Yeezus Review

Kanye West's "Yeezus":

I don't know where to begin on this album, so I'll start from the beginning. I have always been a Kanye West fan but mainly College Dropout, Late Registration, and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Graduation always seemed a bit to pop and mainstream which is something I could never relate to. 808s and Heartbreaks had a similar reaction for me, and the style wasn't typically my cup of tea. Anyways, back to Yeezus: I love this album. Let's start with my awful roommate as he was the one who told me when it leaked. And the first thing he said was how terrible it was, which led my to hope it was amazing, as he is an idiot. One of the first things he said was there were no "memorable lines", as if hip hop is about one liners and hooks. That just makes me sick to think that's what some people want from hip hop, but it's so much more than that.
This album will hopefully change the way albums are made, shedding it's goal to produce singles and radio hits, but instead getting back to it's roots of social commentary and progress. This album will make you uncomfortable. Let's start with the beats, which are intense, dark, and industrial. With the exception of the last track, all the songs sound like this and will keep you on the edge of your seat. It sounds like a cocaine induced rampage, which Kanye expertly compliments with intense and brooding lyrics. And this leads to one realization, Kanye is pissed. He's been feeding the masses and trying to be what people want him to be for years and he finally has the freedom to express his darkest demons. His words are as unsettling as the breakneck beats. Blood on the Leaves lyrically is simply a song about women he's been with and getting one pregnant, but setting it to a sample of "Strange Fruit" by Nina Simone creates a tension. Hearing about people getting hung and Kanye rapping about his problems creates a hypocrisy that ruins any chance of a lucid song. His primal screams in the highly controversial song "I Am A God" will make your spine shiver, as you can truly feel the pain he is expressing.
Kanye has evolved past simply being a pop icon and rapper, and has truly transformed into a full fledged artist. He is the most polarizing figure of this generation and for good reason. No there no memorable one liners, or cut and dry choruses, and that's exactly what it should be. Music and art are supposed to make a statement and make people think, not just satisfy their wants. 
I implore anyone to listen to this album, not once, not twice, but over and over. It's that good.

Noteworthy songs: Listen to the whole album start to finish, but picking a few favorites would be: Black Skinhead, New Slaves, and Bound 2
Rating: 10/10

Welcome

Welcome to GuessRamble:

You have entered the mind of Hohman Guess and the rambles and thoughts on whatever he thinks about. Typically these posts will be dabbling in music (typically hip hop), movies and television, sports, and whatever else captures my interest. I will review anything I've seen or heard recently that sparks my interest, whether it's something I really enjoy, or so terrible I have to voice my disgust in it.