Kanye's Vanity vol. The Politics of Black Self-Love

[jaysrcrak]

Some people will follow their favorite musical artist to death

 

[jaysrcrak]

People are allowed to like whatever they want to like, and I dont think anyone here is saying anything to the contrary.

And if you like the album, that is ok. But I think where many people are having a problem is when some of you cats are saying this album is "classic", or " a masterpiece", when clearly this isnt that album. Masterpieces are widely regarded as such, but with this album there are many people that HATE it and many people that love it. But with that many people that dont like it, how can you call it a masterpiece?

Take Jordan for example. Most of the world regards him as the best that ever played. And so he is. There will be a few people here and there that dont agree but for the most part everyone says Jordan was the best. This album aint that. Its more like 50% hate 50% love. Aint no 50/50 album ever gonna be a classic.

 

[Sneaker P]

Are you not entertained?

 

[thadoctadvocate]

I really think some of you would go down if given the opportunity

Why wouldnt i?

 

[Jordan8]

Seeko I see you b

The complex situation Kanye is in that the majority of his consumers are white young adults he cant be a Blackthought, 2pac or even a Mos Def and still sell records he might be called even more of a "racist, egotistical, narcissist" so he has to strategically place the sugar in the vegetables. I guess something in ya brain has to be activated to catch the ****..

Im not even a Kanye stan I only liked College Dropout...LR is overrated....Graduation is too happy for my liking and 808s is dope musically but the whining is not my style

The "New Ye" after the Taylor Swift thing was appreciated on my end.

MBDTF is a classic nod to artists letting their soul bleed and putting hidden/sub "You think you peeped the scene you havent the real ones far to mean" the Roald Dahl of rap making music for children yet the adults can see the hidden meaning.

He never had to say Horus is the original "Jesus" story he just wore a Horus piece in similar fashion as a "Jesus Piece" and let people "in the know" recognize the nod or atleast made people wanna do more research. Of course the lazy masses wrote it off as "Illuminati"

He never came out and said HAM was a reference to the story of Ham in the bible or did you really think Kanye and Jay decided to use an outdated term that even southerners dont use anymore?

Of course the album Yeezus is an acquired taste and Im not saying if you dont like it you're inferior but dont act like he isnt saying anything because his delivery isnt as up front as a J Cole.

The fact he sampled "Strange Fruit" a classic song about blacks hanging from trees and putting an EDM sample to it so the fun loving "Dont Make Me Think" masses can still like it.

The Bound 2 track as the last song was smug too.....Like on some I can still make this type of music I just choose not to but Im sure this will be your favorite so let me put it at the end....

For the purists....Cyhi, Lupe, Mos Def helped with the"lyrics" on this album.

Also him calling himself a God isnt sacrilegious if the people who were fake offended actually opened their bibles once in a while the Bible says "that we are all gods".

Im not defending Kanye I think he has feminine ways the crying the constant looking for attention then crying about it turns me off

But I saw "what was done there" on MBDTF....I see whats being done on Yeezus

And you can say Im reaching but No ID for the most part would tell you Im not

I mean his mother was a civil rights advocate did you really expect him not to touch on black empowerment? Remember the other guy who's mother was part of a major civil rights group?

The genius you think he had on CD or LR didnt just disapear its just been redirected into a different style. You really think he only had one Diamonds remix in him?

Mane let me go to this Chief Keef concert b...ends rant

 

[Ace Ready]

drake is the new kanye

No

 

[azul rolex]

Never discuss Mr.West with plebeians

 

[rook]

Kanye Stan's are unreal

He could flush a toilet and you guys would be like "Yeezy did it again!"

Corny. Please try again.

 

[atlien seeko]

Seeko I see you b

The complex situation Kanye is in that the majority of his consumers are white young adults he cant be a Blackthought, 2pac or even a Mos Def and still sell records he might be called even more of a "racist, egotistical, narcissist" so he has to strategically place the sugar in the vegetables. I guess something in ya brain has to be activated to catch the ****..

Im not even a Kanye stan I only liked College Dropout...LR is overrated....Graduation is too happy for my liking and 808s is dope musically but the whining is not my style

The "New Ye" after the Taylor Swift thing was appreciated on my end.

MBDTF is a classic nod to artists letting their soul bleed and putting hidden/sub "You think you peeped the scene you havent the real ones far to mean" the Roald Dahl of rap making music for children yet the adults can see the hidden meaning.

He never had to say Horus is the original "Jesus" story he just wore a Horus piece in similar fashion as a "Jesus Piece" and let people "in the know" recognize the nod or atleast made people wanna do more research. Of course the lazy masses wrote it off as "Illuminati"

He never came out and said HAM was a reference to the story of Ham in the bible or did you really think Kanye and Jay decided to use an outdated term that even southerners dont use anymore?

Of course the album Yeezus is an acquired taste and Im not saying if you dont like it you're inferior but dont act like he isnt saying anything because his delivery isnt as up front as a J Cole.

The fact he sampled "Strange Fruit" a classic song about blacks hanging from trees and putting an EDM sample to it so the fun loving "Dont Make Me Think" masses can still like it.

The Bound 2 track as the last song was smug too.....Like on some I can still make this type of music I just choose not to but Im sure this will be your favorite so let me put it at the end....

For the purists....Cyhi, Lupe, Mos Def helped with the"lyrics" on this album.

Also him calling himself a God isnt sacrilegious if the people who were fake offended actually opened their bibles once in a while the Bible says "that we are all gods".

Im not defending Kanye I think he has feminine ways the crying the constant looking for attention then crying about it turns me off

But I saw "what was done there" on MBDTF....I see whats being done on Yeezus

And you can say Im reaching but No ID for the most part would tell you Im not

I mean his mother was a civil rights advocate did you really expect him not to touch on black empowerment? Remember the other guy who's mother was part of a major civil rights group?

The genius you think he had on CD or LR didnt just disapear its just been redirected into a different style. You really think he only had one Diamonds remix in him?

Mane let me go to this Chief Keef concert b...ends rant

This entire quote hits on important points, and the enlarged texts are really what I'm trying to get at. Kanye is basically picking up where Pac left off. I'm not a stan either. I sorta picked up on Kanye on Late Registration, enjoyed Graduation really disliked 808's, didnt pay attention to MBDTF, and was a little taken by Yeezus. Since I hadn't been paying much attention to him since Late Registration, I missed what he was doing as a whole. It sucks that his messages have to get diluted in the large percentage of hipster fans he has that pass it off as him "falling off" or "losing it", when really, he's not speaking to them.

Let me quote MF DOOM right quick...

Cat with a dead mouse is how he catch a phrase, and pause, plays with it
Kill it
And eat off it for days, get it!

 

[rook]

I really think some of you would go down if given the opportunity

"I'm heading West, Like I'm ******g blowing Kanye"

 

[sooperhooper]

^And gambino wonders why some people can't rock with his music

 

[RIP sleazyy]

cartunes post though.

 

[sdotc38109]

 

[jaysrcrak]

Mane let me go to this Chief Keef concert b...ends rant

I see why you like this album. You bought concert tickets to see Chief Keef

This entire quote hits on important points, and the enlarged texts are really what I'm trying to get at. Kanye is basically picking up where Pac left off. I'm not a stan either. I sorta picked up on Kanye on Late Registration, enjoyed Graduation really disliked 808's, didnt pay attention to MBDTF, and was a little taken by Yeezus. Since I hadn't been paying much attention to him since Late Registration, I missed what he was doing as a whole. It sucks that his messages have to get diluted in the large percentage of hipster fans he has that pass it off as him "falling off" or "losing it", when really, he's not speaking to them.

Let me quote MF DOOM right quick...

Really? He's leaving where 2pac left off. So Kanye is leaving the rap game alone? So he is trying to start a political party to organize the youth against the tyranny of the government? You are really reaching bro. Kanye is nothing like Tupac. Tupac cared about us. Kanye only cares about himself. Evidence is Yeezus. Pretty much the whole album is all about him. There is no comparison.

 

[hypebeast5]

When i first read the tracklist and saw I Am A God

I was legit laughing hard as hell my exact words were "Man I Cant deal with this ****** ego, is he even serious"

so you mean to tell me you read the tracklist, and then talked to yourself about another man? Yea Kanye is definitely the one with problems here.

Lol whos saying he has problems tho? I never said that and since you felt the need to reach with your statement i will too i guess

Any "man" who gets so butthurt about what a man says about another man must have said man's D all up in his stomach

Pretty sure i got you spot on

 

[stillin729]

"I'm heading West, Like I'm ******g blowing Kanye"

I can tell who the Stan is

 

[RIP sleazyy]

"I'm heading West, Like I'm ******g blowing Kanye"

I can tell who the Stan is

Donald Glover?

 

[chegtr]

Seeko I see you b

The complex situation Kanye is in that the majority of his consumers are white young adults he cant be a Blackthought, 2pac or even a Mos Def and still sell records he might be called even more of a "racist, egotistical, narcissist" so he has to strategically place the sugar in the vegetables. I guess something in ya brain has to be activated to catch the ****..

Im not even a Kanye stan I only liked College Dropout...LR is overrated....Graduation is too happy for my liking and 808s is dope musically but the whining is not my style

The "New Ye" after the Taylor Swift thing was appreciated on my end.

MBDTF is a classic nod to artists letting their soul bleed and putting hidden/sub "You think you peeped the scene you havent the real ones far to mean" the Roald Dahl of rap making music for children yet the adults can see the hidden meaning.

He never had to say Horus is the original "Jesus" story he just wore a Horus piece in similar fashion as a "Jesus Piece" and let people "in the know" recognize the nod or atleast made people wanna do more research. Of course the lazy masses wrote it off as "Illuminati"

He never came out and said HAM was a reference to the story of Ham in the bible or did you really think Kanye and Jay decided to use an outdated term that even southerners dont use anymore?

Of course the album Yeezus is an acquired taste and Im not saying if you dont like it you're inferior but dont act like he isnt saying anything because his delivery isnt as up front as a J Cole.

The fact he sampled "Strange Fruit" a classic song about blacks hanging from trees and putting an EDM sample to it so the fun loving "Dont Make Me Think" masses can still like it.

The Bound 2 track as the last song was smug too.....Like on some I can still make this type of music I just choose not to but Im sure this will be your favorite so let me put it at the end....

For the purists....Cyhi, Lupe, Mos Def helped with the"lyrics" on this album.

Also him calling himself a God isnt sacrilegious if the people who were fake offended actually opened their bibles once in a while the Bible says "that we are all gods".

Im not defending Kanye I think he has feminine ways the crying the constant looking for attention then crying about it turns me off

But I saw "what was done there" on MBDTF....I see whats being done on Yeezus

And you can say Im reaching but No ID for the most part would tell you Im not

I mean his mother was a civil rights advocate did you really expect him not to touch on black empowerment? Remember the other guy who's mother was part of a major civil rights group?

The genius you think he had on CD or LR didnt just disapear its just been redirected into a different style. You really think he only had one Diamonds remix in him?

Mane let me go to this Chief Keef concert b...ends rant

I see why you like this album. You bought concert tickets to see Chief Keef
Really? He's leaving where 2pac left off. So Kanye is leaving the rap game alone? So he is trying to start a political party to organize the youth against the tyranny of the government? You are really reaching bro. Kanye is nothing like Tupac. Tupac cared about us. Kanye only cares about himself. Evidence is Yeezus. Pretty much the whole album is all about him. There is no comparison.

Seeko I see you b

The complex situation Kanye is in that the majority of his consumers are white young adults he cant be a Blackthought, 2pac or even a Mos Def and still sell records he might be called even more of a "racist, egotistical, narcissist" so he has to strategically place the sugar in the vegetables. I guess something in ya brain has to be activated to catch the ****..

Im not even a Kanye stan I only liked College Dropout...LR is overrated....Graduation is too happy for my liking and 808s is dope musically but the whining is not my style

The "New Ye" after the Taylor Swift thing was appreciated on my end.

MBDTF is a classic nod to artists letting their soul bleed and putting hidden/sub "You think you peeped the scene you havent the real ones far to mean" the Roald Dahl of rap making music for children yet the adults can see the hidden meaning.

He never had to say Horus is the original "Jesus" story he just wore a Horus piece in similar fashion as a "Jesus Piece" and let people "in the know" recognize the nod or atleast made people wanna do more research. Of course the lazy masses wrote it off as "Illuminati"

He never came out and said HAM was a reference to the story of Ham in the bible or did you really think Kanye and Jay decided to use an outdated term that even southerners dont use anymore?

Of course the album Yeezus is an acquired taste and Im not saying if you dont like it you're inferior but dont act like he isnt saying anything because his delivery isnt as up front as a J Cole.

The fact he sampled "Strange Fruit" a classic song about blacks hanging from trees and putting an EDM sample to it so the fun loving "Dont Make Me Think" masses can still like it.

The Bound 2 track as the last song was smug too.....Like on some I can still make this type of music I just choose not to but Im sure this will be your favorite so let me put it at the end....

For the purists....Cyhi, Lupe, Mos Def helped with the"lyrics" on this album.

Also him calling himself a God isnt sacrilegious if the people who were fake offended actually opened their bibles once in a while the Bible says "that we are all gods".

Im not defending Kanye I think he has feminine ways the crying the constant looking for attention then crying about it turns me off

But I saw "what was done there" on MBDTF....I see whats being done on Yeezus

And you can say Im reaching but No ID for the most part would tell you Im not

I mean his mother was a civil rights advocate did you really expect him not to touch on black empowerment? Remember the other guy who's mother was part of a major civil rights group?

The genius you think he had on CD or LR didnt just disapear its just been redirected into a different style. You really think he only had one Diamonds remix in him?

Mane let me go to this Chief Keef concert b...ends rant

MY thoughts exactly...
he is NOTHING like Tupac...pac wasnt galavanting through paris to start his own clothing line or go to fashion shows. Kanye fully embraces the fame & treatment that he gets from rich white ppl...naturally there's times where hes faced with the reality that he is still not on their level and may never be.
There's no way that you ppl can act like he's a speaker for these type sof things or vessel or carrying a deep message about that kind of aspect.
And his mother a civil rights advocate? On the level of Pac's mom?? Cmon, she was carrying an ego like his also! she wanted tons of luxuries, including plastic srugery to improve her image...thats nothing like Pac or his mother.

Yes there was some reaching in your post. But few possible truths I guess. I just don't see how we can focus on one aspect and ignore everything else...like Kanye is just fooling all the rich white people and needs to hide his deep message about how things are...HOws that make sense after just calling himself God (yes understand the metaphor, but still bold enough to say it--clearly knowing the reaction) and Yeezus.

Like why be secretive and deep on one thing but then not others...when has he ever been worried about censors or govt or whatever trying to stop him?? "Who got stop me haaaaah!" Right?

Please man...cmon...its all or nothing. You cant just be for it on one track and then not really for it in your personal life etc. ...i guess we're all waiting for kanye's big reveal where he's like:" Ah haaa, i was fooling you all! I fight for freedom and civil rights!!'

No. that wont happen and nothing close to it ever will... #illuminati

ps: And really? A chief keef concert?? ayyyyyayaya....

 

[jaysrcrak]

And I thought my post count to join date was low

 

[Jordan8]

I see why you like this album. You bought concert tickets to see Chief Keef

at Bought some Chief Keef tickets

I went to pick up a check. I didnt want to be "that guy" but I know his manager and I assisted with a show out here. I didnt even stay to see him come out

Everybody in the music forum knows I hate that dude's music.

 

[Jordan8]

MY thoughts exactly...
he is NOTHING like Tupac...pac wasnt galavanting through paris to start his own clothing line or go to fashion shows. Kanye fully embraces the fame & treatment that he gets from rich white ppl...naturally there's times where hes faced with the reality that he is still not on their level and may never be.
There's no way that you ppl can act like he's a speaker for these type sof things or vessel or carrying a deep message about that kind of aspect.
And his mother a civil rights advocate? On the level of Pac's mom?? Cmon, she was carrying an ego like his also! she wanted tons of luxuries, including plastic srugery to improve her image...thats nothing like Pac or his mother.

Yes there was some reaching in your post. But few possible truths I guess. I just don't see how we can focus on one aspect and ignore everything else...like Kanye is just fooling all the rich white people and needs to hide his deep message about how things are...HOws that make sense after just calling himself God (yes understand the metaphor, but still bold enough to say it--clearly knowing the reaction) and Yeezus.

Like why be secretive and deep on one thing but then not others...when has he ever been worried about censors or govt or whatever trying to stop him?? "Who got stop me haaaaah!" Right?

Please man...cmon...its all or nothing. You cant just be for it on one track and then not really for it in your personal life etc. ...i guess we're all waiting for kanye's big reveal where he's like:" Ah haaa, i was fooling you all! I fight for freedom and civil rights!!'

No. that wont happen and nothing close to it ever will... #illuminati

ps: And really? A chief keef concert?? ayyyyyayaya....

You missed College Droupout it was a pretty good album. There was a lot of black social issues being discussed on that album alone

To the whole "why be secretive?" hidden meanings have always been a part of art.

Charlie Wilson Kanye's mentor and collaborator previously of the GAP Band

GAP Band being the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band....which was known as "Black Wallstreet"

"The Black Wall Street"

During the oil boom of the 1910s, the area of northeast Oklahoma around Tulsa flourished, including the Greenwood neighborhood, which came to be known as "the Negro Wall Street" (now commonly referred to as "the Black Wall Street")[3] The area was home to several prominent black businessmen, many of them multimillionaires. Greenwood boasted a variety of thriving businesses that were very successful up until the Tulsa Race Riot. Not only did African Americans want to contribute to the success of their own shops, but also the racial segregation laws prevented them from shopping anywhere other than Greenwood.[4] Following the riots, the area was rebuilt and thrived until the 1960s when desegregation allowed blacks to shop in areas that were restricted before.

Attack by air
Numerous witness accounts described airplanes carrying white assailants, who fired rifles and dropped firebombs on buildings, homes, and fleeing families.

The Tulsa Race Riot was a large-scale, racially motivated conflict on May 31 and June 1, 1921, in which whites attacked the black community of Tulsa, Oklahoma. It resulted in the Greenwood District, also known as 'the Black Wall Street'[1] and the wealthiest black community in the United States, being burned to the ground.


These events influenced this "pop song" you thought was about love




Like I said most of this stuff is just going over people's heads because they dont know

And The GAP Band dropped a lot of science in their music some of it was up front and some of it was like the example above.

Im not even trying to get deep but I guess its just in "us" Slave hymns have coded messages...and secret meanings wasnt no rapgenius.com back then



And the Donda West disrespect I wont even get into...but if you're going to dismiss her work because she wanted plastic surgery you will have to dismiss Afeni's for being a crackhead too right?

If you're going dismiss Kanye's "black" lyrics because of his not so progressive lines...then you'll have to dismiss Pac's Changes, etc. since some of his lyrics also helped influenced the violent culture in urban america.

 

[meek meals]

Thread getting very interesting.

 

[jaysrcrak]

That is the point. I loved College Dropout. But you have to go all the way back to the "old Kanye" to get that those types of messages. And over time there has been less and less of these types of messages in his music.

What has he talked about recently that is on that level? And dont say "New Slaves," because he barely touched on some issues in the first verse and the whole second verse went off on yet another Kanye tangent, and had little to nothing to do with the first verse.
Plus anybody can the things that he said in that first verse. And it HAS been said by other artists.

If you are going to do a song like "new slaves" then why not really give people something that isnt common knowledge. Something that will open up their mind to thinking about what problems we still face as a people.

It is obvious that if you are broke, these stores aint gone F with you as much as they would, if you had a whole bunch of money. And when you do have that money, that they want to seperate you from it. There is NOTHING new, exciting, mind-blowing, educational, or inforamtive about those lines.

Also the GAP band gets much respect. But I dont neccesarily transfer any of that respect to Kanye because he featured Charlie Wilson on a song.

 

[dipsetgeneral]

"Yeezus" is for the open minded. It's an experimental album. In my honest opinion, Ye' has been the best artist in music since 07'. Yes he's a genius with the way he creates song structure, samples soul music, and laces thought provoking lyrics on top of all that. Can't wait till' the next project.

 

[jaysrcrak]

A+ for experimenting with new stuff. D- for execution.
So are you saying the people that dont like Yeezus are not open-minded?

One of my pet peeves of hip-hop is hearing the same **** over and over again. For example, I really dont care to hear dudes talk about the dope game. I have heard that since the late 80's. Come with something new. But at the same time, just because something is new doesnt make it good.

"Yeezus" is for the open minded. It's an experimental album. In my honest opinion, Ye' has been the best artist in music since 07'. Yes he's a genius with the way he creates song structure, samples soul music, and laces thought provoking lyrics on top of all that. Can't wait till' the next project.

His lyrics either sucked in Yeezus or they didnt. People going back and forth sayin,"well, Ye aint never been known for his lyrics, its the production." But they cant really say that on this album due to his lack of production on this project. So two posts later dudes are sayin," Ye went hard on certain songs." Until people broke down the lines and discovered that Ye wasnt talkin bout nothin. Then it always seems to revert to. "Ye was experimenting and trying something new" or " You just dont understand it. It went over your head."

I agree that Kanye West IS a genius. Unfortunately his genius was not on display on Yeezus