“Ye”
A surprising look at the inner workings of Kanye West’s mind during the toughest year of his career.
After hitting the headlines in mid-spring because of his controversial tweets, outspoken support of Trump and suggestion that slavery “sounds like a choice,” rapper Kanye West released his seventh full–length album, titled “ye” on June 1. Following his media shenanigans leading up to the release, many assumed the record would serve as a response to the backlash he received for his comments. However, in typical “Kanye” fashion, West surprised listeners with a project that instead highlights his personal struggles with depression, bipolar disorder and opioid addiction.
West begins the tracklist with “I Thought About Killing You,” a song that focuses on the split moods that come with his bipolar disorder, and is delivered in a style similar to spoken-word. Throughout the track, West asserts his interest in killing the bipolar side of himself. “Today I seriously thought about killing you / I contemplated premeditated murder / And I thought about killing myself / And I love myself way more than I love you,” West says.
Other highlights on the record include “Wouldn’t Leave” and “No Mistakes” where he commemorates his wife, Kim Kardashian, for staying by his side during his struggles with mental health. Although the album as a whole is acoustically impressive, these two tracks are some of the best on it. The simple instrumental in “Wouldn’t Leave” is juxtaposed with Ty Dolla $ign’s layered backing vocals in the song, making it one of the best sounding tracks this year. The beat on “No Mistakes” is reminiscent of West’s older work and features an incredibly soulful piano sample from the late gospel artist Edwin Hawkins.
And the few problems with the project aren’t due to West at all, but with collaborator PARTYNEXTDOOR (PND), who is featured in two songs. Although PND’s performances are not bad, they lack the same originality and creativity of West. In West’s verse on the track “Wouldn’t Leave,” PND sounds so much like Atlanta rapper Young Thug that West later specified PND’s feature in the track title, because most listeners assumed Thug was behind the crooning vocals.
Despite minor issues with PND’s performances, the record is strong. Each track feels like a personal look into West’s thought process throughout his past year, and with impressive vocals and instrumentals, there’s no denying the sonic quality of the record. Though “ye” may not be as long as his previous record — clocking in at a mere seven tracks — West is able to pack this long-awaited album to the brim with some of his most personal material yet.
“KIDS SEE GHOSTS”
West and Cudi Find Strength in their Road to Recovery.
If “ye” was West at his most brooding and darkest point, then this collaboration album with longtime friend and rapper, Kid Cudi, is him at his most triumphant. West continues the seven-track theme from “ye” but, unlike his solo record, in “KIDS SEE GHOSTS” West and Cudi focus on their recovery from mental illness and addiction rather than their issues with them. The theme of the album is intriguing and when the two stay on topic, they create magic.
The project starts somewhat slowly with the two worst tracks, “Feel the Love” and “4th Dimension,” which, though pleasing to the ear, lack a coherent theme. “4th Dimension” is a chaotic mess, with a Christmas-themed sample and West’s lines about buying an alligator. And on “Feel the Love,” West doesn’t even speak words, instead opting for the same scatting — nonsensical mouth sounds — he used on the promotional single “Lift Yourself.”
However, “KIDS SEE GHOSTS” quickly gains momentum on “Ghost Town Pt. 2” which radiates around the artists’ proud feelings about overcoming their mental health issues. The two start the track by claiming that they “don’t feel pain anymore” and “feel free.” By the second chorus, the hook changes from “I feel free” to “I am free,” as if the song itself is providing them liberation. Everything from the booming drums to the almost belted chorus is incredibly empowering. Towards the end of the track, Cudi even goes so far as to say that he has come back from the dead.
The theme of reincarnation continues in “Reborn,” where Cudi reflects on his mental growth since being placed into a rehabilitation center in 2016 for suicidal ideation. “Had so much on my mind / I didn’t know where to go / I’ve come a long way from (the voices) hauntin’ me,” Cudi sings.
West also provides some of his most introspective lines on the record, where he touches on the heavy medication he was forced to take after being diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder.
The album closes with “Cudi Montage,” where the two look to God to keep them on their path toward recovery. The instrumental, which features a sample from Kurt Cobain and a haunting synth riff, makes for an epic ending to the album.
Compared to “ye,” the high points on “KIDS SEE GHOSTS” are more impressive, but because of the first few tracks, the album lacks the same impeccable consistency seen on West’s solo album. And although the themes of the albums are polar opposites, both are unequivocally “Kanye.”
–Reviews by Ari Tandan
