ALBUM REVIEW: “My Dark Twisted Fantasy” Kanye West
Kanye West
My Dark Twisted Fantasy
[Roc-A-Fella]
Since College Drop Out Kanye West has always done what he’s wanted on wax, which has made him one of the more inspirational artists working in popular music. While 808’s and Heartbreak is the weakest of his catalog with the personal turmoil that he was going through, it was easy to give him a pass. 808’s was a grower, but it was hard not feel like West was moving away from his strengths that were fully realized on Late Registration and Graduation, and there was a worry that he may never come back to his hip hop roots.
The lead up to My Dark Twisted Fantasy squashed that notion, but threatened to overshadow the record by West releasing new tracks each week on his website. Fridays were even more anticipated than normal for music fans with West pairing with unlikely collaborators like Justin Bieber and Bon Iver, as well as just about every “IT” hip hop artist from 2010 (Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Lloyd Banks, etc.). Many of the giveaways showed up on My Dark Twisted Fantasy, including “So Appalled,” “Devil in a New Dress” and “Power,” but instead of losing their juice, they sound great within the context of the record.
West makes an honest and emotional record with My Dark Twisted Fantasy. The trademark swagger is there, as is the emotional candor, but lyrically West has never been this good. At 33 his rhyming and lyrics are fully realized, intelligent and self-aware. West has always been good, but up until this record it would have been difficult to label him the best MC, but after My Dark Twisted Fantasy it would be tough to argue against this. On “Power” he raps “My childlike creativity, purity and honesty / Is honestly being prodded by these grown thoughts / Reality is catchin’ up with me / Takin’ my inner child, I’m fighting for it.” If the public outbursts are by-products of his creativity, then let him crash every award show that he or his friends don’t win. Give this man every award if his ego demands it! On “Monster” he raps “my presence is a present kiss my ass.” Gladly.