In 2008, Kanye West and fellow Chicago rapper Rhymefest announced they were collaborating with the production team behind Crank Yankers on something that was sort of like a hip-hop version of The Muppet Show as imagined by David Chappelle. The series was called Alligator Boots, and Kanye himself planned on hosting and starring in the pilot episode. Then, nothing happened. Kanye never mentioned it again, and everyone just assumed that Alligator Boots was an idea that didn't reach the production stage. As it turns out, a pilot episode was shot but never aired... that is, until yesterday, when 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage from the Boots set appeared on YouTube (via Complex).
It's surprising that the show never made it to cable, since at one point, guest Kim Kardashian is dressed as Princess Leia. That skit alone would've guaranteed millions of Star Wars-loving viewers. (Also, Kanye wore a Stormtrooper costume.) In another scene, filmed prior to the Taylor Swift VMA incident, Kanye pokes fun at his reputation as an egomaniac by autographing a photo of himself, "To Kanye, Love Kanye." The rest of the skits are pretty amusing, but apparently not funny enough to get a network to commit to Alligator Boots for the long run. Still, it's cool to see a laid-back West interacting with puppets, once upon a time before he started to take himself so seriously: