I understand that Kanye West is a polarizing guy but understand this is my opinion, and bear with me because I have some good points about his work that may change your mind.
First I will summarize the media portrayal of him that you may or may not buy into- he is depicted as an out of touch manic egomaniac madman who isn't self aware and just rambles aimlessly about nothing at all.
I contend that not only is this untrue, but that he is a quite intelligent, introspective, and relatable man. The easiest way to see this is to just listen to his entire discography and the lyrics with an open mind and with attention to the context.
His first three albums were kind of an upward spiral, it was very fresh. The styles were new and innovative. There was a lot of genuine and feelgood material and some cutting social commentary, particularly in the first 2. Graduation represented a peak for him in fame and happiness and is reflected in the sonic and lyrical aspects of the album.
Then his mom died and he became very depressed. He kind of lost it and made very bad mistakes. These next 3 albums were an exploration of his darker side because he was channeling all his negative emotions into these albums in the wake of her death. 808s was an exploration of depression and emptiness, and he used autotune to emphasize the isolation and depersonalization he was feeling at the time (see "Streetlights", "Pinnochios Story", "Welcome To Heartbreak").
MBDTF was in a way an apology over the T Swift incident but it was also an exploration of his ego, insecurities, fears, fantasies, and flaws. It's a comprehensive review of his mental health and this theme of inner struggles would be a constant from this point on. This album in particular was sonically vivid in portraying these themes, hence the critical acclaim.
The next album Yeezus seems like a boast at face value but pay attention to its progression and it actually is about the shallow emptiness of narcissism and the injuries that cause it. The first half depicts a manic egomaniac, but the second half shows his vulnerabilities and how he copes. It ends with him making progress against his narcisssistic ways in the form of finding love.
TLAP, as implied on the cover art, is about the push-pull between his marriage/family life and his celebrity hedonism, and at the end the former wins.
Ye and Kids See Ghosts are companion pieces. Both are all about mental health, depression, mania, self hate, and self acceptance. KSG in particular is a great album.
Finally, Jesus Is King shows him taking the self glorification of the past and re-channeling it into a greater being- God.
In a way his work is a giant character arc of a man who "touched the sky", fell, and had to rediscover who he was and ultimately discover God. And I can't help but feel it's partially intentional when I hear him talk in interviews.
And so I reiterate my thesis that Kanye West is a genius.
04 May 2020, 11:15 pm
