Let's have a Toast to the Douchebags...

Kanye's latest album has been my 'walk to work' anthem, which probably explains why I've blogged about him twice this week. I'm not a fanatic, I promise!
If you didn't read my last Post then, nevermind, you really didn't miss much. I'll summarise so you get the gist:

• I rate his music highly.
• I don't give a f**k that he took the Mic from Taylor Swift. There are much worse things happening in the world!
• I LOVE when he told Bush that he 'doesn't care about black people' (Truth hurts eh Dubya?)
• Kanye is a walking contradiction - rapping one moment about the economical strife that black communities face and the next it's his love for luxury brands 'Lanvin, Hermes, Maybach...'
• In turn, WE are also walking contradictions.
• Kanye has always been egotisical (and I don't care!)

So, not much at all really, I intend to keep this short but I know that it won't be! I'll focus mainly on the tracks on his latest album, 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy', which is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

Now, I really want you to bear with me on this one. I know that Kanye is not one of the most celebrated celebrities on the planet, you probably can't stomach the guy, but please think twice before you react too strongly. Leave your opinions aside. Watch his videos and listen to the music! Everything about this album is sick: beats, orchestras, lyrics, flow, guest appearances...

His promotion of 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' was lavish and over the top; check out the extended promotional video, 'Runaway', on his website. It was hyped out to the max, his star power ensuring that it was a big deal.

Kanye is definitely trying to be artsy and metaphorical; it's up to you to decide whether it's genuine or contrived. I like it, the cinematography is striking and the music is great (I'll get to that soon, I promise!)

Kanye has entered a new field, not only by taking on an acting and directing role, but by presenting his album in this format. This 35 minute short film is a landmark in music promotion; 'Runaway' is an 'album video'! Seeing the film first made the album feel familiar, I found that images from the film kept popping into my head. Give it a go. If you don't like it then you've only wasted half an hour and you can have a laugh at what a 'douchebag' Kanye is!

Gorgeous

Is hip hop, just a euphemism for a new religion?
The soul music for the slaves that the youth is missing?

In Gorgeous, and many other tracks on the album, Kanye re-visits the themes from his freshman album reminding us that, although he has earned money, power and fame, his roots are still firm (in a twisted contradiction of course!) He plays with the idea of a black man's search for the material not only to show off, but also to 'fit-in' in a white mans world.

As long as I’m in Polos they think they got me
But they would try to crack me if they ever see a black me

It's cool that he got Raekwon in on the act too. In fact there are some excellent guest appearances on the album, with Kanye's super producer status ensuring that they have space to shine.

All of the Lights

This song is definitely going to be one of the biggest commercial successes on the album; it sounds like a hit. Rihanna's verse is carrying it onto many radio playlists with Fergie and Kid Cudi also making appearances.

Monster

Rick Ross. Kanye West. Jay Z. Nicki Minaj. Bon Iver.

Some of the biggest rappers in the game, make this a great record. I have to admit that while I usually think she is over-rated, Nicki Minaj totally kills this song. Her ability to rap 'in role' and her penchant for the weird and wacky mean that she's the shining star here. Minaj is at her best when she's rapping with the big boys, she seems to step up to and walk over the line that they draw for her. Her flow, delivery and lyrics are original and exciting on this track.

Pull up in the monster
Automobile gangster
With a bad b-tch that came from Sri Lanka
Yeah I’m in that Tonka, colour of Willy Wonka
You could be the King but watch the Queen conquer
Ok first things first I’ll eat your brains
Then I’mma start rocking gold teeth and fangs
Casue that’s what a muthaf-cking monster do
Hairdresser from milan, thats what monster do

Blame Game

Kanye alludes to the correlation between the beautiful and the despicable in many nooks and crannies all over the album. It is deinitely seen in the chorus of 'Blame Game'; John Legend's sweet, soulful voice announcing 'You call me Motherf**ker for long'! 

Runaway

In this track, Kanye shows us that he's just as able to criticise himself as he is to self-praise. It is arguable about whether this is 100% genuine, but I believe him when he warns us to 'Runaway' from his 'jerk-off' self. His internal angst in the lyric provides a sharp contrast to the relatively smooth and simple music and the ballet troupe for the video, whose moves really impressed me.

I'm not posting links to the songs - you are all grown up enough to find them for yourselves. 

'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' is a brilliant album that exceeds almost every other mainstream hiphop album of 2010; most definitely the releases that I'm familiar with anyway. It is such a breath of fresh air to me, Kanye West's return reveals that hiphop isn't dead - it's alive and kicking, we just have to have an understand evolution.

Kanye makes me believe that all is not lost. Hiphop lives on in this audio-visual delight of an album that sounds classic and modern all at once. It gets a good bounce in my stride as I walk to work and the songs stay in my head all day. I've probably listened to the named tracks over 20 times and they still sound fresh. It is an album that prevails, taking a while to unveil itself in its entirety. This makes it all the more worthwhile...