Kanye West's lyrical abilities were always trumped by his producing skills, but finally his bold words have met the level of his musical prowess. Kanye's beats have always been impressive (lets not forgot that he produced the fucking blueprint), but each track on this album seems perfect (with the exception of the two tracks in the middle, but guest appearances make them tolerable). Speaking of which, the guest spots on this album are perfectly utilized, while being quite excessive, the album is still essentially Kanye. rThis guy has balls, as he makes known in "Gorgeous", and this album proves that in every way. Whether it be the classical influences, solid beat work, lyrics, guest spots and Chris Rock conversations, this huge album could only come out of a huge ego. And for that, thank you Kanye for being the most self-centered/egotistical artist in recent pop-culture, because without those qualities you couldn't have created the best hip hop album in years. |