kanye west my beautiful dark twisted fantasy rating

He delivers the couplet in a remorseless growl that confirms his constant need to reaffirm his masculinity, a trait that distinguishes him even in the testosterone-driven world of hip-hop. It’s a nuanced, intimately personal record wherein even ostensibly boastful tracks are tangled with insecurities, both personal and professional.Ĭonsider the uncomfortable moment on “All of the Lights” when West admits to slapping a former girlfriend. He was always among the best rappers working-unlike most of his hip-hop peers, West will never be content to deadpan complacent boasts-but the extent of his remaining creativity wasn’t clear until a few weeks ago, when My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy leaked online.

His music, forever brazen in its disregard for structure or subtlety, seemed like an acquired taste, yet he made fans out of everyone: indie snobs, rap purists, anybody who could appreciate the frustrations and rewards of unbridled ambition.īut maintaining the endless spectacle of his career proved difficult for West, who in recent years has appeared strangely adrift. But what made West such a perpetually compelling figure was the sweeping sense of purpose that motivated his every enterprise. “Jesus Walks” and “Gold Digger” won him Grammys the Katrina telethon and Christian-baiting Rolling Stone cover earned him wider cultural attention. There was a time when Kanye West seemed too inventive, too smart and too good for pop music.

Kanye west my beautiful dark twisted fantasy rating