The True Meaning Behind Pure Souls By Kanye West

Kanye West is the purest of souls, or at least that's what he wants you to believe. Over the years, the controversial rapper has always found a way to make headlines — and sometimes, it's not even of his own doing. Since filing for divorce in February, wife Kim Kardashian has been entranced by Pete Davidson. The two were first romantically linked in October, but West remains adamant that their marriage is still intact.

In an appearance on "Drink Champs," West noted, "We're not even divorced." He added, "My kids want their parents to stay together [and] I want us to be together." Kardashian, however, made it clear in court documents that "no counseling or reconciliation effort" will save their marriage, per Fox News. With Davidson in tow, Kardashian has resorted to group dating. A source told Page Six, "[Kim] thinks hanging out in a group makes it seem more casual" and she "wants to keep Kanye from being hurt and devastated."

Despite his relationship woes, West found love in 20-something model Vinetria before the two ultimately split. Now residing across the street from his estranged wife, the pure soul in West is keeping his nose clean while attempting to salvage the remains of his broken marriage. And with his faith in Christianity as strong as ever, the rapper's future only looks up — and he's not afraid to put it in song, as evidenced in "Pure Souls" featuring Roddy Ricch.

The concept of selling your soul has existed in music for decades. In fact, you may recall hearing the legend of Robert Johnson, the blues musician who allegedly sold his soul to the devil in exchange for a cemented music legacy.

Fast-forward nearly a century later, and it's a concept that's still touched upon today. In Kanye West and Roddy Ricch's "Pure Souls," the song kicks off with a resounding, "Life change when you famous / I remember, back before the chains, we was nameless / Went through stages just to hop on new stages / Open up your eyes, man, they only entertainers," per Genius. Here, Ricch is calling out musicians that serve merely as "entertainers" — lacking any musical talent and only in pursuit of fame.

Afterward, Ricch repeats, "And I cannot sell my soul" five times. But what exactly does selling your soul entail? For some of music's top songwriters, it simply means adhering to set guidelines and consciously trying to make a hit. In fact, songwriter Tom Douglas told NPR he "actively resists" trying to make a hit when writing. Thinking solely of hit-making, in his words, "kind of destroys the art." He added, "When those thoughts come in, and surely they do, I think you have to discipline them out." 

Kanye West has no problems discussing his humble past. At the top of his verse, West admits, "I was one of them weirdos of the pure soul / That would go to the flea market to buy fake clothes," per Genius. In a game where showmanship reigns supreme, West has no qualms about stealing to create his music, as he has sampled other artists on all of his albums, per The Verge. 

He later raps, "Every day I put my life on the line to feed the whole clan / Personal worth is not what a person is worth / I can give a dollar to every person on Earth / Man, it's gotta be God's plan" — demonstrating his willingness to give and support those around him, but only if it's written in the stars. There's also a curious line in his verse, where Kanye states, "Every cousin that stole, every summer was cold."

The line references a 2012 incident in which he was forced to pay $250,000 to a family member who allegedly stole a laptop that included West's sex tapes — though a theme of forgiveness now pervades through this song. West's Cousin Lawrence Franklin told the Daily Mail, "The sex tape episode started his decline — he stopped trusting people." Franklin added, "... if a member of your family had taken you for a quarter of a million dollars — so they can complete their own ambitions — who can you trust within your circle?"