This non commercial stuff people are saying? Well, to a degree I guess, but Kanye hasn’t been a hit machine in awhile really. It really depends how how you want to view Yeezus rather than how it sounds. For instance, if Kanye had lead with his chin? With the completely addictive “Bound 2”? What if he had released that as the first single with its Gap Band verses and awesome, like completely awesome “huh huh honey” sample. The Kim song? Sounds that way, and like Pusha T, Kweezy has problems with intimacy: “one good girl is worth a thousand bitches”. All romantic, sweet Madonna/whore stuff. Hey what’s that “Jerome-y, Romey-y Rome think”? Have you ever asked your bitch for other bitches”? Ha.
It ain’t “Runaway” built it is a great song and woulda made a great single. It ends Yeezus on a way up note.
Getting there is a blast, a total blast. You’ll read a variation on this comment every where you go, so let’s make it real simple: Industrial strength beats meets snarky lyric. That’s it. If 808s And Heartbreaks was Orchestrated samples plus mourning lyrics, well, that’s what Yeezus is.
It doesn’t work intermittently, it works from one end of the album to the other, 40 minutes of beats and bluster. The first four tracks would survive in a Long Island disco in the 1990s. It bangs you so hard right from the start and after that? The Chief Keef and Justin Vernon track is a place to take a breather before it builds its way to “Blood On The Leaves”. I would go along with the what a ridiculous use of the Nina Simone cover of the Billie Holiday classic, but really, I think we are past being so precious. The song works for me. Then a coupla deep album cuts before the money shot and you are done.
This works in ways Watch The Throne didn’t. Throne was a victory lap, Yeezus is back to ground zero only now he doesn’t really care. The anger percolates over the top but it is a Kweezy type of anger, which means it is consistently sucking in its opposite: Kanye overdoes it, he shakes in insecurity as often as in outrage. There is a plain speak about the words that sometimes doesn’t work for me. Surely, he is a bit beyond the bitches and hos stuff?
Lyrically, it is both funny and pathetic. Definable the weakest element though from time to time lines smack you up. Is it funny? Yeah, the way “Niggas In Paris” was funny.
But the songs, the first four, are brain numbing great and the live show will flip you out, trust me.
I’ll be back at this album again, but for now: Kanye West is our greatest working rock and roll star.
Grade: A