As part of Time’s Persons of the Year issue (that particular honor will be shared by Bono, Bill and Melinda Gates), the Chicago rap producer-turned-MC joins President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin and the creators of Google on the list of the top 23 people to matter this year.

Though West might wonder why he didn’t nab Person of the Year, he should be happy to make a list that mostly included political figures from here and abroad.

Time took a moment to recognize Kanye’s outspoken telethon freestyle, “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people,” and his record sales, pointing out that, with Late Registration bypassing the 2 million sales mark, people are definitely listening to what he has to say.

Other entertainers joining West on the list include Darth Vader and ABC’s “first woman President,” actress Geena Davis from the television series “Commander in Chief.”

The complete list of People Who Mattered is available at Time Magazine’s site online.

This was West’s second time this year being prominently featured in Time; he graced the cover this past August.