Kanye West Gives Back to Iraq War Vets in "Choose or Lose" Special

Kanye West is hooking up with MTV for the new documentary Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming. In the hour-long doc, West and MTV VJ Sway Calloway will go to the homes of recently returned Iraq war veterans to hear their stories about their service and how they're re-acclimating to civilian life. At each stop, West will present the soldiers with a gift, with the rapper paying their rent, taking care of their debt or funding their tuition. "There are hundreds of veterans out there who are falling through the cracks. They make the ultimate sacrifices for us by laying down their lives, but it seems like a lot of them just get forgotten about" said West. "I know my music inspires and helps a lot of people but you can always do more. I teamed up with MTV and took the opportunity to share the spotlight with these veterans and hear their stories." The Choose or Lose special will air on MTV on Monday, July 28th, at 10PM EST.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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