From the deeply personal subject matter covered on Late Registration, to the emphasis on singing on 808’s & Heartbreak, I’ve always admired Kanye West for constantly pushing the boundaries of what hip-hop music can be. Kanye’s latest opus is his most daring yet. Featuring a heavy emphasis on grungy synthesizers and unusual vocal arrangements, this is an abrasive audio assault that the genre hasn’t seen since Public Enemy was in style. But is it good?
Despite appreciating its efforts to be different, I hated it on my first listen. I was caught off guard by how much of a departure this was from his previous efforts. Also, the general lack of melody (or at least conventional melody) rubbed me the wrong way. At first listen, I couldn’t even put together what the desired emotional response was to most of this music. Yet, I couldn’t stop listening to it. Something gave me the sense that I wasn’t getting it, and I wasn’t going to stop until I did. After a number of listens, it started to grow on me, but I still find it hard to vibe with.
I’m curious to see what the legacy of this album will be 10 years from now. Was Yeezus ahead of its time or a giant misstep? For now, the album still has me scratching my head as I try to make sense of it.
In Third Person 