Kayne may not be as influential as the industry likes to say he is. Everyone who will ever be famous has their particular period to shine. Eminem used to be double-huge ten years ago, now he can’t even get an American President to return his tweets or phone calls, so what if he insults the president with every tweet.
Kayne’s double-huge time as a mover and shaker may have already passed. Many teens today see him as ‘Somebody my Mom or Grandad used to listen to.” Now, he is famous for once having been famous. It happens to the great ones too, even Paul McCartney. The market changes all the time.
In the early 60’s, I used to feel that way about certain acts from the 40’s and 50’s, The Mills Brothers for instance. I had no use for Ella Fitzgerald until I became much older. My focus was elsewhere.
His latest album was at the top of the Billboard charts, so that suggests Kanye is still on this game.