I like all four of Kanye West’s regular albums; his College Dropout debut and the three that follow a similar soundscape. Even when he’s sampling old soul songs, his music represents vintage hip-hop more than anything else. Yeezus, like 808s And Heartbreak, comes across as more of an experimental departure. There is romance and sex; at one point, he’s “eating” his girlfriend’s ass; but instead of 808 drums and Autotune singing, it’s dominated by fuzzy distortion and spacey effects. They penetrate almost every cut, which shouldn’t be a problem for anyone who appreciates the genres of techno. The problem, more than the fact that the rapper never really spits a proper rap verse; his flow these days consists mostly of chanty poetry; is the lack of a catchy chorus.

One could be a savior to any of these songs. Instead Mister West, once a humble student, simply says he’s a God over and over again, emphasizing the word “am” as if to taunt his detractors. They say his ego has gotten out of control, so he makes it even bigger and even if the “God” thing is just a lazy metaphor, he compares himself to “Michael” in what seems to be an earnest assertion. If he’s referring to Jackson or Jordan, even Tyson, he’s delusional. He’s talented, but not as talented as he seems to think, so when he releases what sounds like a demo album void not only of melodic hooks but boom-bap beats, he leaves much to be desired. Too much of the music is soulless and spiritless. The Blood and Bound vocal samples are annoying. Yeezus gets no praise from me.

my rating : 2 of 5

2013