Review Summary: We still love Kanye.
Usually, when writing a review, the author would introduce the artist, and maybe say a little bit about his background. However, in this case, approximately 99% of readers know exactly who Kanye West is. From his daughter's unfortunate name, to his smash-hit 'Gold Digger', as well as his marriage to a supermodel, everyone knows at least something about Kanye West. To add to this, so many things were going on during the buildup to the release of this album, The Life Of Pablo. The title of it was changed
three times in the midst of production. We got a taste of some great features, including Kendrick Lamar, arguably one of the most popular rap artists right now. Most fans of West were also immensely disappointed when they saw the artwork for The Life Of Pablo.
This huge mess of title changes and artwork, and nearly a dozen other artists coming together, created this. In the haze, would The Life Of Pablo turn out to be any good? Would it be another MBDTF, or would it end up like the flop some fans considered Yeezus to be?
Well, neither. This album could easily be divided into two parts, or rather, separated entirely and have each song put into one of two baskets. 'It sounds pretty good' or 'I want this song on repeat for the rest of my life'. The flow of this whole album never completely breaks, with every song containing its own highlights. But there are some incredibly high points. One example would be the sheer power of the song Ultralight Beam. West did describe this album as "gospel music" only with a few curse words, and that alone captures the essence of this song. There's a really slow, drawn-out beat and minimal chords that act like twine, barely holding the song together. However, this ends up being one of the most powerful songs on the whole album because of a certain choir section. The huge vocal ensemble that shines around the 1:30 mark, and more towards the end, adds so much power and strength to this song, and it makes it stand out over the rest.
Another stand-out moment on T.L.O.P would be the two tracks 30 Hours and No More Parties In L.A. Both of these tracks were made available for streaming as promotional singles just before the album came out. That probably adds to the hype and the excitement that I got from these tracks, but they would both be undeniably fun to new listeners as well. 30 Hours is over five minutes long, half of it just being a beat that the listener can "ride out on". The lyrics aren't that happy; they involve a long drive from L.A. to Chicago only to be majorly disappointed at the final destination, but the beat sounds so fresh and slick that you can't help but get into it. Get into the groove. No More Parties in L.A. is quite similar, at over six minutes long. The samples used are so rhythmic and energetic that the listener has an easy time enjoying it. Most of that song is just straight-up rap from Kendrick Lamar and Kanye himself. It doesn't have to rely on much of a hook to bring the listener in.
There are some low points on this record, though. The song Facts would be an example of that. The instrumental on this song is potent and strong, but the vocals drag it down so much. West is relying too much on "Yeezy, Yeezy, Yeezy" to carry the song. It also features corny lines about sticking to his roots just like Jimmy Fallon. And the subject matter of this song tries to be important and hard-hitting, but it can't be like that with awful lines like "Do anybody feel bad for Bill Cosby? Did he forget the names just like Steve Harvey?"
Overall, The Life Of Pablo is pretty great. It has some lyrical lows, and some beats start out a little rough, but there's always going to be something excellent that makes up for it. It's not another MBDTF, but it's definitely not awful the way some people are making it out to be. If one was to get past their general hatred for Kanye West and look at this unbiased, they would uncover the feeling of fun and charm that this album really provides.
4/5
