Is all forgiven with Ye?
So unless you live under a rock, I'm pretty sure you know that Kanye West released his highly anticipated album the world has been waiting for "Ye." The news came unexpectedly in an announcement that directed West's dedicated fans to WAV, which is a live streaming service that West debuted the album through. Celebs and influencers were flown in to witness the magic in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. As a huge West fan, this would have been news that would have been equivalent to the highness one feels when finally receiving something they've waited patiently for. But did "Ye" live up to the greatness? Was "Ye" vision enough to remove the controversial commentary surrounding his political views? In case you need a short list of West's recent statements let me give you a brief recap. In recent weeks, West has gone on to say that "Slavery was a choice," during a live TMZ appearance which sparked national criticism. If that wasn't enough, West went on to purchase the $85,000 photo of Whitney Houston's bathroom, the same photo that she fought so hard to get rid of her entire career. But, it's what he did with the photo that raised a few eyebrows. The photo was used on the newly released album "Daytona" by Pusha T whom is signed to West's label G.O.O.D Music. However, West is known to be a free-thinker and doesn't bow to the likes of the human race for acceptance which is debatable to many. However, let's talk album! Reviewing this album was extremely difficult because as a true Kanye West fan, I found myself torn between his political views and artistic expression. As an artist myself, I know how hard it can be to sometimes break free of the cage your mind lives in, so you create to free yourself. This explains the album cover art which kind of gives you a little direction as to the wave that Kanye West is on now. The cover reads, " I hate being Bi-Polar its awesome." The cover artwork immediately tells you that to some magnitude West is preparing to tackle his own conceptualizations in some form of artistic composition.
West doesn't waste any time diving straight into the wave he has been formulating during his absence from the throne. The album begins with West's "I Thought About Killing You" in which he delivers a powerful monologue about the idea of killing himself, which he innovatively reverses the visionary standpoint to present the art as "thought about killing you." From the introduction of the album, you feel the evolution of West, through his production. West's composition and the musical arrangement is still unmatched, which is highly expected as his genius production is one thing we can never take from him. However, lyrically it's not insightful to the magnitude of Late Registration or even College Dropout. I would be surprised if you learned anything innovative at all (lyrically). It is a huge step up from The Life of Pablo however. You can expect collaborations from Ty Dolla $ign, Kid Cudi, Jeremih, Young Thug, 070 Shake, Charlie Wilson, Dej Loaf, and a voicemail from Nicki Minaj. But the central question remains, is this album enough to bury the public scrutiny that West has placed himself in the middle of. Or does it even matter anymore? This album is the first step to West finding the old Kanye again. He's searching for himself and he's evolving. That's respectable, but some of the statements made by West are too much for a large part of his fanbase to forgive so quickly. Don't believe me, type Kanye's name into your Twitter search box. Overall, I give the album 4/5 stars. If you've missed the old Kanye, you'll like this journey which feels like a story of College Dropout, dipped in Dark Twisted Fantasy, with the creativity of 808's. I stand far away from West's political views admittedly not agreeing with his many stances. Can you separate the art from the artist? Is that even possible when referring to the likes of Kanye West? Only time will tell. What do you think of "Ye"?
Kanye West's Ye Album Tracklist
1. "I Thought About Killing You"
2. "Yikes"
3. "All Mine"
4. "Wouldn't Leave"
5. "No Mistakes"
6. "Ghost Town"
7. "Violent Crimes" Leave a comment below.