As Kanye West overkill week leading to the new album release My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy on November 22nd is upon us, it might be a good time to return to the 2010 releases. I’ve heard all of them except, I think, there is one I missed around the 3rd week. And there is that song you can only stream.
The rest of them, whether as part of the TGIF freebies or Itunes singles? I’ve heard the lot.
Monster -Started off as a TGIF and ended up as the lead single single off Dark Twisted. The second best song of the lot. Jay-Z’s verse is astounding, the way he flows, “Everybody wanna know what my Achilles heel is? LOVE” is worth just about everything on BP3. Rick Ross has the best bass since Biggie. And while the funniest line belongs to Kanye, “Have you ever had sex with a Pharaoh? I put the pussy in a sarcophagus”, the best rap is Nicki Minaj. Her finest work since “Lil Freak”.
Chain Heavy – The sample is so dowdy and dull, you gotta wonder how they pay it off. The answer? They can’t. The whistling twilight zoney sample is a major interest and when your verse goes “life is short” you aint in Monsterland.
Runaway – This is to Dark Fantasy what “Speak Now” is to the new Swift. A flat out, no nonsense, masterpiece. Gorgeous song, smart idea, the rap is smooth and slick, the chorus a masterpiece, the piano loop is so good and Kanye hits it so well. He kinda sings the rap by the way. The melody is so hard he can’t help but sing.
Power – A smash of a song, the opening salvo in the Autumn of Kanye. The money is on the remix with Jigga, but this works so well. It is hard rock as rap song.
Looking For Trouble – Except for “Runaway” and “The Joy” the weakest part of these TGIF songs have been the samples. This one sounds like a hard rock band fronted by an 808 -and the weakest point is the silly raps.
The Joy – Third best of the TGIFs, has the top sample as taught on Life After Death. Take it and ride it and if you’re gonna pay for it get your moneys worth. Kanye gets value for money on this strange, disturbing tale of sperm spilled. The only one that would fit comfortably on 808s and heartbreak.
Take One for the Team – And here he rides a really good beat all the way to the end. Pusha T’s shining moment.
Christian Dior Denim – The arty cut. I guess that’s Kid Cudi getting fancy.
Good Friday – Finally some real fun. The scream is right outta “Hey Mama” and the sample sounds like a Motown vocal band. A great song. # 4.
Don’t Look Down – This is relatively weak stuff. Big names like Lupe Fiasco and Mos def, and a martial beat in the background. But not the best of the lot.
So that’s all I have and look at it this way: Runaway, Power, The Joy, Monster and Good Friday alone is enough to make Dark Twisted the best hip hop album of the year.