No, God doesn’t want you to buy Yeezys
By Anonymous
Illustration by Zhigang Zhang
If Kanye West is a visionary, then the future must be a scary place.
In the wake of the release of Kanye’s 10th studio album, Donda, it’s time to re-evaluate the halo of “genius” that we have placed upon Kanye’s head. Within a month, the album has already been labelled as 2021’s biggest debut despite its delayed release and bizarre cult-like listening parties preceding the album’s drop. Donda is just the tip of the iceberg.
Chicago-based rapper Kanye West has made headlines throughout the past decade, often not as a result of his music. Between his bizarre publicity stunts, rocky marriage with Kim Kardashian, and his short-lived but incredibly controversial run for president — he is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in pop culture. While his fanbase sees a musical visionary, I see a self-obsessed 44-year-old man who has made a name for himself through controversial and desperate grasps at fame. His music is interesting, but it isn’t ground-breaking. The best songs on his latest album can be accredited to featured artists rather than Kanye himself.
His most recent album-listening party involved ominous chanting, an elaborate wedding dress worn by his wife, and setting himself on fire. Dramatic, culty, and the perfect representation of Kanye West. Lots of style, minimal substance.
In spite of it all, his fans worship him. Perhaps because of it all. Kanye portrays himself as being larger than life, proclaiming that he is the equivalent of God, at least in the music world. “Name one genius who ain’t crazy,” Kanye demands in Life of Pablo’s “Feedback.” His self-proclaimed “genius” title makes him untouchable, allowing for every bizarre action and failed musical venture to be glossed over. In 2018, Kanye claimed that “slavery was a choice” in an interview. Yet in the eyes of his fans, Kanye can do no wrong.
When I told my roommate that I was writing about Kanye, she exclaimed “I would sell my soul to see Kanye in concert.” Although “selling her soul” is a figure of speech, it’s also the perfect example of Kanye’s God-like power over his fans. In all honesty, I'm sure he would accept her soul as payment. My roommate is not alone in her love for Kanye. This past summer, Kanye hosted two sold-out listening parties, counting over 40,000 fans in attendance. Often it seems that I am the only one who is not kissing the ground that Kanye walks on.
This pedestal doesn’t allow for any critique of Kanye’s musical ability. Every song will sound like Sirens coming out of the mouth of your God. Any artistic potential that Kanye’s music possesses is overshadowed by his larger than life persona that dominates the pop culture sphere. People often confuse entertainment for talent.
Take Donda, for example. The album was released on August 29, 2021. It was highly anticipated and over a month behind schedule. When it was finally released, fans were greeted by a black album cover and a disjointed mismatch of songs that many critics seem to agree, simply missed the mark. Pitchfork’s Dylan Green goes as far as to call the album “a data dump of songs searching for a higher calling.” It is worth considering that this album is laziness disguised as art.
The first song on his new album, “Donda Chant,” is the epitome of Kanye’s theatrics presented as genius. The track pays homage to his mother who passed away in 2007. A sweet idea in theory, not so much in practice. The track is fifty-one seconds of a woman’s voice repeating the name “Donda” in a way so ominous you’d think you were watching a horror movie. Layered with the sound of his dead mother’s heartbeat, it quite literally gave me nightmares.
When I brought this up to my best friend, a die-hard Kanye fan, she shrugged and said, “That’s just Kanye.” As if Kanye’s name justified the bizarre hypnosis that I was subjected to. This is the crux of the Kanye phenomenon. We don’t just let Kanye get away with his outrageousness, we give him a platform to do it. In fact, we gave him an altar.
When Kanye equated himself to God in his song “I am A God” from his 2013 album Yeezus, fans applauded. Many even tried to get into his exclusive “Sunday Services,” where Kanye reads gospel in his own church. Clad in an oversized purple tunic that is equally symbolic of his ego as it is of Jesus Christ himself, Kanye is the one being praised. Most people couldn’t get in; unfortunately, the Kanye liturgy was invite-only. Somehow he has convinced everyone that he is God’s spokesperson. As if God is communicating through Kanye so that he can tell everyone to spend their money on overpriced Yeezys — a multimillion dollar luxury shoe brand created by Kanye West himself.
Although this may be shocking news to Kanye fans everywhere, God doesn't want you to buy Yeezys.
In high school, I really tried to like Kanye. I grew up in a suburb outside of Toronto, meaning that it’s been “cool” to like Kanye for as long as I can remember. So trust me, my skepticism of Kanye’s genius is not an easy, popular opinion. I have endured far too many car rides at night, blasting “I miss the old Kanye” on the radio for anyone to claim I didn't give the guy a chance.
I can think of many modern day hip-hop artists who have made a substantial contribution to their field but are rarely labeled anything that resembles “genius” or “visionary.” Artists like Kendrick Lamar, or Chance the Rapper have an incredibly unique sound yet don’t get half the attention that Kanye does, likely due to their failure to create churches in their name.
In further comparison to musical legends of the 60s and 70s, I find it difficult to equate Kanye’s musical talents with that of Lou Reed of the Velvet Underground or John Lennon from The Beatles. These artists made huge strides in their field and changed the music world forever without begging fans to perceive them as “visionaries.” In the moment, they just existed. Evidence of their genius came later.
I am not suggesting that Kanye West lacks all musical talent, because I understand that the idea of talent is entirely subjective. Alternatively, I propose the idea that many aspects of Kanye’s persona that his fans attribute to “genius” and “visionary” may actually be the result of his outrageous and controversial public image. If Kanye is to be called a genius, the word “marketing” should be placed in front of it.
In order to accurately judge Kanye’s musical offerings and talent as an artist, we must separate his music from the outrageous character that he presents to the public. It is impossible to critique someone who we view as an equivalent to Jesus Christ. So first, we need to remove the crown of thorns from his head. We need to stop praising Kanye West. ◆