Review Summary: I need to call it off
Yeezy season’s approaching, mother***ers.
Kanye West’s sixth album is also his most difficult. While MBDTF was a maximalist tour de force of samples, prog rock samples with choirs, guitars and drums mixed into the soundscapes, Yeezus is the exact opposite. Sonically abrasive chainsaw synths, pounding punk drums and distorted vocal effects layer Yeezus’ brief 10 song-40 minute length. Everything is stripped back, from the length, to the music, to even the nonexistent album cover, Yeezus is the epitome of taking it all back. Confusing audiences upon release, Yeezus is still one of Kanye’s most polarising releases. It’s a love it or hate it affair and there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. Still, does Yeezus hold up it’s godly claims?
As previously mentioned, the record is the polar opposite of Kanye’s previous release: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The heavy production, laced with samples and collaborators has been torn down to base sounds. Whirling synths, blaring sirens and distorted bass notes litter Yeezus, creating a horrifying industrial nightmare of a record. In a way, it’s like 808s and Heartbreak but cranked up to unstable degrees. The opening track ‘On Sight’ kicks things into high gear with a ear shattering warped synth line before the thick acid house bass kicks in and Kanye enters the frame.
“Yeezy Season Approaching, *** whatever y’all be hearing” he boasts over the screeching backing. Here, Kanye demonstrates one of Yeezus’ most interesting features. Its lyrics. Whether alarmingly earnest or hilariously ironic, they’re certainly unique. Kanye somehow takes the usual braggadocio lyrical game of rap and twists it up to 11, and On Sight demonstrates that well.
“How much do I not give a ***? Let me show you right now before you give it up” He yells before a distorted children’s choir sample overtakes the track completely. The insanity spills into the next track, the furious and raging ‘Black Skinhead’ which is fuelled by thundering drums and a buzz saw guitar synth. West screeches and gasps over the track while his voice distorts and slows down creating a stark uncomfortable pulse pounding track. It’s magnificent.
The dancehall pulsating bass freak out ‘I Am A God’ thunders in next, with the track (according to the liner notes) featuring the good lord himself. Capleton provides a burning, loud toast over the shaking beat while Kanye boasts that he is literally a god. The excessive, possibly ironic lyrics take their shine here as Kanye utters the immortal “I am a god, so hurry up with my damn massage. In a French ass restaurant, hurry up with my damn croissants”. Honestly, it’s this track alone that sums up Yeezus really. The whole track is so absurd and ridiculous I can’t really help but love it. It’s silly, it’s brash but it’s pretty damn amazing. Also of note is the ridiculous second verse where Kanye speaks to the son himself, Jesus Christ. The redeemer casually asks him “what’s up, Yeezus” and really I think that’s all I need to say about this song.
‘New Slaves’ is a less abrasive affair but is still one of the most powerful tracks on the album. Kanye discusses racial injustice that his mother faced and that he himself faces. Kanye gets progressively more and more enraged as the track barrels on before finally erupting into a barrage of profanity and disgust until the track suddenly shifts into an extended prog rock sample which is brick walled to near unintelligibleness. It’s such a wild ending but the chaos only adds to the album’s crazed charm.
‘Hold My Liquor’ is a truly unique track. Featuring a surprisingly devastating hook by Chief Keef of all people, the track blends a shimmering electric guitar and a soft bass drum while Kanye gradually builds up a furious voice before erupting into a roar of “AND BITCH, I’M BACK OUT MY COMA”. The passionate deliver and the overall melancholy feel of the track again helps makes Yeezus one of Kanye’s most personal albums.
The sexually charged and completely insane ‘I’m In It’ comes barreling in with samples from a porn movie and completely ridiculous lyrics detailing Kanye’s quest for pussy. The track is split into three distinct sounding sections: the porn sampling blaring opening, the soft pulsating bass middle and the percussion heavy ending. The immortal lines “eating Asian pussy, all I need is sweet and sour sauce” and “Put my fist in her like a civil rights sign” grace this track and it’s one of the more comically charged tracks on the album, amidst the thick and murky production.
‘Blood On The Leaves’ is the album’s highlight. A six minute epic sampling a recording of Strange Fruit by Nina Simone. While the use of a song with such heavy and serious lyrics may come off as disrespectful, this is exactly what Kanye wants. To offend, to provoke, to shock. Blood On The Leaves starts off as a soft but paranoid piano led track backed with West’s vocals and Simone’s backing sample before suddenly the beat drops and blaring heavy trumpets explode into the track as West unleashes his inner demon and yells Out “WE COULDA BEEN SOMEBODY”. The track rumbles on with West getting progressively more and more broken as he yells about a doomed relationship before the song climaxes with a vocoder led finale, similar to ‘Runaway’ from his previous album. It’s one of the most passionate and serious tracks on the album and a highlight of Kanye’s career.
‘Guilt Trip’ is an interesting track. Starting off with a soft and rather melodically pleasing synth line, The track morphs into a thumping house track with a heavy focus on dancehall toasting and a gorgeous ending by Kid Cudi. It’s one of more overlooked tracks on the album and one of the more melodic, even with the warped house beat.
The penultimate track is ‘Send It Up’, a screeching industrial track where Kanye calls his dick “Yeezus” over a dark and uncomfortable hook by King Louie. It’s a lesser track and one of the mor forgettable, but Kanye’s raving, downright funny on this track, lyrics help keep it afloat. There’s a brief moment of peace at the end of the track, the chaos has subsided and everything has been leading up to the finale. Does Kanye pull out all the stops and hit us with another lengthy blaring industrial meltdown? No. ‘Bound 2’ is a gentle love song dedicated to his wife Kim Kardashian. It’s completely out of left field and even though the beat is basically just a sampled song with Kanye rapping over it, it doesn’t feel rushed or lazy. Melodically similar to his early soul sampling work, Bound 2 is excessively sweet and deliciously sexy. “I wanna *** you hard on the sink” Kanye charms before Charlie Wilson lays down a gorgeous bridge. It’s so left field but it’s so perfect and I couldn’t think of a better way to end the album.
Yeezus is a truly masterful work. While MBDTF proved he could wow the world with a maximalist display of power, Yeezus showed he could do the same thing with a few industrial beats and some ridiculous lyrics. Aggressive, heartbroken and all around nuts, Yeezus clearly isn’t for everyone. But behind its brutal sound, is a man capable of doing everything with nothing
Standout tracks:
On Sight
Black Skinhead
New Slaves
Hold My Liquor
Blood On The Leaves
Bound 2
Standout lyrics:
“Black Timbs all on your couch again, Black dick all in your spouse again” - On Sight
“Keep it 300 like the Romans, 300 bitches, where the trojans?” - Black Skinhead
“I am a God” - I Am A God (Ft God)
“Til death but do you part. Unholy matrimony” - Blood On The Leaves
“Have you ever asked your bitch for other bitches?” - Bound 2
