Controversy, Art and Madness: The Official Kanye West Thread

[Soot and Stars]

When I heard this song, I couldn't believe that it was actually Kanye singing and writing it. The uplifting piano notes contrast with the dark background beat, and it creates a sense of beauty that I never expected from a figure such as Kanye West!

:ec:

Glad to see you are coming over to the dark side Sal! If you like that song the last song I posted "Say You Will" is more subdued but has that trance like quality that Runaway puts you through!

 

[Soot and Stars]

Welcome To Heartbreak


My friend showed me pictures of his kids
And all I could show him was pictures of my cribs
He said his daughter got a brand new report card
And all I got was a brand new sports car, oh

And my head keeps spinning
Can't stop having these visions, I gotta get with it
And my head keeps spinning
I can't stop having these visions, I gotta get with it

Dad cracked a joke, all the kids laughed
But I couldn't hear him all the way in first class
Chased the good life my whole life long
Look back on my life and my life gone
Where did I go wrong?

And my head keeps spinning
Can't stop having these visions, I gotta get with it
And my head keeps spinning
I can't stop having these visions, I gotta get with it

I've seen it, I've seen it before
I've seen it, I've seen it before
I've seen it, I've seen it before
I've seen it, I've seen it before

Oh my God, sister getting married by the lake
But I couldn't figure out who I'd wanna take
Bad enough that I showed up late
I had to leave before they even cut the cake
Welcome to heartbreak

And my head keeps spinning
Can't stop having these visions, I gotta get with it
And my head keeps spinning
I can't stop having these visions, I gotta get with it

And I and I can't stop
No, no, I can't stop
No, no, no, no, I can't stop
No, no, no, no, I can't stop

Can't stop, I can't stop, I can't stop
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no
No, no, I can't stop

I can't stop having these visions
I gotta get with it​

This song follows the opener with a more viable single ready track but lyrically this as confessional as anything Kanye has written. As opposed to most rappers who may try to question mo money mo problems Kanye actually had and has all these riches and was in a real state of questioning when writing this. He had just broken out of a relationship and he's writing from the perspective of a man who can't have it all due to his own self. Their is an honest sense of loneliness in this and a self fulfilling prophecy of grand proportion. The beat in this is great and even greater as it gets heavier, slowere, thudding at the end!

 

[Soot and Stars]

Heartless


In the night I hear 'em talk,
The coldest story ever told,
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul
To a woman so heartless...
How could you be so heartless... oh
How could you be so heartless?

How could you be so,
Cold as the winter wind when it breeze yo
Just remember that you talking to me yo
You need to watch the way you talking to me you know
I mean after all the things that we been through
I mean after all the things we got into
And yo I know of some things that you ain't told me
And yo I did some things but that's the old me
And now you wanna get me back
And you gon' show me
So you walk around like you don't know me
You got a new friend
Well I got homies
But in the end it's still so lonely

In the night I hear 'em talk,
The coldest story ever told,
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul
To a woman so heartless...
How could you be so heartless... oh
How could you be so heartless?


How could you be so Dr. Evil
You're bringing out a side of me that I don't know
I decided we weren't gonna speak so why we up 3 a.m. on the phone
Why does she be so mad at me for, homie I don't know she's hot and cold
I won't stop, won't mess my groove up cause I already know how this thing goes,
You run and tell your friends that you're leavin' me
They say that they don't see what you see in me
You wait a couple months then you gon' see,
You'll never find nobody better than me

In the night I hear 'em talk,
The coldest story ever told,
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul
To a woman so heartless...
How could you be so heartless... oh
How could you be so heartless?


Talkin', talkin', talkin', talk,
Baby lets just knock it off
They don't know what we been through
They don't know 'bout me and you
So I got something new to see
And you just gon' keep hatin' me
And we just gon' be enemies
I know you can't believe
I could just leave it wrong
and you can't make it right
Im gon' take off tonight
Into the night...

In the night I hear 'em talk,
The coldest story ever told,
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul
To a woman so heartless...
How could you be so heartless... oh
How could you be so heartless?

This is the biggest track off the album and while it's not my favorite I can see why it was picked as a single. I can also see why artists from all genres would cover this. It's very soulful and well written song about something anyone can relate to. It's leaving someone very close to you and the isolation it brings, the history it erases and the bad blood it creates. Kanye who's known for his ego shows that he has a weakness and can be affected by someone else. It's a typical story in a lot of ways but knowing the artist kind of changes the context and shows that confidence no matter how high can be shaken. You can hear the tone of frustration in Kanyes non-flashy but rhythmic flatline rapping and the longing in the soulful chorus. Once again Kanye picks an ingenious artist/song to sample from and create from changing the whole world of the original. The track is:

Alan Parsons Project-Ammonia Avenue
(sample starts at 2:31)


Here are some covers of this infectious, easy to lovetrack:


​

 

[Soot and Stars]

Amazing


It's amazing, I'm the reason
Everybody fired up this evening
I'm exhausted, barely breathing
Holding on to what I believe in

No matter what you'll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see

It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin'
(Let's go)

I'm a monster, I'm a killer
I know I'm wrong, yeah
I'm a problem that'll never ever be solved

And no matter what you'll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see

It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin'
(Let's go)

I'm a monster, I'm a maven
I know this world is changin'
Never gave in, never gave up
I'm the only thing I'm afraid of

No matter what you'll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see

It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin'

I'm amazin', yeah, I'm all that
If I ain't on my grind then what you call that?
Victorious, yeah, we warriors
We make history, strive off victory

Standing at my podium
I'm trying watch my sodium
Die high blood pressure
You even let the Feds getcha

I'm amazin', born on the full moon
I was bred to get it in, no spoon
That's why I'm so goose, summer time, no juice
Big family, small house, no rooms

They like, oh God, why you go so hard?
Look what he's been through
He deserves an applause

So amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin', so amazin', so amazin', so amazin'
It's amazin'

I can't lie. This track is ego central but it's one of my favorites off the album. It's just so addictive and is infectious. If you let yourself listen to it you'd have to bob your head and smirk at yourself for doing it. The heavy tribal beat, the machismo (hooah), the cocky melodic chorus and the general chant of egocentric bombast. This is the track that you just have fun with in it's over the top nature. Whooah!!!​

 

[ILoveJimmyPage]

Gonna give this thread a with one of the best songs from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy! This whole album is like one big spectacular rap/hip-hop star congregation with so many layered and beautifully-constructed songs that I have come to count it as one of my favorite hip-hop albums in my collection.


So Appalled


Also, Kanye's Grammy nominated tune, All of the Lights (with interlude)...

 

[METALPRIEST]

Is Kanye West Trying to Buy Elvis Presley’s Graceland?



Source Link

In today’s hunka hunka burnin’ rumors, rapper Kanye West may or may not be in talks to buy Graceland, the Memphis home of the late King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley. (Even though Presley recorded a generation or so earlier than most of the artists we cover at Ultimate Classic Rock, his influence on many of these artists we cover is undeniable.)



According to the British tabloid Daily Star, Yeezus wants to buy Graceland for girlfriend and baby mama Kim Kardashian. “Kanye is really excited about the possibility of owning it,” an unnamed alleged insider said. “He thinks it would be really cool if he, Kim and baby [North West] lived there, at least some of the time.”

Elvis bought Graceland — now a U.S. national landmark — in 1957, and it’s where he died two decades later. The 14-acre site houses the mansion itself (with its famous frozen-in-time interior), and Presley, his parents and his grandmother are all buried on the property in the “Meditation Garden.”

“Kanye has always been intrigued by Elvis, especially his influence in bringing blues and gospel music to the masses,” the anonymous source said. “Kanye thinks owning Graceland and restoring it to its former glory would cement his place in showbiz history.”

The property is estimated to be worth about $85 million, but few believe its current owner — Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie — would be willing to part with it. She sold off 85 percent of her father’s estate a few years ago but insisted on maintaining full ownership of Graceland (as well as her dad’s awards, cars, costumes and furniture).

Besides, the site attracts more than half a million visitors a year — which hardly seems like the kind of place a dude who hates cameras would want to live.
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