The week Michael Kiwanuka walked away from Kanye West, and what it explains about him
In 2013, Kanye West invited Michael Kiwanuka to Hawaii to work on what became Yeezus, and Kiwanuka left after a few days. He has since said he lived with impostor syndrome for years, the feeling that someone was going to “figure him out”. That walkout is the clearest window into an artist whose whole career has been a slow journey towards believing he belongs.
Note: this piece draws on interviews from 2019 and 2024. For his new album, read our FUDGE review.
What happened with Michael Kiwanuka and Kanye West?
West called Kiwanuka in 2013 and brought him into the Hawaii sessions for Yeezus. Kiwanuka told the story to NME in 2019. Accounts of how he left differ a little. Apple Music’s version says he slipped away after a few days because of impostor syndrome, and another describes him leaving quietly, without a word.
Either way, the picture is the same: one of the most famous producers in the world opened the door, and Kiwanuka didn’t feel he was allowed to walk through it.
What has Kiwanuka said about impostor syndrome?
- In the 2019 NME interview, he said he always had the feeling that someone was going to figure him out.
- Talking about his 2024 album Small Changes, he told NME the feeling was deep-rooted, but that it can also keep you “in the right place”.
Why did he name an album after himself?
His 2019 album was simply called KIWANUKA. He described it as an “anti-alter-ego” record, almost a statement to himself (NME). Many artists invent a bigger, braver character to perform as. Kiwanuka did the opposite. He put his own name on the cover, as if to say: this is me, and that has to be enough. The album went on to win the Mercury Prize in 2020.
What does this have to do with FUDGE?
This is Pylcrow analysis. Seen in order, Kiwanuka’s career reads like a man slowly taking up more space. Walking out on Kanye in 2013. Putting his name on an album in 2019. Saying in 2024 that the doubt never fully leaves, but that he’s learned to live with it. Then FUDGE in 2026, released after a serious health scare (covered in our FUDGE review).
The young man who left Hawaii is the same one who now makes records on his own terms. That’s not a story about overcoming doubt. It’s a story about making great work while still carrying it.
Why does impostor syndrome hit so many talented people?
Because the people who notice how much they don’t know are usually the ones paying close attention. Kiwanuka’s story is reassuring for anyone who has walked into a room and felt like a fraud. Feeling like you don’t belong is not evidence that you don’t.
Memory Unlocked: what does this story bring back?
- Play: “Cold Little Heart” from Love & Hate (2016), then anything from FUDGE.
- It unlocks: the opportunity you walked away from because you didn’t feel ready, and what you’d say to that version of yourself now.
Frequently asked questions about Michael Kiwanuka and Kanye West
Did Michael Kiwanuka work with Kanye West?
He was invited to the Yeezus sessions in Hawaii in 2013, but left after a few days.
Why did Kiwanuka leave the Kanye sessions?
He has linked it to impostor syndrome, the feeling that he didn’t belong there.
Which Kiwanuka album won the Mercury Prize?
KIWANUKA, released in 2019, won in 2020.
What should you read next?
Read our FUDGE review. For another artist reinventing themselves, see Fontaines D.C.’s Dopamine Chamber.
Another band that changed course: how Fontaines D.C. stopped sounding like Dublin.
Sources: NME (2019), NME (2024), Apple Music.
