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Kanye West is an asshole.
He is for a variety of reasons, for his outsized ego, for his extremely trashy outbursts, for his concept of fashion, which is basically obscene.
But Kanye West is also a genius.
Yes, I said it, and I'll say it again. He's a genius.
And it could already be imagined from his first two albums (not without flaws) that he would revolutionize the figure of the black rapper. No big cars, no big gold chains, no, just music of a high level. Lyrics that talk about God, the difficulties of life, about bad women, about missed degrees. A Hip-hop contaminated by Soul music, with samples from Ray Charles, Daft Punk, King Crimson to testify, as if there were any need, of Mr. West's vast musical knowledge.
I admit, I have never loved hip-hop, not even the historically recognized kind of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G.
But the first time I listened to one of his tracks, I understood that the musical product offered was trying to break out from the bland stew of MTV, to carve out a space of its own, perhaps cool, pretentious, but certainly alternative. It was the time of "The College Dropout," his first album. Ages ago, looking at the musical path Kanye has taken. Album after album (each different from the other) he has honed his flaws, exploring various genres. He went from the subtle soul of "Late Registration" to the futuristic pop of "Graduation" (in my opinion his least successful album) to the latest, controversial, "808's and Heartbreaker," an LP of love songs, paranoia, and alienation filtered through auto-tune and tribal percussion. A Cold, sparse, minimal album.
In the opinion of this writer, that album remains his masterpiece, also because it divided critics, those who love it or those who hate it. An album of love, but also desperation.
After the blunder with Taylor Swift and a few months away from the spotlight, our guy returns with his new work, with a title that's a whole program, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." I take it, unwrap it, and begin my sacred listening ritual.
The first track "Dark Fantasy" starts, and it's already a prestige. A coup de theatre that only Kanye could come up with, 5 minutes of Gospel, Hip-Hop, and angelic choirs. Expectations become sky-high. And they are not disappointed.
We go from a (nearly) Funky-rock of "Gorgeous" to the furious rap of "Power" (never was a title more fitting), where Kanye lashes out at everyone and everything (an irresistible showcase of his ego).
The gem arrives with the pair "All of the Lights (Prelude)" and "All of the Lights." The first develops in a minute of strings and piano before exploding with ceremonial trumpets in the second part, with Rihanna's voice (who can forgive me, she's much better as a featuring artist than as a soloist) exploding in a celebration of sounds and colors.
There's something for everyone, from the raw hip-hop of Monster, to the chill-dance of Lost in the World (one of the best episodes), from the grace of Blame Game (embellished by John Legend's voice) to the madness of Runaway (a song that deserves a separate review).
In short, an immense album, baroque, full of sounds and contradictions, like its author. Genius and stupidity in the same person.
The only downside is perhaps the tail end of Runaway, too pretentious.
Just a quick look around the web to discover how critics are totally amazed by this record, the work you wouldn't expect from the artist you've pounded up until now with gossip and star-system curiosity. Sky-high ratings like rain.
Mr. West is getting his satisfaction, and he continues to surprise. First, the intimate album, and now his most complex and complete LP.
And it is once again a masterpiece, because if 808's & Heartbreaker was written by God, This "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" was written by the Devil.
Enough with the chatter and the badge.
Bravo Mr. West.
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