There stands today in our pop culture a supposed pariah, a declared villain, a man whom many hold in thoughtful and measured regard to be a “douchnozzle,” as it were.

A series of jokes have been cultivated and shared to define the collective distaste that has grown against him, but there is the prospect that his name alone has reached the status of being its own set-up and punch line all in one: Kanye West.

Today, he is primarily, if not only, known for his public outbursts, gaudy fashion and disagreeable choices in music and behavior. His frequent tweets are often deemed incoherent and typically vapid. He’s publicly perceived as a delusional egotist who cares more for himself than what he produces.

This is the Kanye that most of you know. What you may not know of is the Kanye that still exists, the one that’s been around for years and has never left.

Newspaper, magazine and television interviews have provided details that help clarify Kanye’s boasts. Raised by a college professor single mother that passed away in 2007, Kanye worked his way through the hip-hop industry, honing his skills and climbing inch by inch for years through the ranks as a producer and catching the attention of rap’s biggest names, including Jay-Z and Ludacris.

As his abilities and resources as a producer and a rapper grew, so did his fame and success. He sought to kick convention to the curb and establish himself as a one-of-a-kind artist in a field of carbon copies.

Unfortunately, the fame he gained and expectations he set for himself pushed him to be more boisterous and flashy than he would’ve wanted to be years earlier.

Then there were the sound bites: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people;” “Maybe my skin’s not right;” “Imma let you finish…”

These quotes and his outbursts paint a certain picture, one that has placed in many an unchangeable opinion of him.

It is important, then, to still consider his relevance as a musical producer of some of the last decade’s biggest hits, his consistent critical acclaim and successful album sales that stand unaffected by public scrutiny, his shamed apologies for his actions, and his philanthropy work with schools that have large dropout rates and with Iraqi war veterans that have struggled after returning home.

Finally, I humbly request that you, the reader, seek out and listen to two tracks on Kanye’s first album “College Dropout,” the breakout hit “Through The Wire” and the autobiographical “Last Call.”

It is with these that the true Kanye – before the fame, the public gaffes and the jokes – rhymes and speaks eagerly and personally on his drive, his successes, and his struggles that led him to his career launch pad.

You can still hate Kanye, that’s your preference and taste, but I implore you: let him finish.

He might just be one of the best musical artists of all time.