Is Kanye West The New Madonna?

Madonna and Kanye. Kanye and Madonna. What do those two have in common ? More than you might think. In fact, according to the Queen of Pop herself, Kanye might be the new Madonna. In an interview with the Daily News to promote her upcoming album, Rebel Heart, Madonna sang Yeezus' praises as she compared him to herself, stating: "Kanye is the new Madonna. Kanye is the black Madonna."

Madonna went on to call Kanye her comrade "in the envelope-pushing genre," commending Kanye's lack of a filter and his ability to disregard all the hate he gets for doing (and saying) things that are a little outside the box. Madonna has gotten some quality Kanye time recently; with Kanye co-producing several tracks on Rebel Heart, Madonna has gotten to see his creativity in action. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Madonna described Kanye's creative genius:

It's really hard to describe Kanye in one sentence, so I may have to use several... He's a brilliant madman. He can't help himself. Like, he doesn't have the same filters other people have. He has to blurt things out – he's always saying inappropriate stuff. But he also has brilliant ideas, if you can get him to pay attention long enough, working with him in the studio. He would come and go. He would drive me bonkers, because he's got so many things going on in his life... I was, like, running around with a butterfly net. But I feel like the music business needs him, because everyone's become so politically correct, so safe. I don't always agree with the things he says or does – I don't always like his music, even. But he's a beautiful mess. I love him.

We all know Kanye is a bit of a mad man; Madonna didn't tell us anything new there. But are there similarities between the two? Upon first glance, it seems like an absurd comparison. However, digging deeper, you can begin to see how these two are cut from the same (or at least, very similar) cloth. Love them or hate them, Madonna is clearly here for the long haul, and Kanye isn't going anywhere anytime soon either. Though it might seem a bit crazy, I think Madonna might be right. Maybe Kanye is the new Madonna, and here are a few reasons why.

He Has a Huge Ego

Madonna is always the first one to commend herself for her hard work. The Daily News interview concludes with her simply stating, "I earned my stripes... B****, I'm Madonna. And that's it." Kanye similarly loves to praise his own work (and himself). This is the man who referred to himself as "the Michael Jordan of music," after all.

He's Not Afraid of Making a Scene

Like her Madgesty, Kanye isn't afraid to cause some trouble. He acts the way he wants to when he wants to, regardless of the repercussions.

Like Madonna, Kanye often gets himself into trouble often with his crazy antics, but, somehow, we usually end up still loving him in the end anyway.

He Shares Madonna's Proclivity Towards Religious Iconography

He's Yeezus; she's Madonna. He sees himself as a 'Christ-like' persona and stirred up religious controversy with his use of religious iconography during his Yeezus tour.

She made Catholics very angry with a burning cross and a seduced saint in her music video for "Like A Prayer" in 1989 (and continues to stir up religious controversy, as her new album features a track called "Messiah.")

He Is A Legend in His Field

Madonna paved the way for many women in the pop music industry who came after her. Madonna told the Daily News: “I’m opening doors for women behind me who one day won’t have to deal with this s--t that I deal with.”

Similarly, Kanye has been called one of the best rappers of all time. Granted, he is one of the people who has called himself one of the best rappers of all time... but there are other people who agree with him on that.

Kanye Has a Passion for Fashion

Madonna is known for her iconic fashion sense, with Time listing her as one of the 100 most influential fashion icons of all time. Likewise, Kanye has made his love for fashion no secret. In fact, Kanye referred to himself as the "nucleus" of fashion trends. Who knows? Maybe these two have been dishing fashion secrets behind the scenes all this time.

He Knows How to Put On a Killer Performance

You can hate him all you want, but you can't deny that Kanye knows how to put on a show. Madonna is known for her spectacular, often-controversial performances, and Kanye definitely knows a thing or two about raising a few eyebrows during a performance.

He Is Rumored to Be in the Illuminati

No one loves a good Illuminati conspiracy as much as I do. Madonna and Kanye frequently get themselves pulled into all kinds of conversations about the Illuminati. For example, Madonna's 2015 Grammy performance was hailed by MTV as "basically an Illuminati matador orgy." And one need only visit www.kanyewestilluminati.com to see the rampant speculation about Kanye's alleged membership in the Illuminati.

While you might not buy that Kanye is the new Madonna, there is no denying that these two gloriously eccentric musicians are here to stay. I would be willing to bet that they'll both be raising eyebrows and getting critics in a tizzy for a long time to come.

Image: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images, Giphy (10), Illustrated By The Royal Studio, Madonna/Instagram