Jennifer Wiles
MC Contributor/Staff Writer
The center of rap controversy has claimed the year 2016 to be one of creative reinvention. Rapper, designer and father Kanye West has finally dropped his anticipated album. For the past couple of months, West has kept his fans updated on his album through his social media account.
After an amazing turnout from his past album, “Yeezus”, the hype for the 7 studio album has been crazy.
Originally titled “Swish”, then “Waves”, somehow after a long search for the perfect album title, “The Life of Pablo” arrived in the middle of the night. West’s album was delayed for artistic purposes for a few days because the track list was incomplete and one of the featured artists, Chance the Rapper, was still fighting to make sure his collaborated song with West and singer Chris Brown, titled “Waves”, made it on to the album. TLOP was finally available on Tidal for listening on Jan. 13
West tweeted that night right after the album drop, “I write this to you my brothers while still $53 million in personal debt… Please pray we overcome… This is my true heart…”
This may just be the reason why the rapper will not sell to Apple Music and is only allowing fans to hear it for free for a week then it will be on sale for $20.
Earlier in 2015, it was announced that “Swish” would be considered a gospel album. Of course Christians were outraged, and for those familiar with the rapper’s past, he has many songs claiming that he believed that he himself was a God. Reaching back even further, he once was atheist.
Now in one of his current songs, “Highlights”, featuring singer El Debarge and rapper Young Thug, he refers to himself in third person stating, “Yeezus is a Christian.” Although many were skeptical on how West would incorporate gospel music into his theme, it was accomplished.
The first track is called “Ultra light Beams”, which is very extreme, religious and powerful. It is enriched with a choir and to add to the song’s power, two gospel artists are also featured on it, Kirk Franklin and Kelly Price. Franklin posted a picture of him and West and said, “I will not turn my back on my brother. I will love him, prayerfully grow with him. However long he’ll have me, and however long the race takes.” This song is only one of many that leak inspiration to listener’s ears.
Although the wait for TLOP was long overdue, many fans are not upset and are pleased that the songs on it are the best he could offer. TLOP is filled with wild lyrics such as, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? Because I made that b**** famous”, or “If Nike ain’t have Drizzy they wouldn’t have nothing”, West has received both negative and positive attention from his supporters and enemies.
The 18 track album is stuffed with a surplus of the best artist known in the music industry such as, Kendrick Lamar, current five Grammy award winning rapper, and singer Rihanna. Other artists featured are Andre 3000, The Weeknd, and surprisingly, long heard from singer and writer Frank Ocean.
It is unquestionable that this may be one of West’s best albums because of the blend of music, but truthfully, the real question that no one can find the answer to is, who is Pablo?
