In anticipation of Kanye's still untitled album coming out this Thursday, we're dedicating this week towards Kanye Kontent, starting of with a very special Kanye-themed Music For Your Monday.
Off of his debut, The College Dropout, "We Don't Care" is one of my favorites from the education-theme Kanye era.
On his first two albums, Kanye used short skits to serve as interludes between songs. In a way, they split the album up into different acts, something that he noted on the legal pad with the track list for the new LP. Maybe the skits are coming back.
Arguably, Graduation was Kanye's "mainstream" album. He collaborated with Chris Martin of Coldplay and John Mayer, and "Good Life" and "Stronger" both appear on the record. Then again, so does "Barry Bonds" which is probably the worst of all Yeezy songs. "Flashing Lights" has always been one of my faves, plus this video is so mid-00s rap. Enjoy.
808s was the album nobody was expecting, a sharp left turn from his previous music. Influenced by a break up and his mother's death, 808s is heavy on the autotune and emotion, which at least the latter we now take for granted in rap. When people say they don't care for 808s I ask them if they like Drake. Of course they do, but there would be no Drake without this album. I distinctively remember watching this video on MTV after school one day and thinking well this is definitely different and I like it. I also really liked The Fray in 2008.
It's very hard for me to choose a song to share with you all from MBDTF, cause the entire record is just an incredible masterpiece. To me, it opened up an entirely new world of music, I was enthralled with the cultural and historical references that weaved in and out with the lush sounds. I had to go with "Lost in the World" because I truly love with all my heart that Kanye and Justin Vernon make music together. There are few musicians that appear to be on more opposite sides of the world, but it's so clear on this track that their collaboration makes so much sense.
I was interning at a magazine at home the summer that Yeezus was released, and almost every day when I drove home, I would blast the album, almost to release the tension that built up as I sat in an office all day. This record is raw and angry and so so so good.
