The Higgs boson has been everywhere these dayson TV, in newspapers and magazines, courtside at the N.B.A. Finals with Kanye West. We caught up with him as he took a breather for the Fouth of July, at his home in East Hampton. First of alland I have to ask thisGod particle? Really? Who started that? I have gotten so much shit for that! (laughs) I dont know where that started. Probably TMZ or somewhere! Look, if people want to call me that because they like what I do well, Im humbled. Its cool to know that what you do makes people happy. I love my fans. But God particle? I dont think so! I cant even get my iPhone to sync. (laughs) Speaking of what you do what do you do, exactly? Probably what Im best known for, for better or worse, is making atomic particles have mass. But I dont want to be pigeonholed as that, because I dont want to put limits on what I plan to do in the future. Like, right now Im doing a lot of things that dont involve atomic particles or mass or anything like that. For example, my menswear line. Its a joint venture between me and Hugo Boss. Its going to be called either Higgs Boss or Hugo Boson. Or we may go a whole different way and call it H. Biggy. My branding team is into it right now. I havent been this excited about something Ive been involved in since I created the universe. Also, theres gonna be a fragrance. Theres been a lot written about tension in your relationship with Peter Higgs, one of the scientists who discovered you. Any truth to the rumors? Peter and I are both very passionate about what we do, and when you put a passionate human being and a passionate subatomic particle together theres bound to be friction. We fight like brothers sometimes, but its only because we care so deeply about what were doing and we want to make it perfect. But as far as what happened in the club last week, no, I did not throw a bottle at his head. O.K., be honest, and no false modesty here: Is there anything the Higgs boson cant do? A: Honest answer? I want to be considered the Michael Jordan of subatomic particles. By that I mean, Michael Jordan might not have been the most physically gifted player in the history of the N.B.A., but nobody worked harder at his game than he did. Thats what Im all about. Whether its giving mass to matter, breaking electroweak symmetry, or explaining the origin of the universe and whatnot, I believe I can do it all. Could you have kept Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise together? A: Shit no! (laughs) 