It's been years since Kanye West gave a proper interview with a member of the press. With only days to go before the release of his newest album, Yeezus, he sat down with Jon Caramanica of The New York Times to discuss his career thus far, the many past controversies and his viewpoint as he enters this strange new chapter of his life.

He discussed Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, George Bush, Rick Rubin, Justin Timberlake—the list goes on.

West revealed that he felt peer pressure to apologize for his 2009 stint interrupting Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards, explaining that he has "no regrets." He also said that, looking back, was not as honest as it could have been. "I was like, ‘Let me show you guys what I can do, and please accept me back. You want to have me on your shelves.’”

Some other noteworthy bits from the lengthy interview:

On the Grammys: “I don’t know if this is statistically right, but I’m assuming I have the most Grammys of anyone my age, but I haven’t won one against a white person. But the thing is, I don’t care about the Grammys; I just would like for the statistics to be more accurate.”

On his apology to Taylor Swift: “Yeah, I think that I have like, faltered, you know, as a human. My message isn’t perfectly defined. I have, as a human being, fallen to peer pressure.”

On Kim Kardashian: “I’m the type of rock star that likes to have a girlfriend, you know? I’m the type of soul that likes to be in love and likes to be able to focus. And that inspires me.”

On getting to work with Rick Rubin: “I’m still just a kid learning about minimalism, and he’s a master of it. It’s just really such a blessing, to be able to work with him. I want to say that after working with Rick, it humbled me to realize why I hadn’t—even though I produced Watch the Throne; even though I produced Dark Fantasy—why I hadn’t won Album of the Year yet.”

On his place in pop culture: “I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.”

On becoming a father: “One of the things was just to be protective, that I would do anything to protect my child or my child’s mother. As simple as that. … I just don’t want to talk to America about my family. Like, this is my baby. This isn’t America’s baby.”

Read the full interview.