Words by John Walaszek (@JWalaszek)
A year ago today Kanye West released his sixth studio album, Yeezus. The album is no doubt the darkest of Kanye’s work, and Yeezus can be summed up as 40 minutes of music, anger, and pure aggression packed in a clear case.
Leading up to the release of Yeezus, Kanye was finishing his ascent into the top tier of A-list super stardom. He reached that level where your parents, aunts, pets, coworkers, and just about anybody on the planet had their own firm opinion of Mr. West. His engagement to Kim Kardashian, and the birth of their daughter, received seemingly all the press; and then there were the battles with the paparazzi, disputes with Nike and the self-comparisons to Steve Jobs. Kanye was talking his shit again, but his audience was bigger than ever, and many people weren’t ready to hear it.
So while most artists in Kanye’s position would try to save face, and make amends with the public, Kanye instead slapped them in the face with Yeezus. Right off the bat on “On Sight” Kanye asks, “how much do I not give a fuck?” The answer is obviously “not at all,” because Kanye is notoriously greedy with his fucks.
Yeezus also once again showed Kanye’s willingness to step out and explore new terrain, and to make songs that set the trends instead of following suit. Initially labeled a success by critics, Yeezus received a more mixed reaction from casual listeners. Yeezus scared people. It is by no means an easy album to listen to, but that’s because Yeezus is more than just a collection of tracks. It’s not about skipping through and finding the bangers, it’s about sitting down and taking an hour to get mad, sad, or hype. The album as a whole sounds like more of a theatrical performance, and it was brought to life with the subsequent grandiose Yeezus tour.
Now that the dust has settled, we can look back and see the impact that Yeezus has had on the rap game. These are by no means the ‘best’ songs from Yeezus, but five of the tracks that have had the biggest influence on rap and hip-hop since its release. Yeezus walks…
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