Leonard Cohen’s posthumous poetry book, “The Flame: Poems Notebooks Lyrics Drawing,” includes a poem that sharply disses Kanye West. Though the singer-songwriter died nearly two years ago on Nov. 7, 2016, his nearly 300-page collection of writing and sketches hit stores earlier this month.
The 21-line diss poem, titled “Kanye West Is Not Picasso,” was written on March 15, 2015, according to the published work. It preceded West’s 2016 album, “The Life Of Pablo,” which featured songs like “Famous” and “Wolves.” It also notably preceded the rapper’s turn as a political activist in support of President Donald Trump.
Cohen name drops Pablo Picasso, Bob Dylan and Thomas Edison, stating that West is nothing like the mentioned geniuses.
“Kanye West is not Edison/I am Edison/I am Tesla,” Cohen wrote (via CBS News).
On Wednesday night, singer Amanda Shires shared an image of the full poem on Twitter.
According to Stereogum, Cohen’s posthumous album is still in progress. The singer-songwriter, known for songs including “Hallelujah”and “Suzanne,” died at 82 years old after a battle with leukemia.