Kanye Wants Michael Jackson's Spot

One month after Michael Jackson's tragic death, Kanye West has the nerve to call himself the "King of Pop."

Kanye claims to have the utmost respect for Mr. Jackson, yet he has reached out to the Jackson family to obtain legal permission for use of that title, according to ThisIs50.com. Understandably, they have not responded.

His self-proclaimed credentials are that "there's nobody who can match me in sales and in respect." He also said, "First there was Elvis, then there was Michael, now in the 21st century it's Kanye's time to rule."

Not only is he an egomaniac for glorifying himself in third person; he is bestowing an undeserved honor upon himself. Elizabeth Taylor proclaimed Mr. Jackson to be the "true king of pop, rock and soul" at an awards show in 1989, not Michael himself. No one has even floated around the idea of Kanye being the "King of Pop" until he brought it up himself.

In terms of sales, he has certainly been a powerful player in the music industry. In late 2007, he embarrassed 50 Cent by outselling him in the first week of sales by almost 300,000 copies, with nearly one million records sold of "Graduation."

And all four of his albums have debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

But he is still too early into his career to make such irrational claims. The real "King of Pop" was given the title 17 years after the release of his solo debut. Kanye has only been in the limelight for about six years.

And until he released "808s & Heartbreak," all of his albums were rap. There would be various rappers who would even laugh at him if he were to dub himself the "King of Rap." Such artists as Eminem, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg, just to name a few, probably feel more credible than Kanye.

Calling himself the "King of Pop" is even more ambitious. What about Justin Timberlake and Elton John, for example? They have been in the music industry for much longer, have a much lengthier list of achievements and would probably feel disrespected by Kanye's almost-laughable claim.

But by being so brash, he is bound to gain great attention. Some television networks might bring up the topic, prompting critics and celebrities to make their case for or against Kanye.

He is likely to draw immense criticism for his arrogance, but, in the spotlight, there is no such thing as bad publicity.