Whether you worship him for his God-like presence, or you can't stand him because of his blatant arrogance, Kanye West has been undeniably innovative, influential and gifted in the music industry for the last 12 years. Hit after hit (just like Barry Bonds), we've come to expect stylish beats, exciting lyrics and diversified features and guests from Yeezy. Mr. West's soul is what sets him apart from other artists, as his music feels like a true expression and extension of his life, his struggles and his love for music. Because of this, Kanye has remained a mainstay in the genre.
Last night, Kanye West performed at the new T-Mobile Arena in my city, Las Vegas. And yes, I did attend. As a part of his "Saint Pablo Tour," Kanye took the stage (which was suspended in the air and flying around the arena) for almost two hours, performing his classic songs, as well as his newer ones from "The Life of Pablo." As a long-time Kanye fan, this concert was truly amazing. In fact, I was so captivated by the energy of the music that I only took a total of TWO snapchats during the actual concert. Are you proud of me, fellow millennials?
Eight albums, one live concert and (probably) hundreds of hours of listening later, I decided to compile a list of 15 Kanye West songs I never get tired of.
15. Barry Bonds (feat. Lil Wayne)
The bass is grooving before you have time to say "Kanye West is a God." The old-school drums feel grimy and pronounced, and of course, it doesn't take long for Yeezy to go in on the beat, accompanied by Lil Wayne.
Yeezy and Weezy in the same song? What a time to be alive.
14. Hey Mama
Not one of his biggest hits, but "Hey Mama" is one of Kanye's more sentimental songs, and it probably didn't receive as much attention as it deserved. He dedicated this song to his mom, but encompassed the feelings we all have for our mothers, with lyrics of "making her proud" and "getting her that mansion that [she] couldn't afford." The lyrics are powerful. Tragically, only months after writing this song, Kanye West's mom, Donda West, passed away from a heart attack.
13. Can't Tell Me Nothing
Excuse me, is you sayin' something? Kanye is arrogant, sure, but we love him. This song serves as a sort of PSA — don't try to talk to Kanye unless it's about money, cars or women. This song can also be found in an opening sequence of "The Hangover," and is famous for the "laaaa laa la la" chant most of us know and love.
12. Spaceship (feat. GLC & Consequence)
With smooth vocals, punchy bass and some of Kanye's coolest lyrics, "Spaceship" is a classic from "College Dropout." Whether or not Kanye really locked himself in a room, making five beats a day for three summers, songs like this convince me it might be true.
11. Ultralight Beam
A newer addition to Kanye's collection of hits is the first song on "The Life of Pablo." Slower in tempo, focused in style, rich in chords and diverse in singing and rapping, "Ultralight Beam" is a classic unlike others — underwhelming, but still so catchy. Also, Chance's verse is awesome.
10. Touch the Sky (feat. Lupe Fiasco)
Soulful, exciting, and a golden standard for hip-hop, "Touch the Sky" is hard to not groove to. 'Nuff said.
9. All Falls Down
"All Falls Down" tells the story of girls who fall victim to money, fame and rappers, and this narrative is told so effortlessly over the smooth and cool beat. Featured singer Syleena Johnson delivered the vocals, which helped create one of his most famous hooks, too.
8. Power
Kanye's anthem. On "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," Kanye's transformation as an artist is fully realized, and this is one of the standouts. The hard-hitting bass, guitar and chants build a beat that almost forces a head bump. Not to mention, "no one man should have all that power," is such a cool thing to say.
7. Heartless
Ah, "808s & Heartbreak." Admittedly, this was Kanye's most forgettable album. Though, there are a few decent songs and one standout. "Heartless" tells the story of losing your soul to cold, cruel women (a subject matter that I related to at the ripe age of 14). Jokes aside, Kanye pours his heart in to this track and lets his singing voice shine. It's a classic.
6. Black Skinhead
Kanye is gone, Yeezus is here. A new artist was born on the 2013 album, "Yeezus." An arrogant, grungy sound replaced our once smooth and clean soul. The most energetic song from this era of Kanye was "Black Skinhead," hands down. With the punchy drums, distorted vocals and screaming kids, this song excites from start to finish.
5. Stronger
A hard bass, synth and Daft Punk sample put on a continuous loop, created one of Kanye's most iconic songs of all time. This sci-fi-esque track was likely on everyone's playlist at some point, and in my case, never left.
4. Jesus Walks
Arguably his breakthrough song, or at least one of them, "Jesus Walks" serves as Kanye's way of addressing the music industry's silencing of religion in songs. Passionate, angry and focused, Kanye shows us that he's a true rapper who isn't afraid to say what's on his mind. His second verse is truly incredible, and I recommend listening to it right now, if you haven't (a thousand times) already.
3. N****s in Paris
If this list was ranked by the number of times I listened, this song would EASILY take the No. 1 spot. I was completely ADDICTED to this song for a good portion of my sophomore year of high school. Kanye and Jay Z killed it with their joint album "Watch the Throne" in 2011, and "N****s in Paris" was the standout banger.
2. Runaway (feat. Pusha T)
Darker in tone and message, "Runaway" is beautiful and haunting at the same time. The lyrics are sad and powerful, exposing a much weaker side of Mr. West. Kanye talks about his struggles with connecting to women and urging them to "runaway" from him before he "blames everything on [them]." Things were not always rainbows and butterflies for him before he met Kim Kardashian, and this song encapsulates that wonderfully.
1. Gold Digger (feat. Jamie Foxx)
Oh come on... do I really even need to? Okay, here we go. This is Yeezy at his finest. The beat is iconic, Kanye is hilarious, and the ode to Ray Charles (voiced by Jamie Foxx) is excellent. This song is pure, perfect, hippity, hoppity fun. "Gold Digger" currently sits at No. 29 on Rolling Stone's "100 Best Songs of the 2000s" list and ranks No. 1 on mine, which is much more valid, clearly.
