Never was a huge fan of this song, but as always, ‘Ye kills his verse. The visuals look pretty good, aided mostly by the location and the fine choice for a leading lady (despite the ridiculous wardrobe(s)). Overall, the Mr. Hudson album was a solid project and the final phase of Kanye’s 808’s & Heartbreak era.
I could write an essay on Kanye’s Runaway film, and the ensuing debates it sparked, but what’s the point? There will be a million analytical pieces by Monday, and none of them will be any more “right” than the others. It’s art…and I’m really not looking forward to hearing other people tell me how to consume it.
Personally, I’m satisfied with an interesting concept, some beautiful shots & colors, and some really dope music. The intro scene with “Dark Fantasy” and the “Devil In A New Dress” segment were flawless, though part of me wishes this was the first time I ever heard any of these songs. That’s always been one of my least favorite aspects of the internet age and I may have to revert back to avoiding music from my favorite artists until it’s officially presented. Even with all the live performances, interviews, and song/artwork leaks spoiling much of Runaway, I thoroughly enjoyed the film.
Regardless of how you felt about it, you have to agree: no mainstream MC puts more effort and care into his music than Kanye. Sure, it can come off pretentious at times (ok, much of the time), but he’s really trying to express something in his art and take it to new places. He doesn’t always hit the mark, but musically, he’s never disappointed me.
A toast to Yeezy.
Mitch: I mean lets be real here, these cyphers are the only reason any of us even acknowledge the BET Awards. And hands down the best had to go to Kanye and his G.O.O.D. Music soldiers.
‘Ye a damn fool! “Power” is probably my song of the year…no one man should have all that power.
And since I damn sure don’t plan to sit through another horrible SNL tonight just to see his performances, here’s “Runaway” with Pusha T too:
Swiped from IllRoots.
If you’re part of the Twitter world, then you’ve probably heard the news that Kanye West has recently joined the community. Lately he’s been dropping hints of a collaborative five-track EP between him and Jay-Z that should be dropping sometime soon. I don’t know what’s more surprising: the thought of a Hov and ‘Ye EP or the fact that I’m kind of feeling a verse from Nicki Minaj. Kind of.
Kanye West – Monster Ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj
Via: 2DopeBoyz
My dude Theo killed this, with assistance of Party Supplies on the beat. *Spazzes*
This is literally Kanye’s living room on a Thursday night. No biggie. #ITSAPROCESS
Remember this story about ‘Ye rapping to Tunji and I acapella in the back of HOB Anaheim when he was on the come up? Well that passion is still there and on full display in these videos of his recent trip to the Facebook offices this past week. I’ve been saying for years that no other successful MC cares this much about his art. When you combine that passion with his ability, you have the best artist in the game.
Just peep “Mama’s Boyfriend” for proof:
On last week’s SNSS, we started talking about our favorite MC’s of all time and my answer for the last decade plus has always been the late, great Big L. I did mention that there might be another artist overtaking L in my personal list, and I think it’s actually already happened. Kanye is hands down my favorite artist of all time, throughout any genre. The music has been dope from day one and the man is absolutely hilarious with everything he does. If you haven’t seen Aziz Ansari’s bit about ‘Ye, he nails it perfectly. Dude is just so excited about everything, it’s comedy.
With the new album finished (and no longer called Good Ass Job), ‘Ye has started making the rounds to media outlets to get the buzz going. While the above trip to the Rolling Stone office was great, the highlight of the week has clearly been his entry to the Twitterverse. You have to follow this dude…it’s incredible. Peep it – @kanyewest.
Be prepared for a lot of Kanye talk on TAOD. You’ve been warned.
Seeing this clip of Kanye and John Legend Stephens performing in Amsterdam around the release of The College Dropout reminds me of my 2nd semester of senior year down in Cali. The homey Tunji and I had been steadily following ‘Ye’s burgeoning rap career, ever since we heard the first couple of freestyles that he put on the net, and we were lucky enough to see him perform 2 shows in LA around the NBA All-Star Weekend in ’04 (right around my birthday too). Shout to DJ Off Beat, aka Don C, for hooking it up. Kanye even filmed the “All Falls Down” video at our local airport in Ontario, CA that week too…if only we had known Stacey Dash was in our neighborhood…
Anyway, I’ll never forget chopping it up with ‘Ye in the back of House Of Blues Anaheim and him being so happy that random dudes like Tunj and I knew all his freestyles. He was so geeked that he started rhyming new verses a capella to a couple of college kids, just to prove that the best was yet to come. Hanging out with one of my best friends while Kanye excitedly rapped what would become a verse on “Gold Digger” (“18 YEARS…18 YEARS!”) is one of my favorite music memories ever.
The College Dropout changed my life, real talk.