“Devil in a New Dress” is without a doubt, the best thing Kanye has ever wrote. On second thought, perhaps it’s when Kanye shows the more intimate side of himself where this album becomes fully realized. This is the record where Kanye transforms from Chicago underdog to industry icon and god. Driven by a guitar riff that interpolates the melody of “You Know Me” by the Turtles and featuring a guest verse by Wu-Tang’s very own Raekwon, Kanye proves he isn’t messing around early into the album’s runtime. “Gorgeous” is a sobering look at what it means to be Black in America, dealing with profiling wherever you go, no matter if you made it or not. But maybe the best parts are when Kanye meditates on politics. Success is what you make it, take it how it comeĪ half a mil’ in twenties like a billion where I’m fromĪn arrogant drug dealer, the legend I becomeĬold, just cold. Across both tracks you get the likes of Jay-Z, Pusha T, Nicki Minaj, the RZA, and Chyi the Prynce giving it their all. “Monster” and “So Appalled” are just murderous posse cuts. Kanye wrote his own damn theme song, and this it.
“POWER” is one of the greatest hype tracks of all time: seriously, try not bobbing your head to the song when those claps start. Maybe it’s the powerful, anthemic bangers that are scattered throughout the album, like diamonds on black velvet. It’s hard to put into words why I love this album. Kanye took all the music he loved and blended into a potent new sound that hasn’t been replicated since. It has the features of progessive rock, flourishes of jazz and R&B, a sprinkling of symphonic elements, and splashes of electronica. To quote the Bard of Avon, Kanye can “add colors to the chameleon, / change shapes with Proteus for advantages.” MBDTF isn’t just a rap album. Kanye explores the highest highs and the lowest of lows celebrity life has to offer, but also a medley of music styles and modes.
#Kanye west my beautiful dark twisted fantasy songs full#
MBDTF isn’t just an album, it’s a full blown odyssey, both narratively and sonically. The sheer scope of the album is something to behold, as Kanye dives headfirst into American consumerism and celebrity culture in a way that I don’t think has been matched by many artists since. It’s the one that made my casual enjoyment of Kanye West evolve into full-blown appreciation and respect. It wasn’t the first Kanye West album I listened to ( Yeezus holds that spot), but it’s the one that I listened to most often. The album was recorded in secret at Avex Honolulu Studios (now known as Island Sound Studios) in Honolulu, Hawaii. Seriously, the work ethic he put towards this album is insane, and still blows me away all these years later. Recorded in complete secrecy in Hawaii with dozens of high-profile collaborators, West worked on the album 24 hours, seven days a week, only stopping to eat or power-nap. Like the mad genius he is, however, his approach to recording what would become My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was nothing short of exuberant. He got back in the lab, and made some music.
So, in response to both his personal troubles and the troubles he had caused for himself, he did the only thing he could. Even Obama called him a “jackass.” Kanye wasn’t just up against the roadblocks and curveballs life throws at you, he was also up against his worst enemy: himself. The man’s mother just died, the long term relationship he had with his girlfriend went down in flames, and to top it all off he downed a bottle of Hennesey at the 2009 VMA’s and embarrassed a young Taylor Swift in front of millions. To say 2010 was a rough spot for Kanye is putting it lightly. 2010 seems like a lifetime ago given the present state of the world, and the trajectory of the man who made the album, Mr. It’s hard to believe that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is ten years old. It casts a large shadow not only over the discography of West, but over hip-hop and the music industry as a whole. Kanye West's landmark record My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy turns ten this year.
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