Watch: Kanye West ‘Auditions’ for American Idol  

Kanye West smiled. Yes, real smiles, and he seemed pretty happy during a surprise appearance on the upcoming season of American Idol. Suggested Reading 13 Reasons Why 2026 Is Already A Hot Mess The Internet is Losing Its Mind Over Oprah’s Crop Top and Fly Looks Exclusive: AG Andrea Campbell, More Black Leaders, Celebs Share…

Kanye West smiled. Yes, real smiles, and he seemed pretty happy during a surprise appearance on the upcoming season of American Idol.

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During the San Francisco stop, Ryan Seacrest told E! News that West happened to be in the area at the time and just jumped into the line to audition.

“And up walked Kim and Kanye, Kim pregnant and Kanye enthusiastic and ready to go in there,” Seacrest said.

Of course, West wasn’t really auditioning for the show, but the judges didn’t mind playing along.

“So, tell us your name, where you’re from,” Keith Urban asked.

“My name is Kanye; I’m from the South Side of Chicago,” West replied.

When asked what he wanted to do with his life, West seemed to reminisce about the discouragement he received when he was younger.

“I always wanted to rap, but nobody really believed in me,” he said.

As part of the audition, West performed an a cappella version of “Gold Digger,” and of course it was apropos having Jennifer Lopez sitting there watching, since she did get a mention in the song.

Take a look at the video below.

American Idol’s final season airs on Fox starting Wednesday night.

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