A Double Dose of Kanye:
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
and G.O.O.D Fridays
NEIRAD enilno edition
If you’ve checked iTunes recently, you may have noticed an album called My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy hovering around the lower half of the top-10 chart. Kanye West’s fifth studio album, you can pre-order for $15. The only problems are that you can only preview one song, and that its “expected” release date is Nov.22, almost one full month away.
So the question is this: is it worth the hasty buy? You’ll need a computer and e-mail address to answer that.
For those of you who haven’t yet caught on, there is something very big going on ever so quietly on Kanye West’s website—very related to but far eclipsed by this album release. But don’t be fooled by its inconspicuous, underground nature. In the world of Kanye’s universe-city, this project titled G.O.O.D. Fridays is kind of a big deal.
Every Friday since Aug. 27 (and one special bonus Monday), Kanye has released a free single to download on his website kanyewest.com. As Kanye himself tweeted about the project, “We don't play by radio rules. We come together as a family and give the fans what they need.” Kanye has promised Independence, versatility, and quality. So far, West has more than delivered.
This cavalier endeavor amounts to roughly one hour of brand-new music, asking listeners for nothing but their e-mail addresses. (Personally, I haven’t even been sent any of the updates the website told me I was signing up for, so didn’t hesitate to download for fear of spam.)
It features more than 20 artists besides West himself, and though the songs remain (mostly) otherwise unpublished and tremendously underpublicized, they are without a doubt his most important work in a long time. If these tracks are anything to go by, then we’re in store for a great album reminiscent of the grandeur of his first three.
Once upon a time in May of 2008, upperclassmen from all over Fairfield County ditched prom en masse to attend West’s Glow-in-the-Dark concert in Hartford. It was undisputedly the hottest ticket of the season.
At this point in time, riding the high of his double-platinum success Graduation, the Chicago-born MC was on top of the music world. He had three highly-respected albums and a bulletproof style that demanded respect. It looked like nothing could get in Kanye’s way.
Then he got into his own way. Over the next two and a half years, Kanye proceeded to slip into mediocrity. An embarrassingly average album (808 and Heartbreak)and absolutely horrible publicity stunt (09 MTV VMAs) had fans like me wondering, will it ever be the same? Quietly, though, ‘Ye—as Kanye calls himself—is making a comeback.
Compared with his 808 tracks and “postgrad”eclectic featured verses, there’s a palpable change in these 11 songs. You could say West is going back to basics – by no means a crime with early material as reputable as College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation.
Those albums were characterized by truly distinctive production. Kanye’s trademark formula featured pitch-shifted, soul vocal-samples over trebly string sections, driving bass fills, synth touches, and subtly refined but mad-wicked beats. Graduation brought a heavier reliance on inorganic instruments, but the vibe was still undeniably ‘Ye.
Now take “Devil in a New Dress”, West’s fourth G.O.O.D. Fridays single, interestingly the only one he has done solo. Its relaxed, head-nodic beat and smooth vocal samples are wrapped up in a warm blanket of fluffy strings that absolutely drip with saccharine reverb. The whole ethereal arrangement screams “Slow Jams,” a track from ‘Ye’s first album Dropout, or “Late,” the bonus track from Late Registration. In fact, I happened to start the latter tune in the middle of “Devil” and hardly could tell the vocal samples apart.
Don’t get me wrong, though, “Devil” does not sound like some sort of desperate rip-off of his old style. West obviously didn’t piece together cast-aside ideas that didn’t make the cut back in ’04 for G.O.O.D. Fridays. Better balance, silkier ornamentation, a more effective use of electronic instruments...there are differences between the songs that suggest artistic progression over repetition. “Devil” sounds like what one would have expected from ‘Ye as a follow up to Graduation, advancing old motifs as opposed to completely forgetting them as in 808.
This trend of progress is exactly what ‘Ye needs to exhibit in Dark Twisted Fantasy. Symphonicly, these tracks are ten times better than most everything of 808. On that album, though not only the did the tonal aspects of ‘Ye’s game take a step back. Actually, his words regressed even more. Mired in cliché, nothing he said or auto-sung really resonated. Thankfully for Fantasy, G.O.O.D. Fridays show a reversal of the trend.
Kanye’s old work was a blend of the socially-conscious and the hilarious. On the one hand, songs like “Heard ‘Em Say” dealt with charged social issues, while others like “The New Work Out Plan” were so ridiculous that you couldn’t help but grin and laugh out loud. Doing both, the G.O.O.D. Fridays version of Power proves that ‘Ye still has some lyrical tricks up his sleeve.
First off, don’t buy the August iTunes single version under any circumstance. It features more of the same cliched, unexciting and complacent brag-lyrics his ’09 offerings suffered from. But the G.O.O.D. version is different, starting from the very first line.
Instantly, “We livin’ in the 21st” becomes “31st century,” enough to signal the positive changes to come. A very Jay-Z-sounding Jay-Z verse quickly gives way to three completely new–and very strong–verses by Mr. West.
He introduces himself by owning up to his recent weakness, admitting, “My socket was out the plug, now it’s time to get the power back.” He proceeds to do so in his first verse, which ponders star-power as effectively as the five minute iTunes version in 26 seconds and with more wit too. His second verse is a clever, pacifistic commentary on the situation in the Middle East. Here, ‘Ye handles a serious topic as deftly as he used to be able to, even tastefully weaving Arabic greetings into the flow.
Then, without any warning, this verse is abruptly halted by an explosive new section. All of a sudden, a ballsy, percussion-rich sample of “I’ve Got the Power” cuts off the song’s swelling melodic trajectory. A random voice, evocative of his early albums’ skits, asks ‘Ye to “stop playing with these people, man, they wanna see you act all crazy in this mother-f*cker.”
And crazy he goes. Yeezy goes on to deliver some of his most decadently quick-tongued, self-flattering fire of late. It is so unexpected, so wildly expositional that the Work Out Plan grin can’t help but creep back on your face. Same old Yeezy. For those of you who want something new off of Fantasy, never fear. As comforting as this renaissance is, there are some very cool, very new tracks on G.O.O.D. Fridays.
Take “Lord Lord Lord” and “So Appauled”, which each feature enough MCs to start a label. These are fascinating fusions of Trip-Hop and Gangsta Rap. Their mystically lethargic melodies and poetic delivery constitute a new, independent realm for ‘Ye, who is undoubtedly the face of commercial. With them, West proves his equal skill in this sub-genre as well. Then there is the truly radical: “Runaway Love” featuring Beebsqueals. Yes, my first reaction to a rap song with Justin Bieber was this is shameless musical suicide. But in reality, this song might just be the most exciting one from the whole project.
Bieber’s comically bubblegum vocals, sampled from his song of the same name, gain a pulse through a driving K-West beat, forming the chorus. He giggles and solos with R&B-diva fills, at least until Raekwon bursts on the scene with a hardcore verse about a grown-up romance gone wrong. Sugar, spice and everything nice juxtaposed with the grittiest slice of cool served up since Graduation’s “Barry Bonds.” Now this is creative genius for sure. As it turns out, four G.O.O.D. Friday tracks will be on Fantasy: the aforementioned “Power,” “Devil,” and “So Appalled,” and one more called “Monster.” The latter, which now is the only Fantasy track up for sale, is no longer available off of kanyewest.com.So what does this mean? For one, it means that at least we can be certain that there will be some good tracks on Fantasy. With no other indicators to go off of (besides a leak of “Lost in the World—absolutely rockin’) one has to imagine that the rest of the album will be similarly up to snuff. It also means that the days of free music on ‘Ye’s site are drawing to an end. Now forced to purchase one previously free track, you may soon have to purchase the rest of those slotted for the album.
The other seven not on Fantasy will probably remain underground. There is no indication that West will package them into an EP or separate album, so kanyewest.com remains the one place to get them. My advice is to download them as soon as possible, before ‘Ye takes them off his website for the customary tour dates and merchandising. It may prove the best album you never bought.
So back to that question of the pre-order. I’ll admit, my sense of excitement is overriding my in-bred thrift store instincts. The avid Kanye fan should not hesitate to shell out the two hours of minimum wage. If you don’t fit this description, I suggest you at least listen to the G.O.O.D. Friday tracks first to see what you’re getting yourself into. But dare to have high expectations. Looking into my crystal ball, I see art. I see energy. I see wit, good times, and a party. If you like any of these, stay tuned. A certain big-mouthed Chicago MC just might have the stuff to get you through the day with a big-‘ole smile between your ears.
