Kanye West's rejected HBO TV show pilot leaked online
New York, New York - A scrapped TV pilot from Kanye "Ye" West has leaked online about 16 years after it was originally abandoned by HBO.
The 28-minute episode was originally made in 2007, around the time the 46-year-old rapper dropped his acclaimed album Graduation.
In the comedy series titled A Little Inappropriate, West plays a fictionalized version of himself and is joined by actors JB Smoove, Wyatt Cenac, Kym Whitley, and more.
The pilot, which drew inspiration from Curb Your Enthusiasm, sees Ye navigating a myriad of bizarre events, including an awkward meeting with a child from the Make-a-Wish foundation, where he wears a fully zipped-up BAPE Tiger hoodie to conceal his bad breath.
A Little Inappropriate failed to get off the ground after making the pilot, with director Larry Charles saying at the time, "It was really good, but again I think it was too hardcore for HBO."
On Monday, a YouTube channel uploaded the full pilot, revealing in the caption that the footage had been on the director's Vimeo account before it went private.
Kanye West's pilot was reportedly deemed "too hardcore" for HBO
Until now, the full pilot had only been screened at a surprise showing during star Wyatt Cenac's comedy show in 2013. The comedian also spoke to Vulture that year about the filming process and revealed what the Heartless artist had in mind for the series.
"Kanye knew he wasn't a good improviser," he said. "He'd read something that Seinfeld said about surrounding himself with better talent and that he would rise to the occasion. And so that was his hope."
During the pilot screening, Cenac also said that HBO executives were unhappy with how much focus was placed on West's co-stars rather than the controversial rapper himself.
Cover photo: ROY ROCHLIN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP