Kanye West shares poem about McDonald’s in Frank Ocean’s magazine

Back sports car in front of a McDonald's store front.

“The McDonald’s Man,” Boys Don’t Cry, pp. 70–71.

Frank Ocean’s new magazine, Boys Don’t Cry, includes a poem by Kanye West titled “The McDonald’s Man,” which pays homage to the global fast-food chain. The piece features photography by video director Nabil Elderkin, capturing West driving his Lamborghini Aventador to a franchise location in Calabasas, California. His verses are recorded on the drive-thru’s order screen, before he pulls up to the window, grabs his food, and drives away. The text details McDonald’s french fries, cheeseburgers, and other items on the menu conspiring against each other.

In 2013, Iggy Azalea first mentioned the West’s poem during an interview with The Guardian:

I was at [Kanye West’s] house last week, and he was playing me his “scriptures,” as he calls his spoken-word interludes. There was one about McDonald’s: “Those fries. Those fries. I have them in my eyes. That smooth apple pie…” I love it. What is the line between art and ignorance?

West also contributed to Ocean’s album released with the magazine, Blonde, co-writing the song “White Ferrari.”

A transcript of the poem and scans of the magazine are available below. See more of Nabil Elderkin’s camerawork on Instagram, Vimeo, and his website.

Transcript:

McDonald’s Man
McDonald’s Man
The french fries had a plan
The french fries had a plan
The salad bar and the ketchup made a band
Cus the french fries had a plan
The french fries had a plan

McDonald’s Man
McDonald’s
I know them french fries have a plan
I know them french fries have a plan
The cheeseburger and the shakes formed a band
To overthrow the french fries’ plan
I always knew them french fries was evil man
Smelling all good and shit
I don’t trust no food that smells that good man
I don’t trust it
I just can’t

McDonald’s Man
McDonald’s Man
McDonald’s, damn
Them french fries look good though
I knew the Diet Coke was jealous of the fries
I knew the McNuggets was jealous of the fries
Even the McRib was jealous of the fries
I could see it through his artificial meat eyes
And he only be there some of the time
Everybody was jealous of them french fries
Except for that one special guy
That smooth apple pie

—K. West

Scans:

Select a photo to view it fullscreen.

Update 2016-08-22:

Joey Bada$$ recited “The McDonald’s Man” by Kanye West during his appearance on HOT 97.

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