In the history of music, there’s one golden rule: anything is possible. From fire-breathing guitars to pop stars biting the heads off bats, nothing is too crazy. But even in this world of endless eccentricities, one moment left fans shaking with disbelief: David Bowie predicted the future of Kanye West. Or, at least, that’s what some believe.
It all began in 1972, when Bowie released the rock opera The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. A legendary album that introduced his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust—an alien rock star who comes to Earth to save us with his fabulous hair and groundbreaking riffs. But hidden among all the glam rock and androgynous outfits lies a prophecy, tucked away in the song “Five Years.”
K. West
The lyrics open with: “Pushing through the market square, so many mothers sighing.” Pretty innocent, right? But on the album cover, amidst a haze of mysterious letters and bright colors, there’s a sign that reads “K. West.” And you guessed it: the moment Kanye West’s name appeared on a Bowie album, an unstoppable theory was born.
“David Bowie predicted Kanye West!” fans cried in the 2000s, when Kanye’s rise to fame could no longer be denied. The idea that the avant-garde rock god had foreseen the rise of a future rap god was simply too bizarre to ignore. And, honestly, given Bowie’s visionary status, it wasn’t such a crazy thought. Bowie was always ten steps ahead of everyone else. While the world was still watching black-and-white TV, he was probably already thinking about TikTok dance routines.
But wait a minute. Let’s take a step back. “K. West” was, of course, just the name of a fur shop in London, which Bowie happened to walk past. It had nothing to do with a future rapper who, in the ‘70s, was still in diapers (or maybe not even born yet). The mysterious “K. West” was purely coincidental—or was it?
If we follow the thread of the conspiracy further, another interesting connection pops up. As we all know, Kanye West doesn’t take cautious steps. His alter ego? Yeezus. A man who loves to compare himself to God. And who was Bowie in the ‘70s? An alien weirdo who came to Earth to save us with his rock-and-roll gospel. See the parallels? Kanye and Ziggy. Two messianic figures. Two icons far ahead of their time.
2016
It goes deeper. In 2016, the year Bowie sadly left the stage for an intergalactic tour of the cosmos, Kanye released an album titled The Life of Pablo. The first track? “Ultralight Beam.” A spiritual masterpiece about the power of light. Was this Kanye’s tribute to the star Bowie had literally become by that point? Hadn’t Bowie foretold he would leave us to join the stars? It’s enough to make even the most down-to-earth skeptic question things.
Maybe Bowie wasn’t just a musician. Maybe he was a cosmic seer, an oracle in glitter boots. Or maybe—and this is more likely—fans just have too much free time and a wild imagination. Either way, the connection between Bowie and Kanye remains one of the strangest and most fascinating fan theories ever.
Whether it’s pure coincidence or not, one thing is certain: the music world will always be a place where even the most outrageous ideas can come to life. And let’s be honest, if anyone could predict the future with nothing more than a few guitars and a fur shop in London, it would be David Bowie.
