The highly anticipated collaboration album, headed by the controversial Kanye West, dropped last Tuesday. A “crew” record, the 12 track release features a slew of rappers and repetitive beats.
From songs with bottom-feeders like Travi$ Scott to old legends such as Ghostface Killah, Kanye continues with his distracted, disconnected persona. Disconnected tunes such as “Higher” pump out some of the most passive lines ever put for on a record this large. Such songs make it clear that this is not nearly as coherent as “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.”
The albums opening number, “To The World”, sets expectations high. R. Kelly croons that he is “on his Sinatra” with a more defiant and boastful tone than ever. On tracks such as “Mercy” and “New God Flow” West finally shines. The Chicago-centric “Flow” is a return to his roots while also reflecting on how far he has come. On “Mercy”, West shoes off his “renaissance man-esque” skills and flaunts his godly production skills with rhythmic sounds.
However, the tracks where he is not heavily are the main stars. Ghostface, 2 Chainz and Jay-Z are the main stars. While West has some fantastic lines about Kim Kardashian and Mitt Romney, his theatrics don’t put the attention on him – mainly because his lines make him seem like he is on another planet. The self-indulgent beats that accompany him add nothing to his god complex that he obviously suffers from.
As the album progresses, lethargic songs such as “Creepers” and “Don’t Miss” are some of the laziest songs West has ever pulled out. Pusha T’s huffs and snorts paired with Kid Cudi’s laid back attempt at an alternative rock-rap song lack cohesion with the already disjointed album. These songs are disposable.
While not a “classic” record, It’s best for a party when you’re either on top of the world or full of rage, not for a one-on-one headphone season. From the albums brilliant beginning tracks to its disjointed watered down end, the overall appeal is not one of a complete album. At best, it is a mixtape. At it’s worst: too many voices, little cohesion.
By: Paige Crenshaw