He may be your problematic fave, but Kanye West is also a proud father of three, two of whom he poses with for one of two covers of Harper’s Bazaar’s September issue.
It’s a departure in tone for the fall fashion issue, which usually amps up the glamour. But this year it’s all about “Families That Rock,” as famous musical parents pose with their sometimes equally famous offspring.
For the cover, Ye is joined by firstborn daughter and son North and Saint West; and the three are in good company. Amongst the other celebs featured in the issue, Erykah Badu poses with daughters Puma and Mars Merkaba, Mariah Carey with “dem babies” Monroe and Moroccan (and puppy), and Lionel and Nicole Richie take a relaxed father-daughter portrait.
Each parent also expresses their wishes for their children: “I wish for my kids to discover who they are and explore their passions to the fullest,” says Richie.
Badu, meanwhile, goes full-on black mom: “I want my children to use their gifts in order to do service for others. That is, to make sure that their gifts are serving something bigger than themselves. And to do what I say.”
As for Kanye? His answer is predictably ... Kanye.
“I hope my children never lose their confidence to society,” he says.
The resulting portraits are equal parts arresting and adorable, styled by iconic fashion editor Carine Roitfeld and photographed by Mario Sorrenti. If you’ve been keeping count (we know we are), this is the sixth major magazine to feature black faces on their biggest issue of the year—and we are beyond here for it.
Of course, Ye and his youngsters only cover the subscriber’s issue (Bruce Springsteen and his daughter cover the other version), so if you’re not one, it may be a bit of a search to locate it when it hits stands on August 21 (but it can be done—trust).