Kanye West has compared himself to some of the greatest minds of the renaissance including Leonardo da Vinci as he prepares to take to the stage at Glastonbury.
The American rapper, 38, said he defies convention and fought, bought and spit his way out of "being boxed" into a certain genre.
He told the Sunday Times Culture magazine that, like renaissance polymaths Michelangelo, Galileo and da Vinci, he defies strict categorisation.
He said: "Imagine if da Vinci or Michelangelo or Galileo were asked not to think of anything except for the one thing they first became famous for.
"So da Vinci could only have one idea. For all haters, I'm not saying I'm da Vinci, but I feel it's right for any human being to compare themselves to anything."
A rapper and producer, Kanye has branched out of music to become a fashion designer. But despite his fortune and fame, he is one of America's most divisive stars.
He is set to defy his critics by taking to the iconic Pyramid stage for the Saturday night headline slot at Glastonbury.
More than 130,000 people have signed a petition calling for him to be dropped and branding his music an "injustice".
But he will follow in the footsteps of his close friend and long-time collaborator Jay Z and Beyonce in topping the festival bill.