Earlier this week, rumors spread that [artist id="1230523"]Kanye West[/artist] had declared himself "the new King of Pop," in the wake of [article id="1614744"]Michael Jackson's death[/article]

late last month. While those rumors -- which stemmed from an erroneous blog posted just days after Jackson's death but spread into the blogosphere this week -- were never true, they were apparently not completely debunked. After Kanye heard about them, he fired off one of his characteristic all-caps blog entries,

which was posted on Friday (July 31).

"I was just listening to Wendy Williams' [radio show] and heard some quote about me saying I'm the new King of Pop," he wrote. "Not only did I not say that, I haven't said anything. It makes me feel bad that obviously I made people feel that I would be corny enough to say something so whack after the passing of an idol, a legend and, more than that, a human being with feelings and family.

"It scares me to think what people will believe, without even a source," he continued. "Any random person can type something on the Internet and then the world believes it. I don't talk to press or do TV or do promotions of any sort. I've stopped chasing and buying into fame. Fame is like cigarettes with no surgeon general warning. It destroys most people as it did to the true and only King of Pop. We exploit ourselves and eat our own egos 'till there is nothing left. I have a feeling that this won't be the last false statement with my name on it, but this will be the last time I defend myself. I'm done."