i think i can explain the kanye hype. hes one of the most influential hip hop figures of all time and has received near universal praise from hip hop pioneers that came before him. RZA is the first name on hip hop mount rushmore, and hes basically said kanye is his successor. the college dropout completely changed the scene and the discussion. it was unlike pretty much anything else at the time. and of course the fabled story is that roc wasn't even going to sign him because he wasnt a gangsta rap guy and didnt seem to fit with the image of what was popular. but of course he basically revitalized jay-z's career and had contributed a number of massive songs for artists before even releasing his own first album.
if you consider just his production ability, hes one of the all time greats. his sampling techniques and sense of time, space and color is unmatched today and again are rivaled only by the all time greats like RZA, el-p, dj quik, and no ID. his rapping style is obviously unconventional, which is why it took a while for him to get signed, but again, he just did it his own way, and his own way ended up influencing a wave of guys that came after him.
mbdtf is a classic for a number of reasons. first, 2009 was nearly the end of his career. basically everyone turned against him after the taylor swift thing, he became reclusive and he probably could have just hung it up at that point. 808s was obviously a really emotional album for him, he had relationship issues, his mom dying, and then he melted down in 2009. he was basically on the brink. so, he disappeared, then instead of continuing down the minimalist path, he basically took his previous 4 albums, took the best parts from each, and then made them 1000x more opulent and over the top.
the album is a nearly flawless piece of art. if it was simply an instrumental album, you could listen to it (especially with a good pair of headphones) and be blown away by the lushness, the beautiful production, the layering, and the sense of space. when you add in the lyrics for songs like power, runaway, dark fantasy, and devil in a new dress, it becomes an all time classic. and it isnt just him, its all of the talent he surrounded himself with. rick ross is pretty meh, but his verse in devil in a new dress is probably his single greatest verse ever, and it was recorded a day before the album had to be finished.
over the last 15 years, bands have moved away from making albums. they make singles, they string 3 or 4 good songs together, and the rest of the album is watered down filler. kayne made an album. his 4 previous albums were "albums", but this is even beyond that. its lush, deep, and covers just about every range of the emotional spectrum possible. he looks critically at himself, he praises himself, and he pretty much just puts it all on the line.
it doesn't sound like a hip hop album. or a rock album. or a jazz album. its a work of genius. i highly recommend revisiting the album, from start to finish, with headphones, and really just focusing on the grooves. then listen to the genius of the lyrics. and the third time through, allow the whole thing to come together. its a staggering piece of art that will stand the test of time, and in 15 years, will be held in the same regard as 3 feet high and rising, enter the wu-tang, illmatic, paid in full, and straight outta compton.
