Kanye West

[screwdriver]

i guess the difference is manipulation vs. destruction? when something clips (and i'm talking about the master track of a final mix), you're destroying part of it because it's just...gone. that seems very different to me than using lo-fi effects to achieve a certain manipulated sound.

i'll actually give you an example of where i think something that almost sounds like clipping (but isn't) sounds good: james plotkin's atomsmasher/phantomsmasher, where he is actually credited in the liner notes with "waveform manipulation" and it sounds completely insane. he fucks up the audio completely, but i guarantee you that the master track stereo mix does not clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b18yZOzNlFs

(just for the record, I appreciate how civil you and Jinsai are being)

and yeah, I think manipulation vs destruction is a great description, and maybe that's why I like it in the right contexts? There's a vibe that I think it captures. I really feel like you're hung up on an artificial distinction, though, this idea of "destroying" the waveform. -- you're "destroying" the waveform with distortion, too... you're totally changing the wave that your ear hears. Clipping is omitting things which also causes a change in the waveform. There's no more magical process occurring than with any type of effect.

maybe this analogy will be lost, but you go dancing and the DJ is fucking around with the low-pass filter over the entire mix, and it turns the song into this build-up (changing the waveform that your ear is hearing, too) -- the song becomes more than the sum of its parts and is part of a larger experience, and it's all because of applying that effect over the entire mix. I think clipping can be used the same way.

but to be clear, I don't want EVERY thing to sound like that. just sometimes its okay.

[eversonpoe]

(just for the record, I appreciate how civil you and Jinsai are being)

and yeah, I think manipulation vs destruction is a great description, and maybe that's why I like it in the right contexts? There's a vibe that I think it captures. I really feel like you're hung up on an artificial distinction, though, this idea of "destroying" the waveform. -- you're "destroying" the waveform with distortion, too... you're totally changing the wave that your ear hears. Clipping is omitting things which also causes a change in the waveform. There's no more magical process occurring than with any type of effect.

maybe this analogy will be lost, but you go dancing and the DJ is fucking around with the low-pass filter over the entire mix, and it turns the song into this build-up (changing the waveform that your ear is hearing, too) -- the song becomes more than the sum of its parts and is part of a larger experience, and it's all because of applying that effect over the entire mix. I think clipping can be used the same way.

but to be clear, I don't want EVERY thing to sound like that. just sometimes its okay.

(i can't stand how often people on this board take to name-calling and RAGE-TYPING in what should be civil discussions, so i'm glad that we're being intelligent about this)

i understand your analogy, but applying something like a(n) LPF over an entire mix is very different than allowing an entire mix to clip.

i think maybe what i am talking about in terms of my distaste for clipping is very specifically on the MASTER track. if you have clipping on individual instrument tracks that you use to certain effect (be it good or bad, taste-wise), that's fine. but if you allow your master track to clip, that is bad engineering/mixing/production/mastering/whatever, and THAT'S what i don't think is ok.

[Jinsai]

That's where I agree, and I think there's a very obvious aspect to "noise music" that excludes it from this consideration.

I guess I should say "generally," to allow for the possibility that anyone can prefer something even if I find it offputting, if you allow the master channel to clip it just sounds shoddy. I don't think it's because my ears have been trained to dislike it, I think it just gives everything a very cheap and sloppy sort of "lofi" that never sounds intentional to me. It's like watching a video in a low resolution with lots of digital video noise. I guess it could be used to good effect in a particular setting, but it never looks good to me, and I'd never think it was preferable.

[ninsp]

We should know all about clipping, as NIN fans. (see: 1,000,000)

[screwdriver]

That's where I agree, and I think there's a very obvious aspect to "noise music" that excludes it from this consideration.

I guess I should say "generally," to allow for the possibility that anyone can prefer something even if I find it offputting, if you allow the master channel to clip it just sounds shoddy. I don't think it's because my ears have been trained to dislike it, I think it just gives everything a very cheap and sloppy sort of "lofi" that never sounds intentional to me. It's like watching a video in a low resolution with lots of digital video noise. I guess it could be used to good effect in a particular setting, but it never looks good to me, and I'd never think it was preferable.

I guess my response to both of you is that we just disagree on the master track -- I don't think there's anything sacred about it. We compress it, we EQ it, we mess with the stereo width, etc.: anything to push the vision of the song further. we put a filter over it to amp up a crowd. I don't think there should be any 'rule' that says clipping shouldn't be a tool in that box.

I agree that if you're allowing the track to clip unintentionally, you're doing it wrong. unless it sounds good. because in the end, it's about making what sounds good -- not how you make it.

[blassster]

Someone I know came over today and showed me a Photoshop composite he made of two shots of the unreleased cover image (one (http://i0.wp.com/rapdose.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/yeezus-cover-rotated.jpg), two (http://prettymuchamazing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/kanye-west-yeezus.jpg)), in order to make it a complete image without the tape over it. He posted it on the Kanye West board, but decided to delete it later for some reason. The result was a 26 page thread (http://www.kanyetothe.com/forum/index.php?topic=478264.0) of them talking about it, and thinking that it was actually Kanye that posted it to tease them that it might eventually come out or something. Thought you might get a kick out of this.

[richardp]

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc49/richardpepper/tumblr_m5p1vc5ZCG1qfjsmgo1_500.gif

[gorast]

Is anyone else glad that didn't ship as the final cover? I don't like the look of it at all.

[Presideo]

Scene 1

Jerry is watching a Mets game, when the buzzer rings.

Seinfeld: "Hello?"

A garbed voice mumbles something comically incoherent.

Seinfeld mechanically buzzes the man up, more concerned as the Mets announcer panics about a high fly ball in deep right. George enters with a large croissant in his mouth and bakers dozen under his shoulder. He sits down next to an upset Jerry as the Mets give up a game-winning home run. He turns off the T.V. set. Slowly, Seinfeld notices George eating a croissant.

J "Croissants? I thought you were more of a marble rye man. Since when did you start eating croissants?"

G "It's weird, Jerry. I overheard a kid on the subway playing this Kanye West song on his iPad about being God"

J "Being God? Having constant intercourse with Kim Kardashian isn't enough for the guy? Now he wants to be God? The nerve of this guy"

G "…so there's this line in the song where he talking about his need for some 'damn' croissants."

George freezes, then takes a large bite out of his croissant.

J "So you just follow anything Kanye randomly blurts out on a song?"

G "Well…I have been using the term 'cray' more than usual"

Seinfeld crosses his shoulders in disbelief.

G "I don't know Jerry…h-he was calling himself a God and was very...convincing about his need for the pastry. It seeped into my brain!"

Suddenly, Kramer pops in, holding a comically large amount of croissants. He see's George eating a croissant.

K "Kanye?"

G: "Kanye!!!"

The rest of the plot revolves around George and Kramer attempting to get to the bottom of their addiction to croissants. This leads to a conspiracy theory that the Illuminati is somehow conspiring to drive croissant sales up. J. Peterman turns out to be partially behind the conspiracy. George and Kramer confront him in his office. Peterman menacingly tells them that they know far too much, sending both George and Kramer bolting for his office door as the credits roll.

[neorev]

the "no art except for a red thingy" CD art is just as lazy as his song lyrics

[screwdriver]

the "no art except for a red thingy" CD art is just as lazy as his song lyrics

"put my fist in her, like a civil rights sign" is many things, but lazy is not one of them

[neorev]

"put my fist in her, like a civil rights sign" is many things, but lazy is not one of them

that's for giving a prime example of his lazy lyrics... there's no meaning behind these lyrics, except for the shock value
i'm gonna spit out something clever that has no substance
there's a lot of truly terrible lyrics on this album
there's moments on this album where Kanye transcended all that, but very few and far in between
"I Am A God" is another terrible track when it comes to lyrics
and his voice is just so monotone throughout
another terrible rapper that i heard mentioned on here was Lil' Wayne... that guy is another example of true garbage rappers out there in the current scene
i can only give Kanye props on "Black Skinhead" and "New Slaves" where he was moving past the usual "I'm fly, banging bitches, etc."
musically, it's nice to see rap expanding, experimenting, and evolving more musically, but mainstream rappers have regressed and devolved lyrically
i think there's moments on here that Kanye show that he can write something meaningful and i wish he would go more with that...
but he'd probably alienate his mainstream audience by not rapping about getting money, fucking chicks, and the bling bling

[richardp]

the "no art except for a red thingy" CD art is just as lazy as his song lyrics


It's not lazy at all. It's quite brilliant actually. Just like the music on the album is goes against everything that is expected. It's raw and minimal. It's perfect.

[screwdriver]

that's for giving a prime example of his lazy lyrics... there's no meaning behind these lyrics, except for the shock value
i'm gonna spit out something clever that has no substance
there's a lot of truly terrible lyrics on this album
there's moments on this album where Kanye transcended all that, but very few and far in between
"I Am A God" is another terrible track when it comes to lyrics
and his voice is just so monotone throughout
another terrible rapper that i heard mentioned on here was Lil' Wayne... that guy is another example of true garbage rappers out there in the current scene
i can only give Kanye props on "Black Skinhead" and "New Slaves" where he was moving past the usual "I'm fly, banging bitches, etc."
musically, it's nice to see rap expanding, experimenting, and evolving more musically, but mainstream rappers have regressed and devolved lyrically
i think there's moments on here that Kanye show that he can write something meaningful and i wish he would go more with that...
but he'd probably alienate his mainstream audience by not rapping about getting money, fucking chicks, and the bling bling

I really don't think that the lyrics on this album are "about getting money, fucking chicks, and the bling bling," and I think that's a somewhat reductionist view of the genre. those are the stories he tells to make a point, but I don't think it's "about" that anymore than "folsom prison blues" is literally "about" being in folsom prison.

re: "I am a god," I think his delivery on that is absolutely killer. when he says "the only rapper compared to michael," that inflection in his delivery gives me chills. and, yeah, if you take the lyrics in isolation, they come across pretty silly (but, to be frank, there's nothing wrong with silly lyrics). yet the song as a whole, including the lyrics, is pretty interesting. I'll quote from the pitchfork review because I think they nailed it:

"I Am a God" is not simply the latest self-important blast from one of pop culture's pre-eminent egoists. For starters, the track sounds less triumphant than breathtakingly vexed, starting with a gnarled dancehall vocal sample (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DNHAQJzUWH0) and paranoid sawtooth synths that aim to destroy. Here, Kanye raps about loyalty, respect, threesomes, and, yes, croissants (http://pitchfork.tumblr.com/post/53219216121#notes) with the urgency of someone being chased by a 30-ton steamroller. The song is pierced by a series of primal screams, pixelated outbursts that are only briefly able to halt the beat's heaving evil. In Kanye's hands, being a god sounds stressful as hell, something we can all relate to, and the song's apparent inspiration (https://twitter.com/malikyusef/statuses/316387475499143168) is a passage from the book of Psalms: "I have said, Ye are gods (http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Psalms-82-6/); and all of you are children of the most High."
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/18172-kanye-west-yeezus/

that said, I respect your opinion that this isn't for you. I would like to check out some hip hop that you think has great lyrics, though -- any suggestions?

[october_midnight]

Thought this was a pretty funny read. (http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-feed/2013/06/make-it-stop-the-worst-of-the-week-of-062813.html?mbid=social_twitter_gqmagazine)

I mean, I love Kanye...but I can't help but agree with most of what's said here lol.

[hobochic]

Reading the posts here made me want to listen to Yeebus. It just reminded me of how good Niggy Tardust is and how much I appreciate Saul's lyrics.

[Jinsai]

I would like to check out some hip hop that you think has great lyrics, though -- any suggestions?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7sxNlA9f7E

[neorev]

I really don't think that the lyrics on this album are "about getting money, fucking chicks, and the bling bling," and I think that's a somewhat reductionist view of the genre. those are the stories he tells to make a point, but I don't think it's "about" that anymore than "folsom prison blues" is literally "about" being in folsom prison.

re: "I am a god," I think his delivery on that is absolutely killer. when he says "the only rapper compared to michael," that inflection in his delivery gives me chills. and, yeah, if you take the lyrics in isolation, they come across pretty silly (but, to be frank, there's nothing wrong with silly lyrics). yet the song as a whole, including the lyrics, is pretty interesting. I'll quote from the pitchfork review because I think they nailed it:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/18172-kanye-west-yeezus/

that said, I respect your opinion that this isn't for you. I would like to check out some hip hop that you think has great lyrics, though -- any suggestions?

The only real current mainstream rapper that I like is A$AP Rocky
And when it comes to getting messed up, banging chicks, and partying... Spank Rock does it best (reminds me of 2 Live Crew with better and more eclectic production)

Eyedea, especially the collab project Eyedea & Abilities (all 3 of their albums are great)
Del the Funky Homosapien and Deltron 3030 project
Mr. Lif
cLOUDDEAD
Aesop Rock

Old skool Wu-Tang Clan & Mobb Deep

[allegro]

Thought this was a pretty funny read. (http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-feed/2013/06/make-it-stop-the-worst-of-the-week-of-062813.html?mbid=social_twitter_gqmagazine)

I mean, I love Kanye...but I can't help but agree with most of what's said here lol.
"Because I listened to "Yeezus" and it was basically forty minutes of ambient sound at a Berlin fuck club, interspersed with the occasional chipmunk chorus interlude."

LOL LOL LOL

[october_midnight]

LOL one of my favorite parts is when he calls the line ''Damn your lips very soft As I turn my Blackberry off And I turn your bath water on And you turn off your iPhone' a quote unquote 'bag of shit'. Don't know why that cracked me up so much but it did.

And don't pass up the review that was linked in this article over here (http://www.okayplayer.com/news/kanye-west-yeezus-review-by-big-ghost.html) which has even more gems.

6. “I’m In It” – This probably coulda been on MBDTF too… Shit got that Cruel Summer feel to it too (Yall thought THAT shit was hard to enjoy… (http://www.okayplayer.com/news/big-ghostfase-g-o-o-d-music-cruel-summer-review.html)). But this shit even creepy for a Kanye song bruh…talmbout bitin n eatin ass… Son made sure he mentioned it was some Asian box he was pourin sweet n sour sauce on n a Black chick he was puttin his fist in like a civil rights sign tho. Jus so we kno he not sayin this shit bout his Armenian queen namsayin. But if he WAS describin his baby moms on this song he probably woulda stuck a lamb kebab in her ass n spread baba ghanoush all on it. Listen son….what this muthafucka wanna do in the privacy of his own domain is his business n whatever namsayin…but all I can picture is a seeded up Kim K wit her orca dress half off n a gagball n her mouth when he sayin this nasty shit yo. Ionno what purpose a muthafucka might have for this track other than to have shit to listen to at a Trojan orgy or some shit like that. If you rock latex garments n enjoy painful sex this might be your jam tho….

[thefragile_jake]

Lou Reed's review of Yeezus is brilliant. (http://thetalkhouse.com/reviews/view/lou-reed)

[Highly Psychological]

I always thought his first album from 2004 was overrated and never really listened to this guy's albums since as i always thought he was a bit of a twat. And therefore not worth bothering with, But im always on the look out for good hip hop thats different. So checked it out, and its interesting in places, i like the production. And a few beats are brilliant, But its not as good as i expected, maybe its quite radical for someone in his position to go this experimental, i hear a Death Grips influence, i was told it sounded like Salem a bit, but its nowhere near as good as that. Only reason i checked this out was because i read a review where the word Industrial was mentioned....erm no not here. But yeah this guy seems a very powerful person in the media so i admire him for doing his own thing sound wise and being different, But its nothing new really in musical terms, and i dont really understand him in general as a person. Or what he is doing.
He played a festival i went to a few years ago, i didnt bother watching him, and he had his own stage at the other end of the airfield set up for him, i have seen some of the biggest bands in rock history live at festivals and this has never happened for them to get that special treatment, but for Kanye in 2007 three years after his debut to get his own stage??? I dont get it.

[allegro]

Lou Reed's review of Yeezus is brilliant. (http://thetalkhouse.com/reviews/view/lou-reed)
"Many lyrics seem like the same old b.s. Maybe because he made up so much of it at the last minute. But it's the energy behind it, the aggression. Usually the Kanye lyrics I like are funny, and he's very funny here. Although he thinks that getting head from nuns and eating Asian pussy with sweet and sour sauce is funny, and it might be, to a 14-year-old — but it has nothing to do with me. Then there's the obligatory endless blowjobs and menages-a-trois."

[eversonpoe]

Lou Reed's review of Yeezus is brilliant. (http://thetalkhouse.com/reviews/view/lou-reed)

i honestly can't tell if he's being completely serious or completely sarcastic.

[screwdriver]

i honestly can't tell if he's being completely serious or completely sarcastic.

I'm pretty sure this is completely straight-faced, because he's critical at parts.

[botley]

It's state of the art producing in 2013 (and has been for many years).
Yep and it's no wonder that 90% of everything on the radio sounds like utter horseshit as a result.

[screwdriver]

Yep and it's no wonder that 90% of everything on the radio sounds like utter horseshit as a result.

I don't listen to the radio, but I assume you're using "radio" as code for contemporary popular music. In which case, I really disagree. Even when I don't much care for the songwriting and/or substance, I am continually amazed by the variety and depth of pop music production these days. I think it's the most interesting and adventurous it's been in a long, long time.

[allegro]

I don't listen to the radio, but I assume you're using "radio" as code for contemporary popular music. In which case, I really disagree. Even when I don't much care for the songwriting and/or substance, I am continually amazed by the variety and depth of pop music production these days. I think it's the most interesting and adventurous it's been in a long, long time.

Well, and define "radio." The only time I listen to terrestrial radio is for NPR or for the local news station for traffic and weather. Otherwise, I listen to XM/Sirius Satellite radio. Which is compartmentalized into a ton of different genres and subgenres.

The average listener isn't going to know diddly squat about "production." The only thing the average listener will notice is (a) too quiet, can't hear it, (b) weird noises that maybe shouldn't be there, (c) skips or misses or stuff like that. Otherwise, via satellite radio, the average listener is probably in a car on the freeway with lots of freeway and wind noise. And since I listen almost exclusively to classical and jazz on XM/Sirius, I especially couldn't tell you jack shit about "production."

[Jinsai]

Well, and define "radio." The only time I listen to terrestrial radio is for NPR or for the local news station for traffic and weather. Otherwise, I listen to XM/Sirius Satellite radio. Which is compartmentalized into a ton of different genres and subgenres.

The average listener isn't going to know diddly squat about "production." The only thing the average listener will notice is (a) too quiet, can't hear it, (b) weird noises that maybe shouldn't be there, (c) skips or misses or stuff like that. Otherwise, via satellite radio, the average listener is probably in a car on the freeway with lots of freeway and wind noise. And since I listen almost exclusively to classical and jazz on XM/Sirius, I especially couldn't tell you jack shit about "production."

Even if the average listener doesn't know much about music production, their listening experience is dependent upon it. They might not be able to tell you why they prefer well produced music to lo fi or sloppy mixes, but the average listener appreciates a well produced song. I'd think it's sort of similar to special effects in movies. You might not know the first thing about computer graphics, but you can tell when a CG monster looks believable or convincing.

[Presideo]

"Because I listened to "Yeezus" and it was basically forty minutes of ambient sound at a Berlin fuck club, interspersed with the occasional chipmunk chorus interlude."

LOL LOL LOL

That line would have been much funnier if there was actually a 'chipmunk chorus' in the album (there isn't.) To properly poke fun at an album it's best to actually listen to it first.


Even if the average listener doesn't know much about music production, their listening experience is dependent upon it. They might not be able to tell you why they prefer well produced music to lo fi or sloppy mixes, but the average listener appreciates a well produced song. I'd think it's sort of similar to special effects in movies. You might not know the first thing about computer graphics, but you can tell when a CG monster looks believable or convincing.

Honestly, I doubt the average Joe could tell the difference between 128kbps and FLAC.

[screwdriver]

Why are we always talking about the "average listener" like some myth? Its sort of like those studies where they find that people almost always rank themselves as slightly above average attractiveness.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm an average listener.

[allegro]

I dunno, maybe Jinsai is right but I can't say I've listened to something and said "wow! this production is total crap!" I may say the music is crap, the lyrics are crap, or whatever, but I grew up with vinyl, is it different for me? Do I have lower expectations?


That line would have been much funnier if there was actually a 'chipmunk chorus' in the album (there isn't.) To properly poke fun at an album it's best to actually listen to it first.
True, and I don't even know what any of it means but it seemed funny to me.

[botley]

That line would have been much funnier if there was actually a 'chipmunk chorus' in the album (there isn't.) To properly poke fun at an album it's best to actually listen to it first.
The pitch-shifted samples of Billie Holliday don't count as one? If not, it's because he didn't bother to finish the song that would have had that as its chorus (instead of him just 'singing' over top of it the whole time).



Honestly, I doubt the average Joe could tell the difference between 128kbps and FLAC.
In most unforgivingly noisy environments where people now tend to consume music, no one can. It's this competition with noise that @allegro (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=76) points out which is responsible for the dulling of sensitivity to sound reproduction standards. It's a conflation to assume that reproduction fidelity is the same thing as record production, however. Serious artists leveled this misguided critique at lots of really great rock music, too, back in the mid-1960s (Glenn Gould said he hated British Invasion music because it was so poorly-produced -- or rather reproduced, on the inferior-quality copies North Americas had). Don't get me started on the ridiculously low bit-rates required in order for digital radio stations to operate... but I'm not going to listen to terrestrial radio instead because they get a few more bits to reproduce shittier records.

[Magtig]

he didn't bother to finish the song
Unfinished is always bad.

http://thenewutopia.com/tnu/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Coca-Cola-Art_Andy-Warhol_Green_Coca-Cola_Bottles-590x400.jpg

[botley]

Sorry, were we comparing pop song production to painting?

[Magtig]

Sorry, were we comparing pop song production to painting?Your visceral reaction to Yeezus is honest, but each time you attempt to rationalize it you become a little less honest. It's okay for you to just simply hate the record.

[botley]

Thanks for telling me my feelings are okay, how much do I owe you for the hour?

Seriously, though, Lou's got it about right; the hooks are dumb but they're effective, and the audacity of his approach is undeniable. It just sets the bar that much lower for really bad production being used on far less gifted pop musicians to even worse results, and that's disheartening.

[Magtig]

Look, I have the same visceral reaction to patchouli oil. I get one whiff of that shit, and my blood is filled with seething HATE. I could try to rationalize the emotion away and talk about the chemicals, about what it reminds me of (dirty hippies! GRR!), and try with all my might to objectively declare that it was a bad odor, but none of it would mean a fucking thing. Similarly, you are incapable of being objective about this album for some reason, so stop trying to be. You shot your credibility when you opened with doing a better track on Windows '98 in 2000 anyway (and then not posting it). Just hate it (that should be the slogan of... anti-Nike, or something).

You owe me $250.

[botley]

Check's in the mail. That track did sell one copy, so someone else has it, but I don't have the original anymore (just bits of it that survived as fragments in later work (http://botley.bandcamp.com/track/polyrul)).

[konstantin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vns-81egipQ

[brotha52]

LOL one of my favorite parts is when he calls the line ''Damn your lips very soft As I turn my Blackberry off And I turn your bath water on And you turn off your iPhone' a quote unquote 'bag of shit'. Don't know why that cracked me up so much but it did.

And don't pass up the review that was linked in this article over here (http://www.okayplayer.com/news/kanye-west-yeezus-review-by-big-ghost.html) which has even more gems.

6. “I’m In It” – This probably coulda been on MBDTF too… Shit got that Cruel Summer feel to it too (Yall thought THAT shit was hard to enjoy… (http://www.okayplayer.com/news/big-ghostfase-g-o-o-d-music-cruel-summer-review.html)). But this shit even creepy for a Kanye song bruh…talmbout bitin n eatin ass… Son made sure he mentioned it was some Asian box he was pourin sweet n sour sauce on n a Black chick he was puttin his fist in like a civil rights sign tho. Jus so we kno he not sayin this shit bout his Armenian queen namsayin. But if he WAS describin his baby moms on this song he probably woulda stuck a lamb kebab in her ass n spread baba ghanoush all on it. Listen son….what this muthafucka wanna do in the privacy of his own domain is his business n whatever namsayin…but all I can picture is a seeded up Kim K wit her orca dress half off n a gagball n her mouth when he sayin this nasty shit yo. Ionno what purpose a muthafucka might have for this track other than to have shit to listen to at a Trojan orgy or some shit like that. If you rock latex garments n enjoy painful sex this might be your jam tho….

I actually enjoyed fucking to this song. Shit got kinky real quick.

[thefragile_jake]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vns-81egipQ

I usually like his opinions but the dude just doesn't care for West obviously and it shows on this review. He makes some points on the album but I think he takes too much time criticizing Kanye the person as opposed to his work.

[richardp]

I don't know who that dude is, but literally reviews EVERY single album I listen to. I see that dudes face pop up on virtually every single youtube search.

[thefragile_jake]

His name is Anthony Fantano, he runs a YouTube music review v-log called The Needle Drop. We've chatted on Twitter a few years back. He's very big with 4chan and his reviews are interesting at least because he does stick to his opinions and they're often very strong...I've noticed there's just a handful of records he doesn't care for that I totally think he misses the mark on. Yeezus being of them, Frank Ocean's Channel Orange and the most recent National are others.

[mfte]

His name is Anthony Fantano, he runs a YouTube music review v-log called The Needle Drop. We've chatted on Twitter a few years back. He's very big with 4chan and his reviews are interesting at least because he does stick to his opinions and they're often very strong...I've noticed there's just a handful of records he doesn't care for that I totally think he misses the mark on. Yeezus being of them, Frank Ocean's Channel Orange and the most recent National are others.

I like his reviews. I think most of them hold weight because he is informed about a lot of different genres, and seems to know what he is talking about. No single interviewer will ever be 100% aligned with his/her audience. I think he brings up valid points in the Yeezus review but maybe to him, Kanye West means different thing than he does to other people.

[scorpiusdiamond]

Saul Williams just posted this (http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130705-kanye-west-the-art-of-stealing), but I can't see it in the UK (ironically)
Can anyone give me the gist of it?

[october_midnight]

Critics claim that Kanye West’s new LP is pushing the boundaries of hip-hop – but Yeezus actually pinches plenty from the past, argues Greg Kot.

“Good artists borrow, great artists steal.”


That quote has been variously attributed to people who are, indisputably, great artists: T.S. Eliot and Picasso, for starters. Those who create at a high level will be the first to acknowledge that even their greatest works aren’t completely original. It’s just that some artists are better than others when it comes to appropriating the past and incorporating it into their own work.
Take Kanye West, for example. In the tradition of David Bowie, Madonna, U2, Radiohead and Daft Punk – all major artists who have made careers out of sifting through the underground for cool ideas - West is one hell of an appropriator. The rapper has fans and critics doing handstands to praise the sound, attitude and audacity of his latest album, Yeezus, which debuted as the No. 1 album in the U.S. In breaking with the lush arrangements and soul-dusted samples of his earlier work, West has once again figured out a way to blow out hip-hop’s boundaries, this time touching on ‘80s acid house, ‘90s industrial music and punk with a political edge. At least that’s what many of the Yeezus reviews have been preaching.


A little context says otherwise. It’s hardly the first time an artist has put hip-hop through an industrial-punk compactor. Yeezus draws a straight line back to the industrial clang of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy in the early ‘90s, or more recently, the agit-rap screeds of Death Grips. West also owes plenty to Saul Williams, who years ago was making saw-toothed political statements under the guise of hip-hop at its noisiest.


Poetic licence

Williams came out of Brooklyn, New York, in the mid-‘90s with a background in acting and poetry. He was a rising star on the city’s open-mike scene, and began dabbling in music in the progressive spirit of kindred spirits such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. Rick Rubin signed Williams to his American label, and tried to fit the poet into a hip-hop template on the 2001 album, Amethyst Rock Star.


But Williams had other ideas. He was performing with a band that included viola, cello and electric guitar, and on his 2004 self-titled album, he collapsed the box built by his debut, with help from such notable agitators as Rage Against the Machine’s Zach de la Rocha and System of a Down’s Serj Tankian. It produced List of Demands (Reparations), a track that a few years later was blasting on a US TV commercial for gym shoes. Williams raged, “I want my money back,” over a thundering drumbeat and a synthesizer screaming like a teakettle. What it had to do with gym shoes, I still have no idea, but it sounded terrific.
Williams also attracted a new fan in Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, who invited the agit-poet on tour and offered to produce his next album, which became The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust. It didn’t sound quite like anything else in 2007, and it anticipated the sonic and lyrical themes of Yeezus.


While making Niggy Tardust, Williams was thinking about West. “The first thing Trent and I discussed was the Kanye album with Jon Brion [the 2005 release Late Registration], and I liked it, but people were saying it was genre-bending, and I don’t feel like it is,” he said at the time. “We wanted to create something that really was outside genre.”


The album’s first track, Black History Month, announces its intentions from the get-go, with a cloud wafting around Williams’ voice, then turning into steely, syncopated percussion on Convict Colony: “I was born in a convict colony/ And I was torn from the land that mothered me,” Williams sings, as if emitting a last gasp.


Born free?
Similarly, Yeezus takes shots at institutional racism: the prison-industrial complex, which keeps young African American men locked up, and corporate America, which won’t welcome West to the table with the big boys, he says. But it muddles its message with misogynist lyrics and a sense that West’s politics are more about his freedom than anyone else’s.
Williams made the more accomplished album, but few critics have brought him up in discussing West’s latest work. Hip-hop itself is built on the notion of cannibalising bits and pieces of previously recorded music and restructuring and recontextualising them into something new. Entire musical genres – folk, blues, country – are based on oral traditions where songs were handed generation to generation and altered to suit the social, political and cultural climate of the moment. Madonna flirted with early house, techno and underground club music, and vogued her way through countless stylistic shifts. Bowie spent much of the ‘70s trying on cutting-edge sounds – glam, Philly soul, Euro-disco – like so many neon suits. And Bowie’s collaborations with Brian Eno in late ‘70s Berlin were themselves referenced by U2 when they reinvented themselves in 1991 on Achtung Baby.


Williams should understand what West is doing, because he himself has nicked plenty of pieces from the past. Niggy Tardust plays as a treatise on racial identity, an African-American reflecting back on the themes coursing through Bowie’s 1972 glam landmark Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. It illustrates a truism behind most great albums: What really matters is not whether you steal, but from whom you do the stealing.

[scorpiusdiamond]

Thank you for that. What a frustrating article...

[jmtd]

Thank you for that. What a frustrating article...

Fwiw, wow bbc pages uk folks can't see. So fucking stupid. Here's one way around it http://web.archive.org/liveweb/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130705-kanye-west-the-art-of-stealing

[thefragile_jake]

New music video for "Black Skinhead". (http://pitchfork.com/news/51376-video-kanye-west-black-skinhead/)

Very cool and has this weird vaporwave feel to it.

[gorast]

That was weird as fuck.

EDIT: Kanye said that's not the official video. Makes sense, I guess.

[Leviathant]

Kanye's not smart, people who think he's smart are just stupid. And here I felt a little bad charging $20 shipped for ETS shirts (http://www.stereogum.com/1406311/kanyes-a-p-c-line-includes-a-120-plain-white-t-shirt/news/). I don't know whether I want to say "Fuck that guy" or "Fuck the morons who throw money at him."

[tony.parente]

Kanye's not smart, people who think he's smart are just stupid. And here I felt a little bad charging $20 shipped for ETS shirts (http://www.stereogum.com/1406311/kanyes-a-p-c-line-includes-a-120-plain-white-t-shirt/news/). I don't know whether I want to say "Fuck that guy" or "Fuck the morons who throw money at him."

The guy is getting people to spend $120 on a tshirt, i'd say he's far from stupid.

[Presideo]

Kanye's not smart, people who think he's smart are just stupid. And here I felt a little bad charging $20 shipped for ETS shirts (http://www.stereogum.com/1406311/kanyes-a-p-c-line-includes-a-120-plain-white-t-shirt/news/). I don't know whether I want to say "Fuck that guy" or "Fuck the morons who throw money at him."
Can you get people to pay $120 for a white shirt? I rest my case...

[mfte]

Can you get people to pay $120 for a white shirt? I rest my case...

It's not just a white tshirt. It's egyptian cotton plus Kanye is genius... possibly also a god. Fishdicks.

[Leviathant]

Can you get people to pay $120 for a white shirt? I rest my case...

Your case is weak. Intelligence has nothing to do with saying "Let's sell a white shirt for $120" - that's fifth-grader shit. Anyone can throw that idea on the table, it's not clever or smart. I guarantee you if Trent sold a plain white shirt for $120 in limited quantities that would sell out before the week's over, but no one smart would be calling him smart for doing so.

[october_midnight]

All this really does in the end is prove that Levi.....you grossly undercharged for the ETS shirts.

[Presideo]

Your case is weak. Intelligence has nothing to do with saying "Let's sell a white shirt for $120" - that's fifth-grader shit. Anyone can throw that idea on the table, it's not clever or smart. I guarantee you if Trent sold a plain white shirt for $120 in limited quantities that would sell out before the week's over, but no one smart would be calling him smart for doing so.

I'm not saying the guy is smart, just opportunistic. A lot of people buy clothing based on the brand name. Diddy, Michael Jordon, Jay-Z, and many other celebs have used their name to pimp high-end clothing to the public, which is usually made on the cheap in Chinese sweatshops. Kanye's plain white t-shirt is just the most extreme, obnoxious way of doing so. There doesn't seem to be any false advertising in the way the shirts were advertised - people got what they paid for...a very expensive shirt.

[The Doctor]

I know it's way late, but here's my review of 'Yeezus' http://ourvinyl.com/kanye-wests-yeezus-album-review/

[spegettiwestern]

This whole 120 dollar t-shirt is nothing. If you guys followed Kanye at all you'd know that he's pretty notorious for being into all this high-fashion designer stuff. He wears Rick Owens/Julius clothing and shirts by said designers typically go for 150-200 and all they are is pretty basic black and white t-shirts. Although they do offer some really great leather jackets. At about 3-5 grand a pop.

[october_midnight]

http://cdn4.pitchfork.com/news/52170/88ed6dd9.jpg

Tickets on sale next Friday, September 13.



10-19 Seattle, WA - KeyArena #
10-20 Vancouver, British Columbia - Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena #
10-22 San Jose, CA - SAP Center #
10-23 Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena #
10-25 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
10-26 Los Angeles, CA - STAPLES Center #
11-01 Salt Lake City, UT - EnergySolutions Arena #
11-03 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center #
11-05 Minneapolis, MN - Target Center #
11-07 Chicago, IL - United Center #
11-10 Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills #
11-12 Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre #
11-14 Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre #
11-16 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
11-17 Boston, MA - TD Garden #
11-19 Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
11-21 Washington, DC - Verizon Center #
11-23 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
11-29 Miami, FL - AmericanAirlines Arena #
11-30 Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Times Forum
12-01 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena #
12-06 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center #
12-07 Houston, TX - Toyota Center #

# with Kendrick Lamar

[Kodiak33]

Ugh, only Chicago in my area...United Center will be ridiculous since it's his hometown.

[ericy210]

Ugh, only Chicago in my area...United Center will be ridiculous since it's his hometown.
Chicago will be a madhouse. It was for him & jay z. I'm excited. Road trip to PA for nin in October ( closest weekend show I can reasonably make and drive from Chicago to) then yeezus in nov.

[thefragile_jake]

I really hope he decides to add more dates to the tour, I really can't take off work any more and the closest show to me is in Chicago on a Thursday. Judging by what the schedule was like for the Glow in the Dark tour, I shouldn't hold my breath for a St. Louis or Kansas City date.

....then again, the Glow in the Dark tour had North American dates from like April to August, so I guess there's some kind of hope.

[october_midnight]

Yeah I'll be takin' the wife to this, pair of tickets will only run like $320 or so and the stage set up looks pretty nifty with the giant round stage right in the middle of the floor.

[october_midnight]

Thought this was pretty funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2T0fMkZoMo

He gets a bit....heated towards the end.

[richardp]

Is it just me, or does 'Ye sound way more.... white, these days?

This is a fucking phenomenal interview. 'Ye is firing on all cylinders here and it's awesome. Praise Yeezus!

[HurtinMinorKey]

It's not just a white tshirt. It's egyptian cotton plus Kanye is genius... possibly also a god. Fishdicks.

He gets absolutely owned by South Park for 20 minutes and his weak-sauce lyrical retort is "choke a South Park writer with a Fishdick".

Great producer, bad rapper, terrible lyricist, and personality-wise he is a complete and utter tool.

[Kodiak33]

Got tickets to the Columbus, OH show with Kendrick, I am pumped. I know he's an asshole, but this show should be incredible.

[Space Suicide]

Kanye West vs Jimmy Kimmel (http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/celeb-news/kanye-west-jimmy-kimmel-throwdown-twitter-015247936.html)

[thefragile_jake]

Is it just me, or does 'Ye sound way more.... white, these days?

This is a fucking phenomenal interview. 'Ye is firing on all cylinders here and it's awesome. Praise Yeezus!

I love how excited he gets. This interview is full of quotable gold.

[october_midnight]

After watching the whole interview, I'm still kinda on the fence. Sure, the guy's passionate and whatnot but he's the three millionth person to be that. Half of what he says, he just has to know that he's reached the level of fame that he can just go off and spout idiocy and at least 40% of the populace will say 'HE'S A GENIUS.' 'YOU JUST DON'T GET IT.' 'THE MAN IS MAKING ART.' (see: Marilyn Manson) but down to brass tacks, a lot of it is just the guy's head so far up his own ass he could lick his appendix.

[Space Suicide]

After watching the full thing, I laughed at the end due to Lowe losing it when he said he was the best 'rock star' and that 'rap is the new rock.'

I thought West was decent and well in 808's but it seems his ego and work has gotten out of control for the praise he deserves. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was an all right outing and Yeezus is passable and not really all that great to me. His crediability with me has gone down further with the whole Kim Kardashian relationship and family thing. I thought he was better and smarter than that but I guess I was wrong.

808's was a masterpiece and was extremely cutting. The emotion on that album is/was insane. He's yet to replicate it and I doubt he ever will. The album was raw and told a story and side of his pain that he felt after his fiancee left him. Now he's fucked and with a vain, talentless and brain dead "celebrity" and making an album cashing in on a new fad of electronic based rap. Meh.

I think I'm over being disillusioned.

[Fredy_Brown]

[...] 'rap is the new rock.' [...]
Obviously.

[r_z]

So Zane Lowe's strategy basically consists of just crawling up the interviewees asses as far as possible?

[Kid Charlemagne]

He gets absolutely owned by South Park for 20 minutes and his weak-sauce lyrical retort is "choke a South Park writer with a Fishdick".

Great producer, bad rapper, terrible lyricist, and personality-wise he is a complete and utter tool.

This is as generic as a comment as I've seen on Kanye West.

I don't care about his personal life as much as he does or the media does. Yeah, he's married to an attention whore, and he never keeps his mouth shut, but if I ever let that bother me, I don't know if I'd like any artist. Trent for example comes off like a pretentious and pompous asshole in about 60% of interviews he's done since With Teeth has come out, but it doesn't stop me from being a fan. Kanye has easily become the most quotable artist in recent memory since Lil Wayne decided to put it into neutral four years ago. The Zane Lowe interview is stupid he's an idiot, Kanye tries to control it the whole tie and ends up saying some of the stupidest shit I've heard, and Jimmy Kimmel does a pretty funny spoof of it, and he loses it. Kimmel is obviously going to gain more sympathy for this, rightfully so, he's a comedian and can poke fun at himself. This is going to end poorly for Kanye and it easily could've been avoided if Kanye had realized how shitty of an interviewer Zane Lowe is.

All this being said, I don't think any album this year has had the replay ability this year the way Yeezus has. I just hope K-Dot doesn't upstage him becuase it's very possible.

[Magtig]

I listen to Kanye's music, not his interviews.

[Kid Charlemagne]

I listen to Kanye's music, not his interviews.

...and this is how it should be.

[HurtinMinorKey]

Obviously.


You mean rap has been dead for more than a decade now too?

[ericy210]

A truck carrying the video truss and 60 ft led lighting crashed now he's canceled shows for the week!

[Kodiak33]

I'm supposed to goto Columbus, but they have said absolutely nothing about it being canceled.

[Halo Infinity]

...and this is how it should be.
I know I'm something else, but so is my humor radar. :p I think another reason why I find it funny was because that somehow reminded me of South Park's Fishsticks yet again.

[october_midnight]

I'm supposed to goto Columbus, but they have said absolutely nothing about it being canceled.

Don't hate the playa, but it looks like some dates, including Vancouver and Columbus (http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/11/kanye-wests-vancouver-show-cancelled-will-not-be-rescheduled/) have straight up been cancelled with no postponed dates to come.

Pitchfork article. (http://pitchfork.com/news/52903-kanye-west-announces-new-yeezus-tour-itinerary/)

[Kodiak33]

Yep, this blows. I'm not sure when I will get to see him again.

[ericy210]

Chicago moved from tomorrow to dec 17. Got an email and voice mail from ticketmaster at about 3 today

[october_midnight]

The uhh...the new video. It's so bad. So, so very bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_6I089_mrE

[frankie teardrop]

uh. i actually sat through that whole thing. i don't know what's worse- the song or the video? woof.

[Mantra]

I think it's strange that this video was first shared with the world through Ellen's talk show.

[Highly Psychological]

Why is he going out with her, Kim Kardashian?

[Pillfred]

Probably causes she's hot?

[thevoid99]

Probably causes she's hot?

LMAO.... compared to what or who? Come on!!!!

[Pillfred]

Um no? Think about it in the press she's smoking hot Kim. Rich, everyone kisses her ass, she's pretty much the it girl atm. Who else is good enough for yeezus??? I'm not saying I agree but really it doesn't take much if a logical leap to figure it out. Who knows maybe she is nice person too.

[rampface]

You guys are caught up in that TMZ mind frame. You don't actually know this person. You only know her media persona. That doesn't mean that's who "she is" when the cameras are off. Also, if you can't admit she's super attractive, then you should probably change your sexual orientation.


Also, who the fuck cares? Go on with your life.


This video is tongue-in-cheek. The song as well. Lighten up.

[Jinsai]

The video is bullshit. The song as well. There's nothing to lighten up about. Seriously, "lighten up?" How shitty does something have to be before we're allowed to say it sucks?

[rampface]

It needs to be obviously shitty. Not "waaah waaah my taste buds don't agree with this" shitty. This song is obviously not shitty. Time and effort was spent on this. You don't like it: fine. But that's just your opinion. That doesn't mean it sucks.

[screwdriver]

the song is pretty grating, but it's just not for me

that said, and I am a pretty big Kanye defender, but the video was obviously shitty.

[Jinsai]

It needs to be obviously shitty. Not "waaah waaah my taste buds don't agree with this" shitty. This song is obviously not shitty. Time and effort was spent on this. You don't like it: fine. But that's just your opinion. That doesn't mean it sucks.

No, it's obviously shitty. That's why EVERYONE except you thinks it sucks.

[rampface]

Yes..."everyone". Because the only music lovers left are those who inhabit this nine inch nails forum. Hahaha.




O K A Y

Have you ever heard the phrase "living in a bubble"?

[screwdriver]

Yes..."everyone". Because the only music lovers left are those who inhabit this nine inch nails forum. Hahaha.




O K A Y

Have you ever heard the phrase "living in a bubble"?

to be fair, this is a pretty decent bubble here, as evidenced by this very exchange - all of us are here but have wildly different views about this

out of curiosity, what is it you think the video is trying to communicate?

[DF118]

Time and effort was spent on this.

The song is cack, and the video is lazy- they're just mincing around in front of a green screen, playing back some stock footage.

I spend time and effort in the toilet but I'm still just taking a shit.

[october_midnight]

waaah waaah my taste buds don't agree with this Neither do mine. I'd never try to taste shit.

[Space Suicide]

Have you ever heard with letting a negative comment you don't agree with go by? You certainly voice your opinion on what blows a dick and it's awesome when you say it to others but when someone else does it's a resounding "NOPE, IT'S WRONG." from you every time.

I like Kanye West but the video is idiotic. The song is average at best. Not his greatest work.

[Jinsai]

Yes..."everyone". Because the only music lovers left are those who inhabit this nine inch nails forum. Hahaha.

O K A Y

Have you ever heard the phrase "living in a bubble"?This is not the only segment of the internet that's calling this whole thing hilariously shitty. It just happens to be the place that I'm currently talking to you.

I know it's a difficult concept, but try. I'd bring up the fact that this board is (for the most part) pro-Kanye in regards to things unrelated to this ridiculous song/video, but why make this more confusing than it has to be? All the overwhelming "thumbs down" on that youtube video aren't coming from this board.

[rampface]

My time and effort comment referred to the recording, not the video. Clearly the video is just the two goofing around.

Also, the shit you think you're tasting is relative.

[Jinsai]

Clearly the video is just the two goofing around.

Yeah, with no budget at all... they probably just shot it on an iPhone, just goofin off and debuting it on a talk show.

[october_midnight]

This just all goes to show what I've said about numerous acts (see: Manson) on here before. You get to a certain level of fame/notoriety and you can practically release anything and will still get a solid percentage of people with glazed-over eyes going on and on about how amazing it is. I STILL patiently await the day one of these artists releases a song called 'YOU'RE AN IDIOT IF YOU LIKE THIS, GIVE ME YOUR MONEY YOU DUMB PRICK' and I shit you not at least one person on this board will defend it to the death.

[WorzelG]

He probably did it because more people would talk and share a video that is hilariously crap than just an average ok video (and beats the effort and expense of doing a great video)

[Pillfred]

Also, the shit you think you're tasting is relative.

Think about this one...

[koz-ivan]

He probably did it because more people would talk and share a video that is hilariously crap than just an average ok video (and beats the effort and expense of doing a great video)

I love me some Kanye, and I can forgive the video. but the song. just no.

that i cannot forgive.

[reseen_lamenti]

http://oi44.tinypic.com/2zyjwa1.jpg

[screwdriver]

http://oi44.tinypic.com/2zyjwa1.jpg

for that to work, it would have to be good.

let's take brokeback mountain, which really subverted the traditional masculine, cowboy, "marlboro-man" image of Americana. They could have (and probably have) made a porno version of that, but it wouldn't have had the same impact. Brokeback Mountain was a really well told story, so it actually impacted the imagery.

[Mantra]

I kinda think the song sounds better on the album. Even there it's a little weird, because the chorus is so cheesy and over-the-top and the changes are so jarring and abrupt. But still, after nine songs that are mostly all industrial and angsty, this is like the upbeat melodic conclusion, and it's also the track that sounds closest to his older styles, so it's like he's coming home or whatever. But when you just encounter the song on it's own like this you don't have all that album buildup behind it, so most people are just gonna think "What? Is this a fucking joke?" It's a terrible choice for a single.

[Jinsai]

"The beautiful woman" is a corny stereotype of white america? Goddamn, some people are desperate to find some deeper meaning or significance in the dumbest shit.

[allegro]

The only good thing about the video is Kim.

I love Kim.

[blackholesun]

That was a terrible video for one of the shittier songs on the album. Yikes.

[Conan The Barbarian]

Came Back Haunted is like Thriller compared to that video.

[allegro]

I love me some Kanye, and I can forgive the video. but the song. just no.

that i cannot forgive.

I agree, Godfather.

[blackholesun]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRckgn36lzY#t=161

[Tiz]

^Those guys are awesome.

Kanye's song is worse than the video. I've listened to lots of music I haven't liked, but rarely have I shut something off. THAT was blistering.

[rampface]

I'm just gonna leave this here...


http://sabotagetimes.com/music/why-everybody-has-missed-the-point-of-kanyes-bound-2-video/

[reseen_lamenti]

YOU AIN'T GOT THE ANSWERS, DAWG. YOU AIN'T GOT THE ANSWERS, DAWG. YOU AIN'T GOT THE ANSWERS, DAWG. YOU AIN'T GOT THE ANSWERS, DAWG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WpMY4L_iAs

[Leviathant]

http://sabotagetimes.com/music/why-everybody-has-missed-the-point-of-kanyes-bound-2-video/

Hahahaha. Oh boy.

Simply put, Bound 2 is an obvious parody disguised as a pastiche [...] Whilst we all cringed at silly ol’ Kanye, it’s highly plausible the rapper had the last laugh..

Riiiiight, Kanye's pulled a fast one on everyone with this super clever video, and also Tool put out 10,000 Days as "decoy album."

I think the last line in that article is truer than the writer is capable of comprehending.

[zecho]

I'm just gonna leave this here...


http://sabotagetimes.com/music/why-everybody-has-missed-the-point-of-kanyes-bound-2-video/

As a huge Kanye fan, I don't buy this. At least not entirely. I mean, he's definitely been trying to talk about race and equality recently, and the confederate flag is a very clear response to that, but I don't see how this video could possibly be commenting on it. I may not know all of the stereotypes against white people, seeing as I am white, but if I were to criticize them I would use trailer parks, false sense of superiority, picket fences, casual sporting/boating, smoking, drinking, greed, power-tripping, dead end cubicle jobs, a general sense of apathy concerning things that don't affect them, and all sorts of other things that I find negative about white people, at least stereotypically speaking.

That said, I can't see what mountains, rivers, and horses have to do with white people. Maybe I'm wrong and there are tons of people who associate white people with mountains, but that doesn't seem to reflect even white culture, much less the people themselves. I've seen this argument pop a few times around the internet, and I would be willing to give it at least a tiny bit of credibility if someone could point out a single white stereotype portrayed in the video. I'm pretty sure sex, horses, mountains, and rivers don't have anything to do with it. The closest I can get is a the flannel shirt and motorcycle, but even then it's stretching.

[Rdm]

After hearing that rant makes me want to throw away my dark fantasy vinyl in the trash. why did I support this guy? I am a sucker

[allegro]

Don't those mountains represent "America?" The rest of the video, though, no clue other than I think he's sending a message to Jay Z like they're in some kind of hot chick mom competition.

[mfte]

I always enjoyed the musings of Charlamagne because he always seemed to say it like it was.

So this was a treat to see....


http://gawker.com/watch-kanye-west-repeatedly-get-his-ass-handed-to-him-1472190612

[brotha52]

As a huge Kanye fan, I don't buy this. At least not entirely. I mean, he's definitely been trying to talk about race and equality recently, and the confederate flag is a very clear response to that, but I don't see how this video could possibly be commenting on it. I may not know all of the stereotypes against white people, seeing as I am white, but if I were to criticize them I would use trailer parks, false sense of superiority, picket fences, casual sporting/boating, smoking, drinking, greed, power-tripping, dead end cubicle jobs, a general sense of apathy concerning things that don't affect them, and all sorts of other things that I find negative about white people, at least stereotypically speaking.

That said, I can't see what mountains, rivers, and horses have to do with white people. Maybe I'm wrong and there are tons of people who associate white people with mountains, but that doesn't seem to reflect even white culture, much less the people themselves. I've seen this argument pop a few times around the internet, and I would be willing to give it at least a tiny bit of credibility if someone could point out a single white stereotype portrayed in the video. I'm pretty sure sex, horses, mountains, and rivers don't have anything to do with it. The closest I can get is a the flannel shirt and motorcycle, but even then it's stretching.
I'll let this speak for me.
http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/the-real-stuff-white-people-like/

[rampface]

I always enjoyed the musings of Charlamagne because he always seemed to say it like it was.

So this was a treat to see....


http://gawker.com/watch-kanye-west-repeatedly-get-his-ass-handed-to-him-1472190612

Watch this interview. He admits Bound 2 is a joke and that he wanted it to look like a "white trash t-shirt".

[allegro]

This is one goof ass weird interview:


http://youtu.be/SdwUEt8IHF0

(Kanye was late so he doesn't show up until at least halfway through.)

Is his ego REALLY that big or is that his shtick?



If Kanye wanna play like a big man in fashion, he gotta learn how to pronounce designer names. *eyeroll*

[Space Suicide]

This interview is hilarious. He gets backed into a corner so many times. (http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/83697108/)

[Rdm]

Anyone else think Kanye is on drugs or can someone be this stupid ?

[october_midnight]

Anyone else think Kanye is on drugs or can someone be this stupid ?

I don't think he's on drugs per se, but you're right that something just ain't clickin' right...even if it's some kind of mild disorder. The weird thing, and I might be alone on it, is how I always catch him smiling in interviews and then instantly just stop and glare or look pissed off like 2 seconds later. Could be bipolar disorder or something? If you watch out for it, he does it all the time, I think he actually genuinely is good and finds things funny, even when people are poking fun at him or something he's done...but something in his mind clicks and he goes 'oh wait, don't smile or laugh, look pissed, man...look pissed.'

It's almost as if his mind is constantly running a hundred miles an hour, thinking of how he's being portrayed or looked at every single second.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1aJ_CcZQJE

[TheyCallMeDrug]

kanye is def not on drugs. you're seeing a textbook case of a severely warped ego. to the point of where it interferes with his everyday connection to reality. not to say he's not a good musician though.

[rampface]

I love it though! You can never accuse him of being boring.

[Charmingly Miserable]

Stereogum calls Yeezus the best NIN album of 2013. lol

http://www.stereogum.com/1582332/hear-kanye-freestyle-over-nine-inch-nails-closer/video/

[Space Suicide]

My respect for this clown has dropped a huge margin. (http://www.conservativeoutfitters.com/blogs/news/10489853-kanye-on-obamas-failures-black-people-dont-have-the-same-connections-as-jewish-people)

He likes to run his mouth as a revolutionary. If he wants to be one, say something articulate and that doesn't sound as straight cut, rude and obnoxiously arrogant.

[reseen_lamenti]

This psychoanalysis article is so accurate to the point that it's literally depressing to read. (http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2013/11/27/who-the-hell-am-i-ive-got-the-answers-kanye/)

[Kid Charlemagne]

I got to witness Yeezus in all its glory last night, and jeez, this show is hard to explain. The show is an several act play like has past few tours, it's over the top, there's women in fleh tights with their faces not revealed, a fucking mountain, Jesus, the mountain becoming a volcano, and a church ceremony. The set is heavily favoring Yeezus material, all the songs from it are played, and the first half of the set is kind of boring, but man, that second half. The show was a fucking party for the last 45 minutes, especially "Flashing Lights" and "All of the Lights". The production is solid and over the top, my only gripe..."Runaway", not only is it extended way too long, but he goes off on his nonsensical rants and while it's fun at the beginning, it kills the momentum. Also, this happened:
http://www.complex.com/music/2013/12/kanye-west-kicks-heckler-out-at-concert?utm_campaign=complexmag%2Bsocialflow%2B12% 2B2013&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

[Space Suicide]

What a fucking retard and the people involved, also suffer major brain damage. (http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/01/14/were-gonna-let-you-finish-christianity-but-yeezianity-is-the-best-religion-of-all-time/)

[Halo Infinity]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo78zBjfxuo


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0bDI6zuIT0

http://consequenceofsound.net/2013/11/kanye-west-freestyles-over-nine-inch-nails-closer-gets-in-spat-with-sway-calloway/ - Kanye West makes an attempt to freestyle over Closer, and says he likes Nine Inch Nails. I'm sure I might've read it before, but it's the first time I've heard him actually say that. It can be heard at the 31 minute mark of the video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S78tT_YxF_c

[Amaro]

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/exp/kanye/kanye.html

[eversonpoe]

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/exp/kanye/kanye.html

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[mfte]

New song leaked. low quality.


http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/kanye_west-all_day_rough_version?&utm_source=TwitterEN&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ENTwitter

[The Doctor]

So did anyone confirm if him and Jay Z had some sort of falling out? I've heard things on and off the past few months that they're not talking.

[gorast]

The dude who wrote that article just screams "I'm a total douchebag."

Patience is thinning? Yeezus came out last year. ​Give the dude like five fucking seconds to relax before demanding more music.

[Reznor2112]

New song leaked. low quality.


http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/kanye_west-all_day_rough_version?&utm_source=TwitterEN&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ENTwitter


None of the links play the song. Ive been to revolt's site and nothing. I guess it was taken down

[thefragile_jake]

Kanye West Hosts Listening Party for New Album (http://pitchfork.com/news/56863-kanye-west-hosts-listening-party-for-new-album/)

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p174/purkake/25tx1rs.gif

[october_midnight]

Apparently it's leaked that Kanye will tour North America next year. (http://www.stereogum.com/1722407/kanye-west-will-tour-north-america-next-year/news/)

Only $15,000 for a VIP package? That shit's a steal.

[eversonpoe]

Apparently it's leaked that Kanye will tour North America next year. (http://www.stereogum.com/1722407/kanye-west-will-tour-north-america-next-year/news/)

Only $15,000 for a VIP package? That shit's a steal.

at least the money goes to charity instead of to kanye? :p

[Krazy]

It STARTS at $15k. So that KC show a couple years back would've taken everyone to pitch in 3 bucks to meet that starting asking price, heh.

[Krazy]

at least the money goes to charity instead of to kanye? :p

Maybe Kim K will buy it for him for his birthday- can leave it in the passenger seat of the new Lamborghini.

[october_midnight]

New track 'Only One ft. Paul McCartney' dropped. It's....pretty boring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6t2xgk7ZrU

[Space Suicide]

I hear that awful autotune.

Yeah, it's junk.

I think my fandom started and stopped with 808's.

[richardp]

I'm a massive Kanye fan-boy, and yeah that track is HELLA boring. Such a let down.

[implanted_microchip]

I know everyone here tends to not like Kanye from most of what I've seen, but I love this. Almost cried first time I heard it yesterday. I don't know, the giant shift from Yeezus to this and the just general loving feeling I get from it is incredible, and the amount that this guy is still affected by the loss of his mother is just intense. You can really tell how much he loved that woman, and this is just about as heart-felt as he's ever seemed. I'm pretty excited for whatever the album ends up being, and I'm crossing my fingers we'll hear it soon.

[ghostaustin]

yeah, this is actually really nice after the vulgar, aggressive onslaught of Yeezus

[thefragile_jake]

This is a nice down-tempo track and the outro at the end is really, really great. Once again, this kind of stuff is why I like Kanye. He keeps us guessing with material. This would make for a great closing track should it make the next album.

[GlitchyFlame]

Listened to Yeezus today, and the production was fucking fantastic. I'm genuinely surprised. The lyrics and vocals on the other hand...

[botley]

Listened to Yeezus today, and the production was fucking fantastic. I'm genuinely surprised. The lyrics and vocals on the other hand...
I have the perfect (seasonal) solution for you: KREEZUS (https://soundcloud.com/local-business-comedy/sets/kreezus).

[GlitchyFlame]

I have the perfect (seasonal) solution for you: KREEZUS (https://soundcloud.com/local-business-comedy/sets/kreezus).

Yeah, I saw that last night when gathering the instrumentals. It's a fantastic project :D

[elevenism]

Listened to Yeezus today, and the production was fucking fantastic. I'm genuinely surprised. The lyrics and vocals on the other hand...

ahhh, so NOW you understand about Kanye.
Yeah, the music is pretty fucking mind blowing. I had the same experience.

But i agree, he's an average rapper at best.

[Space Suicide]

I just hate that he acts like he shits bricks of gold. He doesn't and he comes off as overly pretentious or self-entitled of endless praise. The whole process with him is smoke and mirrors. He has strong instrumentals, EXCELLENT production and a distinct sound. I think Yeezus was one of the most self-indulgent ego stroking albums I've ever heard in my life from a music artist. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy came off as an egocentric maniac album but it had extremely good songs like Power and Monster on it. If whatever he's working on is more of the same as Yeezus I'm going to stay away (after my maiden voyage listen). Even the name of that album was ridiculous bullshit.

However, I could sing praise and carry on about how glorious 808's & Heartbreak was. That was easily one of the best albums in hip-hop post 2000.

[implanted_microchip]

I've always seen it as him pushing the hip-hop culture of self-aggrandizement as far as possible, almost mocking the attitude and self-obsessed world so much of that genre pushes. It's like saying, "Fine, if we're supposed to talk about how great we are, then I'm a god." Because there's no higher level from there. And in that song even, there's panicked breathing and sudden desperate screaming, as if overwhelmed and unable to handle it.

Live for Yeezus he wore a mask covering his face for almost every Yeezus track, as if separating himself and the music, putting on a literal mask covered in gold.

I see it as saying, "If this is the image we're supposed to have and how you're going to see me, then I'll embrace it until you can't stand it."

I really think Yeezus is incredible, and in general love everything about it. It's dark, cynical, aggressive and depressive, attacking and hilarious from start to finish. It's like a giant, violent show full of fire and desperation with black comedy throughout.

Plus a lot of it deals with the sacred and profane combining until nothing holy is left. And you get Yeezus out of that. Saying "Them titties, thank god, they free at last" followed by a sample of someone singing "Oh, free," in reference to civil rights; sex being nothing but possessive and desperate, "One more fuck and I can own ya, One cold night in October," love always being in the past and destroyed, "Five years we been over," "Soul mates become soulless," "Before you tried to destroy us," "If you loved me so much then why'd you let me go?" All romance steeped, birthed in and destroyed by debauchery, "Hurry up with my damn menage" contrasted later on by "Maybe it's cuz . . . I was into trios" cited as a cause for a wrecked relationship. Then the album ends with Bound 2, a song about a loveless and fake relationship where the most you can say is "We made it to Thanksgiving, so hey, maybe we can make it to Christmas!" Not focused on long-term, just however long possible, and closing on an almost mockingly submissive "Uh-huh, honey." It's so cynical, opening to close.

[october_midnight]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8TDQkECYAAwWLc.jpg

[richardp]

I don't know exactly what that is, but I hope Paul McCartney is not on it.

:: prepares for the thrown stones ::

[october_midnight]

I believe it's Big Sean's new album, that Kanye will be on...but not sure.

[gorast]

I watched the Grammys tonight (I know, I know, I know) and saw both of Kanye's tracks (well, Rihanna w/ Kanye and Paul McCartney) and I have to say, Only One is a great song. I missed when Kanye would write songs like this.

FourFiveSeconds is great, too. I hope Kanye goes back to a more 808s-styled album, maybe not as aggressively melancholy as that, but the same sort of style.

[Krazy]

I thought he was joking too when this happened, just to read he had another 'asshole of the millennium' moment...

http://m.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/kanye-west-pretends-takes-mic-beck-grammys-article-1.2107972

[Space Suicide]

Yeah, feel sorry for Beck. This guy just astounds me every year with the shit he says or does that helps his ego along.

I find it hilarious he says that they disrespect artistry because Beyonce didn't win. That's an insult to Beck, a man who has been around for over 20 years. I guess he's not an artist then.

Seriously, fuck this piece of shit. I'm over it.

[tony.parente]

http://i.imgur.com/Ta8WFIN.jpg

Haha relevant

[WorzelG]

What is it about Beyonce that Kanye West is obsessed about? Did he once have something going on with her or something?

[ambergris]

http://i.imgur.com/Ta8WFIN.jpg

Haha relevant

If what Arca (producer on Yeezus) said to Björk is true, Kanye hardly produced his own album. He was gone for days while his producers made the music. Maybe Kanye respects Beyoncé for the way she is more a 'brand' than a musician.

[thevoid99]

One of these days.... Kanye will get his brains bashed in when he interrupts someone.... it would make great live TV to see someone beat the shit out of him.

[eversonpoe]

One of these days.... Kanye will get his brains bashed in when he interrupts someone.... it would make great live TV to see someone beat the shit out of him.

whoa, dude...that was a bit extreme...

[Space Suicide]

whoa, dude...that was a bit extreme...

You never venture into the professional wrestling thread do you? He's always extreme. :p

[Deadpool]

I fucking love ClickHole so fucking much.

http://www.clickhole.com/blogpost/ive-proved-myself-artist-so-now-im-going-be-forkli-716?utm_campaign=default&utm_medium=ShareTools&utm_source=facebook

[Krazy]

One of these days.... Kanye will get his brains bashed in when he interrupts someone.... it would make great live TV to see someone beat the shit out of him.

I'd love to see him pick on the wrong person one day, body guards be damned, and get KTFO. Instead he goes at Taylor Swift and Beck when the camera is on.

I think TS can beat up Beck, lollllll.

[Fredy_Brown]

Beck is horrible. Kanye was right once again.

[Khrz]

I think TS can beat up Beck, lollllll.

He can't beat up TS, that would make him a Suppressive person.
Well that would also make him a fucking asshole but that's beside the point.

[gorast]

I think you guys are getting a little overly butthurt over a joke. And yeah, artistry, respect Beyoncé, all that shit after the show, but who the fuck really cares? Are you people actually coming to the defense of Beck? Really? How many of you gave a shit about Beck before last night?

Also, thevoid99, Jesus Christ. Really, dude?

It never ends in this thread. Feels like the Death Grips thread sometimes.

Oh, my fucking God, people, I get it, Beck's great, Kanye's the worst ever, I fucking get it. Step the fuck off. Christ.

[Ryan]

more like kanye east

[Krazy]

I think you guys are getting a little overly butthurt over a joke. And yeah, artistry, respect Beyoncé, all that shit after the show, but who the fuck really cares? Are you people actually coming to the defense of Beck? Really? How many of you gave a shit about Beck before last night?




This is a forum, to "discuss" things".

At the end of the day, no, none of this shit matters in our lives really- or it shouldn't. Maybe ETS should just close up shop since everyone doesn't agree on everything.

Doesn't matter if it's Beck or Beiber(sp?), this guy is an asshole and when he wants to get attention it's typically for the wrong reason. He's got his opinions- which is fine to be honest, we all do- but it always seems to have to shit on someone else's spot light so he's in the head lines.

I must've missed the "joke" part.

[Krazy]

There's nothing douchier than bringing up the fucking "it's a forum to discuss things" thing. I know what the fuck a forum is, thanks.

I wasn't shitting on anyone's right to bitch, I was bitching about other people's opinions. That's also what forums are for. Shocking, right? It's almost like there are multiple ways to say things here. What a concept.


If it bothers you so much get a damn interview with the douche bag and find out what it is about Beyonce not winning an award to that gets HIM so "butthurt". The guy acts like a complete asshole in front of a TV audience and people wonder what the fuck is wrong with the guy.

Whatever.

EDIT: if people are going to disagree on things that's fine, just don't delete posts- not sure what that's all about.

[thevoid99]

I think you guys are getting a little overly butthurt over a joke. And yeah, artistry, respect Beyoncé, all that shit after the show, but who the fuck really cares? Are you people actually coming to the defense of Beck? Really? How many of you gave a shit about Beck before last night?

Also, thevoid99, Jesus Christ. Really, dude?

It never ends in this thread. Feels like the Death Grips thread sometimes.

I've always gave a shit about Beck. I love Beck. Besides, I have no respect for some insecure egomaniac who is married to some ugly and overexposed hobbit who thinks he's better than everyone. You goddamn right I would love to see him get his brains bashed in. One less asshole to worry about.

[allegro]

Beck is horrible. Kanye was right once again.

The Grammys doesn't care about Black People. Heh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIUzLpO1kxI

[Baphomette]

How many of you gave a shit about Beck before last night?Quite a few of us. We're all over the age of 28 (except Kid Charlemagne but he's still cool).

[GulDukat]

Yawn. Kanye West said something stupid and made a fool of himself, again. Beck doesn't care, why should anyone else?

[Frozen Beach]

http://www.gigwise.com/news/97973/kanye-west-beck-grammy-rant---garbages-shirley-manson-steps-in
I forgot how amazing Shirley Manson is.

[thevoid99]

http://www.gigwise.com/news/97973/kanye-west-beck-grammy-rant---garbages-shirley-manson-steps-in
I forgot how amazing Shirley Manson is.

Thank you Shirley!

[Kid Charlemagne]

Yawn. Kanye West said something stupid and made a fool of himself, again. Beck doesn't care, why should anyone else?

Because this is an ongoing thing with some megalomaniac who refuses to understand the importance of treating someone. Would you like to be humiliated and disrespected on one of the biggest stages in your field?


I think you guys are getting a little overly butthurt over a joke. And yeah, artistry, respect Beyoncé, all that shit after the show, but who the fuck really cares? Are you people actually coming to the defense of Beck? Really? How many of you gave a shit about Beck before last night?

Also, thevoid99, Jesus Christ. Really, dude?

It never ends in this thread. Feels like the Death Grips thread sometimes.

Beck has been a relevant, genre defining artist for over 20 years, people still care about him, I know I do and always have. Whether or not you like him as an artist, nobody deserves the stupid bullshit that Kanye is doing at awards shows. People deserve respect, and Kanye doesn't get it. If you don't get that simple fact, then you're just as narrow-minded as Kanye.

[butter_hole]

Christ, Kid C, you need to relax and back that wah-wah train all the way up, buddy.

From Mr Hansen's mouth itself: "I was just so excited he was coming up. He deserves to be on stage as much as anybody," Beck told Us Weekly. "How many great records has he put out in the last five years, right?”

Wouldn't you prefer it if Kanye rushed the stage? Look at all the media hype Beck has now. He's the good guy and he's done nothing at all. It's the Grammy's. Who gives a fuck? Kanye rules, so does Beyonce, so does Beck.

[GulDukat]

Because this is an ongoing thing with some megalomaniac who refuses to understand the importance of treating someone. Would you like to be humiliated and disrespected on one of the biggest stages in your field?
I think I'd probably roll my eyes and move on, or I'd be too busy thinking about a place to put my shiny new award to care.

[allegro]

I'm with Shirley Manson; If I was Beyonce, I'd smack Kanye and tell him to knock that shit off, because it's coming across like Beyonce is a victim who needs Kanye to protect or defend her, and that's obviously not true. Beyonce is one of the wealthiest women on the planet. Sure, that doesn't prove artistry BUT NEITHER DOES THE GRAMMIES, not with pop music anyway. Beyonce doesn't need a bunch of white suits to give her artistic integrity and does she even WANT that? Kanye is seeking attention for HIMSELF and "black people" in general, but then where was he during the BET Awards?

HE WAS WINNING ONE, THAT'S WHERE (http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/artsbeat/2015/01/26/kanye-west-is-a-visionary-and-he-has-an-b-e-t-award-to-prove-it/).

Kanye, just stop, really. I understand what you're saying, the Grammies are boring and homogenous, but fuck them, they're not the Oscars. I stopped watching the Grammies long ago, they're completely off my radar. Yawn.

[GulDukat]

I'm with Shirley Manson; If I was Beyonce, I'd smack Kanye and tell him to knock that shit off, because it's coming across like Beyonce is a victim who needs Kanye to protect or defend her, and that's obviously not true. Beyonce is one of the wealthiest women on the planet. Sure, that doesn't prove artistry BUT NEITHER DOES THE GRAMMIES, not with pop music anyway. Beyonce doesn't need a bunch of white suits to give her artistic integrity and does she even WANT that? Kanye is seeking attention for HIMSELF and "black people" in general, but then where was he during the BET Awards?

HE WAS WINNING ONE, THAT'S WHERE (http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/artsbeat/2015/01/26/kanye-west-is-a-visionary-and-he-has-an-b-e-t-award-to-prove-it/).

Kanye, just stop, really. I understand what you're saying, the Grammies are boring and homogenous, but fuck them, they're not the Oscars. I stopped watching the Grammies long ago, they're completely off my radar. Yawn.
I find his obsession with Beyonce to be downright bizarre. Kanye is a talented guy and obviously puts a lot of thought into his music, yet the same man makes these asinine, moronic public comments.

[Kid Charlemagne]

I think I'd probably roll my eyes and move on, or I'd be too busy thinking about a place to put my shiny new award to care.

Easier said than done, especially with huge audience in the building and millions at home viewing. This isn't some small 500 person venue, this was an arena full of people at "music's biggest night". Just because you think you' react calmly doesn't make it right or absolve Kanye, this is a piece of shit with a history of this, and it's tired. This coming from someone who celebrates the artists entire discography.


Christ, Kid C, you need to relax and back that wah-wah train all the way up, buddy.

From Mr Hansen's mouth itself: "I was just so excited he was coming up. He deserves to be on stage as much as anybody," Beck told Us Weekly. "How many great records has he put out in the last five years, right?”

Wouldn't you prefer it if Kanye rushed the stage? Look at all the media hype Beck has now. He's the good guy and he's done nothing at all. It's the Grammy's. Who gives a fuck? Kanye rules, so does Beyonce, so does Beck.

Not only was this entirely unoriginal, but you completely missed the point.

[Sarah K]

I love that even people who are generally intelligent fall for his trolling. Kanye is love. <3

You're all doing exactly what he wants you to do. ;)

[thevoid99]

Tell that to Paul Stanley who I think has one of the best responses: http://www.avclub.com/article/shirley-manson-paul-stanley-share-relevant-opinion-215037

[Sarah K]

Oh wow. Washed up stars trying to piggy back off of a made up controversy so people will remember them for 6 seconds. That's very original.

[Kid Charlemagne]

I love that even people who are generally intelligent fall for his trolling. Kanye is love. <3

You're all doing exactly what he wants you to do. ;)

Again, doesn't justify his actions in the least bit. I suppose his marriage to a high profile shite celebrity is trolling too?

[Sarah K]

I disagree. Everyone wants to act like he's some "dumb asshole". But he's one of the most calculating celebrities that I can think of.

I love the Kardashians and think Kim is basically the most beautiful woman alive at the moment, so my opinion of her is biased. So far, they seem to genuinely love and care for one another. So I'm not going to cast any judgements there. If they're happy, they're happy!

[Wretchedest]

Kanye west is my favorite fictional character.

[Exocet]

Kanye is love? URGH..i think most have reached the consensus that he is a total cunt.. If it were my award he stole (yeah right) i envision myself being up there whacking him.
Im not a massive Beck fan either.
I really see Narcissistic Personality Disorder although I know he plays on the inflated ego personality thing. Most of my favourite musicians have difficult, maladjusted personalities..i just dont find the aggressive attention grabbing, bullying and humiliating someone in front of millions funny.
most of his music is really boring too.

[aggroculture]

Beck should have given the award to Kanye.

I remember when Beck used to have a sense of humor. Those were the days.

[allegro]

Soy un perdedor

[Failure]

The most comical part of all this is the fact that Kayne owns 21 Grammy's and Beyonce owns 18. He's acting like there is some sort of injustice going on. Ridiculous.

And not for nothing, but Beyonce is a product. Not an artist.

[allegro]

This is circulating:

http://i.imgur.com/2ERJSus.jpg

[butter_hole]

Oh good you're still going on about it. Five seconds of work for Kanye..... DAYS of hype. The man's a genius.

[ambergris]

The voices in his head told him to do it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/11/kanye-beck-interview_n_6661452.html

I think that's the best possible explanation.

(Edit: I really do. Maybe he's bipolar, verging on schizophrenic...)

[allegro]

Wait, I didn't realize he did this AFTER the show, not during.

This is interesting:

http://www.thefader.com/2015/02/09/all-the-times-kanye-west-gave-his-own-awards-to-someone-else

[aggroculture]

Kanye rules.

[Sarah K]

I love how everyone turns into a psychiatrist while over analyzing getting trolled.

Hahaha. I seriously love him so much. Even if you don't care for his music, you have to have respect for his command of media.

[GulDukat]

I love how everyone turns into a psychiatrist while over analyzing getting trolled.

Hahaha. I seriously love him so much. Even if you don't care for his music, you have to have respect for his command of media.
No, not really. You could say the same about Rob Ford. Just because someone acts like a moron with the cameras rolling doesn't mean that they have command of the media.

[Sarah K]

Clearly Kanye does, though!

Rob Ford was in the news for like a month because he was struggling with an addiction. Hardly the same.

[botley]

He was in the news because he was the Mayor of Toronto (not anymore) and is a complete moron. Kanye is Mayor of the Morons.

[screwdriver]

number of times I've listened to Beyonce's album: 0
number of times I've listened to Beck's album: 1, and was really bored
number of times I've listened to Yeezus: lost track long, long ago

how kanye acts or doesn't act is generally pretty hilarious and irrelevant to me.

[Jinsai]

I do not give a fuck about Beyonce. Not a single fuck.

[Deepvoid]

The thing with Kanye is at the end of the day, he does have a certain talent. However, his behavior is overshadowing his talent.
When the guy dies, he'll be remember as the guy who punched a paparazzi, who interrupted Taylor Swift at the VMAs and who ultimately was an asshole.
Not the musical genius that some people believe he is.

[Jinsai]

The thing with Kanye is at the end of the day, he does have a certain talent. However, his behavior is overshadowing his talent.
When the guy dies, he'll be remember as the guy who punched a paparazzi, who interrupted Taylor Swift at the VMAs and who ultimately was an asshole.
Not the musical genius that some people believe he is.

Nah... even Phil Spector is still remembered primarily for the "wall of sound," and Kanye has a long way to go before he comes close to Spector territory for notorious bullshit.

Then again, I think Kanye's genius is seriously overstated, and I think it's fueled by people who love to condescend to "haters" of his public persona. In that way, yeah, he's doing a good PR job, but I don't think it's intentional. He has some great moments, but there's a lot of bullshit in the mix. His production skills are insanely overrated for starters... but people love to buy into the idea that he's a brilliant musical super genius, and he loves to buy into that idea too.

[aggroculture]

Beyonce is awesome. She was great in Destiny's Child - I think that's her best work.
I lost track of her solo career after Crazy In Love - not liking Jay-Z didn't help.
But her 2013 album has some good stuff on it: (link kinda NSFW):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ12_E5R3qc
I haven't heard the new one but I will.

[Deepvoid]

Nah... even Phil Spector is still remembered primarily for the "wall of sound," and Kanye has a long way to go before he comes close to Spector territory for notorious bullshit.

Then again, I think Kanye's genius is seriously overstated, and I think it's fueled by people who love to condescend to "haters" of his public persona. In that way, yeah, he's doing a good PR job, but I don't think it's intentional. He has some great moments, but there's a lot of bullshit in the mix. His production skills are insanely overrated for starters... but people love to buy into the idea that he's a brilliant musical super genius, and he loves to buy into that idea too.

I agree that he is overrated but I still view College Dropout as one hell of a debut album. Kanye came out with bang. Then there's the ego. In fact, not sure it's ego but more the credential associated with the "rap scene".
You can't just be a good rapper, you need the attitude that goes along with everything. You need to score "thug points".

It's such a different world than rock or country scene let's say.
Is there one rapper out there that looks like he's pissing rainbows and shitting unicorn poop? No. That would be bad for their image.

The ones with a more polished image are leaning more towards R&B like Usher, Neo and whatnot.

[Jinsai]

You can't just be a good rapper, you need the attitude that goes along with everything. You need to score "thug points".

No... I'd say that's more an option now. Hip hop is a pretty broad genre, and I'm not sure how much cred Kanye is generating by having a gucci fashion line and jumping up at awards shows to yell out "Down with TaySway, Beyonce for life!!!"


It's such a different world than rock or country scene let's say.
Is there one rapper out there that looks like he's pissing rainbows and shitting unicorn poop? No. That would be bad for their image.

Well, KRS-one would rap about how being a vegetarian is super good for you and ethically awesome... so that comes pretty close?

[Deepvoid]

No... I'd say that's more an option now. Hip hop is a pretty broad genre, and I'm not sure how much cred Kanye is generating by having a gucci fashion line and jumping up at awards shows to yell out "Down with TaySway, Beyonce for life!!!"

Well, KRS-one would rap about how being a vegetarian is super good for you and ethically awesome... so that comes pretty close?


I just realized I have no idea how the multi-quote thing works. Anyways, you're right that Kanye doesn't have street cred but he does have industry cred.
We're a far cry from Tupac and Biggie.

I have no clue who KRS-one is. Sorry.

[Sutekh]

er de la soul? dead prez? plenty of positive, veggie lefty whatever hip hop that's massively popular and influential

[Deepvoid]

er de la soul? dead prez? plenty of positive, veggie lefty whatever hip hop that's massively popular and influential

Ok I was talking through my ass. I honestly don't know enough about the genre aside from the usual suspects that are always caught in brawls, shootings or whatnot.

[thevoid99]

http://i.imgur.com/srr1DE0.jpg

[Camille]

....is a fucking autotuned turkey

[Sutekh]

Ok I was talking through my ass. I honestly don't know enough about the genre aside from the usual suspects that are always caught in brawls, shootings or whatnot.

lol no worries, to be fair it's totally true that thug/conspicuous consumer shite has more or less totally nudged out positive stuff. But there's some good stuff out there that isn't obscure

let's get free by dead prez is awesome... and it's odd because it's actually more shocking to hear them rap about drinking green smoothies and becoming a community activist than it is to hear someone rap about shooting everyone and forcing your enemies to drink piss or whatever

[Krazy]

http://i.imgur.com/srr1DE0.jpg


http://www.unilotto.co.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Kanye-West-Im-the-number-one-rockstar-on-the-planet-GIF.gif

^^^ If by "rock star" he means "most over-rated dick bag who's married to one of the worlds biggest cum slurping ding-bats", he is 100% correct in saying that.

[Sarah K]

http://flavorwire.com/397479/if-youre-laughing-at-kanye-west-the-jokes-on-you

This remains one of my favorite write ups on the persona of Kanye.

[WorzelG]

^^^the Grammys should be paying him, as far as I can make out, his Beck thing was about the only half interesting thing to happen in the whole charade

[Sarah K]

Well, Beyonce delivered. And Annie Lennox. But those were the only two that I saw that were exciting, really.

Katy was pretty good.

AND I ALWAYS LOVE SAM

[implanted_microchip]

The hip-hop culture and rap culture has revolved around claiming how great you are for fucking ages. Most gangsta rap was a lot of "my cock is bigger, I can shoot you better, I'm tougher and stronger than you, look at how bad I am," a ton of hip-hop revolves around "I've got so much more money than you, I'm way more famous than you," and in general it's a genre that for whatever reason is full of tons of hubris, narcissism, self-aggrandizement and making self-inflating claims. What is Kanye doing that doesn't match up with that?

Seriously, it's almost absolutely satire. Look at some of the literary references and classic film references he makes, look at a lot of the people who are fans and have spent time with him (Lynch, Jodorowsky, etc.) and the general level of production and talent on things like Yeezus or MBDTF and tell me he's some idiot who doesn't know what he's doing. If you're supposed to say how great you are in that genre, then fuck it, he's a god, who can beat that, right?

And rock stars used to be some sort of counterculture voice, rock used to be a genre that was seen as pushing limits, pushing censors, breaking conventions, not caring what the status quo is and not being afraid to cause a scene. Now it's the safest, most generic sounding shit. It just is. There are no real rock stars left in rock music that are fresh and new. That age is over. Kanye West kinda really does embody almost all of that attitude, those sentiments, those ideals and hallmarks of what rock stars used to be. He's more of a rock star than the lead singer of Linkin goddamn Park is, he's more of a rock star than, what, Papa Roach? Seether? Avenged Sevenfold? Those are the big rock bands. Kanye West is more of a punk person in attitude, thought, approach and execution than anyone in Blink 182 or Green Day is. That's where "punk" is.

And I love that a year ago everyone here hated the Grammys, called them a sham, called them a crap show that's irrelevant these days and outdated, criticized it up and down and now it's suddenly something that needs to be respected. This is the definition of a publicity stunt. Beck got a ton of great press from it, Kanye keeps being the "controversial Kanye West," Beyonce gets publicity, and Kanye is set to release a new album and tour this year. Everyone benefited from this.

[butter_hole]

The thing with Kanye is at the end of the day, he does have a certain talent. However, his behavior is overshadowing his talent.
When the guy dies, he'll be remember as the guy who punched a paparazzi, who interrupted Taylor Swift at the VMAs and who ultimately was an asshole.
Not the musical genius that some people believe he is.

No, he won't be. It'll be a footnote to this:


West is one of the world's best-selling artists of all time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_music_artists), having sold more than 21 million albums and 66 million digital downloads.[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_West#cite_note-1) He has won a total of 21 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all-time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award_records#Most_Grammys_won) and the most Grammy-awarded artist of his age.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_West#cite_note-Kyles-2) Time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIME_(magazine)) has named West one of the 100 most influential people in the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_100). He has also been included in a number of Forbes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbes) annual lists.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_West#cite_note-Forbes_Profile:_Kanye_West-3)Three of his albums rank on Rolling Stone's 2012 "the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone%27s_500_Greatest_Albums_of_All_Time)" list; two of West's albums feature at #8 and #1 respectively in Pitchfork Media (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitchfork_Media)'s The 100 Best Albums of 2010-2014.[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_West#cite_note-pitchfork-4)

[mfte]

I dont know what to think of the new material. That Paul McCartney song made me fall a(nd)sleep. This one is better but not by much... and i heard its supposed to be the album opener?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkXD_IffdPU

[allegro]

The hip-hop culture and rap culture has revolved around claiming how great you are for fucking ages. Most gangsta rap was a lot of "my cock is bigger, I can shoot you better, I'm tougher and stronger than you, look at how bad I am," a ton of hip-hop revolves around "I've got so much more money than you, I'm way more famous than you," and in general it's a genre that for whatever reason is full of tons of hubris, narcissism, self-aggrandizement and making self-inflating claims. What is Kanye doing that doesn't match up with that?

Seriously, it's almost absolutely satire. Look at some of the literary references and classic film references he makes, look at a lot of the people who are fans and have spent time with him (Lynch, Jodorowsky, etc.) and the general level of production and talent on things like Yeezus or MBDTF and tell me he's some idiot who doesn't know what he's doing. If you're supposed to say how great you are in that genre, then fuck it, he's a god, who can beat that, right?

And rock stars used to be some sort of counterculture voice, rock used to be a genre that was seen as pushing limits, pushing censors, breaking conventions, not caring what the status quo is and not being afraid to cause a scene. Now it's the safest, most generic sounding shit. It just is. There are no real rock stars left in rock music that are fresh and new. That age is over. Kanye West kinda really does embody almost all of that attitude, those sentiments, those ideals and hallmarks of what rock stars used to be. He's more of a rock star than the lead singer of Linkin goddamn Park is, he's more of a rock star than, what, Papa Roach? Seether? Avenged Sevenfold? Those are the big rock bands. Kanye West is more of a punk person in attitude, thought, approach and execution than anyone in Blink 182 or Green Day is. That's where "punk" is.

And I love that a year ago everyone here hated the Grammys, called them a sham, called them a crap show that's irrelevant these days and outdated, criticized it up and down and now it's suddenly something that needs to be respected. This is the definition of a publicity stunt. Beck got a ton of great press from it, Kanye keeps being the "controversial Kanye West," Beyonce gets publicity, and Kanye is set to release a new album and tour this year. Everyone benefited from this.
this reminds me of Mohammad Ali, going around telling everybody he was the Greatest Champion of All Time, and he floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee and all that, it was just part of his game, and people -- all people, black and white, and this was during times of some pretty heavy segregation and racism --loved it, just loved it, and they believed it! Ali was a really funny guy, always quick-witted, but also really talented, and his ego was like a character.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F30t-weDqko

[Rdm]

And rock stars used to be some sort of counterculture voice, rock used to be a genre that was seen as pushing limits, pushing censors, breaking conventions, not caring what the status quo is and not being afraid to cause a scene. Now it's the safest, most generic sounding shit. It just is. There are no real rock stars left in rock music that are fresh and new. That age is over. Kanye West kinda really does embody almost all of that attitude, those sentiments, those ideals and hallmarks of what rock stars used to be. He's more of a rock star than the lead singer of Linkin goddamn Park is, he's more of a rock star than, what, Papa Roach? Seether? Avenged Sevenfold? Those are the big rock bands. Kanye West is more of a punk person in attitude, thought, approach and execution than anyone in Blink 182 or Green Day is. That's where "punk" is.

.

Are you trolling us ? Or are you being sarcastic ?

[Sutekh]

usually agree with you kleiner but I think you might be drinking the kool aid here - what transgressive or rebellious sentiments or values does kanye embody? I agree rock is largely impotent but in terms of shaking the social tree even Die Antwoord or Ghost do it way more than Kanye

[FernandoDante]

lol @ people pumped up about this #YEEZYBOOST bullshit, desperately trying to defend Kanye after one of his shittiest moments in the media.

[Sarah K]

I for sure don't dig the new song as much as Only One. Only One gets me all emotional every time I listen to it.

[Airbornefeline]

I don't really like either of the new songs. It would be nice to see some actual rapping and sick beats like on Yeezus, oh well.

[Sarah K]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-6tMmCmBwI

I dunno about "discovering the next big rapper". But what a cool thing to do! Made that dude's life!

[Space Suicide]

He might've been cool in that clip above but when things happen like that wheelchair bound fan at that one show and how he acted about it makes his good deeds go down to a middle line.


I don't really like either of the new songs. It would be nice to see some actual rapping and sick beats like on Yeezus, oh well.

Agreed, though admitted aside the fact 808's was his last good album in my opinion, I find most of his try hard pretentious "innovative" stuff to be a bit bland. I thought Yeezus was absolute garbage. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy had a few good tracks (Power, Monster, etc.) but lacked real staying power for me.

808's is a masterpiece and his magnum opus as far as I am concerned. Graduation, Late Registration and The College Dropout are all solid as well. This self indulgent self-fellatio shit he has been doing with his music is my cut off point as I'm not impressed.

[botley]

That needless self-indulgence and egotistical cocksuckery was always the WORST facet of rock music, and something I think we can all agree society would be better off without. Why should we applaud it now? Kanye is conspicuously rude to people who are less rich and powerful than him, over and over, and dresses it in the guise of some performative revenge fantasy redressing racial inequalities — but being a condescending prick just for the sake of "artistic freedom" is not going to pave a better world.

[implanted_microchip]

usually agree with you kleiner but I think you might be drinking the kool aid here - what transgressive or rebellious sentiments or values does kanye embody? I agree rock is largely impotent but in terms of shaking the social tree even Die Antwoord or Ghost do it way more than Kanye
I think that musically something like Yeezus is incredibly against so much of what he's done in the past. A lot of people who are the typical masses found it "too noisey" or even "heavy," it defied a lot of the standard within his own sound and the genre he comes from. That giant, distorted sound blaring at the beginning of On Sight, the section of him screaming on I Am a God, the sudden starts and stops, sheer intensity of so much of it is not normal in the least amongst the people most would call his peers.

Die Antwoord are cool, but largely surface level. Kanye makes constant comments and statements on racism, the prison system, hip-hop culture, social injustice, power struggles. "There's broke nigga racism that's that 'Don't touch anything in the store' and there's that rich racism that's that 'please come in buy more'; What you want: a Bentley, fur coat, a diamond chain? All you blacks want all the same things, you'll still only be niggas!' Now everybody playing, spending everything on Alexander Wayne - new slaves . . . I know that we the new slaves, I've seen the blood on the leaves." He's commented heavily on consumer culture, his genre's obsession with posessions, the stereotype associated with it, blatantly mocking it. People say all the blacks want all the same things so he covers his entire face in diamonds and jewels because that's all these people really see anyway.

He's challenged conventional racism, named a song Black Skinhead, used the rebel flag in his own merchandise, compared the modern music industry to a form of corporate slavery. He has been constantly pushing the envelope and conventions.

[implanted_microchip]

Something else I want to point out is that he's made it pretty clear that he hates celebrity culture and blantantly mocks, sterotypes it and flaunts it. Please explain how he could sing all this on 808s and somehow not be self-aware http://i.imgur.com/7Jyu3B4.jpg

[Krazy]

Something else I want to point out is that he's made it pretty clear that he hates celebrity culture and blantantly mocks, sterotypes it and flaunts it.

His way of doing this is dating and marrying Kim Kardashian?...

Unless I'm absolutely misreading your quote that doesn't make any sense. She's the poster girl of what you described above.

[implanted_microchip]

His way of doing this is dating and marrying Kim Kardashian?...

Unless I'm absolutely misreading your quote that doesn't make any sense. She's the poster girl of what you described above.
You realize though she's a reality star. I'm absolutely certain she is aware of that. She's basically an actress. She embodies all those things and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it's something of a joke to them. They both understand what it's like to be an image, a product, treated like a prop or tool rather than a person, and I'll bet they bond over it. Who better to understand that? Look on 808s and you'll see after losing his mother and his engagement ended he began to loathe celebrity expectations and the culture he was stuck in. Ever since he's been highly theatrical, confrontational, made absurd, outrageous statements, shown a constant mocking of the whole "Oh Kanye West is always angry and full of himself" attitude

[Krazy]

Kleiner- sorry man but that seems to be reaching and over-thinking in the defense of KW.

[allegro]

I live in Chicago and Kanye is from Chicago, so I'm probably always gonna try to cut Kanye some slack. But he's not a dumb guy; his mom was a college professor; he is literally a college dropout. And -- true confession -- I've been a Keeping Up with the Kardashians junkie since season one, and Kanye was a friend of Kim's long ago, he had a crush on her because he thought she's so beautiful. He rarely appears on the show (he deliberately avoids it) but when he is on, he seems polite, nice, respectful and articulate and a lot nicer to Kim than that last asshole. Also, while Kim is a narcissist, she has a big heart and is polite and loving and a good person. In the scheme of things, I don't think Kanye means anything bad by this stuff. As my prior link indicates, he's "given" his own awards to others when he thought they deserved it more than him; that's just his personality, as an artist.

edit: I still think he should leave Beyonce to her own defences, but Kanye is just being honest about his own personal preferences, I guess.

[FernandoDante]

You realize though she's a reality star. I'm absolutely certain she is aware of that. She's basically an actress. She embodies all those things and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it's something of a joke to them. They both understand what it's like to be an image, a product, treated like a prop or tool rather than a person, and I'll bet they bond over it. Who better to understand that? Look on 808s and you'll see after losing his mother and his engagement ended he began to loathe celebrity expectations and the culture he was stuck in. Ever since he's been highly theatrical, confrontational, made absurd, outrageous statements, shown a constant mocking of the whole "Oh Kanye West is always angry and full of himself" attitude
I've seen this argument in his defense more than once. He's all anti-establishment and anti-celebrity culture, but when he indulges in those things, people go "he's trolling you and you totally fell for it!" He says that people are slaves to capitalism and expensive bullshit, then releases an overpriced pair of shoes. I guess it's a joke too?

In my opinion, if Kanye is trolling anyone, it's the people who actually believe he's just this humble, misunderstood genius, trying to play the media to see if he gets attention.