On May 1st 2018, Kanye West made a polarizing comment which sent a shock wave through fans and people all over the country. During a TMZ live interview, West said, "When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... For 400 years? That sounds like a choice." Fans overall felt hurt and confused all at once, and in some place wondered, what is happening to Kanye West?
To provide some context on how we got here, you have to understand how all these things came together prior to the release of the his latest project. Looking at West' discography you can literally see his artistry evolve with each project. West' creativity extends beyond music.He's made significant contributions to fashion with his Yeezy clothing collections and immensely successful Adidas Yeezy shoe series. When you experience West' previous 9 releases, you notice the format of his projects seem less sonic-ally constructed but more conceptually rich in content. While the context seems somewhat nonlinear the ideas are all cohesive to the albums themes.
West is one of those creatives who must create the exact conditions to work on his projects. His passion for art, fashion, and culture is permeated into his identity. He's one of the few people of our time who can literally shift culture through his influences and perspectives. West is extremely critical of every detail of his projects. From his elaborate video visuals to the album art of every project, every part of his creativity is canonized.
He tweeted his definition of art in 2016 saying “The definition of art—or at least my personal definition—is to be able to see the truth and then express it.”
In Nov. 2016, West cancelled the remainder of his Saint Pablo tour after commenting during the show, he didn't vote in the presidential election, but he "would've voted on Trump." ,
After a brief disappearance from the public eye, Kanye re-emerged with a new perspective. He was now openly in support of President Donald Trump, who throughout his presidency, continues to perpetuate the ideals of alt-right thinking.
In April, West took a meeting with Trump, and later posted a picture of an autographed hat, gifted to him by President Trump, with the campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again"
In May, West agreed to appear on TMZ Live. At first, the interview seemed to focus mainly on his mental health and his family. When asked about the MAGA hat and his decision to support Trump, the interview quickly nosedives. West goes on to say, “You hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years?! That sounds like a choice,” he said. “You were there for 400 years and it was all of y’all? It’s like we’re meant to be in prison. I like the word ‘prison’ because slavery goes too direct to the idea of blacks…Prison is something that unites us as one race.”
The idea is incredibly offensive as it is ignorant, and instantly ejected us out of the fascination of his mythos. He believes "free thinkers" should be able to express their subconsciousness no matter how that takes shape. For some, this was the straw that broke the camels back in a long series of strange events. Fans of his creative energy were instantly conflicted and something felt very broken.
West later offered context into his statement on twitter saying,
With a brand new album slated to release on 06/01, fans found themselves at a crossroad. Does supporting Kanye's music make us enablers of racism and social injustice to people of color? or is it possible to enjoy his music AND disagree with his political views
Enter Kanye West' "Ye"
West hosted the private listening party from a exclusive location in Wyoming. The event had some of the industries top performers all gathered to celebrate and support his newest offering. The album title itself was selected moments after the songs were previewed. The roll out of this album was handled with absolute discretion as it was revealed this was one of several albums scheduled for release of the next few months.
Footage of the listening event was streamed exclusively through the WAV app, which was only available to iPhone users. The full EP was available to purchase on Android and all streaming platforms the following morning.
The album cover features the mountainous landscapes of Wyoming. According to wife Kim Kardashian, the photo was taken only moments before he arrived at the listening party. Scribbled in lime green colored hand writing are the words,"I hate being Bi-Polar its awesome" This could later be interpreted as the theme of the album, which is only 7 tracks long.
The album opens with a soliloquy/song "I Thought About Killing You" He talks to himself saying, "i think about killing myself, and I love myself way more than i love you". It offers a brief glimpse into the man vs self scenario he battles but also serves as a disclaimer that he spends time in the dark parts of his consciousness. It traverses into the song where he prepares us for where the album is headed The song has a catchy bounce with West' likable energy refocusing on the music.
The album escalates with the song "Yikes" which sheds light on how West uses his bipolar prognosis as a super power to process fame singing, "Shit can get, menacing, frightening, find help, sometimes i scare myself." He illustrates how quickly you can lose it all saying, "Russell Simmons wanna pray for me too, imma pray for him cause he got me too'd" The song works sonic-ally and utilizes West talent of making a complex situation relatable. In the midst of fighting his inner demons, he understands his fans appreciate him for speaking his mind despite his antagonistic relationship with the media."They'll take me on meds, off meds, ask yourself you got a shot at Ye, drop everything."
The album reaches it highest point with the Kid Cudi infused "Ghost town" The song is multilayered and includes all forms of Kanye's evolution as a musician, past and present. It opens with a soulful sample of Shirley Ann Lee from her gospel song "Someday". The skeleton of the record is Royal Jester's version of “Take Me for a Little While.” This is arguably one of the top reasons people fell in love with Kanye's music. It also speaks to his gift of choosing the perfect sample to awaken the honesty of the record. Cudi sings "I've been trying to make you love me but everything i try, just takes you further from me." This has been a constant throughout West' career, often being portrayed as a self serving ego maniac. West later sings, "Sometimes i take all the shine/talk like i drank all the wine" owning his propensity for ranting impulsively, he understands these are times where he's simply living in the moment but gladly accepts what comes from it. The song adds another layer bringing in new comer 070 Shake for the song's outro singing, "I let go, of everything i know, and nothing hurts anymore, i feel kind of free, we're still the kids we use to be, i put my hands on the stove to see if i still bleed." This could mean West feels more alive than ever before finally acknowledging his mental health issues.
"Ye" offers 4 additional songs, "Wouldnt Leave" which touches on the strength of his relationship with wife Kim Kardiashian. He praises her for her loyalty during the struggle of accepting his mental health issue.
Is this one of West' best efforts? i don't believe so, but i do believe he achieved a great thing with this ep. This album allowed him to express the raw elements of his condition. You can tell from the way he mumbles through parts of the hook, or the context surrounding the way he processes emotion, Its happening all at once. Things for him are NOT always clear, his mind DOES go to dark places. It IS extremely stressful to friends and family when you still have a story to tell. All these themes are cohesive and he still manage to offer a musical experience. I believe he made this album as both a release for himself, and also for anyone who may be bipolar and are too afraid to own the associated behavior.
West sees himself as a genius and true to the genius archetype he faces major social obstacles. Genius' are aware that sometimes their ideas are simply to complex to express or to be understood. Most genius' are considered as such not by building or creating new things, but by their ability to make complex ideas simple for others to build and create new things. I believe West emanates elements of the genius archetype and is still searching for a catharsis to fully realize that genius.
The thing about Kanye that makes us want to see him win, is the way he forces you to look at yourself. To appreciate his music is to appreciate every part of yourself both good and bad. We're all captured by his ability to use his creative energy, not only as a means to connect people, but as a catalyst for people to create their best moments in real-time.
1 commentaire
You gave him way too much leeway in this. It’s undoubtedly his worst project to date and felt extremely disjointed.