Myriad Muzik

kanye west

Watch Now: ‘NASIR’ The Film.

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Nas may be focused on making a brand new LP with Swizz Beatz and RZA, but that’s not stopping him from keeping his self-titled 11th studio album alive. Today (Nov. 15), the “Adam & Eve” rapper dropped a short film via Mass Appeal to accompany his Nasir album, which was executively produced by Kanye West.

The 16-minute film amplifies the deep stories and social issues his latest album touches on, including things like racism and police brutality. Both are social constructions Nas would argue affect the world to this day.

(via. XXL.com)

Watch Below:

KIDS SEE GHOSTS Album Review

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The GOOD Music releases continue with Kanye West & Kid Cudi’s ‘KIDS SEE GHOSTS’ a collaboration album that seems like it’s been 10 years in the making. Sonically it is a unique blend of both their alternative sensibilities, from final product to conception, with Kanye back to -in his own words- “chopping samples from the sunken place” we get an interesting sonic palette, Louis Prima and Kurt Cobain loops flow seamlessly on this LP. With little regard to genre this LP has Kanye rapping more on it than his own solo effort released a week prior.

As far reaching as the samples are the features and audio snippets used are just as baffling considering Kanye’s recent ideological revelations- Mos Def, (now known as Yasiin Bey) a Hip Hop activist who has already done interviews expressing his disdain for Trump and his administration, resurfaces on the title track. Even more mind boggling is the Marcus Garvey audio snippet used on ‘Freeee (Ghost Town pt. 2) the renown black nationalist and founding father of many Pan-African ideologies, someone many other Trump supporting stars most likely have never heard of or if they have would not be that fond of. The sentiments on ‘Freeee’ are liberating and haunting given the high social status of Kanye and Cudi and also their large platforms. The accompanying instrumental teeters from hard hitting to soothing and back again sonically mirroring the complex and contradictory messages in the album and personal life of both stars.

‘Reborn’ plays as a mission statement for both artists who have battled mental illnesses and depression ‘keep moving forward’ seems to be a mantra must needed in their lives and ours. ‘Cudi Montage’ finds Kanye sympathizing and condemning gun usage and gun violence eerily over a Kurt Cobain sample, a loop found on his recent ‘Montage Of Heck’ documentary. Conflicting messages again are scattered throughout this album closer ‘stay strapped’ is repeated constantly. All and all ‘KIDS SEE GHOSTS’ is an interesting album and a much needed collaboration between two stars who at once fell out of touch with each other but who obviously fit and work well with each other,

 

Rating 8.1/10

Kanye West ‘ye’ Album Review

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Separating the art from the artist, today more than ever, is a very hard task to do in the social media era. When a beloved star can instantly express their controversial opinions via twitter a contrarian like Kanye West can quickly push people’s buttons and disrupt minds by manipulating popular and sensitive social opinions and ideologies. Whether a high stakes Andy Kaufman-like performance art piece, a subversive Machiavellian take over scheme, or just honest shocking personal truth Kanye has sent a shock wave through the public conscious and successfully aimed all energy and attention towards himself and his GOOD Music collaborators. Potentially playing up his mental instability (possibly as a future scapegoat for his antics) Kanye delivers a very personal 7 song opus, choosing to omit all political content and refusing to answer any of the questions he raised on his month early twitter spree when wearing a MAGA hat and showing right wing support in a country more divided than ever.

‘Yikes’ plays into the imagery and message of the cover art on ‘ye’ with lyrics suggesting psychedelic drugs, ‘trolling OD’, and his bi-polar disorder positioned as a super power. Sonically ‘ye’ is an amalgamation of a large portion of West’s previous LP’s. ‘All Mine’ is eerily simplistic, vulgar and carnal, easily a missing link in the ‘Yeezus’ sessions. ‘Yikes’ has samples chopped and looped ‘College Dropout’ style with 808s and drums straight from ‘Pablo’. ‘No Mistakes’ -featuring a hypnotic hook from frequent collaborator and soul mentor Charlie Wilson- and ‘Wouldn’t Leave’ sound fresh from the ‘Dark Fantasy’ sessions. ‘Ghost Town’ features some of Kanye’s best singing to date, this track plays as a sort of preview to the Cudi and Kanye collabo and features some of the best hooks and melodies on the entire record. 070 Shake steals the show with the most memorable section of the song, a sing-a-long outro that sticks in the listeners head instantaneously. ‘Violent Crimes’ plays as a ‘Late Registration’ hidden gem, keys and chord progressions attune to the blend of classic Kanye and Jon Brion.

Aside from the media storm Kanye created before releasing the album, music alone, ‘ye’ is a great album one many would consider an EP but the envelope pushing Kanye is known for would argue ‘what constitutes an album?’. In the 80s ‘The Time’s’ first 3 albums were only 6 tracks each. Only time will tell how the public accepts an artist, an icon in actuality, who hurts a majority of his fan base’s feelings with the thoughts of his personal life purposefully thrust into the public, will we be able to look at his art the same? Will he be able to reel those he lost back in? Is there any form of closure he can do to repair the ‘damage’? Or is Kanye bigger than all of this? Perhaps this was a show of his true power like the ‘Famous’ video showing politics and celebrity as one on the same plain maybe Kanye has to answer to no one and we truly will make exceptions for our musical elite no matter what their transgressions are.

 

Rating 8.7/10

#KanyeWest ‘Ye’ Album Release, Interview & Wyoming Listening Party

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June 1st Kanye West releaesd his 8th studio album, a personal 7 track LP about family, mental illness, and mistakes. Amid a media storm of controversy ‘Ye’ is ironically more personal than politcal. Recorded at a resort in Wyoming Kanye celebrated the release with a bonfire/listening party for celebrities and media persons.

Kanye also did a few introspective and philosophical interviews as well. Most noteworthy his interview with BigBoy for BigBoyTV

Full Album below. Full review coming soon.