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Kanye West is to music what Michael Jordan was to basketball -- at least that's what West thinks, in his humble estimation.

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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Kanye West

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Abby Elliott

"I realize that my place and position in history is that I will go down as the voice of this generation, of this decade, I will be the loudest voice," he said in an interview.

"It's me settling into that position of just really accepting that it's one thing to say you want to do it and it's another thing to really end up being like Michael Jordan."

The Grammy-winning rapper-producer said Justin Timberlake had a chance to be music's MVP, but hasn't put out enough material. (Timberlake's last album was in 2006, while West released a CD last year and is releasing his latest -- 80's and Heartbreak -- on Nov. 24.)

"There were people who had the potential to do it but they went on vacation, so when Justin went on vacation I made albums," he said. "And it just came out to be that."

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Saturday Night Live was left with some big shoes to fill when Amy Poehler departed for her new role of motherhood.

NBC says two fresh recruits have been hired to fill those shoes.

Abby Elliott and Michaela Watkins will be joining the show this week as featured players.

Elliott comes to SNL via the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre -- the improv/sketch company co-founded by Poehler.

Elliott trained and performed in both New York and Los Angeles.

She is a second-generation SNL cast member whose father, Chris Elliott, was a regular on the show during the 1994-95 season.

And her grandfather, Bob Elliott, was teamed for four decades with Ray Goulding in the comedy duo Bob & Ray.

A native of Wilton, Conn., Elliott also trained with the Los Angeles-based Groundlings theatre.

Watkins is a fellow Groundlings alum, where past SNL players including Will Ferrell, Phil Hartman, Laraine Newman and current cast member Kristen Wiig got their start. Watkins was born in Syracuse, N.Y., and raised in Boston.

Poehler, a longtime SNL regular who is married to comedian Will Arnett, last performed on the Oct. 23 prime-time special. She gave birth to a son, Archie Arnett, just hours before she was to appear on the Oct. 25 broadcast.