Kanye just outdid every other controversial artist in the mainstream: Marilyn Manson, Death Grips, Die Antwoord, Varg Vikernes, Rammstein, Tyler the Creator...and even surpassed cult artists outside the mainstream like GG Allin, Death in June, and Skrewdriver. None of them are brave enough to do what Kanye did; they have been completely overshadowed. As a result, no pop artist should attempt to be transgressive because, compared to what Kanye did, everything feels bland, sanitized, politically correct, and artificial
Punk artists may have done worse things, but they have nothing to lose and don't make much of a cultural impact. What Kanye did was use all his fame to create something controversial and directly insult the industry in a way that had never been done before