Kanye West - Yeezus

[Frank Poole]

I just don't get it

[LimpyLoo]

Kanye is a melon, but this album is brilliant, there is no denying it.

 

*denies it*

[Ivan Ooze]

[Hugh Mughnus]

its cold in the ooze d

[Candiru]

It's cool to like/hate this album.

 

I think it's pretty good. Like expert trolling combined with some real sincerity.

[jules]

there is no fucking way in the world that the best album of the year would have a no talent track like that heap with Kim kardashion in the video. that's the worst song I've ever heard.

Edited December 17, 2013 by jules

[Hugh Mughnus]

America!

[joshuatxuk]

there is no fucking way in the world that the best album of the year would have a no talent track like that heap with Kim kardashion in the video. that's the worst song I've ever heard.

 

I liked Yeezus and I'm not convinced that anyone can enjoy "Bound 2" as anything less than pure snark. It still sounds like a pisstake to me...and it's Pitchfork's 40th best song of the year.

 

It's all a sham. I'm not saying that as pissy IDM cynic but as someone who is increasingly aware that all but very, very few music journalism outlets are bankrolled by investment groups, entertainment conglomerates, advertising agencies. I don't mean "they make money of ads" but they are literally entities sitting in porfolios of multi-millionaires. That's why some indie and underground suddenly play corporate gigs upon discovery. That's why pfork and stereogum shifted from curiousity reviews of mainstream artists to literally promoting major label releases. Pitchfork specifically has been brilliant at being part A&R, part Distributor, part PR on behalf of many artists while still maintaining a "media criticism" focus on the surface.

 

Others have pointed it out (especially over Red Bull Academy) and I tolerate and accept some of it, but I'm finally burned out this year. Kanye sits on top of all of this, and I find it fascinating that he's self-aware of it to an extent (at least more self-aware than say Jay-Z, who is completely oblivious to his perpetual hypocrisy and half-baked business + music ventures). That's why he resorts to trolling and playing dumb so often. Surely he's realized say, that endorsing corporate sponsors might not gel morally with "New Slaves" but he won't try to excuse either, just distract the public from such a conclusion. Just a theory though.

[Audioblysk]

To be honest, I don't find the album to be that bad, his rapping is definitely the worst part.

 

I feel that this guy is all talk and no game. He can make some really cool sampled beats as shown in his albums and others that he produced. But he stopped being able to rap years ago. Now he sounds like a pissed off and poor imitation of Saul Williams trying to troll or inform people of things that are fucked up in this world that we all know about, and have known about for decades. I love hearing a multi-millionare call themselves a slave, god, and genius, all in one album...

 

You want to not be a slave? - start your own record label, start your own clothing line, decline offers from corporations and do your own fucking thing. The amount of pussiness I hear when he starts whining about how he's an amazing artist and that he needs a fucking Medici-type family to back his art before he is 'marginalized' and 'out of his moment' makes me think of the game of thrones line - "Any man who must say 'I am the King' is no true king" - Real art speaks for itself and a real artist knows that. If financial/popular success dictated 'real' creativity, this world would be devoid of most creativity IMO. Kanye or Yeezus needs to pick up his big-boy pants and take his popularity with his heaps of money and put it where his mouth is if he really wants to be the next big thing. I don't think he has the balls, thus the simulacrum of Yeezus.

[KovalainenFanBoy]

Lyrically the the album is well shit, the political tracks are ok (and nothing more than ok) in that aspect but the rest sucks. And the beats are hit or miss, with a few really boring tracks like Send It Up or Hold My Liquor that I always skip. It's not that big of a deal

[goDel]

You want to not be a slave? - start your own record label, start your own clothing line, decline offers from corporations and do your own fucking thing. The amount of pussiness I hear when he starts whining about how he's an amazing artist and that he needs a fucking Medici-type family to back his art before he is 'marginalized' and 'out of his moment' makes me think of the game of thrones line - "Any man who must say 'I am the King' is no true king" - Real art speaks for itself and a real artist knows that. If financial/popular success dictated 'real' creativity, this world would be devoid of most creativity IMO. Kanye or Yeezus needs to pick up his big-boy pants and take his popularity with his heaps of money and put it where his mouth is if he really wants to be the next big thing. I don't think he has the balls, thus the simulacrum of Yeezus.

Good post.

 

Seeing the way he explodes in interviews (Sway!) I wonder whether he deep down sees his limits (being a good producer, but better off in the margins -producing- and not in the forefront-rapping), but is still in some sort of epic denial. I mean, if he really didnt know his limits, there wouldn't be an emotional need to explode, right? I'd assume he sees/knows/understands deep down, but still hasn't accepted it emotionally.

 

Well, it takes big amounts of narcissism to be some big artist, I guess. He's like a living soap opera.

[jules]

 

 

ill bet anyone here, this trash is pitchfork's album of the year.

this (unless they make a calculated move to put something unexpected @ #1 to maintain "indie cred")

vampire weekend

[joshuatxuk]

 

 

ill bet anyone here, this trash is pitchfork's album of the year.

this (unless they make a calculated move to put something unexpected @ #1 to maintain "indie cred")

vampire weekend

 

 

Yeah I read that this morning. Their 3rd best album is 2013's album of the year? lolwut

[Guest zaphod]

ugh

 

 

 

The lines that used to separate different kinds of music are starting to look more and more old-fashioned, and the rigid identities by which people used to make musical taste a game of us-vs.-them are crumbling like old buildings. We are moving in the direction of a place where everybody is allowed to love everything.

 

is that why this is the exact same fucking list i've seen in every other taste making piece of shit online and in print?

[zero]

[joshuatxuk]

ugh

 

 

 

The lines that used to separate different kinds of music are starting to look more and more old-fashioned, and the rigid identities by which people used to make musical taste a game of us-vs.-them are crumbling like old buildings. We are moving in the direction of a place where everybody is allowed to love everything.

 

is that why this is the exact same fucking list i've seen in every other taste making piece of shit online and in print?

 

After reading today I lol'ed and listened a cassette tape podcast I've grown attached to. I'm moving on. I followed that site daily for 8 years until a few months ago. Never, not even 2011 or 2012 were remotely that predictable, spammy, and forced. It's a corporate behemoth. The industry is in a fucked state and they're the posterchild. So adios!

 

Beyond Pfork, they're all owned and funded by the same fucking capital investment firms, so yes. With very few exceptions all the tastemaker outlets are this way, they don't stay afloat by ads, they actually are run by those agencies. It's screwing over everyone - fans, writers, and all but a handful of major artists and their publicists. Pitchfork is easily the biggest offender because they are so deceitful about it and essentially set the "rules." I follow a few of their metal writers (much of their staff is freeland btw) on twitter and they all had this kinda defeated tone creep in many of their comments about it. I think a lot of writers are having to hold their tongues and/or vent via other channels.

[joshuatxuk]

 

You want to not be a slave? - start your own record label, start your own clothing line, decline offers from corporations and do your own fucking thing. The amount of pussiness I hear when he starts whining about how he's an amazing artist and that he needs a fucking Medici-type family to back his art before he is 'marginalized' and 'out of his moment' makes me think of the game of thrones line - "Any man who must say 'I am the King' is no true king" - Real art speaks for itself and a real artist knows that. If financial/popular success dictated 'real' creativity, this world would be devoid of most creativity IMO. Kanye or Yeezus needs to pick up his big-boy pants and take his popularity with his heaps of money and put it where his mouth is if he really wants to be the next big thing. I don't think he has the balls, thus the simulacrum of Yeezus.

Good post.

 

Seeing the way he explodes in interviews (Sway!) I wonder whether he deep down sees his limits (being a good producer, but better off in the margins -producing- and not in the forefront-rapping), but is still in some sort of epic denial. I mean, if he really didnt know his limits, there wouldn't be an emotional need to explode, right? I'd assume he sees/knows/understands deep down, but still hasn't accepted it emotionally.

 

Well, it takes big amounts of narcissism to be some big artist, I guess. He's like a living soap opera.

 

 

He's doomed regardless of what he does. I think he's said "fuck it" and that's what fuels the arrogance, trolling, nonsensical artistic efforts, everything. I can't blame him. I mean, if one is trying to be the most important artist in 2013 or whatever you have to meet some insane standards. Yeezus was very calculated - it wasn't bloated with filler - just ten tracks, it had anti-elaborate artwork, and to his credit he sought out producers who were hardly safe: arca, hudmo, evian christ, gesaffelstein. So basically his art is honed but his persona is oddly authentic, which is why I think it's so fucking off-putting in many ways. It's an arguable record but it's not derivative and smarmy like so many other highly ranked 2013 albums: arcade fire, vampire weekend, chvrches, etc.

 

@ Audioblysk I think you're right to a large degree and I wonder about this too, but my main point of disagreement is that I can't put this all on Kanye. For example, Jay-Z is a far more egregious out of touch bullshit musician when it comes to his ethos. That whole Samsung endorsement that he tried to turn into some sorta anti-establishment quasi-DIY nonsense (#newrules lol) was an absolute joke. Kanye declared Bush doesn't care about black people. Jay-Z made lame t-shirts for profit during the Occupy movement. Both are incredibly ignorant but the former was at least naive and sincere.

 

And the press is the core of the issue. So many far less talented, far more lyrically questionable artists are acclaimed as much as Kanye yet never get the same faux controversy attached. SPIN will run articles about Danny Brown all day but then have op-eds questioning Lorde and Macklemore as "entitled and white" because they criticize hip-hop's obsession with material wealth while being hip-hop fans. Meanwhile, Pitchfork fucking had R. Kelly as their main festival act. Now, I'm not trying to rip on anyone here, I'm just saying Kanye is an easy target for a very lazy and skewed media to jump on.

[Audioblysk]

 

 

You want to not be a slave? - start your own record label, start your own clothing line, decline offers from corporations and do your own fucking thing. The amount of pussiness I hear when he starts whining about how he's an amazing artist and that he needs a fucking Medici-type family to back his art before he is 'marginalized' and 'out of his moment' makes me think of the game of thrones line - "Any man who must say 'I am the King' is no true king" - Real art speaks for itself and a real artist knows that. If financial/popular success dictated 'real' creativity, this world would be devoid of most creativity IMO. Kanye or Yeezus needs to pick up his big-boy pants and take his popularity with his heaps of money and put it where his mouth is if he really wants to be the next big thing. I don't think he has the balls, thus the simulacrum of Yeezus.

Good post.

 

Seeing the way he explodes in interviews (Sway!) I wonder whether he deep down sees his limits (being a good producer, but better off in the margins -producing- and not in the forefront-rapping), but is still in some sort of epic denial. I mean, if he really didnt know his limits, there wouldn't be an emotional need to explode, right? I'd assume he sees/knows/understands deep down, but still hasn't accepted it emotionally.

 

Well, it takes big amounts of narcissism to be some big artist, I guess. He's like a living soap opera.

 

 

He's doomed regardless of what he does. I think he's said "fuck it" and that's what fuels the arrogance, trolling, nonsensical artistic efforts, everything. I can't blame him. I mean, if one is trying to be the most important artist in 2013 or whatever you have to meet some insane standards. Yeezus was very calculated - it wasn't bloated with filler - just ten tracks, it had anti-elaborate artwork, and to his credit he sought out producers who were hardly safe: arca, hudmo, evian christ, gesaffelstein. So basically his art is honed but his persona is oddly authentic, which is why I think it's so fucking off-putting in many ways. It's an arguable record but it's not derivative and smarmy like so many other highly ranked 2013 albums: arcade fire, vampire weekend, chvrches, etc.

 

@ Audioblysk I think you're right to a large degree and I wonder about this too, but my main point of disagreement is that I can't put this all on Kanye. For example, Jay-Z is a far more egregious out of touch bullshit musician when it comes to his ethos. That whole Samsung endorsement that he tried to turn into some sorta anti-establishment quasi-DIY nonsense (#newrules lol) was an absolute joke. Kanye declared Bush doesn't care about black people. Jay-Z made lame t-shirts for profit during the Occupy movement. Both are incredibly ignorant but the former was at least naive and sincere.

 

And the press is the core of the issue. So many far less talented, far more lyrically questionable artists are acclaimed as much as Kanye yet never get the same faux controversy attached. SPIN will run articles about Danny Brown all day but then have op-eds questioning Lorde and Macklemore as "entitled and white" because they criticize hip-hop's obsession with material wealth while being hip-hop fans. Meanwhile, Pitchfork fucking had R. Kelly as their main festival act. Now, I'm not trying to rip on anyone here, I'm just saying Kanye is an easy target for a very lazy and skewed media to jump on.

 

I agree with both of your sentiments. My opinion was mostly from just picking apart his Sway interview. I actually liked some of Yeezus for what it was and have enjoyed some of his past stuff and production overall.

 

It's all pretty ridiculous in modern popular music from an outsider perspective. These guys basically put themselves into a character to sell records for companies in hopes to get rich. It's hard for me to take any of the stuff I see/hear from these clowns seriously. I feel like once they get out of public eye, they just sigh heavily, question their existence, look at their ridiculous amount of tattoos that mean nothing to them, look at their bank account, sigh again, and then bury their face in hedonism and ego to compensate for the fact that everyone sees them as a Bojangles who needs to perform and act the way their marketing/label portrays them. I don't blame them. If someone gave me buko bucks to act like a moron and have people eat it up, the ego inside me jumps at the notion...

 

BTW joshuatx, your avatar/user title combo is ace.

[Guest murphythecat8]

Damn, maybe I should revisit this record, but I thought that the first couple of songs were unlistenable. I had high hopes since Arca is in much songs adn I love Arca.

 

Its really sad what happened to pitchfork, but honestly, since 2007, they were already full of shit

[watmmisdead]

3 years later... How come I like this so much?

[dr lopez]

i don't know its very bad

[Candiru]

The Life of Pablo makes this sound like a fucking masterpiece.

[joshuatxuk]

The Life of Pablo makes this sound like a fucking masterpiece.

 

Yeezus was short and blunt too, very much like classic albums in the past. It wasn't bloated or overwrought in concept. 10 bangers. I listened to it knowing exactly what he was appropriating sound wise and all, so the novelty wasn't there as much for me but I know it was for many who are not familiar with the various genres that influenced it. If some teenage kid told me this album was mindblowing I'd have no reason to question or detract that sentiment.

[thumbass]

yeezus is actually my fav ye

[ARPA]