(Not So) Expert Commentary: The Kanye Phenomenon

I’ve decided to start a little weekly post (unless you all hate it) that I’ve tentatively titled “(Not So) Expert Commentary.” The idea is to just have a weekly post where I comment on some kind of music-related topic. I’ve always been one to think about things a little too much, so maybe I can put some of that to some good use here.

This week I’ve decided to talk about the Kanye West phenomenon. Just the mention of his name can inspire outbursts of drooling adoration or rabid hatred. What I’ve always wondered is why he has such power over listeners for good or evil. Personally, I’ve considered myself a skeptical fan. I own each of his albums, and have enjoyed certain aspects of each of them a great deal, but I’ve never considered him one of the top hip hop artists. Perhaps that is part of what sets him apart- Kanye’s music can be enjoyable despite its many flaws.

More after the jump.

The main problem is that Kanye is not a top-tier rapper. His flow is sometimes awkward, his rhymes are often goofy, and his lyrics are usually shallow. Even when he tackles a deeper topic, like in “Diamonds from Sierra Leone,” he’s rapping about a problem that many of his listeners can’t really relate to. I mean, what percentage of his listeners bought a diamond in the last few years? Most of his other tracks are simply about himself, which I’ll admit is not uncommon to the genre, but it can get tiring as well. And yet I’m not deterred, and by the look of things, a lot of other indie-rock-loving folks aren’t either.

So what is going on that brings us back again for West’s third album, Graduation? I think it’s the fact that Kanye can produce rather well. Like OutKast before him (but don’t think I feel he even approaches OutKast’s level), he brings some adventure to mainstream hip hop. He’s not pushing the boundaries of music, but he does push some of the boundaries of the radio. His recent single “Stronger” brings Daft Punk to the masses in the guise of a bumping background, and I don’t think it’s a bad thing. And he’s flexible enough to have Coldplay’s Chris Martin sing on “Homecoming” without him seeming out of place on a hip hop album.

So, while his MC skills are quite questionable, he can produce with some of the best of them. Which brings me to my last point- I think that Kanye would be best put to use if he put together an album he produced but had other, more talented MCs on the mic for most of the time. His work with Talib Kweli and Common have been enough to convince me that a Kanye beat with a killer MC is a great combo. But I think West’s ego has grown exponentially since the days of Kweli’s “Get By,” and I can’t see him taking a back seat too often, which is a shame. An entire album of “Get By” quality tracks would probably be enough to make my head explode.

Now, since you’ve been patient with my random rambling, here’s two tracks related to Kanye. First is the bonus track to Graduation, the pleasantly mellow “Good Night,” with Mos Def on chorus duty. And, since I used it as an example of what happens when Kanye is producing a top-notch rapper, Talib Kweli’s “Get By.”

“Good Night” – Kanye West

“Get By” – Talib Kweli

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 12:31 am and is filed under The Yellow Stereo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.