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Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Album Review

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Album Cover
Kanye West is ‘f?kn ridiculous’ to quote RZA in the track ‘So Appalled’ on this latest effort from Hip Hop’s creative genius.

Kanye may have a lot of personal issues but no one can take issue with his creative prowess which is interwoven so expertly into an understated swagger called My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

The Chicago MC’s resourcefulness is an oasis from the drab default techno bile substituting for Hip Hop that we are getting served day in and day out.

There is no pretense in this album. This is Kanye in his prime and he brings in a couple of heavy hitters both on the mic and in the production room. And what is more, this is Yeezy having fun with a bunch of friends hanging out in a studio and putting in some work.
The efficiency of his delivery is not subtle. This is the Kanye rants without the shades on. No blinding lights, he has come into his own skin. There is no middle-man or gimmick. He is playful as much as he is defiant. And fighting for that he states unabashedly in ‘Power’

“My childlike creativity, purity, and honesty is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts/ Reality is catching up with me, taking my inner child, I’m fighting for custody.”

What makes this album a thing wonder is the use of various tricks in the book. He uses horns, strings, electric guitars, hooks, and haunting melodies – the works. In all of that he never wanders away and gets lost in his imagination.

It goes dark at times and then comes back with venom and spits in your face. When you look in the mirror, instead of screaming you see a lot of yourself in the light of a disillusioned paramour of justice.

He is vicious as he faces the spotlight. He doesn’t shy away from it. He never takes the easy way out. It is twisted and menacing as much as it is comforting to know that we can go to those depths of fantasy and still come out alive.

Is this album the best from Kanye yet? Yes. Mostly it is because he has taken the best bits of his previous releases and thrown them into this one. Musically, lyrically and emotionally this album hits the spot every single time.

And the question of questions: Is this album a classic? I am willing stick my neck out and say Yes. I remember reading Common’s status update on Facebook where he said this was an album Hip Hop needed right now.

Sure he is signed to G.O.O.D. Music but, for transcending from obsession with authenticity and predictable dramatics to fantasy alone, this is the right outlet for Hip Hop. This is a defined movement. Hip Hop is lucky to have Kanye.

Tracks to download(It is hard to single out any 3 but these will have to do)
POWER
So Appalled (feat. JAY-Z, Pusha T, Prynce Cy Hi, Swizz Beatz & The RZA)
Blame Game (feat John Legend)

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  1. fantastic album as always Kanye throws the curveball at all wannabe MCs, he is light years ahead very creative MC, kind of saw it on Death of Autotunes he did with Jay, really retracing rap to origins where MCs would spit over Jazzy tunes, and a touch of mid 80s house sounding baselines, raw sounding fresh, in your face! clever clever, at a time where rap was beginning to sound monotonous.

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