The Best album 2013 of Kanye West, Yeezus 아티스트가 되어버린 래퍼, 카니예 웨스트

Text by John Glynn

Yeezus kicks off like a scene from a hazy, somewhat ominous, downtown night club, as if Mr. West is trying to figure out what navigational direction is most appropriate. French dance gurus Daft Punk provide the beat, a beat that comes thick and fast. Layered with unyielding based synths,  Kanye spits. “The monster’s about to come alive again.” And this is the very reason that Yeezus is the best album of 2013, the monster is well and truly alive, Kanye is ravenous and unrepentant.

Kanye’s fifth album, 2010’s expansive and blissful My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, was simply a revelation, and Yeezus, its follow-up, sets a similar tone. Ya, sure, you could probably talk to Kanye and come away with a disgusted impression (most people seemingly do), however, one thing cannot be disputed, the man is a musical genius.

Hate or love him, he is the messiah of rap, continuously producing records that ooze brilliance. And, in addition, more than anything else he’s produced; Yeezus gives the listener a full insight in to Kanye’s delicate superstar facade in all its vaguely repugnant magnificence. ‘I Am A God’ is the anthem that has defined 2013, a year that has seen West excel, with the 36-year old opting to piss-take and proclaim a 21st century element of legitimacy. “Hurry up with my damn croissants”, West insists. Is he teasing? Is he serious? no one really knows. Who really cares? The melodies are simply joyous, and the lyrical dexterity is something that simply blows your mind.

The opening track, “On Sight”, helmed by the aforementioned Daft Punk, sees Yeezy renovating one of the most primitive acid house beats: Phuture’s ‘Acid Tracks’. My personal favourite track, ‘Black Skinhead’, exudes all the angst of a Marilyn Manson or Cypress Hilln combo.

West is well aware that he has fashioned one of the best records of the year, if not the decade. But then that’s Jigga’s right hand man for you: one gets the sense that West knows he’s just too damn good, and that he’d rather keep dangling the prospect of further greatness in front of us all… like an alluring pendulum.

In all honesty, as brilliant as this album is, deep down most people know Kanye could have produced something even more provocative. Boring is not a word that you associate with Yeezy, and we all know that Kanye has at least one more masterpiece up his Versace labelled sleeve. Maintaining the plot of an unhinged, dramatically inspired performance: this is Mr. West’s finest album to date.

Contributor, John Glynn

As a contributor of CultureM Magazine, he is writing about global culture, for example, movie, music so on. And he has a PhD in Psychology.

영국 출신의 컬쳐엠매거진 컨트리뷰터 존 그린은 영화, 음악 등 문화 관련 컨텐츠에서 날카로운 분석을 통한 심도 깊은 이야기를 전해주고 있다.