Two Gut Reactions (Including My Own): Kanye West - Ye (June 1, 2018)

I don’t follow rap artists for their personal or political views: if I did, I would be a horrible fucking person. I mean, have you heard about how some of these guys feel about women? But Kanye West is a special snowflake, in that he’s incredibly outspoken about what he feels are unique views but are really shared talking points conceived by the alt-right, white supremacists, and other supporters of the fat couch in the White House that will still likely kill us all just to make a few more bucks, and yet, he's a fucking moron who admits to not studying history and doesn't read books. His stance on slavery, especially, had lost him a significant number of fans and inspired thinkpieces from many journalists and music critics who proclaimed him “cancelled” and told anyone who would listen that they would never listen to any of Kanye’s music ever again.

Until West debuted his eighth solo “album”, the seven-track, twenty-three minute, self-produced (with a bunch of collaborators, as is his way) ye, at an exclusive listening party in Wyoming, where he’s been holed up in a studio prepping his label, G.O.O.D. Music, for their summer 2018 lineup. ye is merely the second of five projects allegedly coming our way (following last week’s Daytona from Pusha T, which made a lot of waves, almost all of which stem from a single track and not from that album as a whole), but it’s the one everyone was most curious about, so those same fans, journalists, and music critics excitedly boarded flights to Wyoming and have praised Kanye as a genius, dancing along to soul samples and surprise celebrity sightings at the party, exposing themselves as the starfuckers they truly are. It apparently never occurred to any of these folks that Kanye West was merely using them to promote his product and further his own agenda, as everything the man does stirs up the media machine, so they fell right into his trap.

Anyway, as I wrote above, ye is Kanye’s eighth album. It was announced almost immediately after his last project, the never-truly-completed The Life of Pablo, and was once called Turbo-Grafx-16, after a gaming console that most of his stans aren’t familiar with, as it was well before their time. (It was also once called Love Everybody, and the album cover was to feature a photo of the doctor whose negligence killed his mother, Donda West, on the operating table during a plastic surgery procedure: 'Ye was trying to let go of his anger and forgive the man, but the doctor quickly shot that idea down, so I assume that concept was also abandoned. (I almost wrote "cutting-room floor" there, but that would have been insensitive.)) After suffering a mental breakdown during his Saint Pablo tour (and possibly destroying his working relationship with his Throne partner and "big brother", Jay-Z, who currently wants nothing to do with the man), he cancelled the remainder of the dates and checked himself into a hospital. Upon release, he snuck away to the rural environment of Wyoming to collect his thoughts, and when he was ready, he chose to give this whole music thing another go. (He also chose to open his mouth about his continuing Trump support, as living in a world of his own making prevents him from seeing just how fucked up shit really is out here, but one could argue that he’s always lived in his head, except for that one moment of clarity post-Hurricane Katrina. Living exclusively in your head can be a bad thing, though.)

ye comes during a time when ‘Ye is only interested in releasing short projects, the opposite of the double- and triple-albums his current competitors drop on a regular basis in the hopes of gaming the streaming system and earning gold and platinum plaques much more quickly. The album artwork is a photograph he took on his iPhone on the way to the listening party, a far cry from the $85,000 he absolutely had to spend on Pusha T’s Daytona cover. Although the album did drop on its intended release date of June 1, it wasn’t made available until well after midnight on the day of, because Kanye West believes himself to be above all rules. Many will say that none of the negative stuff he's done will matter if the music is any good. I believe that you, as a human being, are smart enough and capable of believing two things at once: that Kanye West is very good at making music, and that Kanye West is a fucking idiot.

Speaking of believing two things at once, today’s write-up is actually a combination Gut Reaction and Reader Review post, as frequent contributor Taylor has graciously offered up his own thoughts on ye to accompany mine. So keep in mind whose viewpoint you’re contesting in the comments section, you two.

1. I THOUGHT ABOUT KILLING YOU

TAYLOR: Instead of starting off with a song, Mr. West does about two minutes of saying absolutely nothing, and then goes on to do the worst impersonation of a trap rapper I have ever heard. The beat is the saving grace: it's kind of simplistic with its choir and its hypnotic drum pattern, almost making you feel like you're listening to a modern version of Old Kanye. I say “almost” because lines like, "Ye, Ye, Ye, Season, [censored], we obey" and, "Get so bright, it's no sun" ruin the vibe with attempts at cleverness, over-simplicity, and over-complexity. How can a song be both over-simplistic and over-complex? You'll have to ask Mr. West about that.

MAX: ye opens with a spoken-word intro from our host with light musical accompaniment, which starts off bleak for shock value’s sake, but with his dark thoughts soon turning onto themselves, his self-awareness attempting to embolden his pretention. And then the one-verse wonder kicks off over the same instrumental, and it’s bland as hell. But then the real beat kicks in, and I regret to inform everyone that it is actually fire. Lyrically, I wish he had stuck with the introduction’s theme, as his self-awareness flies out the window almost immediately, even though he may have been on the verge of a breakthrough. Okay, not really, but his obvious trolling could have been an entertaining diversion. But that beat though. I wonder if the rest of ye will hurt my head this much. (I assume so.)

2. YIKES

T: If you've listened to any of Kanye’s albums from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and before, then you’ve likely noticed that the rhymes are at times subversive, clever, and witty. You'll see a rapper who could easily impress anybody with his deceptive looks and freestyle skills. Now listen to “Yikes” and compare it to any of the tracks on any of those albums. It seems that Mr. West has forgotten how to be an entertainer and is now in full on "artiste" mode, and yes the “e” is intentional. Kanye is so focused with vocal inflections and making words sound cool that he seemingly has nothing to say and no idea how to rap, and this is a guy with cred we're talking about. Like the previous track, the beat is the saving grace here: it has a grimy factor to it that rappers would just die to spit over (I nominate ScHoolboy Q). So far, the beats on ye are keeping me from banging my head on the desk in frustration.

M: The music underneath “Yikes” was alright. It was simple, but pretty fucking catchy, and it could have easily slid onto Daytona. Was Kanye the best artist to rap over it, though? He usually never is, and that holds true on “Yikes”, an aggressive three-verse tirade about how his meds have turned him into a superhero. Or something. I will applaud the fact that he doesn’t believe his mental illness is anything to be ashamed of: by seemingly embracing his diagnosis, he is taking the power back, and that could possibly inspire a lot of people. But this is still Kanye West we’re talking about here, so he fumbles the ball by defending Def Jam Records founder Russell Simmons from his recent rape allegations (which were recently dropped, sure, but that still isn’t a hill worth dying on, ‘Ye) and altering recent history by believing that he didn’t get verbally smacked down on TMZ by Van Lathan. Our host uses a fairly engaging flow without saying much of anything: “Yikes” could have earned a spot on my playlist had West not proven himself to be a musical genius-slash-huge asshole I’d rather not support. (There will be no attempt by me to suggest actually purchasing ye in any form at any point during this review. I like buying stuff from artists that deserve the support, but for now, feel free to do whatever the fuck you want in order to hear this project. I won’t tell.) Two notes I found intriguing, though: (a) both Reverend Run and Russell Simmons, who are brothers, are mentioned within the same verse, which is certainly the only time that’s ever happened in 2018, if ever, and (b) let’s all read into shit and say that the line, “Hundred grand’ll make your best friends turn to opps” is a subliminal aimed squarely at one Aubrey Graham, who is (allegedly) currently offering just that for dirt on his current nemesis, Kanye’s good friend and thunder buddy Pusha T.

3. ALL MINE (FEAT. TY DOLLA $IGN & VALEE)

T: Finally, we get a Kanye West that at least remembers how he’s performed before. The flow is definitely classic Kanye, with the vocal inflections, witty lines, and everything else that comes with... except the lyrics. They lack meaning and purpose: I couldn't find any message other than, "I'm an artist, watch me say absolutely nothing while you love it.” The music also receives a severe downgrade: aside from the strings at the very beginning, the gunshot effects laid in throughout, and Ty Dolla $ign’s singing, none of this is interesting. I could go so far as to say it makes Yeezus' production sound good.

M: Oh cool, a gross Kanye sex rap. Can’t have a ‘Ye project without one of these. And this one is especially offensive to the senses of anyone with any type of genitalia: actual bars include, “I love your titties ‘cause they prove I can focus on two things at once” and “None of us would be here without cum”. Ugh. I have to assume he writes the sex stuff himself, because otherwise all of his co-writers must have absolutely no idea how sex works. Our host brags about wasting time with “basic” girls because he can, which sounds like he’s compensating for something, while he blackmails the newest G.O.O.D. Music signee Valee (whose debut EP, GOOD Job, You Found Me, while not a part of his label’s summer promotion, dropped earlier this year) into comparing his ejaculate with a “genie out the bottle”, which, yeah, “All Mine” is really fucking terrible, you two.

4. WOULDN’T LEAVE (FEAT. PARTYNEXTDOOR, TY DOLLA $IGN, & JEREMIH)

T: This is Kanye West's love letter to his wife Kim Kardashian West. But don’t come to “Wouldn’t Leave” looking for vulnerability or sentiment: this falls cleanly into the same-old, same-old "I'm devoted, we're going to make it through this" bin, but with a side of pretentiousness added for flavor. The music here is melodic and somewhat emotional, so you can at least feel Kanye's every word even if there’s no substance to be found. Sometimes, adding a piano and some 808 drum hits does the trick.

M: For a song ostensibly about how much Kanye loves his wife, there’s no there there on “Wouldn’t Leave”. The music underneath barely fucking exists, which wouldn’t be a problem if #MAGA were a compelling-enough artist to distract the listener from focusing on the empty space, and on here, he absolutely is not. Our host touches on how his acting like an absolute goddamn moron in public keeps fucking up his relationship with Kim, but he feels empowered by her love and support and will continue to do stupid shit anyway (Yep, the whole “slavery was a choice” thing pops up on here) because she refuses to leave him. He calls in no less than three separate crooners to help push whatever message there allegedly is on here across. I get that he loves his wife and doesn’t feel like he deserves her. That’s relatable. And I fully understand how someone can fuck up even with the unconditional support of their partner. That happens often. It’s likely happened to you in some fashion. But it’s really fucked up of him to try to wave away his slavery comments the way he does at the beginning of “Wouldn’t Leave”. “Oh, you know, ‘Ye’s gonna ‘Ye!”, right? No. Fuck that shit. What he said was disrespectful to a huge swath of people, including his own fucking ancestors. That’s not okay. Also, this track was boring as shit, although I will admit Jeremih and Ty Dolla $ign came across as okay doing the service they were paid to provide. (I’m no fan of PARTYNEXTDOOR. Sue me.)

5. NO MISTAKES (FEAT. CHARLIE WILSON & KID CUDI)

T: Best song on the album. Forget about Kanye's lyrics, though: the star of the show is the instrumental, which chooses the perfect sample choice to brings out the waterworks of even the toughest men. This actually feels emotional and substantial, giving ye a weight that it hasn’t yet reached nor even deserved. Of course Kanye tries his best to ruin everything with his now-common unsubstantial lyrics, but even though he gives it his all with the boasts, he gets overwhelmed by the music,  thus saving the track. Anybody else think somebody else has taken over Mr. West's body?

M: Do you think T.I. is offended by the line, “I don’t take advice from people less successful than me”? The entirely of “Ye vs. The People” (which, thankfully, didn’t make this “album”) consists of our host flat-out ignoring all of Tip’s criticisms: it was basically a tweeted photo of a text exchange set to a beat. Anywho, “No Mistakes” is a one-verse wonder where said one-verse wanders in from a completely different planet: the hook, provided by Charlie Wilson (I had been wondering where he was hiding) and The Need For Speed’s Kid Cudi, resuscitates our host’s more soulful sound and was clearly intended for a love song, perhaps one that would serve as a coda for “Wouldn’t Leave”, but ‘Ye can’t be bothered with all that shit, spouting random nonsense while claiming he’s has “a shaky-ass year” (although some of his lines toward the end of his verse could be interpreted as an actual shot at Drake, unlike that fake theory from above that I'm pushing). “No Mistakes” is a no from me, dawg. Wilson and Mescudi both sounded just fine, but what the fuck were they even doing on here? Also, Kanye West no longer associates with anyone that is more successful than he is. Insert Slick Rick vocal sample from “Hey Young World” here.

6. GHOST TOWN (FEAT. JOHN LEGEND, KID CUDI, & 070 SHAKE)

T: With the worst track on the album, Kanye attempts to go for that anthemic My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy-type sound, while mixing in a little bit of 808’s and Heartbreak, and the result is a confused mess that doesn't know what it wants to be. It feels like one big pity party, except the pity has been replaced by arrogance and egocentricity. It's got a soundtrack of rockin' guitars and distorted synths that ultimately grate on the ears, in addition to lyrics that mainly consist of the various contributors yelling out whatever comes to mind that they feel is "emotional". There is nothing about this song that warrants your time.

M: If this is a preview of what we should expect from next week’s West/Cudi collaboration Kids See Ghosts (which it might be, as this was allegedly included on an early tracklist of that future project), then it’s possible that it could be decent, especially if that project features the same lack of ‘Ye that “Ghost Town” does. (Which it won’t, but it’s nice to dream again.) Musically, this track evokes My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, with the production (duties were split amongst Francis and the Lights and West himself, as well as others) recreating the overall mood of that project, but while our host delivers one (terrible, let’s be real) verse, more screen time is dedicated to Rhymefest’s songwriting buddy John Legend, Cudi, and newcomer 070 Shake, who provides a long-ass outro that sounded pretty damn good. Mescudi was whatever, but he fit the musical backing much more seamlessly than our host. Don’t go into this one expecting a “song” in the traditional sense. Or, even better, don’t go into this one: 070 Shake’s going to have at least one more appearance you can check out instead. That’s how this industry works.

7. VIOLENT CRIMES (FEAT. DEJ LOAF, TY DOLLA $IGN, & NICKI MINAJ)

T: We've reached the end of ye with a beat that's retro, but modern at the same time. The synths, in combination with the piano, provide an emotional backdrop which allows Kanye the rare moment to let go of his feelings, even if everybody knows they're bullshit. Kanye's performance holds a bit more weight thanks to the music, but there are songs where he talks about his family in a better, more substantial way.  Credit to the beat, though, for weaving and turning in such a seductive way: his collaborators behind the boards are the real heroes tonight, because we all know modern-day Kanye West couldn't produce an album all by himself.

M: ye ends with a father wishing that his daughters wouldn’t ever grow up, a logical progression of Kanye’s lines from waaaaaaaay back on Late Registration’s “We Major” (and also his verse on Watch The Throne’s “New Day”, albeit gender-swapped). His concerns are valid, especially given his life in the public eye, so for a moment you’ll feel for the man’s struggle, right up until you realize that his daughters (and his son) are Kardashians and are, of course, fucked. But I sympathize with the sentiment: “Violent Crimes” contains some of the most relatable lyrics of Kanye’s career. Why is it called “Violent Crimes”, though? Well, at one point he fantasizes about beating the shit out of his daughter’s partner for mistreating her, and who among us with kids hasn’t thought about doing that exact same thing to anyone who wrongs their family? The problem here, and it's a fucking huge one, is that it seems like it just occurred recently to Kanye that his daughters, and all women, are human beings with autonomy, so while the sentiment is one that many will relate to, his descriptions of his various concerns come across as side-eye worthy (especially his worrying about the eventual shape of his daughters' grown-up bodies, which honestly does not matter, guys are fucking creeps), and the fact that they appear on an “album” positioned so closely to another song where our host treats “basic” girls as sperm receptacles dilutes the message significantly, as Kanye West is one of those Internet pervs he’s so fucking worried about . Musically, there were a lot of questionable choices, as well. The instrumental is slow and steady, which gels with the subject matter: setting these words to the beat from “Yikes” would be borderline sociopathic behavior. But Dej Loaf? Not my first, second, or even tenth choice. And throwing in that voicemail from Nicki Minaj at the very end just reinforces the fact that she wrote Kanye’s verse, which isn’t in any way a bad thing, but it’s weird to hang a lantern on it while the track is still playing.

THE LAST WORD:

T: ye is inconsistent and unsubstantial. The lyrics are those of someone trying to rap like Kanye West and are so forced that I lost faith in the man while writing this review. The production is also inconsistent, but listening to the melancholic beats made me feel like this project had a bit of potential, like there could have been something if he had spent more time in the kitchen. Which is the main problem with ye: the album isn't developed enough. It's almost as if Mr. West now believes that quality control isn’t a concept he needs to take seriously, and that, coupled with his slipping grasp on reality and his support of Trump, whose name is not synonymous with quality, produced this album. Even though it's short, and even though there's some strands of good ideas here, you'd be better off listening to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, a relic from a bygone era when Trump wasn't president and Kanye West had the ambition and drive, if not the common sense, to craft one of the finest pop albums ever made.

M: There are many reviews, tweets, and IG posts from Kanye West stans, alt-right fucks, and music critics who would rather stay on the good side of any artist instead of respecting them as human beings who don’t always put out perfect product, and anything I say that opposes that status quo could be seen as heresy for the remaining twenty-four hours where ye will still be relevant, so I want to make this very very clear: Kanye West’s ye isn’t very good. At all. It sounds like a project rushed to meet an arbitrary deadline of his own making, one where all of the ingredients combine to form his second-worst album behind Yeezus, which at least had an entirely new and different sound going for it. The praise I’m seeing online about how ye is like if My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy had a baby with Yeezus, but that baby kept getting bit by their dog The Life of Pablo so they abandoned the baby at the Late Registration firehouse, is all ridiculous, but also incredibly accurate, and here’s why: ye doesn’t achieve anything, literally anything new of its own making. All of this shit is stuff Kanye has done before, and he’s done it better. His moronic beliefs and his family’s horrible influence aside, ye manages exactly one-and-a-half decent tracks (“Yikes” and the part of “I Thought About Killing You” when the actual instrumental kicks in, but only if you pay more attention to the music and not any of the bullshit he spouts) that, if this were any other artist, would be celebrated, but this is Kanye West. He’s created classics. None of this will ever meet those qualifications. And so everyone can go about the rest of their lives ignoring the fact that this even exists, because it adds nothing to your quality of life. If you still choose to listen to it as some form of misplaced rebellion, that’s on you. Just lower your expectations significantly: West may think of himself as a god, but that doesn’t make him one.

-Max & Taylor

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