Kanye West

From indieshins 02/21/2024 03:31

For some reason I'm unable to edit my previous comment, but I wanted to add an update: I've grown out of my Kanye phase. I still think he is (or he can be) a very interesting producer, and even quite a good lyricist now and then. I also do feel sorry for him, as he's clearly a very mentally ill person. But with his recent anti-Semitism, I've lost any urge to listen to his work - though I don't mind if it comes on the radio or a playlist. I've also just matured to the point where his self-absorption and egomania no longer strike me as honest and self-aware, but unappealing. He can be self-aware, but that's only worth something if he tries to fix his behaviour, and he's not doing that - he's too far in his mental illness and his celebrity echo chamber which exacerbates it, to do that. Throw in the fact that he's frequently misogynistic in his lyrics, and as talented as he is, I can't continue to listen to him in good conscience.

Quite frankly these days I don't blame anyone who refuses to listen to him due to his antics and public persona, but I still firmly hold the belief that this guy is a savant with an immense musical gift (that comes at the great expense of almost all other traits). He is a Bowie-like figure in his genre, a real chameleonic artist where no two records truly sound alike, and almost all of them (at least before his brain truly seems to have broken in the past few years) are supreme works of art. And besides, while it may be a toxic belief, some of the most compelling artists were not very great human beings (Prince, Chuck Berry, John Lennon, Morrissey, etc.).

I contend that his first 7 solo albums are right up there in terms of classic runs with the likes of Neil Young, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Radiohead, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane.

To witness his drastic mental decline in the past few years is one of the greatest tragedy cases in music history alongside Presley and Winehouse.

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He is not the greatest emcee, but he may be the greatest musical figure of this century

From indieshins 02/18/2022 04:15

I haven't loved his most recent work, but despite his often-abrasive and irritating behaviour and comments, Kanye's one of our greatest musical icons. His understanding of sound and the art of sampling, and his constant efforts to evolve and change his sound over the years have resulted in some of the greatest albums of the last twenty-odd years, in any genre. He's one of the few working today I would call a genius, and like many geniuses, his personality isn't always the greatest. But his music is honest and human and if you ignore his persona and focus on his art, there is much reward to be gained.

A genius for sure. His personality and public persona have tarnished his image, but Kanye West in an excellent artist and one of the best artists of the 21st Century. Kanye alongside Kendrick Lamar and Eminem helped get me into hip hop, and he's proven to be heavily influential on modern hip hop, particularly the current trap era. He's a pretty good rapper, but he's a truly fantastic songwriter and conceptualiser. And he's released some classic albums that will stand the test of time.

Even if you don't like hip hop, I'd recommend listening to his work. He's a very interesting artist. He samples from a wide variety of influences such as funk, soul, jazz, rock, metal, punk, indie, etc. Makes for a unique listening experience in terms of rap music.

one of the few hip hoppers I can tolerate.....

Love or hate him, he's a musical genius and Hip Hop would never have been the same without him.

From Larcx13 06/22/2020 16:50

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From StefanR10 06/13/2020 18:00

Greatest Hip-Hop Star of the era 2010s