Welcome to week three of the five week Kanye West summer music takeover. Following the controversial album West produced for Pusha T, and last week’s already forgotten solo album “Ye”, we finally have an album worthy of the hype surrounding the provocative artist: a collaboration with Kid Cudi entitled Kids See Ghost.
Of all the projects West has attached his name to in the past month, this album is by far the best. The track “Ghost Town,” teased in last week’s Ye, gave us a taste for what was in store today, and it was worth the wait. With Kids See Ghost, we’ve entered an entirely different foray. Instead of another pop inspired rap album, West and Cudi deliver beats comparable to Dalek and other heavier and darker hip-hop artists, all while incorporating some truly classic samples, such as: Louis Prima and Kurt Cobain. Gone is the controversy of the Pusha T and Ye albums; Kids See Ghost is not focused on the drama of celebrity, but has put all its focus and energy into the music – a throwback to early Kanye West with layers upon layers of sound and engendering.
https://twitter.com/Rappers/status/1004778247995969540
Unlike Ye, which found its influence in the already popular trap-rap scene of Atlanta, this album pushes boundaries and takes music a step towards the future. It’s a shame the first part of the hit track “Ghost Town” snuck its way onto West’s solo album, as it would have been a nice addition here. The albums only blunder is a repetitive and egregious track for pop-driven listeners “Feel the Love” (Track Five, as its now been announced. The online track listings are being reported as incorrect and not corresponding to the appropriate songs)– I can’t say I was feeling the love.
The West-produced Nas album is next on the horizon, dropping in only a matter of days, and we are left patiently waiting to hear where this album falls in the lineup of the Kanye’s summer music takeover. With other experimental rap on its way from the unlikely Death Grips duo, it is a great time for rap enthusiasts and music aficionados to be buying records again; because no matter your opinion on these releases, you can’t deny their importance or cultural relevance.
