Listening Priority: High
Kanye West's career is a constant struggle between perfecting a sound and reaching for something new. His last major departure from convention, 808s & Heartbreak, yielded overwrought songs and occasionally-dull soundscapes. So, with concerns that his reach may have again exceeded his grasp, he gave his sixth solo album, Yeezus, to the world. Kanye throws race, sex, drugs, alcohol, hubris, religion, class, consumerism, hip-hop, rock, and politics into a blender and comes up with a hell of a cocktail. He doesn't claim to have answers, but he offers an exciting portrait of a man dealing with personal and societal demons. Yeezus is - as many will likely note - flawed and sometimes insane, but this is "love-it-or-hate-it music" with substance, edge, and novelty.
The lyrics and verses range from ridiculous to brilliant, with some serving to assist the absurd beats while others provide a real sense of place and character. The wack rhymes that Kanye has occasionally used on previous albums are fortunately few (the second verse of "I Am a God" being an example) . There are many lines that shouldn't work on paper, but are somehow pulled off by Kanye's conviction in his pure awesomeness and his willingness to embrace his dark side ("I'm In It" takes it too far and then finishes with a brief verse that recognizes how far over the line it went). It may seem that Kanye has fully gone over the edge, but there are still moments when he's aware of his tenuous grasp on the lifestyle to which he's become accustomed ("Pastor said you can't abort that / Now your driver say that new Benz you can't afford that / All that cocaine on the table you can't snort that") and his heresy ("Until the day I get struck by lightning / I AM A GOD"). "Black Skinhead" and "New Slaves," the most explicitly confrontational songs on the album, highlight Kanye's conflicted feelings about being a success in a corrupt system while wanting to tear that system apart. "Bound 2" might represent the biggest step Kanye has taken in his lyricism. He sums up his nontraditional views on love and relationships ("Hey we made it to Thanksgiving / So hey maybe we can make it to Christmas / She asked me what I wished for on the wishlist / Have you ever asked your bitch for other bitches") in a way that's simultaneously frightening and celebratory. It's rapped in a tossed-off manner, but there's a lot to explore in the scene he creates. Kanye captures the sweetness of early flirtation to the joking of established romances and the….. exploration of open relationships. The highbrow ("Jesus wept") is included with the lowbrow ("What would Jeromey Romey Romey Rome think?"), celebrating multiple approaches to life and reminding us that "ain't nobody perfect." While 808s took itself overly seriously, Yeezus - for all its bluster - contains a lighter, tongue-in-cheek side that distinguishes it from 808s, making it more human (and offering lyrics that are far richer with detail). Yeezus may not be as "lyrical" as hip-hop purists would want, but Kanye's brilliant curation of seemingly disparate imagery serves up his fascinating perspective in a way that more traditional verses couldn't *.
But Yeezus is about more than just lyrics. It has a unique sound made up of Kanye's diverse flow, great vocals (by Frank Ocean, Charlie Wilson, Justin Vernon, Kid Cudi, and Kanye himself), eclectic samples, and live instrumentation. "And this is what the future is to me - the juxtaposition of two things that you think don't go together," Kanye said during his VH1 Storytellers performance of "Touch the Sky." On this album, he has passed that vision of the future into an even further juncture in time. There are wild shifts and interludes during a single song ("On Sight"), sudden outros ("New Slaves"), and disruptive smooth vocals ("Bound 2"). There are spacey segments that build to electric climaxes rather than wallowing in a pit of bass ("Hold My Liquor"). Then there's "Blood on the Leaves." It's a sad, gorgeous song that successfully repurposes Nina Simone and TNGHT while letting Kanye sing and rap about a complex failed relationship. It should be a disaster, but it ultimately becomes the heart of this strange album as the TNGHT sample sets the club atmosphere while Nina Simone and accompanying piano provide the melancholy tone. Kanye's use of non-singing features is - even more than on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - just another instrument in his experiment as he lets: Chief Keef provide a disillusioned hook on "Can't Hold My Liquor," Agent Sasco inject some badness into "I'm In It," and King Louie keep "Sent It Up" raw. This isn't like the prog-rock of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, with smooth dissolves between different elements. This is Kanye's version of punk, so we get jump cuts. It's jarring, but it works well with the lyrics to create an aural assault that keeps the listener engaged, excited, and ready to listen again.
The album is possibly the most paradoxical project that Kanye has created yet. It's great, it's idiotic, it celebrates the finer things, it has "New Slaves," it's got great storytelling lyrics, it's got some wack lines, it's rap, it's singing, it's "minimalist," it's ornate, it's got hits to vibe to, it's got calm moments, it's highbrow, it's profane, it's stitched together, it flows surprisingly well, it shocks you, it puts a smile on your face. It's Kanye West. You're welcome.
Kanye West's career is a constant struggle between perfecting a sound and reaching for something new. His last major departure from convention, 808s & Heartbreak, yielded overwrought songs and occasionally-dull soundscapes. So, with concerns that his reach may have again exceeded his grasp, he gave his sixth solo album, Yeezus, to the world. Kanye throws race, sex, drugs, alcohol, hubris, religion, class, consumerism, hip-hop, rock, and politics into a blender and comes up with a hell of a cocktail. He doesn't claim to have answers, but he offers an exciting portrait of a man dealing with personal and societal demons. Yeezus is - as many will likely note - flawed and sometimes insane, but this is "love-it-or-hate-it music" with substance, edge, and novelty.
The lyrics and verses range from ridiculous to brilliant, with some serving to assist the absurd beats while others provide a real sense of place and character. The wack rhymes that Kanye has occasionally used on previous albums are fortunately few (the second verse of "I Am a God" being an example) . There are many lines that shouldn't work on paper, but are somehow pulled off by Kanye's conviction in his pure awesomeness and his willingness to embrace his dark side ("I'm In It" takes it too far and then finishes with a brief verse that recognizes how far over the line it went). It may seem that Kanye has fully gone over the edge, but there are still moments when he's aware of his tenuous grasp on the lifestyle to which he's become accustomed ("Pastor said you can't abort that / Now your driver say that new Benz you can't afford that / All that cocaine on the table you can't snort that") and his heresy ("Until the day I get struck by lightning / I AM A GOD"). "Black Skinhead" and "New Slaves," the most explicitly confrontational songs on the album, highlight Kanye's conflicted feelings about being a success in a corrupt system while wanting to tear that system apart. "Bound 2" might represent the biggest step Kanye has taken in his lyricism. He sums up his nontraditional views on love and relationships ("Hey we made it to Thanksgiving / So hey maybe we can make it to Christmas / She asked me what I wished for on the wishlist / Have you ever asked your bitch for other bitches") in a way that's simultaneously frightening and celebratory. It's rapped in a tossed-off manner, but there's a lot to explore in the scene he creates. Kanye captures the sweetness of early flirtation to the joking of established romances and the….. exploration of open relationships. The highbrow ("Jesus wept") is included with the lowbrow ("What would Jeromey Romey Romey Rome think?"), celebrating multiple approaches to life and reminding us that "ain't nobody perfect." While 808s took itself overly seriously, Yeezus - for all its bluster - contains a lighter, tongue-in-cheek side that distinguishes it from 808s, making it more human (and offering lyrics that are far richer with detail). Yeezus may not be as "lyrical" as hip-hop purists would want, but Kanye's brilliant curation of seemingly disparate imagery serves up his fascinating perspective in a way that more traditional verses couldn't *.
But Yeezus is about more than just lyrics. It has a unique sound made up of Kanye's diverse flow, great vocals (by Frank Ocean, Charlie Wilson, Justin Vernon, Kid Cudi, and Kanye himself), eclectic samples, and live instrumentation. "And this is what the future is to me - the juxtaposition of two things that you think don't go together," Kanye said during his VH1 Storytellers performance of "Touch the Sky." On this album, he has passed that vision of the future into an even further juncture in time. There are wild shifts and interludes during a single song ("On Sight"), sudden outros ("New Slaves"), and disruptive smooth vocals ("Bound 2"). There are spacey segments that build to electric climaxes rather than wallowing in a pit of bass ("Hold My Liquor"). Then there's "Blood on the Leaves." It's a sad, gorgeous song that successfully repurposes Nina Simone and TNGHT while letting Kanye sing and rap about a complex failed relationship. It should be a disaster, but it ultimately becomes the heart of this strange album as the TNGHT sample sets the club atmosphere while Nina Simone and accompanying piano provide the melancholy tone. Kanye's use of non-singing features is - even more than on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - just another instrument in his experiment as he lets: Chief Keef provide a disillusioned hook on "Can't Hold My Liquor," Agent Sasco inject some badness into "I'm In It," and King Louie keep "Sent It Up" raw. This isn't like the prog-rock of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, with smooth dissolves between different elements. This is Kanye's version of punk, so we get jump cuts. It's jarring, but it works well with the lyrics to create an aural assault that keeps the listener engaged, excited, and ready to listen again.
The album is possibly the most paradoxical project that Kanye has created yet. It's great, it's idiotic, it celebrates the finer things, it has "New Slaves," it's got great storytelling lyrics, it's got some wack lines, it's rap, it's singing, it's "minimalist," it's ornate, it's got hits to vibe to, it's got calm moments, it's highbrow, it's profane, it's stitched together, it flows surprisingly well, it shocks you, it puts a smile on your face. It's Kanye West. You're welcome.
Key Tracks: Blood on the Leaves, Bound 2, Black Skinhead, New Slaves, Can't Hold My Liquor
* The use of the "apartheid" image and the "Blood on the Leaves" sample alongside the coke and molly references and the dissolution of a relationship/life on "Blood on the Leaves" specifically comes to mind.
Side Notes
For those who are frightened or annoyed by the strange sounds of Yeezus, Kanye's rebuttal comes early in "On Sight," suddenly cutting from "How much do I not give a fuck / Let me show you right now 'fore you give it up" to a sampled chorus singing "He'll give us what we need / It may not be what we want." In the interest of full disclosure, I was incredibly worried that this album would be terrible (given potential electronic/trap influences and a Wall Street Journal interview with Rick Rubin in which he said that Kanye held off on finishing vocals for three songs and writing lyrics for two songs until two hours before the album had to be finished). After being a doubting Thomas, I admit that Kanye did indeed score 40 in the fourth quarter. Yeezus works in mysterious ways.
Some songs work well on their own, but I'm finding that the album is much more rewarding when listened to as a whole. Hearing the triumphant sexual/Civil Rights images of "I'm In It" (a Black Power fist and "Free at Last") before the destructive racial elements/ruined lives of "Blood on the Leaves" ("apartheid" and the "Blood on the Leaves" sample) is a small but genius touch.
Please forgive me if I've made too many 808s & Heartbreak comparisons, it just seems like the most comparable project in Kanye's discography.
While many refer to Kanye's solo discography as "solo albums" and Kanye West as an "arrogant narcissist," those are a bit misleading. His name may be the main one on the credits, but most of his best work results from working as the leader of a team. With Late Registration, it was producer/multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion, who helped flesh out Kanye's ideas and add new elements to his sound. On My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, it was a menagerie of artists and producers (see: Kanye West - Project Runaway Complex (November 22, 2010) Available at http://www.complex.com/music/2010/11/kanye-west-project-runaway). Yeezus seems like a similar experience, bringing in younger producers (Travis Scott, TNGHT) as well as veterans (Daft Punk, Mike Dean) to the sessions.
When thinking about Kanye in relation to his contemporaries, he seems to be in the eras but not OF the eras. He uses trends and artists to enhance his own sound, making it STRONGER (e.g. 808s had autotune, but rather than the celebratory vibes of T-Pain, Kanye threw in his personal anguish and spawned the careers of Future, Drake, and Weezy 3.0).
Hater Theory: Kanye needs haters/problems to push things forward. On College Dropout, there were two arguments against him: producers shouldn't rap and no one wanted a rapper who was "always carrying that little bookbag." For Late Registration, he had the broader societal problems of the W. Bush era weighing on him ("Heard 'Em Say," "Crack Music," "Diamonds From Sierra Leone"). On Graduation, meh, he was lounging and probably spending too much time with the Entourage crew. With 808s, there was the death of his mother and the dissolution of his relationship. With My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, there was the Taylor Swift MTV incident and the dissolution of a relationship. With Yeezus, there's his being on the cover of every tabloid every day and maybe a failed corporate partnership? In conclusion, President Obama should pass an executive order making life miserable for Kanye West so that he may continue providing us with classics.
* The use of the "apartheid" image and the "Blood on the Leaves" sample alongside the coke and molly references and the dissolution of a relationship/life on "Blood on the Leaves" specifically comes to mind.
Side Notes
For those who are frightened or annoyed by the strange sounds of Yeezus, Kanye's rebuttal comes early in "On Sight," suddenly cutting from "How much do I not give a fuck / Let me show you right now 'fore you give it up" to a sampled chorus singing "He'll give us what we need / It may not be what we want." In the interest of full disclosure, I was incredibly worried that this album would be terrible (given potential electronic/trap influences and a Wall Street Journal interview with Rick Rubin in which he said that Kanye held off on finishing vocals for three songs and writing lyrics for two songs until two hours before the album had to be finished). After being a doubting Thomas, I admit that Kanye did indeed score 40 in the fourth quarter. Yeezus works in mysterious ways.
Some songs work well on their own, but I'm finding that the album is much more rewarding when listened to as a whole. Hearing the triumphant sexual/Civil Rights images of "I'm In It" (a Black Power fist and "Free at Last") before the destructive racial elements/ruined lives of "Blood on the Leaves" ("apartheid" and the "Blood on the Leaves" sample) is a small but genius touch.
Please forgive me if I've made too many 808s & Heartbreak comparisons, it just seems like the most comparable project in Kanye's discography.
While many refer to Kanye's solo discography as "solo albums" and Kanye West as an "arrogant narcissist," those are a bit misleading. His name may be the main one on the credits, but most of his best work results from working as the leader of a team. With Late Registration, it was producer/multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion, who helped flesh out Kanye's ideas and add new elements to his sound. On My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, it was a menagerie of artists and producers (see: Kanye West - Project Runaway Complex (November 22, 2010) Available at http://www.complex.com/music/2010/11/kanye-west-project-runaway). Yeezus seems like a similar experience, bringing in younger producers (Travis Scott, TNGHT) as well as veterans (Daft Punk, Mike Dean) to the sessions.
When thinking about Kanye in relation to his contemporaries, he seems to be in the eras but not OF the eras. He uses trends and artists to enhance his own sound, making it STRONGER (e.g. 808s had autotune, but rather than the celebratory vibes of T-Pain, Kanye threw in his personal anguish and spawned the careers of Future, Drake, and Weezy 3.0).
Hater Theory: Kanye needs haters/problems to push things forward. On College Dropout, there were two arguments against him: producers shouldn't rap and no one wanted a rapper who was "always carrying that little bookbag." For Late Registration, he had the broader societal problems of the W. Bush era weighing on him ("Heard 'Em Say," "Crack Music," "Diamonds From Sierra Leone"). On Graduation, meh, he was lounging and probably spending too much time with the Entourage crew. With 808s, there was the death of his mother and the dissolution of his relationship. With My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, there was the Taylor Swift MTV incident and the dissolution of a relationship. With Yeezus, there's his being on the cover of every tabloid every day and maybe a failed corporate partnership? In conclusion, President Obama should pass an executive order making life miserable for Kanye West so that he may continue providing us with classics.