#KanyeInterrupts immortalized the moment Kanye West stormed the MTV Video Music Awards stage on September 13, 2009, interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video to declare that Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” was “one of the best videos of all time.”
As 19-year-old Taylor stood frozen, Kanye grabbed the microphone and delivered the now-infamous line: “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!”
The auditorium gasped. The camera cut to Beyoncé looking mortified. Taylor stood silently, unable to finish her speech. Kanye handed back the mic and walked off to boos.
President Obama called Kanye “a jackass.” Beyoncé later invited Taylor back on stage to finish her speech during her own acceptance. The incident dominated pop culture for months and created a rift between Kanye and Taylor that would erupt again in 2016 with “Famous.”
The phrase “Imma let you finish, but…” became one of the internet’s most enduring meme formats.
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