Entertainment · Music · 3 hrs ago
Billy Corgan Wonders Whether Kanye West Borrowed His Approach to Fame
Billy Corgan says Kanye West may have borrowed his approach to fame, though he is unsure whether West was influenced by him or whether the approach was simply common.
Corgan, frontman of the Smashing Pumpkins, made the comments on the Popcast podcast.
He recalled that while his band was making *Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness*, West was working at a Gap store nearby in Chicago.
Corgan said both artists used provocative behavior to make audiences question their work and public image.
He described this as a way to make people decide whether an artist is a genius or an idiot.
Corgan and West have had little direct contact, sharing only one friendly phone call that lasted about 15 minutes.
The Smashing Pumpkins are now on a tour marking 30 years since *Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness* was released.
Billy Corgan said Kanye West may have borrowed his approach to fame and public controversy.
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman discussed the possibility during an appearance on Popcast.
Corgan said both artists used provocative behavior to make audiences decide how to judge their work.
He recalled that West was working at a Gap store near the studio while The Smashing Pumpkins were making Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
Corgan said he and West had little direct contact, including one friendly phone call lasting about 15 minutes.
- Who
- Billy Corgan and Kanye West.
- What
- Corgan wondered whether West had taken inspiration from his approach to fame and controversy.
- When
- Corgan discussed it on Popcast this week. The article was published on October 22, 2026.
- Where
- The discussion took place on Popcast. Corgan recalled West working at a Gap store one block from where The Smashing Pumpkins were recording.
- Why
- Corgan saw similarities in how they used provocative behavior to challenge public judgments of their artistry.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Corgan recalled that West was working at a Gap one block down the street.
Corgan discussed the similarities between his and West’s approaches to fame on Popcast.
The Smashing Pumpkins are on the Rats in a Cage Tour, marking the 30th anniversary of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
- Podcast
- Popcast
- Album
- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
- Nearby workplace
- A Gap one block from where The Smashing Pumpkins were recording
- Direct contact
- One friendly phone call lasting approximately 15 minutes
- Tour
- Rats in a Cage Tour, marking the album’s 30th anniversary
What people are saying
Isn’t it the other way around? Didn’t I come first?
When we were making Mellon Collie [and the Infinite Sadness], Kanye was literally working one block down the street at the Gap.
When I first saw his game, I thought … was he influenced by the way I did this shit?
I hear a lot of Kanye in you