Kanye West & Yeezus: An Album Review

Posted by on Friday, June 21, 2013



I've listened to Yeezus twice and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I honestly have no idea how I feel. Is it good? Is it bad? Do I want to like it because Pitchfork (or as Max Bemis calls it, Satan) likes it? Do I want to like it because Kanye West is one of the most polarizing egotistical scum bags that has ever walked the earth? Do I want to hate it for the same reason? I'm really not sure. I'm not even sure I'm going to listen to it again. I'm not even sure I'm telling the truth when I write that. Am I mad about this album? Damn straight I'm mad, but am I mad because I like it so much or because I don't want to like it?

There are some shining moments of honesty on Yeezus, moments where Kanye raps about the exploitation of his race("New Slaves) and his own shortcomings (haha, that was a joke. Kanye doesn't have faults). There are also flashes of humor so funny that you want to play the lines over and over (croissants, croissants, croissant), but in contrast there are moments so dark and vulgar that make you want to crawl under the largest mountain and hide in shame for having heard something so twisted (i.e."On Sight" and "New Slaves"*)

"Blood On The Leaves" has the best sample on the album. I even like the auto tune, but there is something very wrong sampling a song about lynching in the South while trashing your lying, cheating girlfriend. It's basically "Gold Digger" part II(I love "Gold Digger", by the way). When I first heard the sample I thought to myself, "he's really going somewhere with this", but I think he really does "Strange Fruit" a huge injustice. Try sampling Ray Charles again, Yeezy.

The best song on Yeezus is "Bound 2", a College Dropout throwback that samples Brenda Lee of all people (singer of the 60s classic "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree"), but it works. It's a great song. I would have loved the album if it sounded more like this. Most of the samples and music on the album are great. It's just Kanye's lyrics that I can't stand.

I don't understand the fascination with Kanye. Why do we worship and praise such a bad person? I'm not saying I'm perfect, but I really believe Kanye thinks he is perfect. There's something wrong with that. I'm more excited for big brother Jay-Z's album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. 

Rating: 7.1/10

*"New Slaves" could be the best song on the record, but some of the lyrics in the middle destroy it for me. 

One Comment

  1. I wanted to hate it.. but I couldn't. I think he's the worst, but there is nothing better than listening to this album with my windows down sipping on a cherry limeade from Sonic.

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