PHOTOS: Kanye West receives honourary doctorate

The 37-year-old rapper – whose debut album was titled The College Dropout – received an honorary doctoral degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, at its annual commencement.

West couldn’t hide his joy as he took to the podium at the university – known as one of the most prestigious schools for art in the country – but hilariously wiped the smile off his face when he posed backstage.

The moment clearly met a great deal to West, whose late mother Dr. Donda West was a Professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, later becoming the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University.

Now officially known as Dr. West, Kanye West began his speech by saying: “I am a pop artist, so my medium is public opinion, and the world is my canvas.”

He then made the audience laugh as he poked fun at his unapologetic behaviour (that has seen him storm the stage at two different award ceremonies, defending the singer Beyoncé over the years).

“‘I’m sorry’ is something that you can use a lot. It gives you the opportunity to give your opinion, apologise for it, and give your opinion again,” adding: “You should not be sorry for your opinions!”

West was not accompanied by his wife Kim Kardashian, 34, for the event, who had flown to Brazil to promote her new book, Selfish.

West – who infamously criticized George W. Bush during a Hurricane Katrina telethon in 2005 – made the audience laugh as he told them the former President has some “very cool self-portraits” adding “I didn’t know he was an artist.”

Dr West delivering his acceptance speech

The university told Complex that the honorary doctorate given to West is for “influential individuals” who earned “this distinguished award through their work, which is always imaginative and aesthetically rich, and sometimes also provocative and controversial, shifting the cultural landscape in significant ways.”

Previous honourary doctorates at the institution include Patti Smith, Jeff Koons, David Sedaris and Chicago artist Theaster Gates.

A proud Kim Kardashian took to Instagram to congratulate her husband. “Dr. Kanye West!!!!!!! I’m so proud of you baby & I know your mom would be so proud too!!!!” she said of the late Dr. Donda West, who was Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University.

-New Zealand Herald