K. West

I remember a time many years ago when hip hop wasn't just music, it was a movement. Pioneers from Grandmaster Flash, to Run DMC, A Tribe Called Quest, DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, RZA, and Nas pushed the music forward during the 1980s-90s by constantly implementing new ideas and techniques, allowing the music to grow and become accessible to the masses. Sadly enough those days are long gone; and ironically the last individual I listed above released a song a few years ago called "Hip Hop Is Dead", which paints a perfect picture of the abysmal state of the music nowadays. To make a brief analogy here, we can consider Kanye West the "paint" the Nas uses to portray his scene in that song, and the paint is not oil or pigment-based, but instead is made of real-life shit and comes in one color: brown.

Kanye West fully encompasses every single thing that is wrong in hip hop today. His complete lack of talent as a producer, DJ, rapper, and (as described in the recent South Park episode mocking him) a "voice of the generation" seriously make me think the utilizes his absurdly obtuse ego to compensate for the deficiencies described above, and for pure publicity. I will even go as far as to say his vocal support for Barack Obama in last years election is an insult to the Democratic party in the United States.

That being said, I cannot start to describe his most recent fucking abhorrent and vile compilation of "music" without throwing up in my mouth a little just thinking about how rap and hip hop music came to this in a short span of 10-15 years. Someone at Roland's blood must be curdling thinking about how "808s & Heartbreak" references it's classic TR-808 drum machine. I am not even going to touch on his self-indulgent abuse of autotune (let's see here, maybe because he can't sing?) layered on top of his weak ass beats. It's really sad that the younger generation of people eat this kind of garbage up, because they're the people who have the most influence when it comes to what sort of content the major labels and media companies give the most support to. It almost makes my blood boil seeing this album everywhere, yet cats like Lupe Fiasco and Papoose who get very little mainstream support can chew Kanye up and wipe their asses with a hard copy transcript of "Stronger" (which is a lame Daft Punk ripoff).

Kanye is certainly a "voice of a generation" right now, he is the spokesperson who represents the dire straits of rap music in 2009.

In a short span of time, Kanye West went from hitmaking producer to just plain hitmaker, as his stellar production work earned him a solo record deal and soon his beats were accompanied by his own witty raps on a number of critically and commercially successful releases. His flamboyant personality also made a mark. West showcased a dapper fashion sense that set him apart from most of his rap peers, and his confidence often came across as boastful or even egotistic, albeit amusingly. This flamboyance, of course, made for good press, something West enjoyed plenty of during his sudden rise to celebrity status. He was a media darling, appearing and performing at practically every major awards show (and winning at them, too), delivering theatrical videos to MTV that were events in themselves, and mouthing off about whatever happened to cross his mind. For instance, he once spoke out against the rampant homophobia evident in much rap music, and he also posed for the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ. He seemed to court controversy. West's steady presence in the celebrity limelight, on the other hand, could sometimes eclipse his considerable musical talent. His production ability seemed boundless during his initial surge of activity, as he not only racked up impressive hits for himself like "Jesus Walks" and "Gold Digger," but also graced such fellow rap stars as Jay-Z and Ludacris with smashes. In addition to these many accomplishments, it's worth noting how West shattered certain stereotypes about rappers. Whether it was his appearance or his rhetoric, or even just his music, this young man became a superstar on his own terms, and his singularity no doubt is part of his appeal to a great many people, especially those who don't generally consider themselves rap listeners.

Known for his explosive drums, sped-up samples, and his great fashion sense. This producer has crafted classics, ranging from the great lyricist, Jay-Z, to reviving Common back into the rap game. Being through a near-death experience in a car crash, Kanye West has proven himself that not even fate can stop him from taking the rap game by storm. This soul infused producer has been throwing punches that has helped him climb the charts after two album releases. Let it be known that, Kanye West is here to stay, and to lift the hip-hop game even higher.