Art and The Cover.
Yeezus is the sixth album of revered musician and controversial artist Ye (formerly Kanye West). It is known for pushing industry boundaries on sound and is praised as a very influential project released in 2013. Yeezus says a lot about art and morality, even the cover represents this theme because to get to the disk you have to rip off the art sealing it–you have to ruin the art to listen to the music. The album might also be saying that to be signed and commercially, sold in stores, you have to ruin the art of making music.
Yeezus has a very industrial feel to the overall album with sharp synths and saws, pounding heart-racing drums, and sometimes distorted properties. Some samples are used in geometric ways that make them feel out of place but in a rhythmic way. Yeezus has 10 songs with the middle especially being very experimental, even considered abrasive at times. However, I think people don’t understand the point of Yeezus.
Yeezus is far from safe. It’s a great example of staying in your comfort zone versus overcoming your fear of judgment to make something pure. Yeezus is just that. It was a whole declaration of war against the expectations of the industry of the time and that’s why I think it’s one of his most well-aged albums. And in a time when others milked their genre, Ye was making fruit juice, and the result: others got spoiled milk and Ye got wine.
This ranking is going to be in tracklist order and then ranked. I have some experience in producing, but I am sorry If I miss some specific terms.
On Sight
“On Sight” is the opening to Yeezus as an album and I think represents its great, very harsh synth and very rhythmic melodies, a very consuming storm-like sound. But to be honest this track is solid! Even within its complicated melody and harsh buzzing sounds, it sounds weirdly right.
Ye’s verse is pretty solid too but is mocking as he laughs at the end of some of them–telling people how it’s on sight, flexing ego. Even though the idea is more on the nose, it works; it’s a solid eight out of ten track.
Black Skinhead
“Black Skinhead” is the second track off of Yeezus, and it’s genius. The opening synth is so raw and is used as a riser, the repeated drum break plays, rhythmic breathing, and calls begin. It causes a very complex auditory experience. Even the title represents a subversion of expectation. Skinheads were those racist against black and other darker-skinned individuals, most of the KKK are considered skinheads, so saying Black Skinhead represents an oxymoron is a counterculture statement.
Ye talks about how he is excluded from culture and controlled by culture to show and hide his blackness or anything different from others. It’s a very strong, relevant, and important message for all of hip-hop. Ten out of ten.
I Am a God
“I Am a God” is the third piece of Yeezus. It starts with rhythmic synth and kicks layered on each other. A call begins until the melody crashes down on the track more and more finally it crescendos. The beat is mostly synth and kicks and said calls after every lyric speeding and slowing with the rhyme scheme. As the song progresses, screaming gets more and more prominent.
This track represents the observation of Ye’s ego in the media and struggles with himself. One of the lyrics shows the observation very well. “I am a god, Even though I’m a man of God, So Y’all better quit playin’ with God.” Saying he thinks he is good but he knows of someone better and superior but they are on the same page, so you better not mess with either of them.
It feels like a balancing act, probably how he feels about representing himself with his ego, between speaking for God and speaking of God. The track is beautiful but some lyrics are crazy to me, but not controversial to most. But I get the artistry very strong, eight out of ten.
New Slaves
A way to describe “New Slaves” is with that same vocal sample feel as the last but the yelling comes from Ye this time in his bars.
“New Slaves” talks about how culture is a new form of slavery telling us how to do things right, say things right, what we want, what we don’t. Ye talks about how he knows this and people can’t control him with contracts and money and they can’t pressure him into being controlled. It covers and talks about the exploitation of blacks within culture, hip hop, too.
Sonically very simple with the same mallet melody being played constructing most of the track with synths crashing within the genre-defying lyrics and vocal samples developing more prominent into the track; it all crashes into a heavy vocal and drum section.
I interpret the last part of the song New Slaves “And I’m not dyin’, and I can’t lose” and “So let’s get too high” as a moment where he realizes he can’t die or lose because he can’t leave this responsibility to others because they would fold, so he does drugs to cope with the world, Or there is no losing because he has already won. The lyrics would get Ye a Grammy nomination the song represents this album well, nine out of ten.
Hold My Liquor
“Hold my Liquor” starts off with a sample and a very rhythm-based chord progression that stays prominent throughout the song. Chief Keef comes on and talks about how people don’t know him and no one can handle and control him, a very prominent theme of this album. Ye finally gets on talking about a previous unnamed partner that he drove to their house drunk trying to win them back.
He finally gets over this person but falls in love with another who loves him no matter what happens, but her family doesn’t support him, He tells her that they don’t even know them. Things happen and the same situation plays out and he can’t hold his liquor; he cannot control himself drunk.
He comes back again like last time. This song is about controlling yourself, and the inner thoughts within your head and exercising discipline. The relationship he was in was at a good spot, but she flees for some reason; he does and performs things from lack of discipline.
This track is almost spotless, the meanings are beautifully crafted and the track’s progression to becoming more full and fleshed are amazing. The synth is great. This is one of the strongest tracks of Yeezus, ten out of ten.
I’m In It
“I’m In It” is the sixth track on Yeezus. It starts with loud buzzing booms and an established bass chord progression and Ye describes a sensual encounter with a woman. After this, the production falls on the track heavy and strong. The vocals between the lyrics are maniac, hitting hard.
The beat switches after a few bars from Ye to bass and increasing drums with laying down vocals. The next lyrics describe what the song is really about. “Uh, got the kids and the wife life.” “Uh, but can’t wake up from the nightlife.”
The song’s tone and lyrics describe how Ye is addicted to sensual activities with women but also is married life, scared of his demons, but everyone in the world doesn’t care and doesn’t see that he is calling for help.
The first half of this song drags it down a little. The lyrics are a good leading experience to the point Ye is trying to make, but it could be a little shorter. So overall it’s an Eight out of ten.
Blood On The Leaves
“Blood on the Leaves” starts with a beautiful sample, Ye intertwines with it as the track progresses in the bass drop with heavy trumpets and brass that stay in a circle through most of the track.
“Blood On The Leaves” represents the contemporary lynching of African Americans killing their character or persecuting them for just being human, the destruction of fame in your life. He talks about how even though he has friends there are two sets, those before and those now, those he would lie for. As he becomes more self-interested he approves of those more famous.
It also discusses problems within relationships, and expectations for money and fame, hiding yourself before it. Along with the almost para-social relation, people have if they feel related to a celebrity. Absolute art, ten out of ten.
Guilt Trip
“Guilt Trip” has a beautiful chord progression with a fitting vocal sample with a rhythmic sound similar to a perc. Ye begins again how he needs to call it off and needs to make it known. He is referring to the guilt of what he talked of in ‘I’m In It.”
Meeting a great girl but treating her in a way sometimes that he isn’t good, and he is showing the disconnect between Ye and Yeezus slowly degrading over all these songs–which is perfect because some people say this is the “most Kanye” song off of Yeezus. “Most Kanye” reflects past work.
“Guilt Trip” features Kid Cudi and he has a great sampled performance and it matches the tracks almost perfectly. All these factors and this simple yet effective writing and production make “Guilt Trip” a ten out of ten.
Send It Up
“Send It Up” starts with a sharp saw overlayed with a string instrument playing with a bounce-like rhythm. The drums fit in between and almost move and breathe with it.
The lyrics on this one are weaker and pretty basic, but from what I’ve listened to, represent the flex that is known through all of hip-hop. I think this song is a perfect preface song for the next song that I think was specifically engineered to be a radio hit.
“Send It Up” is kind of a regular hip-hop song other than the beat. It didn’t innovate or have the same abstract lyrics as the last few, seven out of ten.
Bound 2
“Bound 2” uses a sample from “Bound” sung by Ponderosa Twins Plus One, a choir. Using the vocal chops to make a traditionally known sound for Kanye’s previous works, the soul-type feel works with another sample to break between beat switches.
A guitar or strong bass is in the back guiding the track; the drums are minimal and Ye sings about how they were bound to fall into love, talking about his partner at the time Kim Kardashian, and the end of the album with him settling, finally, even with Jerome being in the house, Yeezus.
She accepts him and he loves her and they are bound to fall in love. Beautiful melody perfectly telegraphed story, great mocking of pop culture as well with the music video and tropes. Perfectly Yeezus, 10 out of 10
The Consensus
Ye starts off being sad and egotistical at the beginning of the album and moves through different issues especially with “Guilt Trip,” “Blood On The Leaves,” “Hold My Liquor” and “New Slaves” to finally settle it with “Bound 2,” finding the people that could ground him as a man.
I’m glad, at the time, unsafe art like this with deeper meaning was made. It is encouraging to see people come back to Yeezus and appreciate it for what it is. I think the message of artists versus what sells will forever be a relevant battle for any artist and this proclamation of human struggle and what should be played versus what shouldn’t, works great.
All the songs on this album are great or above average because I love the sound of Yeezus, but they do drag a little and this makes them not exactly perfect.
“Hold My Liquor” stands out and is first for me followed by “Guilt Trip” and “Bound 2” giving that old sampled feel with new melodies. Next, is “New Slaves.” I know it got a lower rating than the next two but the verse is impressive enough to make it fourth on this top ten. “Blood On The Leaves” has great composing a very interesting beat and actually pretty good lyrics throughout.
“Black Skinhead” “Blood On The Leaves” and “New Slaves” are all tied in my book, just inching past each other depending on my listening. “On Sight” is a powerful and abstract intro, very strong, and is seventh on this list. “I Am a God” struggles lyrically for me, making it eighth on this album. Due to the dragging parts at the beginning and middle, both “I’m In It” and “Send It Up” are tied for ninth and tenth for me.
I hope something you can learn from this review is to just go for things in art. You never know if what you’re making now, which seems out there, will break boundaries and speak to the future of art later. Yeezus is a very strong 9.5 out of 10 album.
