But let's not forget how cringe-worthy the prospect of this album was just a mere year ago. At the time, the album was carrying the title of SWISH (one of the truly awful potential album titles in the history of the world), and was set to be a soulful, throwback collaborative effort with Paul McCartney. Though a (barely) salvageable idea on paper, the quality of the first two singles ("Only One", "FourFiveSeconds") were so middle of the road that we were lead to believe "All Day" was a major step in the right direction.
And then of course there was the album title and cover. After a couple days of fans hilariously trying to guess the meaning of the T.L.O.P. acronym, Kanye finally revealed it to stand for The Life of Pablo, a title that's meaning is still apparently up for interpretation, although Kanye seemingly denounced all speculation by tweeting of Paul (Pablo in Spanish) the Apostle. And though there is of course no way for me to prove this, I was spot-on with my prediction of the album being a reference to the journey of Saul/Paul, after the initial Picasso/Escobar thoughts ran their course. So for whatever it's worth, twelve years of Catholic education has allowed me to pickup biblical references in Kanye West albums.
The Life of Pablo's album artwork is so bad that it's almost baffling. As of the moment, the version sitting in my iTunes has a much better fan-made cover just so I don't have to stare at the real one. For reasons unknown, Kanye's cover is so ridiculous that it brings to mind an almost Andy Warhol-esque anti-art feel. In the same way you'd ask why in the world someone would paint a Campbell's soup can, you just have the wonder why Kanye would spend over three years agonizing over this release only to use this terrible cover. And in no way am I suggesting that Kanye's summoning of Warhol techniques were even remotely intentional, it's just the first thing that came to mind.
So The Life of Pablo was finally released earlier this month, and totally mixed reviews have been flooding in, leading this album down the road to being one of Mr. West's Polarizing Albums, an area where he hasn't fared too well in, at least on this site. I maintain that Yeezus was mostly shit (I listened again this week and the only thing that really stuck out was how remarkably dull it gets after "New Slaves"), and while I like 808s, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't nearly the bottom of my personal Kanye album rankings. So Pablo already seems made for people not named Me, and as it stands, the album, "can only be heard exclusively on Tidal", which was more or less a last second Hail Mary to keep the streaming service in business. And we're not gonna get into specifics, but let's just say I had the album on my iTunes minutes after it dropped and I've never owned a Tidal in my life. Sorry Jay, exclusives don't exist on the internet anymore. But most importantly, is The Life of Pablo really worthy of all the attention it's been getting?
Well?
1. Ultralight Beams (Feat. Chance the Rapper, The-Dream, Kelly Price & Kirk Franklin)
From even his earliest tracks, a great deal of Kanye West's music has been rooted in Christianity. "Jesus Walks" of course kicked it all off, and it eventually evolved into the necromancy and blasphemy of Yeezus, and acting as a bit of a yang to the yin of that album, "Ultralight Beams" is pure white magic. With the fame and near insanity of West's life closing in, the album opener is a confessional plea to a higher power, perhaps as a last ditch effort to achieve salvation. The setting acts accordingly, with the choir and organ giving our host an opportunity to pray. To pray for Paris, and even himself, showing an unbelievable vulnerability from a man that previously proclaimed himself a god. And though Kanye barely even appears, his repetition of, "This is a God's dream" is a key concept of the album as a whole. Just as the album itself seemingly changed on a whim, our entire reality has the possibility to shift at any time. Nothing is set in stone, and we may just be figments of a divine being's mind. And everything else is just icing on the cake. The choir is beautiful, and Chance the Rapper delivers what is arguably the best verse of his career. It's an awe-inspiring performance of a young rapper taking full advantage of an opportunity he probably couldn't have even imagined. At times it's down right inspiring. I couldn't imagine a better way to start the album.
2. Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 (Feat. Kid Cudi)
The preposterous follow up to one of Kanye's best ever opening songs. And I don't mean that as an entirely negative thing, I'm just thoroughly at a loss with this song. First of all, this has to be the first time a Kanye West song has ever had a producer tag on it, right? The song has so many tempo-shifts and absurd lyrics (you know exactly which one I'm talking about) that it can't help but feel like a mess, but it's an interesting mess, for whatever it's worth. Kid Cudi's vocals literally brought me nostalgia for a time when he was just a polarizing artist that I didn't like, instead of one of the worst artists of our generation (just go back to the "mmmyeeaahhhhh"s, man). But Kanye's pleas for liberation definitely follow in the footsteps of the opener, and the title, taken from Romans 10, makes enough sense in his Paul analogy (for those unfimilair, Paul's conversion took place after being knocked off his horse by a beam of light, hence "Ultralight Beams). Sloppy, but good? I think. Maybe.
3. Pt. 2 (Feat. Desiigner)
The piece continues in a fashion that feels just as unfinished as its first part, which is fairly remarkable when considering the obsessive perfectionist tendencies that so famously accompanied the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy sessions. The most obvious feautue of the song is the odd verse from recent Kanye signee, Disiigner, whose rapping is so similar to Future that it's a wonder that the man can sleep at night. But the most interesting part of the song is Kanye's verse drawing parallels between himself and his father, and how their restless working tendencies have kept them from their families. According to his Twitter account, Kanye cried while writing the song, but it's impossible to get something like that based on the context of the songs, and its bombastic instrumental. It's an interesting choice to say the least.
4. Famous (Feat. Rihanna & Swizz Beatz)
Maybe Kanye's biggest selling points in his early career was his humility. Yes, he's always been viciously arrogant, but during The College Dropout, he felt like an outsider to the rap world, and an almost indescribable sense of relatibility came with him. That ultimately faded, and it's become increasingly difficult to turn to Kanye's humility, and the most obvious example comes on this song, where he inexplicably boasts, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex", and that he, "made that bitch famous". It seems like a nonsensical line to reignite one of the worst, most racially charged beefs in recent memory. It's a low-point on the album that makes it feel like the pressure of stardom is finally caving in on Kanye, and not in a way that makes for entertaining music. But even as I say that, the song itself is nothing short of dazzling. Rihanna's stunning vocals cover Nina Simone's "Do What You Gotta Do", before the song bursts into a layered instrumentational arrangement that feels like one of the true forward-thinking moments on the album. And even against all odds, Swizz Beats is able to make a worthwhile vocal contribution, as his bridge with Sister Nancy makes for one of the more joyful moments on a Kanye West album. The songs fittingly closes with Nina Simone herself reciting the chorus.
5. Feedback
Yet another song that took a long, mysterious journey to becoming the version appearing on the album. "Feedback", originally leaked back in 2015, was played in the Yeezy Season 3 show as "Good News", but the version on the album sounds better than either, so at least the changes were for the better. The instrumental mimicks the title, as a distorted sample of Googoosh's "Talagh" haunts the song with audio feedback. The lyric of the song is some of the most discussed thus far (I appreciated the Late Registration reference in the hook), with Kanye's financial boasts contradicting the 53 million dollar hole that he's currently trying to dig himself out of, even begging Mark Zuckerberg to invest a billion (!) dollars into his creative process. Whatever the hell that means. But that aside, Kanye devotes several lines to the other Pablo's the album's name could be referencing (Escobar on, "Pablo bought a Roley and a Rottweiler", and of course Picasso), all in an attempt to justify yelling, "name one genius that ain't crazy". And then there's the Oprah thing, which, oddly enough, is not the first time she's appeared on Kanye's music, as his unofficial mixtape Freshman Adjustment 2 featured a skit named, "I met Oprah". Nothing to do with the song, but there's some more Kanye trivia.
6. Low Lights
I knew the second I heard this that The Life of Pablo had no business being 18 tracks long, and Kanye has since taken to Twitter (obviously this is a running theme) to explain that he placed the song on the album for, "all the moms driving they kids to school then going to work". So yeah, I'm not exactly the targeted demographic here. So while it's pretty much useless, I'll at least report that it's samples from the Kings of Tomorrow mix "So Alive", and since the vocalist is uncredited, The Kings of Tomorrow own the rights to the vocals. And if anyone was still trying to follow along with the biblical references, this testimony obviously mirrors the words of Paul in Romans 8:38-39. I can't really imagine anyone has read this far on this song, so I'll close my saying ankhshowoinsilhslihlahskliskbkishilahslkbwuk.
7. Highlights
One of the biggest speculations prior to the release of the album was that Young Thug would be making an appearance, thanks to the announcement that the two had recorded over 40 tracks together. Well here it is, and it kills two birds with one stone, fulfilling Kanye's contractual obligation to feature a song featuring the word "lights" on the album ("All of the Lights", "Flashing Lights", "Street Lights"). Aside from another couple of unforgivably bad bars ("Sometimes I'm wishin that my dick had GoPro", "I bet me and Ray J would be friends/ If we ain't love the same bitch") "Highlights" is upbeat in an fashion of perhaps Young Thug's best song, "Good Times", a collaboration with Jamie XX. Even though the song is drenched in autotune, the studio version sounds infinitely better than the live version he performed on SNL, mostly thanks to a string section previously undetectable. The song moves through so many tempo changes that it'd be a pointless to try to convey it through words, and even though this is hardly the best song our host has ever made, I faintly remember lamenting the lack of Kanye's humor in my Yeezus review, and it's reappearance is throughly appreciated.
8. Freestyle 4 (Feat. Desiigner)
The most obvious reference to his Yeezus era work, but while my biggest gripe with that album was that Kanye was seemingly exploiting harsh, noisy soundscapes for unfitting topics, it couldn't be more fitting here. Kanye is obviously out of his normal state of mind, and his intoxicated dirge is accompanied by a dark electronic instrumental that is flat-out uncomfortable to listen to. The song literally sounds like being drunk, and Kanye's lyric reflect it, as he mindlessly screams for sex in a way that can't help but make the listener uncomfortable. Like much of the album, this is the most explicit sign that some of the songs may by a warning, or cry for help, rather than joyful boasting. It's a 180 on the sound of "Ultralight Beams", but the plea, or at least source of the plea, remains the same.
9. I Love Kanye
If there's one thing you all should see in this site, it's that I kinda love making absurd analogies, but the Kanye West/David Bowie one is something that I've seen for a while. We can get into the specifics another time, and I'd be more than happy to discuss it one-on-one with someone if they please, but there's some pretty obvious parallels in their respected discographies, and Pablo is unquestionably his Lodger. Just as was the case for Bowie, this is the first album that's just an album. No musical DNA changes that change the industry, just an album. And just like Bowie, Kanye has settled into his spot in history, and now he's dealing with the fact that he's become an influence. The humanity is being sucked out of him, and he's merely becoming his profession. Everywhere Kanye looks, he sees himself, and the image of himself looking into mirrors created by this freestyle is just as striking as it is funny. He's done creating other Kanyes, at least for now.
10. Waves (Feat. Chris Brown & Kid Cudi)
Was this shit seriously worth the day long delay? Did Chance the Rapper actually ruin everyone's day for this shit? Hell yes he did, and it's a damn good thing he did, as "Waves" is the best song on this entire album not named "Ultralight Beams". Now a throwback to the cinematic maximalism of "We Major", "Waves" first entered the public eye as the centre of a Wiz Khalifa/Kanye "beef" that culminated in Kanye tweeting "I own your child!!!" at Wiz Khalifa. But the energy of the song is only positive, as it's redemptive nature makes even Chris Brown seem welcoming. Kanye himself is fine, and even Kid Cudi manages to make yet another appearance without ruining anything, but Chance the Rapper's fingerprints are all over this thing, as the massive, vibrant atmosphere feel lifted straight from Surf. If the rapping thing doesn't work out, he's got a hell of a career ahead of him in audio engineering. So yeah, thanks for making us wait.
11. FML (Feat. The Weeknd)
In terms of the slow, brooding electronic instrumental piece, along with lines dealing with depressions and recklessness (this marks the second him this year he's mentioned the antidepressant Lexapro), "FML", stands as a bit of a companion piece to "Freestyle 4", although this is much superior. We're clearly getting a more self-aware Kanye here, as his catatonic tendencies seem to have lead to a specific manic episode he's discussing here. For whatever it's worth, some of the awful lyrics make moments when he reaches for his family all the more striking. Here, he's basically pledging his loyalty to Kim Kardashian ("FML" appears to be an acronym for "For My Lady"), and a goodbye to the unfaithfulness of his past. Thanks to the music, this is some gut-wrenching stuff. Kudos, 'Ye.
12. Real Friends (Feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
This has to be the saddest Kanye West has ever sounded on record. Our host appears unwilling to deal with fame, while acting as an unhappy outsider at his own family events, leaving him no choice but to question who he can actually connect with. When released, "Real Friends" was viewed as a throwback to his soulful earlier sound, and while that's certainly the case, it's also a throwback in subject matter. 808s and Heartbreak seemingly marked the close of views into West's personal life, as the warmth of his first albums eventually calloused into the chill of Yeezus. But here, the subject matter and vulnerability has returned, as our host airs his guilt over his extended family and old friends, as he expresses even extreme anger, especially at his cousin that kind of hilariously stole his computer. A definite throwback, "Real Friends" also makes use of some of the tricks he's learned in the years since he originally used the sound. The song's most memorable lines are sung in autotune, and while the track is warm from the Madlib and Dilla inspired looping, there's absolutely no sign of the joy of, say, "Family Business". Basically it's Kanye being, for better or worse, what he's always been: genuine.
13. Wolves (Feat. Frank Ocean & Caroline Shaw)
Of all the uncertainty following The Life of Pablo, perhaps no song garnered more mystery than "Wolves", a song initially featuring Sia and Vic Mensa that was supposed to lead off an album called So Help Me God. The final product (for now, at least) is utterly chilling, as the brooding bass matched with the wailing vocals make for a feeling of total isolation. For that, Kanye's removal of Mensa and Sia was fitting, as it makes the song much more personal, aligning with the atmosphere of the instrumental. In their place is Frank Ocean, who describes the transformation of a man becoming a wolf, isolating themselves from society in some type of way. Considering Ocean's coming out, revealing his bisexuality, it's a fitting feature. Kanye's performance tackles the gauntlet, exploring depression, fear, addiction, suicide, hope and love, but he leaves the audience with a powerful, resounding image: Kanye and Kim as Joseph and Mary, alone in a manger with their children, surrounded by wolves.
14. Silver Surfer Intermission (Feat. Max B)
The power of "Wolves" is harshly interrupted with the preposterous voice mail from imprisoned rapper Max B giving him permission to use the term "waves". Its inexplicable inclusion only hammers home the unfinished feeling of the album. Whether or not that's a good thing is entirely dependent on the listener, I suppose.
15. 30 Hours (Feat. André 3000)
On the day the album was supposed to be released, Kanye released "30 Hours" as an addition to his G.O.O.D. Friday's series, and while the rapping seems a little too in debt to Drake for me to really love, I have no problems with the track. If anything, it reinforces the comedic return of our host, as he rambles on for what seems like five minutes after the song should've ended. The instrumental seems like a mesh of the Dilla-esquire loops we just heard on "Real Friends", and some of the most dance-inspired songs on Graduation. Odd as hell, but good, nonetheless. During his ramble he announces that the song is a bonus track, which makes a ton of sense, as "Wolves" was an excellent closer, but no one seems to know when the hell the album actually ends. I suppose it doesn't matter too much, though, especially when the bonus tracks are this good.
16. No More Parties in L.A. (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)
So this was pretty much the moments everyone realized that this album may not suck. Following the dark, down-right sad "Real Friends", Kanye followed it up with the energetic, rappity rap, lyrical-exercise titled "No More Parties in L.A." Even though his verse goes on for over a minute longer, Kanye out raps Kendrick Lamar to such a degree that my jaw literally dropped. His verse contains so many quotables that I won't even try to name them all, but it's a tremendous reminder of how great of a rapper Kanye can be when he puts his mind to it. It's a serious feat that Kanye's simple rapping can remain as captivating as it is after all these years, but this is one you just have to hear for yourself.
17. Facts (Charlie Heat Version)
"Facts" was a terrible song that was nearly the last straw for most of his fans. On the album, the revised version sounds better, to the point where if may be enjoyable if you can listen to the beat and block out literally everything Kanye says, but with that being the case, it's still pretty horrendous. The lyric deals with our host's trouble with Nike, and even though it's hard to give much of a shit, it reminded me that Kanye almost always has to have a enemy, as his angriest songs almost always make for his best. And since no rapper is realistically on his level of fame, he turns to multi-billion dollar corporations. Not to be too cynical, but it's a wonder that the United States is the only country where people look at large corporations in spite and anger, yet actively try to get to that level of wealth and power. Keep in mind that this has absolutely nothing to do with the song, just an observation I've made. So there's that.
18. Fade (Feat. Post Malone & Ty Dolla $ign)
I can't imagine anyone from Kanye's creative team thinking that "Fade" was a fitting ending, leading me to believe that the album's real closer was intended to be "Wolves". But this is a odd song unlike anything else in the man's discography. Of all the motherfuckers in the world, Kanye pairs Post Malone with a sample from from Chicago house artist Larry Heard's "Mystery of Love", and somehow, Kanye is able to make Malone feel like the centerpiece of a the entire damn track. The instrumental itself mirrors a number of 90s dance tracks, and while it hardly betters them, it at least makes for an interesting song. Probably the last thing I was expecting here, which is a fucking accomplishment considering the sporadic nature of The Life of Pablo.
Rating: 4/5
So is Kanye West's The Life of Pablo really worthy of all the attention it's been getting? Well, pretty much. 'Ye's return to hip hop makes for a really good album, at times even great, but it isn't an instant classic, as it's missing the cohesion necessary for the project to flow properly, thanks in part to our host's insistence on including a handful of the already-released G.O.O.D. Friday songs. Musically, Kanye's soundscapes (with occasional assists from others) sound like nothing else in our chosen genre: they don't even sound like anything the man has even done in the past. The imperfections on the album are pretty obvious, with cringe-worthy lyrics accompanying a few of the songs, but the album is never less than really fucking entertaining, which is all I'm really asking for when it comes down to it. At its best moments, and there are many, Kanye is able to pair the warm, soulful, comedic aspects of his earlier work with the best features of his later era. The result is a personal, occasionally funny, nearly always baffling mixture of many of Kanye's best tricks, and its sporadic, forever in flux state gives the album a freewheeling sprit unique to his discography. Like I said earlier, this is the first Kanye album that's just an album, unlikely to change the direction of rap, but as a result, we get a grueling look into Kanye life, arguably making it the most Kanye album of all. There are missteps, sure, and I was left wishing that he didn't rely on so many guest artists at times (even though most of the outside contributions were pretty goddamn good), but I enjoyed The Life of Pablo, even though it isn't perfect. But was there any way it ever could have been, realistically? Good work, Kanye.