Kanye Pieces Together Masterpiece

by Brian Prato

Staff Writer

Although hip hop was near abandoned by Kanye in 2008 with the auto-tune engulfed “808s & Heartbreak”, Yeezy has come crawling back into the game with the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which is already shaping up to be a classic.

Kanye West is back with his 5th studio album in his on-and-off career, and this one sounds like it’s going to be one to remember. There are thirteen tracks on the album, which feature many other well known artists, including Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Raekwon, Rick Ross, upcoming female rap sensation, Nicki Minaj, Pusha T, and others.

There have been three singles released from the album, giving a solid level of anticipation from his fans.”Power”, released back in July, was a hit. The beat, the lyrics, and the chorus all sound like the old Kanye we know from the pre-808s & Heartbreak era. That swagger he brought to the table every time he picked up the mic back in the day was re-introduced here. Fans got excited and critics started saying “Kanye’s Back”.

After being performed at the MTV VMA’s, the second single was released a few weeks later. “Runaway” featuring Pusha T, which, in the public eye, was another hot track on Kanye’s resumé, had many believing this album could be some of his best work.

The third and final single released off the album was the one everybody was looking for. A 6 1/2-minute banger with many featured artists. This is exactly what West and his fans needed. “Monster” featuring Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, and Bon Iver was an instant hit to the public. It ended up reaching #18 on the US Billboard’s Top 100.

Now lets get to the actual album.

The opening track, “Dark Fantasy”, sets the tone for the album with a soft chorus. But most importantly, Kanye goes hard on the mic, letting everyone know he’s back to the way things used to be in his Graduation days when every song was a hit.

Tracks two and three are sure hits in “Gorgeous” with Kid Cudi and Raekwon, and the previously released single, “Power”. These tracks keep the consistency with the opening track, but have a different feel with Kanye and Raekwon rapping in a distorted voice, as Cudi tears up the chorus- a nice touch to the song as a whole. Power, as it has been since its release back in July, kept up with the popularity and is still one of the most liked songs by consumers.

Track four and five are titled “All of the Lights (Interlude)” and “All of the Lights” with the interlude as a soft, yet haunting instrumental , trailing off into the actual song. “Monster”, the third single, is track six on the album and is also one of the most popular among fans.

“So Appalled” featuring Jay-Z, Pusha T, and Swizz Beatz is one of the most well put together songs on the album. Without a repeating chorus, it proves to be one of the most impressive songs off of the album. The hypnotizing beat and flow of these four talented artists forces the listener to hear all six and a half minutes of the song.

Although some may say the next track is “weak”, it still keeps a good pace with its surroundings. “Devil in a New Dress” featuring Rick Ross is just under six minutes. Kanye spends “Devil in a New Dress” talking about how women spend too much time on their looks and material items. Ross dishes out his fair share of rhymes in addition.

The next track, “Runaway”, which was the second single released, is still a hit and is also one of the top songs on the album popularity wise. It is nine minutes in length.

“Hell of a Life” and “Blame Game” are tracks ten and eleven on the thirteen song album and are both quite likable by many. Throughout “Hell of a Life”, Kanye states he doesn’t need drugs and alcohol to satisfy him, all he needs is the plenty of money (that he already has in the bank), his religion, and the women who love him the way he is.

In “Blame Game”, Kanye and John Legend put together a 7 1/2 minute piece that speaks of fights in relationships. Smack dab in the middle of it has an actual fight between a man and a woman, still keeping up with the consistent beat. It shows some of Kanye’s softer side, similar to the one he revealed back in 2008.

“Lost in the World” and “Who Will Survive in America” are the final two tracks on the album, and they sum the album up quite nicely. “Lost in the World” starts slow, but about a minute in, the beat is introduced and Kanye, as usual, kills it to the end.

The final track will be categorized as rap, when it is really a lesson taught. It is a voice telling of how America has turned into a greedy, money dictated country where everybody is either categorized as poor or rich. “America is now blood and tears instead of milk and honey.”

Overall, this album is a masterpiece. Listening to the album from top to bottom, you cannot pick out one song that is “just a filler.” Every song is its own work of art and there is not much criticism that can be made.

Out of all five studio albums created by Mr. West, this proves to be one of,if not, the best he has put together. Some say this is one of the best hip hop albums ever released. The best part about it? Nine songs are a length of five minutes or more. Now that’s what I call dedication.

‘Ye is back.