Monday 13 April 2015

K is for Kanye West



Say what you will about his award-show rants and other out-of-studio theatrics, but there is no denying the fact that Kanye West is one of the most talented musicians alive today. He has amassed more than 20 Grammys in a relatively short period of time, as well as recorded some of the most iconic hip-hop songs and albums of the past decade.

Kanye West started out as a producer, gaining some recognition for his work on the critically-acclaimed Jay Z album, The Blueprint. But his breakthrough wouldn't come until 2002, when he released Through the Wire, a song that was recorded while his jaw was wired shut shortly after a car accident. The song would later feature on his debut album, The College Dropout, which was released in 2004.

The album was met with rave reviews, gaining an Album of the Year nomination at the 2005 Grammy Awards, his first of three back-to-back albums to score a nomination in that category, the other two being The Late Registration (2005) and Graduation (2007). All three albums would also earn him awards in the Best Rap Album category, with the third one producing his Daft Punk-sampling hit single, Stronger.

For his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak, Mr. West decided to switch styles by swapping his raps for autotuned vocals, a decision which many argue had led to his absence in the Best Rap Album category of the following year's Grammy Awards. But the album and its experimental nature would help pave the way for his 2010 follow up, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Easily one of the greatest hip-hop albums released in years, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was named Best Album of 2010 by Time Magazine and several other publications. So it is here that I have chosen to highlight the brilliance of Kanye West, or more importantly his music. And there is no better way to do that than through his musical short film, Runaway.


17 comments:

  1. Not my style of music, but I probably listen to him more than I realise - the radio is always on at the gym I work at :-)

    Annalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep

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    1. I can totally picture your gym blasting "Stronger" through their speakers. :)

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  2. Kanye West, hmmmmm..... not really my style though they say he's good. I think his earlier songs were much better than what I hear these days.

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    1. His recent material has been more experimental, I admit, but therein lies the beauty of it. :)

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    1. I couldn't agree more. He is one of few hip-hop artists today that can actually back up all the own trumpet blowing with actual talent.

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  4. He's not my favorite person in the world, but I do really love his music. Jesus Walks is one of my favorite songs.

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    1. Jesus Walks was the very song that made me a fan, and I am not too keen on him as an individual either.

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  5. He's not popular as a person, but his music sure is.

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    1. True that. I guess most great artists tend to be out of touch with reality, which is why they are rarely ever understood by the general public.

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  6. Just found you from the A to Z list. Glad I did! Love Kanye's music, I try to ignore most celebritys' personal lives. The operative word there is 'try.'
    http://jennifernicholewells.com

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    1. I'm glad you stumbled upon my blog too, Jennifer. The problem with celebrities like Kanye is that they make it almost impossible for you to ignore their head-scratching antics.

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  7. He's certainly a colourful character.

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