Kanye West discussion

[UnforgettableLemon]

Does anyone else find "I keep it 300, like the Romans" especially funny?

Funny because the 300 Spartans were... Greek and not Roman? It drives me up a wall, and keeps me from loving the song as much as it deserves.

 

[iron yuppie]

However, like previous albums, I'm still having problems reconciling with the misogynistic lyrics. I know we've had this discussion before, but how do others feel about that?

Also, compared to other artists out there, do you feel that Kanye gets a pass, so to speak, from critics and the public regarding his lyrics?

He most certainly does, largely because he is always interpreted as "honest" rather than hateful. That's really the major issue I had with Dark Twisted Fantasy: he seemed to want to play it both ways in terms of being simultaneously applauded and pitied for his assholism, especially in terms of his relationships with women. But that's obviously just my take. I know others feel differently.

 

[PhilsFan]

I also think Kanye's signature has always been his creativity at production and not his lyrics, which people generally could take or leave. Of all the big hip-hop names, I'm not sure any of them relies less on his lyrics than Kanye.

 

[the tourist]

Funny because the 300 Spartans were... Greek and not Roman? It drives me up a wall, and keeps me from loving the song as much as it deserves.

Exactly. I like to think he does it with the full knowledge that it's incorrect for irony's sake. But really, who knows...?

 

[LemonMelon]

Exactly. I like to think he does it with the full knowledge that it's incorrect for irony's sake. But really, who knows...?

What if Kanye West is Retarded? | Cracked.com

 

[bollox]

It's certainly possible Kanye is confusing Romans with Spartans, but I've heard 'keep it 300' refers to the Roman numeral for 300, or CCC (meaning Cool, Calm, and Collected)

Anyway, he needed to rhyme something with '300 Bitches, 300 Trojans'

 

[LemonMelon]

This is a great read, from an unlikely source:

Lou Reed > Kanye West - The Talkhouse

 

[iron yuppie]

This is a great read, from an unlikely source:

Lou Reed > Kanye West - The Talkhouse

That is a great read. The perspective from another musician is especially fascinating, and Reed has a direct response to the accusation I made of Kanye earlier: that he wants to be simultaneously applauded and pitied for being an asshole. Reed says that kind of schizophrenic attitude is a mark of manic depression. I hadn't thought of it that way.

 

[mobvok]

KANYE WEST ‏@kanyewest 1h

I saw a pre-screening of Pacific Rim yesterday and it's easily one of my favorite movies of all time.

the man is back, and way into robots.

 

[No spoken words]

A lot of people on this site think that you ARE a robot, "Mobvok". A whole lot.

 

[bono_212]

Are you sure it's Mobvok they were talking about?

 

[mobvok]

"Mobvok": user not found. May I suggest "mobvok"?

 

[cobl04]

I miss his Twitter rants. It's a shame he deleted all his old tweets. It was a rare insight into the mind of a madman.

 

[LemonMelon]

Yes yes YES. THIS.

Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” Mashed Up With Tame Impala’s “Elephant” | Pigeons & Planes

 

[cobl04]

Yes yes YES. THIS.

Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” Mashed Up With Tame Impala’s “Elephant” | Pigeons & Planes

Better than Black Skinhead on its own #unpopularopinionsthread

That song has an awful official vid now btw

http://kanyewest.umg-wp-stage.com/

 

[LemonMelon]

Black Skinhead is always

Video got taken down. People on the Kanye board are saying that it's tour visuals because "stage" is written in the url and the video is split three ways, suggesting that parts of it will be on separate screens. Not to mention the haste in removing it. It's a terrible video no matter what, but it makes more sense as background visuals. I certainly hope they're right.

 

[bollox]

the man is back, and way into robots.

Maybe he'll incorporate this into that Jetsons movie he's working on.

 

[LemonMelon]

Video got taken down. People on the Kanye board are saying that it's tour visuals because "stage" is written in the url and the video is split three ways, suggesting that parts of it will be on separate screens. Not to mention the haste in removing it. It's a terrible video no matter what, but it makes more sense as background visuals. I certainly hope they're right.

Update: Kanye tweeted that someone leaked the video well before it was done and "fuk you."

Which doesn't make me feel any better, it's still going to be terrible if this is the concept they're going with.

 

[therealsm]

Does anyone else find "I keep it 300, like the Romans" especially funny?

Yeah i like it.

 

[iron yuppie]

I love this alternate cover:

 

[cobl04]

Alright I just heard Black Skinhead at a pub. Had a few beers. Got a little bit pumped up.

 

[LemonMelon]

I've heard the album 7 times I think, but I still haven't listened to Yeezus drunk yet. That's got to make I Am A God and Send It Up way, way better, and I already like them.

 

[iron yuppie]

Hurry up with my damn croissants.

 

[iron yuppie]

So I finally gave Yeezus a listen earlier today, and I really was impressed. I would say with confidence it is the best thing he has done. It's fierce, it's taut, it's unforgiving, and it feels genuine. My main gripe with Kanye has always been that his narcissism complex feels contrived, but on this one he sounds more fragile and almost self-deprecating than on past efforts - especially Dark Twisted Fantasy. It's not like the lyrics are any more insightful or relatable than before, but rather that the intensity of the sounds around his voice seem a better reflection of the fractured emotional state he is trying to evoke. This is especially true of I Am a God: I get the feeling that the song is not so much a boast as an accusation that people are expecting him to act as such. Quite appropriately the beat and instrumentation on the track sound like the bottom is about to fall out. Black Skinhead and Bound 2 were my other favorites.

 

[cobl04]

I think you're not giving MBDTF enough credit. There's plenty of fragility and self-deprecation on it: Devil in a New Dress, Blame Game, Runaway.

 

[LemonMelon]

The role reversal in this last page is proof that no two Kanye West albums are alike.

 

[iron yuppie]

I think you're not giving MBDTF enough credit. There's plenty of fragility and self-deprecation on it: Devil in a New Dress, Blame Game, Runaway.

It's probably just a matter of taste. If I am remembering correctly, Runaway has that five-minute coda that gives it a self-pitying feeling, which struck as the mood throughout much of that album. Yeezus, on the other hand, seems downright angry, which is a mood that Kanye wears well.

I'll put this way: on Twisted Fantasy, he seemed to be saying, "you don't take me seriously because I've been an asshole in the past." On Yeezus, that tune has changed to "you don't take me seriously because I am a black man with a ton of money and influence." The sense of frustration and pain is a lot more palpable in the second sense, for me anyway.

 

[cobl04]

 

[LemonMelon]

It was already absurd, but I laughed until tears began to flow when I saw how lazy the name was.

How much do I not give a fuck?

 

[bono_212]

Dear God...