Yeah, I’m not going to clutch my pearls at this. North West, a ten year old, covers i-D magazine as part of their “New Wave” edition. North is the eldest child of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Arguably, North is the only one Kanye actually cares about or spends any time with, as far as I can see. It also feels like North is a daddy’s girl – she loves her dad so much, and Kim (to her credit) has not filled North’s head with all of Kanye’s misdeeds and antisemitic history. Do I think North is way too young for this kind of exposure? For sure. But I’m not her mother and, clearly, Kim feels this is appropriate and so be it. The only positive thing I’ll say here is that it’s objectively stupid to interview a 10-year-old for a magazine cover profile, so i-D kept everything really simple and the interview was short. Some highlights (i-D’s questions in bold):
What’s your favourite song right now?
“Through the Wire” by Kanye West.
Do you like singing? Do you like performing?
Yeah, I like singing. Performing is my favourite.
Do you think you get that from your family?
Sometimes, mostly from me though. And then a little bit of my dad.
What’s your favourite outfit right now?
Vintage T-shirts and Spider sweats.
Who’s your style icon?
Me.
What’s your favourite thing from this shoot?
That I got fries, because I really craved fries, and I love doing hair and I got to do my own edges for this shoot.
Do you like having your picture taken?
Yes. Only when I want to, because ehhh, I don’t want to sometimes. But not by the paparazzi.
What’s the best fashion show you’ve ever been to?
My little sister’s fashion show in her closet.
What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Umm… The Best Ever.
What’s the best thing about being North West?
I get to play basketball. Everything. I got to go to Halloween Horror Nights.
What do you like to paint?
Everything, except helicopters. Helicopters are so hard because they have all these little lines.
Have you made any more art recently?
Yeah, literally today in art class. But it’s a secret for my mom’s birthday. Last week I finished a landscape and a sunset and I made a little circle thing.
Do you have any other hobbies?
Yes. Going shopping for people. Basketball, but it’s not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. And I just love basketball so much.
What do you want to be when you’re older?
A basketball player, a rapper, um… Well, when I was seven, I wanted to be a boxer. But now I don’t want to be a boxer. I’m going to do art on the side. When I’m, like, thirteen, I want to walk dogs, to make money to buy art supplies, because everything around here is so expensive. So a rapper, a basketball player, and I’m going to make artwork that I sell. Also, one day I want to own Yeezy and SKIMS, and I want to be a business owner.
Granted, there are some smaller women playing college and pro basketball, but North will probably be in for a rude awakening when she’s like 16/17 and she’s barely, like, 5’6”. Kim is very short and Kanye isn’t tall, meaning North has short genes and they will affect her future in basketball. Still, if she loves to ball, then she loves to ball. I think it’s cool that she’s a little jock and a little artist. That’s righteous, and that’s how it should be – no 10-year-old should have a reasonable life plan, and it’s cool that Kim is encouraging her kids to have all kinds of hobbies. It’s hilarious that North is already plotting to take over her parents’ businesses too.
Cover & IG courtesy of i-D.
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