Finally, after a near three year hiatus, Kanye West has graced us with the release of his newest album, "The Life of Pablo.” Mr. West promised the release of a new album at the start of 2015, but his change in artistic concept delayed his latest venture for well over a year. After several name changes, which included; "So Help Me God", "SWISH" and "Waves", the album became available exclusively for Tidal on February 14th. Despite all the extra time spent on the album it still feels like a fragmented puzzle and Kanye challenges us to put it all together and make sense of it.
"The Life of Pablo" oozes uncertainty and can be interpreted in a myriad of ways. Who is this Pablo? Is it Pablo the artist? The drug lord? Maybe it’s chronicling The Life of Kanye by drawing a parallel to one of the many acclaimed Pablo's. Above all else this album represents the culmination of his entire musical career, from when he was an unknown producer's of Jay Z's, to becoming one of the most critically acclaimed artists of the 21st century.
Pieces from all of his previous albums resound throughout the entire project. Classic soul samples on songs like "Ultra-Light Beam" hearken back to his debut album, "College Dropout". "Waves" exudes a feeling of heavenly transcendence bolstered by Chris Brown's angelic melodies which feels like it belongs on "Graduation.” "FML" radiates an introspective view on Kanye's psyche and emotions which would mesh well with the other tracks off of "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy". Even "Feedback" a grimy, stripped down song with a head spinning synth beat borrows a blueprint from "Yeezus.” This album triumphs on many spectrums but also falls short in specific endeavors.
As always, Kanye somehow manages to push the boundaries in production and sampling of the Hip Hop genre. He is the Leonardo Da Vinci of music, being able to write his own lyrics, rap, sing (sort of) and produce the instrumentals and samples for the majority of his songs. The opening track "Ultra-Light Beam" is quite possibly the most technically impressive song on the entire album. The booming choir and guest appearances by The-Dream and Kelly Price make you feel as if you’re at Heaven's doorstep. Chance the Rapper delivers one of the most memorable verses on the album, "You can feel the lyrics, the spirit coming in braille/Tubman of the underground, come and follow the trail.” The tasty sound of kilter drum fills the song emanating a feeling of euphoria accompanied by Kanye's robotic spectacle of a chorus. The song concludes with Pastor Kirk Franklin making an appearance and delivering a heartwarming prayer for us all. This song sets the tone for the album which Kanye described as being of the "Gospel" genre. Aside from a couple other tracks such as, "Father Stretch My Hands" and "Low Lights" the album doesn't provide enough soul and feels disturbingly hollow at times.
The third track, "Father Stretch My Hands pt. 2" is able to effortlessly bridge the wails of two Gospel choir samples into a banger. Kanye reflects on the struggles of his father and the passing of his mother. Desiigner makes a guest appearance and delivers a peerless Future impression. His muttled lyrics and supreme flow drive the song home. The outro of the track includes three brief samples two of which are soul inspired with the other depicting a robotic voice longing for its long lost love. He has always cited his mother as being his greatest influence. Ever since then, his behavior has become progressively more erratic and controversial. In the song "Feedback" he mentions that, "I've been out of my mind, a long time.” His self-awareness allows for the listener to empathize with Kanye and look past some of his mind boggling antics.
The album elevates to incomparable heights when the journey explores the affair of friendships. "Real Friends" will burrow deeply into your very being and constrict your heart and soul. For many people, friendships are a necessity and provide us with a feeling of belonging. Being surrounded by people that are loving and accepting allows us to grow and evolve without any criticism. Sadly... not all friends are real. Some are selfish and stick around for their own benefit. Some will leave the first chance they get and there is nothing that can be done to change their minds. Kanye also criticizes his own shortcomings and reflects upon mistakes he's made within friendships and familial relationships, "I couldn't tell you how old your daughter was/ couldn’t tell you how old your son is". The brutal honesty of this lyrical makes me ache to my inner core because this kind of thing isn't fiction... its reality. The onset of the song introduces a gorgeously haunting piano distortion accompanied by faded drum patterns. Ty Dolla $ign contributes with crackling vocals that provide a tender touch. This track is by far the most real and impactful on the album. Kanye West sacrifices his present day self and resurrects his past self for this one song.
The album has many highs and a few flaws but a reoccurring issue is the content of Mr. West's lyrics. Excluding "Ultra-Light Beam,” "FML,” "Real Friends" and "No More Parties in L.A." the rest of his lyrics are mediocre and lazily done. One of the most ridiculous things he has ever written takes form in the song "Famous.” He takes a gutsy jab at Taylor Swift but fails miserably, "I think me and Taylor might still have___/ I made that ____ famous.” Not only is this not funny but it also untrue. Taylor Swift was already on the rise before he interrupted her at the 2009 MTV music awards. Another verse that falls flat on its face and make oneself cringe is found in "Highlights,” "Sometimes I'm wishin' that my ___ had GoPro/ so i could play that ___ back in slo-mo.” This is the type of stuff that deserves nothing more than a nod of disapproval. Kanye is capable of so much more but refuses to tap into that potential. Which is frustrating when comparing it to his older material.
In the end, despite being unevenly mixed and lyrically patchy. "The Life of Pablo" delivers a memorable experience with grandiose production, clever guest spots and a window of infinite interpretations. All Kanye West fans will find at least a couple tracks that are appealing to them. People that aren't fans of his previous work should give it a listen because like all of Mr. West's albums they're separate entities.
