Nobody saw it coming. When the screens at the Los Angeles Forum lit up on June 24, 2016, the air in the room basically vanished. It wasn't just a music video. It was a 10-minute voyeuristic fever dream that left some people cheering and others feeling genuinely sick to their stomachs.
We’re talking about the Kanye Famous music video.
You’ve likely seen the screenshot: a massive, sprawling bed filled with twelve of the most talked-about people in the world, all seemingly naked and fast asleep. It looked like the aftermath of a high-society bender or a weirdly peaceful purgatory for A-listers. But if you think it was just a cheap shock tactic to sell records, you're missing the weird, high-art obsession that drove the whole thing. Honestly, the story of how it was made is almost as bizarre as the video itself.
The Secret Painting That Started It All
Kanye didn't just wake up and decide to put a naked Donald Trump next to Rihanna. Well, maybe he did, but the visual DNA came from somewhere specific. The entire video is a living recreation of a painting called Sleep by American realist Vincent Desiderio.
Desiderio’s original work is a massive oil-on-canvas piece—about 24 feet wide—showing a cluster of anonymous people in a deep, communal slumber. It’s haunting. It’s quiet. Kanye saw it and apparently obsessed over it for months.
Here’s the kicker: Desiderio had no idea Kanye was doing this.
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He got a frantic call just hours before the premiere. Kanye’s team basically said, "Hey, we need you in LA right now." Desiderio flew out, walked into the Forum, and saw his life's work turned into a celebrity-laden spectacle on a 100-foot screen. Most artists would call their lawyers. Desiderio? He loved it. He called it a "feat of magic" and was apparently moved to tears.
Who Was Actually in That Bed?
The "cast" of the Kanye Famous music video was a carefully curated list of people Kanye either loved, hated, or had some weird, unresolved history with. It was like a 3D version of his burn book and his scrapbook mixed together.
For the record, here is the seating (or sleeping) chart from left to right:
- George W. Bush: The man Kanye famously said "doesn't care about Black people" during Hurricane Katrina.
- Anna Wintour: The Vogue editor who finally gave Kanye and Kim the cover they craved.
- Donald Trump: A then-candidate who Kanye would later visit at Trump Tower.
- Rihanna: Long-time collaborator and the voice on the track's hook.
- Chris Brown: Placed right next to Rihanna, which was... a choice.
- Taylor Swift: The focal point of the "Famous" lyrics and the biggest feud of the decade.
- Kanye West: Obviously.
- Kim Kardashian: Also obviously.
- Ray J: Kim's ex, famous for that tape.
- Amber Rose: Kanye’s ex-girlfriend.
- Caitlyn Jenner: Kanye’s then-step-mother-in-law.
- Bill Cosby: Who Kanye had controversially defended on Twitter just months prior.
Every single one of them was a highly detailed wax figure. Or at least, most were. Kanye and Kim were actually there for some of it, but the rest were the work of a special effects team that spent months perfecting the "breathing" mechanics. If you watch closely, you can see the chests of the figures rise and fall. It’s deeply unsettling.
The Fallout: Lawsuits and "Snake" Emojis
The Kanye Famous music video didn't just trend; it ignited a war.
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Taylor Swift’s camp was immediately "furious." They claimed she never gave permission for her likeness to be used, especially not in a state of undress next to the man who humilated her in 2009. This led to the infamous "Kim Kardashian Snapchat leak" where Kim posted edited clips of a phone call between Kanye and Taylor. For a few years, the internet was basically just people posting snake emojis and debating whether Taylor was a liar or a victim.
Update for those who missed it: The full, unedited call leaked in 2020, and it turned out Taylor was telling the truth about not approving the "I made that bitch famous" line.
Other reactions were more... chill? George W. Bush’s spokesperson told TMZ that "that is not President Bush" and joked that he was in much better shape. Chris Brown just laughed it off on Instagram, asking why his wax figure had a "plumber's crack."
Why It Still Matters Today
It's easy to dismiss this as 2016 era clout-chasing. But looking back, the Kanye Famous music video was a turning point in how we consume celebrity culture. It was one of the first times a major artist used "deepfake-adjacent" technology (even if it was physical wax) to force a narrative on other public figures.
It blurred the line between art and harassment.
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Director Eli Linnetz, who worked closely with Kanye on the project, later explained that the grainy, VHS-style quality was intentional. They wanted it to feel like a leaked sex tape or security footage. It was meant to make you feel like an interloper. You weren't supposed to be comfortable.
The Technical "Magic"
The production took about three months. There weren't just twelve figures; there were multiple versions of some of them. Kanye allegedly had four different edits of the video, obsessing over the lighting to make the wax skin look as human as possible.
The audio is another layer people forget. The first few minutes are almost silent, save for the sound of rhythmic breathing and the rustle of sheets. It forces the viewer to lean in. Then, the Rihanna vocals kick in, and the transition from silence to "Bam-Bam" is jarring.
How to View "Famous" With Fresh Eyes
If you’re going back to watch it now, don't just look for the drama. Look at the composition.
Kanye was trying to argue that fame is a communal experience. That these people—regardless of whether they like each other—are bound together by the public's gaze. They are "sleeping" through their own lives while we watch them.
Actionable Insights for the Curious:
- Check the Source: Look up Vincent Desiderio’s Sleep (2008). Comparing the painting to the video’s wide shots shows exactly how much Kanye lifted the "triangular" composition from the original art.
- The "Live" Factor: Remember that this premiered via Tidal. It was a "monoculture" moment that rarely happens anymore.
- The Legal Precedent: The video actually pushed boundaries on "Right of Publicity" laws. While Kanye invited people to sue him, most celebrities realized that a lawsuit would only give the video more "Famous" status.
The Kanye Famous music video remains a masterclass in provocation. It’s messy, it’s probably unethical, and it’s definitely unforgettable. Whether it's "art" is still up for debate, but its impact on the 2010s pop culture landscape is undeniable. It was the moment the "Old Kanye" and the "New Kanye" collided in a giant, expensive bed.