KANYE WEST

YEEZUS (Def Jam)

18/20

The mission statement of Yeezus has been made clear in the very first line: “Yeezy season approaching, fuck whatever y’all been hearing”. The words are set to electro throbs which declare that the luxurious soundscapes of 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy have been traded in for a raw, industrial-leaning sound palette, and Kanye is all too aware of the change: “How much do I not give a fuck? Let me show you right now before you give it up”, he barks.

As the LP moves forward, the overwhelming sense of anger and determination that Kanye bears becomes invigorating on the frenetic beat on Black Skinhead and the angst-ridden mantra “Y’all niggas can’t fuck with Ye!” on the globally projected New Slaves. 808s and Heartbreaks gave us SadYe, Twisted Fantasy gave us GlamYe and we are now subjected to the relentless force of MadYe. His verse on Can’t Hold My Liquor is full of a new kind of arrogance. It’s a psyche founded on success but fueled by frustration and slight delusion. The heartbreak that leaks through his last couple of albums is now being tirelessly fought off by rage and single-mindedness. His lovesick crooning on Blood On The Leaves is furiously underpinned by the TNGHT supplied foghorns that are remorselessly visceral. The production and instrumentation on this LP is just as smart and innovative as always, but Kanye’s weapons have changed. Jamie Foxx has been swapped for Chief Keef and Jay-Z for King Louie – this Chi-Town dream team are now assets to the Yeezy experience. It’s not about sensation or precision- it’s an urgent, primitive rap album that is built solely to exist in the here and now.

On Bound 2, the album’s closer, Kanye comes closest to winning back the fans he lost post-Graduation with a soulful Ponderosa Twins Plus One sample. Soon enough, however, the sweetness turns to raw lust when Kanye spits: “I wanna fuck you hard on the sink, after that give you something to drink/step back- can’t get spunk on the mink.” Kanye then bows out by saying “BAM”, and then Yeezus – a 40 minute long record of self-subverting, anti-establishment exasperation executed by one of the most talked about men on the planet – is over. You’ve just experienced a hypnotic and addictive record created by an over-excited, totally unhinged mastermind with almost unlimited resources at his disposal.

– – – – – – – – – –

Words: Duncan Harrison