Ye and his daughter. "North is your twin, she is so creative, expressive, and has so much of your personality," the SKIMs founder told her then-husband.
Another aspect of Ye's personality that North inherited was apparently his outspokenness and lack of a filter. "[She] says the same wild things," Kardashian said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2017. "She'll just sit looking at me ... and be like, 'Mommy, I don't like Ellen,' or whoever it is." According to Kardashian, attempts to shush North were futile; she would instead ask, "Why, Mom? I'm being honest."
North has also dressed up like her dad on multiple occasions. For a 2023 TikTok video, she used makeup magic to transform into Ye, goatee and all. Later that year, she filmed a fit check in which she rocked an orange-and-blue striped polo shirt that looked identical to one Ye wore on "TRL" in 2004.
Kanye West finds his daughter inspiring
It didn't take long for North West to become Kanye West's new muse. In 2015, Ye told "ShowStudio" that there was a time he'd get his creative juices flowing by watching fashion shows in Paris. "Now, I'm on the first flight home to see my greatest inspiration — that's my daughter," he said. According to Kim Kardashian, one song inspired by North is Ye's emotional 2015 collaboration with Paul McCartney, "Only One." On the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Kardashian wrote, "Kanye feels like his mom sang thru him to our daughter." In one verse, Ye imagines his late mother telling him, "I talked to God about you, he said he sent you an angel / And look at all that he gave you / You asked for one / and you got two." In the song's music video, Ye sings to North and holds hands with her as they walk through a muddy field. He carries her in another scene.
When North crashed her parents' 2020 Architectural Digest interview, she just happened to join them when they'd been asked about the design inspiration for their minimalist mansion. "North was the inspiration for the design," said Ye. He explained that they tried to eliminate as many outdoor stairs on the property as possible so that North and her siblings had plenty of room to use their skateboards and other wheeled toys. "Kids are the inspiration for all our designs now," he said.
Ye thinks North West's Fashion Week wails were for him
When North West attended her father's Yeezy show at New York Fashion Week in 2015, Kanye West tried to turn his toddler into a tiny trendsetter by dressing her up in a bulletproof vest. However, it wasn't North's potentially polarizing attire that stole the show; while sitting in the front row, she threw an epic tantrum. Kim Kardashian was photographed struggling to control her fussy child while the two fashion icons seated on opposite sides of her, Beyoncé and Anna Wintour, tried to ignore the wailing and flailing. Kardashian's attempts to calm North down were unsuccessful, so she had to treat her daughter like a squirmy, sniffling handbag by picking her up and toting her away from the runaway.
While the show was a big moment for Ye, the designer wasn't upset with his daughter for acting like a typical bored toddler. But after shrugging off her disruptive behavior during an interview with i-D, he projected a lot of thoughts and opinions onto the then-20-month-old. "Maybe she was just scared for her daddy," he suggested. "She just wanted people to stop being mean to her daddy. Because she knows that her daddy loves the world and just wants to make it a more beautiful place." Or maybe she just really needed a nap and a snack?
Kanye West isn't too old for playtime
Kanye West has a reputation for taking himself seriously and sometimes losing his cool, but his demeanor changes when he's around his children. "[Ye] is basically like a big kid so he loves hanging with North and her friends," a source told Life & Style in 2020. In a 2014 interview with GQ, Ye revealed that daddyhood even had him embracing a more practical style (sometimes, at least). "Just going home and getting on the floor and playing with your child is super cool," he said. "Not wearing a red leather jacket, and just looking like a dad and s**t, is like super cool."
Ye also wanted to make sure that he provided the best toys for his first child from the start, like the mini version of his Lamborghini that he got the then-six-month-old for Christmas in 2013. The "Flashing Lights" singer has seemingly discovered that there might be a market for playthings that are edgier than your typical Toys "R" Us fare. "I was complaining about some of the toys that my daughter had, saying that these toys don't have enough quality, soul, life, energy in them," he told Clique TV in 2015. Frequent Ye collaborator Vanessa Beecroft finally gifted North with some toys that earned the approval of both father and daughter: a trio of realistic toy wolves. "When my daughter saw them she started screaming and running around and was the happiest I'd ever seen her," said Ye.
North West changed her father's feelings about profanity
When Kanye West appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2013, he explained why being the father of a little girl wouldn't make him tone down the profanity and sexually explicit lyrics in his music. "She's gonna be in the real world, and she's gonna hear things and see things," he said, "and I think she's got to be prepared for them."
Ye had changed his tune by 2021. While speaking about his record "Donda" on "Drink Champs," the rapper made an eyebrow-raising claim about why he decided to remove the profanity from the initial recording. "My mama speaks through my daughter, and she said no cursing on the album," he said. This move came after he espoused the twisted view that having a daughter is a form of punishment for a man like himself whose music includes many references to his sexual conquests. In his 2018 song "Violent Crimes," he calls it "karma" and sings, "Don't do no yoga, don't do pilates / Just play piano and stick to karate / I pray your body's draped more like mine / And not like your mommy's."
Perhaps North West was sending her dad a message by flushing his phone down the toilet. This resulted in the loss of all of his original work on the 2016 album "The Life of Pablo," which is loaded with NSFW lyrics. "He didn't even get mad," Kim Kardashian marveled on "Kocktails with Khloé."
How Ye encourages North West's creativity
Kanye West described his life as a dad as "boring" in a 2015 Hot 97 interview. However, it sounds like North West was keeping him somewhat busy with her creative and athletic pursuits. "I gotta take [her] to tap class and gym class," he said (via the Mirror).
Before North was even two years old, Ye had her crafting custom accessories for her mother. For one of Kim Kardashian's 34th birthday gifts in 2014, Ye gave North a $20,000 Hermès handbag and let his daughter go to town with the fingerpaints. He also filmed her so Kardashian could see the budding young artist at work. "I thought it was an artist that painted the purse, some custom thing," North's proud mama told People. "I thought it was some new artist, and it was my daughter."
Ye also helped foster his daughter's love of fashion design. In a 2018 Power 92 interview, he recounted how he played the role of North's assistant while she used bubblewrap to create a gown. He soon learned that his daughter possesses his desire for perfection when it comes to her designs. "She'd be screaming at me, 'You didn't hold the plastic right. You never gonna sell no clothes!'" Ye recalled. "I'm like, 'Damn. You worse than the internet, North." The rapper then said of fatherhood, "It humbles you."
Ye no longer wants North to compete with RiRi
Before she was old enough to enroll in kindergarten, North West was dressing to impress — just like her parents. By age 3, her closet already contained countless designer duds, including a Balmain blazer, leather Alexander Wang jacket, Oscar de la Renta princess dress, and multiple fur coats. She also wore plenty of custom Yeezy, obvs. In 2016, a source told Life & Style that her parents had spent around $1 million on her clothing and accessories. "I literally was up there trying to have my child outdress Rihanna," Ye confessed during a 2019 Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe.
The way the "I Am a God" rapper wanted North to dress later changed. "I don't think North should wear crop tops just because I had her wearing a slip dress when she was two years old. I think and feel differently now that I am Christian," Ye explained. Ye possibly singled out the crop top as an article of clothing he found displeasing because North had worn one on the cover of Beauty Inc. a few months prior.
Ye discussed his thoughts about North's clothing again after he and Kim Kardashian divorced in 2021 and began the difficult process of learning how to co-parent. "As a dad and as a Christian," he said during a "Good Morning America" appearance. "I have a right to have a voice on what my kids are wearing, what they're watching, what they're eating."
North West loves her dad's music
In 2014, Kim Kardashian told The Standard that the music North West listened to as she was falling asleep included some of her dad's songs. "The best is when Kanye's recording in the home and we're in Mexico or whatever. And the music will be upstairs and she'll hear it, and it's really loud and you'd think it would disturb her, but I just kind of rock her to it, and she'll just pass out," she said. By 2017, North's favorite tune of all time had become one of her father's creations, and she succinctly explained to Interview why she was a fan of the "808s and Heartbreak" track. "My daddy's song 'Amazing.' So amazing!" she said. The following year, Ye tweeted a since-deleted video of North singing his song "No Mistakes." While holding a chocolate milk box, the daddy's girl chirped, "Make no mistake / I still love you." Ye loved the performance so much that he rewarded it with three heart-eye emoji.
Later on, North would start to rock out to her dad's music on the TikTok page that she shares with her mom. In a 2022 video, Nori, some of her friends, and her mother took to the streets of Tokyo to lip-sync along with a sped-up version of Ye's 2008 collab with Estelle, "American Boy,"
North is a performer like her dad
North West might be well on her way to becoming a professional singer like her father. In 2019, Kim Kardashian told Vogue Arabia that one reason North had grown so fond of Kanye West's Sunday Services was because singing was involved. Kardashian has also tweeted some video footage of North looking at ease on stage during one of the events. North got her own mic for a joyful performance of the Stevie Wonder song "As," and Ye was beaming behind her as he and the choir moved to the music. In another video, North grabbed her mic and moved it to a more desirable position. "Had to move up front and center," Kardashian wrote.
In 2020, North got another opportunity to take the stage: her dad's Yeezy runway show during Paris Fashion Week. She debuted her rap name, Northie while spitting some rhymes that were fittingly fashion-related. "Look at my shoes / They're cute and cool," she sang. Another rather catchy line was, "What are those? / These are clothes." Ye was thrilled with his daughter's performance. "I'm really feeling like a dad now!" he gushed to WSJ Magazine after the show. A month prior, TMZ had shared a video of North performing another original rap at a school event as her smiling dad stood beside her. If she accomplishes her career goals, she'll one-up her father; Kardashian shared an Instagram video of North saying she wants to rap and dance.
Ye doesn't want his daughter wearing makeup
North West might be one privileged kid, but her father does exercise his parental authority sometimes. In a 2019 interview with E! News, Kim Kardashian shared that she had introduced her oldest daughter to one of her passions: cosmetics. North was six years old at the time, and Kardashian said that she was allowed to wear lipstick on occasion. However, North had started using makeup at least two years prior. In 2017, she told Interview that she liked to bring makeup with her to church inside her purse. Then Kanye West had to go and lay down the law. "He changed all the rules," said Kardashian. By this, she meant that he banned North from wearing any makeup at all.
A month later, Kardashian told E! News that Ye wanted his ban to last until North became a teenager. "It's a big discussion, a big fight in the household right now but it is what's best," she said. North was so upset about not getting to experiment with makeup like her mom that she cried about it ahead of Kardashian's 2019 interview with Refinery 29. But North wasn't going to let her dad completely stifle her creative spirit. "She's still into hair," Kardashian said. "She's now very particular about how her hair is."
Kanye West doesn't like his daughter being on TikTok
When North West was just a baby, Kanye West vowed to support her creative pursuits. "I'm going to give her the opportunity to develop her different skill sets and then decide what she likes to do the best," he said on "Kris." But it turns out that there is one way he doesn't want her expressing herself: by filming videos for TikTok.
In a since-deleted 2022 Instagram post, Ye accused Kim Kardashian of letting North use TikTok without asking him first. A month later, he aired his grievances with his ex again. He was particularly angry about a video of North rocking dark makeup and lip-syncing to the Machine Gun Kelly song "Emo Girl." Ye took issue with the song's lyrics, writing, "Now my 8 year old on here singing she fell in love with an emo girl." He also filmed a video letting his fans know that he had contacted Kardashian to discuss North's TikTok usage. "I told her to stop antagonizing me with this TikTok thing," he said. Kardashian publicly addressed the matter as well. "I am doing my best to protect our daughter while also allowing her to express her creativity in the medium that she wishes with adult supervision — because it brings her happiness," she wrote on her Instagram Story. The Nori TikToks haven't stopped as of this writing, and we can't help but wonder if North's homages to Ye have helped sway him.
North West is reportedly a fan of her stepmom
North West gained a stepmom when Kanye West married architectural designer Bianca Censori in December 2022. A month later, North was spotted dining with her dad and his new wife at Nobu. By June 2023, North and Censori had seemingly become besties; they were photographed holding hands at Ye's 46th birthday party. North was even allowed to wear makeup for the special occasion, but it was smeared on her face to make it look bloody and bruised.
In an Instagram video, Censori can be seen standing beside North and laughing while the tween films her father with a heavy-looking video camera. Ye's actions are reminiscent of North's TikTok content, as he's animatedly lip-syncing along to one of his tunes, "Off The Grid."
One source told OK! that Kim Kardashian wasn't happy about how chummy North and Censori looked at the party. "North thinks Bianca is super cool. It gets under Kim's skin," the insider explained. However, another source told Us Weekly that Kardashian had zero issues with North and her stepmother bonding because her daughter's happiness is what is important to her. The insider added that Kardashian will continue to be cool with the situation as long as "Bianca treats [North] well."
Ye wants North West to protect her family's legacy
In a 2022 interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Kanye West revealed that North West had become rather passionate about basketball. This is one pursuit that received his approval; he vowed to be present at every one of her practices. He also shared how he turned one such practice into a life lesson after he watched his daughter steal the basketball from a player who was much larger than her. "I tell her, 'Don't let anyone take anything from you ever. Don't let anyone take anything from our family. Don't let anyone take our company. Always protect your brothers and sisters,'" Ye recalled.
Perhaps Ye was thinking of the business partnerships he lost after his anti-Semitic ranting left so many people appalled and disappointed. While he has a horrible habit of placing his family members in uncomfortable positions because of his behavior, he seems to do a better job steering clear of controversy during interviews when he's speaking about his oldest daughter. Sometimes, what he says about North is even pretty sweet. "My home is just where my daughter FaceTimes me," he said on "Drink Champs." "That's where my home is."