A lot of people thought Kanye West's career was over after he infamously crashed the VMAs stage on September 13, 2009. I was a little shocked by the incident, but I was already too in the bag as a fan of West's to even think of convicting him of any real moral wrongdoing. Sure, he interrupted Taylor Swift's would-be career-defining moment, but West was the biggest and most influential star in music in the five years prior—what could really stop him? But the president called him a jackass, and he literally left the United States for months in the wake of the press onslaught, while I, person by person, did my best to explain how West had just been over enthusiastic in a Hennessy-induced moment. And, after all, when it came to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" video, he was right, wasn't he? Thus began my long career as a Kanye West apologist, which in the wake of recent events, including his visit yesterday to meet with President-elect, may finally be over.

Since the "Taylor Swift incident," the so-called liberal mainstream media has even been guilty of bias—sometimes subtlety racial-driven in nature—against West. (When white rock stars are rude, vocal, and controversial, the media brands them as "rebels." When West does it, he's "crazy.") Yes, Kanye West is outspoken, but he's also the first to admit that he isn't always right. "We have the right to be wrong," he's uttered on several occasions. Despite the commonly held idea that Kanye West only cares about himself, he has many times sacrificed his own good-standing in culture to speak out on behalf of others, be it Beyonce, African-Americans, or the artist's community at large. So whether or not you agree with Kanye West's point of view, you can almost always guarantee it's his point of view, one that isn't twisted by endorsement deals or popular opinion.

When Kanye West married Kim Kardashian, who's often considered one of the least sincere, most financially-motivated people on earth, I reminded people that West was in love with her for years, even dedicating his verse on 2010's "Lost in the World" to his future spouse. When he was lampooned for selling $120 T-shirts, I reminded people that 1) he didn't price the T-shirts, A.P.C. did and 2) in the grand scheme of fashion, $120 T-shirts aren't that crazy. When he threw a fit after Nike refused to bankroll his fashion collection, I understood his frustrations after creating two of the most hyped-up sneakers in the brand's history, the Air Yeezy and Air Yeezy 2. When he claimed he was the most influential person in fashion, I explained to doubters that in fact he was responsible for the death of throwback jerseys, the rise of mid-aughts prep, Shutter Shades, the popularity of Givenchy, not to mention a generation of obsessives dedicated to dressing exactly like him. When he attacked a paparazzi, I felt it was obvious he was provoked, and recited his own line about how he was returning from the funeral of his grandfather when confronted.

When people claimed his Yeezy Season collections were "homeless looking" and too expensive, I pointed to other collections that inspired the looks, and to West's claim that while he had no intention of overcharging customers, the pricing was simply a product of wanting to use quality materials while being beholden to the prices of the fabrics set by Adidas's suppliers. When fellow fashion editors complained about the spectacle of his Yeezy Season 3 show at Madison Square Garden, I noted that it was the most fun I'd ever had a fashion event, and that we got to hear a brand new Kanye West album in an arena setting. See, the one place I've always felt most comfortable in defending Kanye West is when he has claimed he's a genius. When it comes to making music, the simple truth is he is a genius, and I've accused anyone that disagrees with this point of being too influenced by tabloids and not open enough to actually listening to West's catalog. Even today, I still think all of the above is true.