Kanye West was a wanted man back in 2016 as well. Albeit for other reasons than he is now. In the year of the Fire Monkey, West was on the last step of becoming a fashion mogul, all the while keeping his Grammy-winning rapping career pretty steady. Before using his free speech to express his anti-semitic views, Ye was the number one choice for Ryan Seacrest to be a judge on his revamped American Idol.

And considering how West is the owner of the resting bi*** face trademark, it would have been quite a show to watch. Not to mention, how the rapper who has given recognition and platform to talents like CyHi The Prynce, Travis Scott, Big Sean, and Nicki Minaj not only has an eye for fashion but also ears for the future. Having him as a judge on one of the most celebrated and prominent talent shows would have been highly entertaining and fruitful. And Ryan Seacrest knew this all too well.

American Idol needed Kanye West more than Simon Cowell

After an impressive fifteen years of bringing to the industry artists like Fifth Harmony, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and many other adorned artists, American Idol came to an end in April 2016. However, the audience really missed it, and it wasn’t long before Ryan Seacrest was looking for a banger way to relaunch it. And what spells banging better than Kanye West?

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Therefore, a source close to Seacrest reported, “Ryan Seacrest has put Kanye’s name forward during his negotiations to come back as host, and NBC are salivating over it,” Metro reports. The source added, “Kanye is at the top of the wish list, not Simon Cowell.”

Furthermore, it was reported that Kanye West’s decision to join the judging panel highly depended on whether his Gold Digger muse, Jennifer Lopez, was also on it. But things did not get very far before a source close to the No Child Left Behind rapper said that the rumors of him becoming an American Idol judge are “bogus.”

Ye may not have taken a seat as a judge on American Idol. Still, he did take away a Golden Ticket with a standing ovation from the judges, including Lopez, for his surprise performance in January 2016.

Do you think having Kanye West as an American Idol judge would be a good move? Let us know in the comments below.