Madonna says Kanye West is 'the black Madonna'

LOS ANGELES, March 9 (UPI) -- Madonna sees a lot of herself in boundary-pushing rapper Kanye West.

While speaking to the New York Daily News about her new album, which features a collaboration with West, the 56-year-old singer said he was "the new Madonna."

"Kanye is the black Madonna," she said, adding that the two performers are "comrades in the envelope-pushing genre."

"We know, and recognize, that we have that in common," she said.

The pair's joint track, "Illuminati," is one of the many collaborations featured on the Material Girl's thirteenth album Rebel Heart. Other collaborators include Nicki Minaj, Mike Tyson, and Chance The Rapper.

"There's a lot of reminiscing on this album," she said of the record. "I've been doing what I've been doing for over three decades, so in many ways I feel like a survivor. I see that many of my peers, and friends, and people I collaborated with are no longer with us. That gave me pause. I said, 'Wow, I can't believe I made it this far.' That was a catalyst for me."

Rebel Heart was released on March 6.