Kanye West – “Yeezus”
Year Released: 2013
Like: Death Grips, Jpegmafia, clipping.
Songs to Try: ‘I’m In It,’ ‘Hold My Liquor,’ ‘On Sight’
Gearing up for the Yeezy/GOOD Music hype season (with Kanye, Kanye + Kid Cudi, Nas and Pusha T all hopefully releasing in the coming months), I feel it would only be fair if I gave a reasoning for such an egotistical album like Kanye West’s 2013 Icarus-like experimentation being one of my personal favorites.
Taking a look inside the early ‘10s, we see the flashbulb lit side of The Louis Vuitton Don’s post-engagement, post ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ life. One where he already had his regality proved in record sales from his prior album, but also in a stage before the release of his angelic and worship-like epilogue, ‘The Life of Pablo.’
Thus we find ourselves within the Yeezus persona, and headstrong into the album itself. Minimalism meets hyper-distortion in the same arena where million-dollar compression equipment meets celebrity love. An unstoppable force would find itself DOA when it met the conscience of an immovable, uninterrupted object, one that happens to be a legendary Illinois hip-hop producer.
“Black Skinhead,” “I Am A God,” “On Sight.” These song titles spark a worrying expression of an ego like Ye’s, so beyond saving that you peek regretfully at its apex through your finger-seamed hands.
The harmless comparisons to Christ himself are backed by the collaborations and samplings on this record being beyond respectful (and not to mention impressive). If I were to list this album’s producers (such as Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Hudson Mohawke, Lunice, Lupe Fiasco, Arca, Mike Dean, Rick Rubin or Travi$ Scott), you would likely find me saying that making said list would be frivolous.
This being because Kanye West can call up anyone, from Tim McGraw to Lil Uzi Vert to the Chainsmokers, and within a week have them listen to him recite Descartes quotes while draped in Monk robes overlooking the Chicago skyline. The title of “Yeezus” is well earned. Not to mention, most of the time the collaborations end up sounding better than anyone could have predicted.
You are full of doubt, and stout with amazement. As the forty minutes of multifariousness shot past your aural helixes, you couldn’t quite decide on how you felt, or begin to ponder what you even just endured. Or at least, that’s how I felt, which seemed to have been the ultimate goal.
The follow-up to Yeezus is gospel-like for a reason. Transcendence is a theory that Kanye West hasn’t been afraid to mention. At least he wasn’t afraid enough to mention the idea of himself being a god underneath a Sherpa-sized fur coat while walking through an airport.
The path from riches to madness to otherworldliness, a discographic risk that naturally portrays the rise from fame into this upper echelon. He believes he is a sort of god, a figure, the archetype of talent.
So, on “Yeezus,” the question must be asked —“Why go big?” Well why wouldn’t you chuck armfuls of musical styles at the wall, then pick apart the fleshy remains of their concepts and theories if you could? Why not bust the eardrums of listeners with a fat, contorted electric bassline, then soothe their inner chi with a religious slow-jam sample, only to rip back into their ear membranes with the very same synthetic feedback.
The phrase “Why not?” is not one that West would normally be known to say. His wants and his needs have finally caught up with each other, his fashion, his style, his vision all thriving in the wake of being one of the most talked about musicians in the new era, allowing him to take any risk he desires.
Kanye West is a man who I don’t necessarily idolize, but instead respect to a point where it’s almost an infatuation. The man just goes for anything he can. Any sound, any idea, any dissonant experimentation is to be dissected by me like an original Monet. Only because he’s one of the few out there who is actively trying to counter the counter-culture.
A person who no matter what sexual innuendo, bombastic bragging, or left-field sample, I will give my attention toward. “Yeezus,” past its ego and reputation, is an astonishing depiction of fame and talent being amplified out the head of a man so insulated, that his 6th studio album’s title is a play on words between his legal name, and the most culturally known religious figure.
Rem Jensen can be reached at [email protected]