I realize that this post is beyond a few days late considering this news came out last week and is already so last year. However, I wanted to use the weekend to listen to
Yeezus to make a fair and balanced assessment, Fox news style.
Although I am strongly suspicious that the act of listening to
Yeezus on repeat is what caused my car to stop working, I loved it. First things first — this is not radio friendly music. At all. It is rough and dirty and sometimes a little harsh on the ears but in a strangely melodic way. Like a Bjork kind of way. What a comparison. But you probably aren't going to find yourself gleefully rapping along a la Two Chainz. Unless you've mastered the growl. Because there is growling. I love it. I also love the angelic voice of Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) getting nastified. I have NO idea what his lyrics are, I just know they are not friendly. That unlikely pair? They make magic.
Kanye's last album,
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, is what completely changed my mind about him as an artist. I listened to his previous tracks on the radio but purchased this entire album because I was obsessed with "Monster." This album blew my mind and I listened to it on repeat for months on months. AND and it featured my hipster angel, Justin Vernon. And many other collaborations including the rap verse on "Monster" that in my mind put Nicki Minaj on the map and was probably her best work ever (FUN FACT! If you get me really drunk I can rap that for you).
I know that I am never ever going to convince you to like Kanye West. Ever. He is the man that everyone hates. Well, everyone except me. I find him extremely talented and intelligent, all while maintaining the knowledge that he is in fact probably a little bit crazy. Artists have never been known as the sanest people on our planet. One even cut his ear off. Some sleep in art museums for art. Others make music and live an incredibly outlandish and avant-garde lifestyle that we cannot relate to and don't understand how to begin to.
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This. Was. Brilliant. |
That is Kanye. Yes he picked on America's goddamned sweetheart and most of America will NEVER get over that (although it was incredibly well deserved and I loved every second of it and also it was the MTV awards so those don't really count). But at the end of the day, he is an artist so the crazy is
okay. He pushes the boundaries and tries new things and GASP dares to be different.
Most importantly, the baby name? We make it our business although it is none of ours. And really, it wasn't the worst they could do. Can we give them some credit for at least spelling it right? Yes, this little girl will be brought up in the spotlight living the most lavish lifestyle imaginable. Did we think that Marie would suffice for a child as such? Maybe Kathleen? Come on people. They are celebrities, and we asked for it.
In conclusion, you may not like the man. You may not like his baby-momma (I certainly do not). But give the guy a fucking break okay? Until you come out with your groundbreaking rap album. Then you can speak.
you and me, we need to get together. and get drunk. cuz i rap nicki like theres no tomorrow. a few people have been graced with videos of me rapping in the car. because i would get bored driving to and from school.
ReplyDeletein fact. i think alissa saw one. and will probably blackmail me with it one day.
the lesson here? thats what snapchat is for.
and we need to get drunk together.
I still have that video so watch out.
Deletemy life motto is WWHD - what would HOV do?
ReplyDeleteHOV loves him some kanye ergo i love me some kanye.
Ugh. I struggle. I struggle with him because I can respect him as an artist, but I dislike him as a person. Or, at least the person he is portrayed to be.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to rap, my boy is Eminem. And clearly, he isn't a stand up guy, so there's never mind!
"there's never mind!" ... #thestruggleisreal with typos
DeleteWhat would YEEZUS do more like what would what would TIFF GEE-ZUS do
ReplyDeleteThere is a reason why Yeeeezy is the way he is. He's the best, plain and simple. I listen to Golddigger 15x per week, and I'm not ashamed to admit that.
no.
ReplyDeletewe don't need to fight about this, but I'm just going to be the decider on this and say that we're going to have to agree to disagree.
It's so true what that lyric posted up above says. We can hate him, we can hate that he named his baby West and we can hate that he's a GIANT ass. But the music speaks for itself. Also it's the only rap Alex approves of, he's so Anglo.
ReplyDeleteI love this SO MUCH. I tend to agree with you. I think his music is freaking brilliant. I mean Graduation was the anthem for my college years. I think he is a bit crazy but also the snippets he was on Keeping Up he seemed human. Also, the baby name is so not anyone's business and I like the name.. so there.
ReplyDeleteI think what I like most about him is that he did that to Taylor cuz I f-ing hate her and that he did knock up a porn star because KK is awful. I'll give the album a whirl.
ReplyDeleteI am completely with you. I've loved Kanye for a long time, but as James likes to tell me, I am black. Sometimes I just need my rap. I haven't listened to Yeezus though. I don't necessarily like Kanye as a person, but I can't NOT drop it like it's hot when Golddigger comes on.
ReplyDeleteI loved when he crapped on TSwift. I don't hate Kanye, I just hate when he scowls. Now Kim K, she is the biggest ahole.
ReplyDeleteUGHGHHG FINE I guess I'll listen to it!
ReplyDeleteI've never been much into the rap scene. It's because I can't sing along with it. I'm as white as they come when it's rap we're talking about.
ReplyDeleteBut this post made me like him a little bit more than I did yesterday.
But that's mostly because of who his baby mama is.
I'm pretty ambivalent about Kanye.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you! I love him and totally agree with your review. It's gritty and confusing to listen to, but I like it! I really do think he's a genius and most geniuses are some kind of crazy. He's an ass, but he's Kanye. And the Taylor thing was just hilarious. Poor baby girl got hurt because someone spoke the truth. And she still uses that to her advantage to this day. Barf. And I don't hate North! It's definitely not the worst they could do. I'm surprised by people's surprised reaction. I mean, it's Kim and Kanye. Duh.
ReplyDeleteok so my birthday wish will be to get you drunk and rap nikki minaj
ReplyDeleteI don't know that we made it our business as much as they (okay more the baby momma than him, but still he's a big boy and had to know what he was getting in to) literally made it their business to make it our business. Respect for sticking up for the guy, but I reserve the right to make fun of the name as long as they are gazillionaires because I know and (hate to admit that I) care about their baby name... ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting me in my place. I have a WHOLE lot to say about Kanye, Kim, and their baby... but you're totally right. It's not our business what they named their child or what they do in their free time. If I had a BAJILLION dollars to do with what I pleased I'd probably be guilty of acting just like them. So there's that. (But still. Really? North West?)
ReplyDelete