Another day, another Kanye West Twitter rant. What’s consistently interesting to me is that Kanye has no problem with telling the world he’s basically just sitting around Googling himself and obsessively reading the reviews of his album, The Life of Pablo. So there’s this music critic and producer named Bob Ezrin. He’s worked with people like Lou Reed, Pink Floyd, Kiss, Alice Cooper and more. Ezrin is 66 years and he wrote a “scathing” review of The Life of Pablo, claiming in part:
“Unlike other creators in his genre like Jay-Z, Tupac, Biggie or even M.C. Hammer for that matter, it’s unlikely that we’ll be quoting too many of Kanye’s songs 20 years from now. He didn’t open up new avenues of public discourse like NWA, or introduce the world to a new art form like Grandmaster Flash, or even meaningfully and memorably address social issues through his music like Marshall, Macklemore and Kendrick. Kanye’s greatest achievements have been in the form of excessive behavior, egomaniacal tantrums and tasteless grandstanding. What he is a true artist at is living his life out loud – and shoving it down the throats of the rest of us whether we give a sh-t or not. He’s like that flasher who interrupts a critical game by running naked across the field. Is that art???
Um… he’s entitled to his opinion, of course, but even I think Ezrin is smoking something if he thinks MC Hammer is a bigger deal to hip-hop than Kanye West. So of course Kanye had to say something. On Twitter.
Has anybody ever heard of Bob Ezrin??? What the f-ck does he know about rap…I’m tired of old people that have no connection with anything trying to comment on music!
Do something relevant… Please don’t speak on me bro ever again!!! Your kids are ashamed of their dad… Sorry for speaking about kids… but could you imagine if you were Bob Ezrin’s kids…I’m so sorry for them… I will send them free Yeezys to make up for the embarrassment that you have caused your family!
Bro you said Macklemore was more important musically than me… no offense to Macklemore, he’s a nice human being! Bob please never speak in public again… you are everything that is wrong with the old guard …it’s guys like you that run companies and don’t invest in Ye even if I’m your kid’s idol!!!
Rock and Roll was stolen… Rap was exploited…
I made Dark Fantasy and Watch the Throne in one year and wasn’t nominated for either and you know who has 2 albums of the year.
Welcome to pop culture!!!
Ezrin I truly feel sorry for your friends and family that they have had to suffer an idiot like you for so many years…
God bless the fools … all positive vibes!
The statement “I made Dark Fantasy and Watch the Throne in one year and wasn’t nominated for either and you know who has 2 albums of the year” is being called yet another slam at Taylor Swift. Which, sure, she has two albums of the year, which she said at the Grammys this year. But… um, Kanye was just stating a fact? Looking back on it, can you f—king believe that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – arguably Kanye’s best album – was genuinely snubbed for Album of the Year? As for the rest of it… it’s what I would expect from Kanye.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
Dear Kim,
Take Kanye’s phone. Forever. Nah, I’m not bored yet.
Thanks,
Tiffany
P. S. The photo of Saint did not work.
And close his twitter account.
Agree
Why does he keep talking about people’s children?
First thing I noticed. Talking about the kiddos – although they may be grown up, I don’t know.
Right, I don’t get that he can’t keep his Petty contained to who/what matters
That said, He isn’t totally wrong, this is exactly what Solange said a few weeks ago (much better) about Jon Caramanica et.al judging a music that wasn’t for/about them without the proper knowledge or context, he just is very Spike Lee about making the right point ( I.E. Being an A-hole about it)
Also The fact Watch the Throne and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy didnt get Album of the year pretty much does say evvveeerrryyyttthiinngg black hip hop and r&b acts have been complaining about award shows is absolutely gospel truth
also is the gag is that Bob apparently hasn’t really heard TLOP?? which ???!!! wait what
Agreed. I mean fight back all you want, but why bring in children? He needs to just stop.
Also, why does he always have to bring it back to a woman?!?
Taylor Swift has NOTHING to do with this critic’s opinion about Kanye, just as Amber had nothing to do with Wiz’s point about Wave. Yet, when it comes time for anger, Kanye always has to bring out a woman as a target. His pattern keeps repeating itself.
I wonder if he knows (or even cares) that Ezrin’s son actually died several years ago… (I did a quick google search).
He also seems to assume that all people of a certain age (e.g. children of music industry people) idolize him.
He has no other way to retaliate. Despite what he thinks, he really isn’t that smart, or articulate, nor is his music that good. So, instead of a thoughtful rebuttal based on facts about his music and it’s influence on the genre, he makes personal attacks.
P.S.S. And Kim, put your fingers into action. It may soothe him a bit.
Honestly, Ye needs to give it a rest.
Lol yes! Power off his phone with one hand and put the other up his @$$!
Especially with those long nails of hers.
Blind gossip has something about him today. The family agree that he’s lost it.
” Kanye’s greatest achievements have been in the form of excessive behavior, egomaniacal tantrums and tasteless grandstanding.” Could not agree more!!
Ugh, Go away already…
Bob Ezrin, like Kanye and the rest of the world, is entitled to his opinion (MC Hammer? Really, Bob?). Kanye really needs to learn how to let criticism slide off his back, especially being in a field where criticism is the norm.
Me thinks it was hyperbole, but even so, we do still sing MC Hammer songs 15 years later, so….
That’s what he meant, he was referring to ppl still singing that one song from MC Hammer, and not saying that MC Hammer is among the greatest! He was specifically saying that we won;t be recalling ANY of the songs from the new album in a year time, and I agree!
Yeah, that’s true, I either misread or didn’t take it that way at first. I can only recall one song of Kanye’s and that’s “No Church in the Wild.”
That’s what I was going to say. We do sing Hammer. We dance to Hammer when it comes on. I know that I am not the audience for Kanye’s work, but truly – the only thing I know of Kanye really is his narcissistic personality.
Meh to the MC Hammer comment. People sing Can’t Touch This occasionally but it’s mostly out of nostalgia. That song and Bob Ezrin’s comment about it are super dated.
Hammer songs get played regularly at NBA games and other sporting events and people get up and dance around. Kanye? No.
Yes that was the point I took away. People still know the song and sing it even though it’s old and dated. It was a pop culture moment and the point is that Kanye is only having such a moment for his crazy behavior and NOT for his music. The point is that he’ll go down in history for his grandiose posturing and ranting and not for the work he’s intending to promote.
Now, I’m not Kanye’s intended audience so take my view with a grain of salt, but the only Kanye songs I remember are the golddigger one and the gay fish, which is from South Park and not actually his music. So, yeah……
Yeah, this was his point.
Look, I’ll still out of no where bust out a !STOP! Hammer time!! and proceed to do that silly crab looking dance while singing ‘oooh oh ooh ooooh’. I can’t recall any time I’ve ever made a Kanye song reference…
I actually approve Bob’s review. Someone NEEDS to tell Kanye what’s up. People need to stop feeding the beast.
I was reading the review & mostly agreeing with all of it. Kanye doesn’t stand up for anyone who’s not Kanye. He talks about Kanye problems, Amber Rose, Kim’s as*, etc. Jay Z’s 99 problems is everything, Kendrick Lamar’s most recent album I do mean all of it was great, & yeah even Macklemore taking a stand & supporting gay rights. I see what Ezrin is talking about making an impact in society, all of them have. Kanye? not so much Sure Dark Twisted was a good album but it’s nowhere near Lamar’s last album.
They play Kanye’s “Stronger” and “Mercy” at sports events…
Meanwhile, people still go off when his songs come on at clubs, weddings, whatever. Can’t say the same for “Can’t Touch This”, but maybe we hang out with different crowds 😀
I’m so tired of people dissing Kanye’s musical legacy. Why is it that just because you don’t like his personality you have to deprive him of his (extreme) success.
@wowza maybe if he was not so off putting with his personality ppl could enjoy listening to him. He destroys his music by opening his mouth
I’m not denying Kanye’s legacy or success. I just don’t consider him to be strong in his rap game. I prefer artists that have something more to say, or a story to tell, a good wordsmith. I love old stuff, like Nas and Tupac. Kendrick’s latest was amazing. But I like a lot of non-mainstream rap like schoolboy q and joey badass. Now, Kanye as a producer is another story. I think that’s his strong area. I think he should focus on that area more.
I just agree with Bob that Kanye’s antics are a bit overshadowing. Constantly telling me how great you are doesn’t make me think you’re great, it makes me think you’re a conceited a-hole. I’m actually LESS likely to consider you at all with you running your mouth like that.
I, personally, don’t judge someone’s body of work on their personality. Some people don’t like Breezy because of what happened with Rihanna. I still like his work. Hell. I can’t stand Swifty, I can won’t debate her legacy and her knack for pumping out some solid mainstream stuff. But, I will say, his antics are concerning. And unlikeable. I really do think something is wrong with him and I can see how it would be a turn off to many.
..just my opinion..
=)
Kanye is a much better producer than rapper. He works with sound better than words most of the time.
Kanye keeps saying he’s a genius, but then I hear Kendrick, and I think we all know who the real genius is. I think people who say really powerful things have more impact than mere showmen, which is what Kanye has become.
@yolo112 I totally respect everything you said. I very much agree with the sentiment of separating the artist from the work (not a strict rule, just something I try to practice in general, especially if the work is especially transcendent to me). I’ll give Swifty credit even when she drives me nuts (NOT for that Lana Del Rey ripoff “Wildest Dreams” though).
But I actually have a lot of trouble looking past Chris Brown’s antics, I don’t know why I can accept Kanye’s but not his. I do think Chris Brown’s behavior is scarier to me than Kanye’s. I really do think there is a level of irony to Kanye’s behavior. He’s described his approach in the past as the bad guy pro wrestler, literally attempting to troll. Maybe I’m just a sucker. I also think that Kanye is more talented than Chris, I feel like there’s other people that could essentially do what Chris does, like it or not, Kanye does something very individual to the game. Even if it’s wack.
Only time I’ve referenced Mange (this is what my tablets auto correct Subs for HIS name, appropriate don’t you think?) 😂 was when it was reported he was dating Dim. My first words?
🎶 “Now I ain’t saying she a Golddigger, but she ain’t messin’ with no broke….” 🎶
The only “legacy” Mange has is in his own head! He’s a Legend in his own mind!! He needs to go back to the mixing board where he can’t be heard. And someone PLEASE lock him in there!!!
I think M.C. Hammer is relevant, as that kind of opened the door for rap acceptance in white world, no? Just my opinion. I don’t know anything about Kanye’s music so I can’t speak to whether his past albums deserved album of the year. Who won that year? I do know Bob Ezrin is well respected in the music business and had impacted the music business accordingly. He is critiquing Life of Pablo, not Kanye’s earlier music. I don’t find anything in his critique to disagree with.
The problem with Bob’s critique is that he never listened to the album.
The critic is totally right. MC Hammer changed hip hop at the time, like his music now or not. He’s dated only because he isn’t producing music right now but that doesn’t diminish the impact of his music in the era it was produced. And he is right that more people will continue to remember and think about MC Hammer than they have ever thought about Kanye.
Can’t touch this. Hammer pants, hammer time…awesome remix of gangnam style & Hammer is like 50 and can still dance.
Kanye doesn’t dance. He just has tantrums.
If he’s lucky, **MAYBE** “Golddigger” will be remembered some day!
I detect no lies in Bob Ezrins critique, and I want to be his friend. All Kanye has to offer is excess and mania, nothing of true substance. Maybe it wasn’t always this way, but at this point his talent is far overshadowed by his ridiculousness. He’s not one of the greats, even though he thinks he runs the legendary rappers club.
Agreed. Also “Kanye’s greatest achievements have been in the form of excessive behavior, egomaniacal tantrums and tasteless grandstanding” – ABSOLUTELY!!!!
I burst out laughing and applauded to myself when I read that line. He’s absolutely right.
I want a T-shirt with that line on it. Best.Burn.Ever.
…. and all Kanye had to come back with was “you’re old” and more whining about TS. SIT DOWN KANYE.
yeah, I’m gonna quote (paraphrase) Han Solo to him..
“must’ve hit pretty close to the mark to get him all riled up like that”
while I agree he’s (somewhat) talented, I also agree that his shenanigans fully outshine his music. if you have to go around telling people that you’re an artist, or the “greatest” artist, or whatever…YOU’RE NOT.
+1000
+1
Poor Kim, this is one toddler she cannot hand to the nanny.
Hahaha could not have happened to a better mom
There is always Ricardo, who I blame for that horrible clothes that Kanye Kardashian creates.
He should tell him the truth already, they are awful.
I just can’t with this fool anymore. Can someone please medicate him already?
No matter what his opinion is, the man is an experienced producer and critic. He has the right, much like anyone in the free world, to comment on anything,particularly in his field, including the Artiste’s work. For the Artiste to come back with this rant is just more proof that he has lost the plot a long time ago and is approaching needing sedation levels.
a) Kanye is an experienced producer too!
b) can someone please medicate him is not a cool thing to say
That’s what I came here to say. Not cool at all.
Meh your opinion I agree with @vauvert
He probably DOES need to be under a Doctor’s care. If that means medicated, I wouldn’t be surprised!! Vauvert wasn’t saying anything the rest of the world isn’t thinking….whether or not you think “it is not cool” to express that aloud.
But that is my point. An experienced producer should be able to express his opinion about an album (whether the Artiste is also a producer or not) without his family and friends and Taylor Swift being dragged into it.
And yes, my armchair opinion based on his increasingly insane tweets is that he needs medical care, including drug treatment. It may not be cool to say, but you will notice how I only made a comment about him, based on his behaviour. I did not drag in his kids, or his friends, or the fact that I made Dean’s list but not valedictorian in grad school, therefore woe is me and all the h8ers. Savvy?
He is medicated… On his new album he describes his own mania saying:
“You ain’t never seen nothing crazier than
This n____ when he off his Lexapro
Remember that last time in Mexico
Remember that last time, the episode
Asking me why the hell I text in code”
Like a lot of creative people, he struggles with mental health issues. That’s a personal struggle that it seems like he’s working on. It is kind of patronizing to assume that you, random stranger on the internet, have a better grasp on that than he does. He’s not Chris Brown punching his girlfriend, he’s not Charlie Sheen endangering his children, he’s definitely not Britney driving around drugged out, leading the paparazzi on a high speed chase. Heck, Mark Wahlberg intentionally blinded an asian man years ago! Perspective. As far as I can tell, Kanye hasn’t endangered anybody.
I understand why people are disturbed by Kanye’s egomania. But on the other hand, a lot of Americans are fully supportive of Donald Trump a man whose egomania rivals Kanye’s and who actually could do serious damage to people’s lives if he achieves his goals. Kanye’s goal right now is for people to take him seriously as an artist and to be given an insane amount of money to be creative. Totally effing greedy, I agree. But let’s not blow his actions out of proportion.
How did I blow it out of proportion? I didn’t compare him to any of the celebs you brought into discussion. You want to defend KW, that is absolutely your prerogative. You want to justify and excuse his recent aberrant behaviour, again, up to you. For some reason you want to bring into conversation other celebs or politicians – not sure why, since their degree of mental wellness, moral fiber and general value as a human being has nothing to do with KW.
But, I have, just like Bob, the freedom to express my opinion as well. My opinion stands. I don’t think a well person, even a raging narcissist, should rage against a critic in these terms. I don’t think a well person should boast in a song about having sex with another singer, on the grounds that he made her famous. I don’t think a well person drags the ex-wife and child of another rapper through the mud, because he didn’t like the comment about his album title. You disagree with me, cool. I am not trying to convince you of anything. But you aren’t changing my mind by involving Trump, Brown or whoever else into it.
Saying, “Can someone please medicate him” is very dehumanizing, that’s what I’m responding to. It’s treating a human being like an animal.
I’m loving having this convo with you! You absolutely have the right to your opinion. I don’t disagree with you, I find Kanye’s recent behavior very destructive. I hate that he slut shames Amber Rose.
But I don’t agree with the “can someone please medicate him” comment. It’s gross. And I bring up other celebs because those are all people that could legally be forced to be medicated for their mental health issues because they were a danger to themselves and others. My point is that Kanye actually doesn’t appear to be a danger to himself and others. That’s what’s being blown out of proportion.
And running his mouth is why I brought up Donald Trump. Someone who is an egomaniac but isn’t a danger to himself or people around him. And who is also performing his egomania, a bit, right? Idk, seemed like an interesting comparison.
+1000
Just because he says lexapro in a song doesn’t mean he’s on it. It could just be the words he used to make his rhyme… Just saying.
I’m just glad he didn’t rhyme it with “ho”.
I agree with you, vauvert.
The man is off, and he wants to be praised for it.
MC Hammer is internationally known. In my country, if they play him people will start to dance. Honestly, from Kanye, I only know his antics through my gossip knowledge. I can only recognize the chorus of the u-hu honey music because I went to look at it and thought it was some joke, but it ended up being a real video (in his mind).
With all this craziness, I am not the least bit tempted to check on his other album or songs, even if I like some hip hop and some rap. I don’t know which songs come from his work as producer either, although I could cheek on that, but not his own albums.
.
I don’t know if he can see the joke that he’s become.
MC Hammer was groundbreaking in his own way, which is the comparison he was going with. He’s absolutely right that Kanye’s talent in recent years hasn’t been the songs, but showcasing his enormous ego and making sure we all know and acknowledge his “greatness”. It’s tiring and it makes people less inclined to give him he benefit of the doubt with his music. And…it’s beyond me how people like Christina can be dragged for 2 less than stellar albums, but poor Kanye is in his feels because he’s not being praised universally for his.
This.
I think the critics were spot on.
Times a million.
When you have to tell people how great you are…maybe you’re not that great.
Does he realise how pathetic his obsession with Taylor Swift sounds? He’s an irrelevant middle-aged man married to a slowly melting lobotomised waxwork from a family of Goetic demons. His music, however good it might be, is going to be tainted by that for a considerably long time. People would take him seriously if he wasn’t associated with a plastic Tickle Me Elmo whose greatest talent is taking selfies.
“a slowly melting lobotomised waxwork from a family of Goetic demons”
I love this sentence so much I want to marry it.
Ok sentence I am gonna let you finish but “a plastic Tickle Me Elmo whose greatest talent is taking selfies” is the greatest sentence of all time.
Zapp, i’m right there with you. i haven’t stopped laughing since i read these two sentences especially the last one.
🙂
this is my favorite paragraph this week. <3
@dbahr, you are my new hero! Your comment is pure poetry.
@dbahr wow your comment should be going to the Celebitchy wall of fame.
Say what you will about TSwift, but her songs are catchy as hell. I wanted to hate her 1989 album but couldn’t, sure I didn’t like Shake it off (too annoying) but loved Bad Blood & Blank Space. To me TSwift deserved the win & he can’t do anything about it. I can’t name one song from his album Yeezus except that I remember that god awful video he made with Kim.
But how many people (including myself) can say they’ve never heard *any* song from this opus that is 1989? While TS may be popular, I highly doubt that that album is better than Alabama Shakes’ Sound and Color. She did not deserve the award for AOY and she, and everyone else, knows it. As stated, just because Ye is an ass does not diminish his talent. I also haven’t heard TLOP but I’m well aware of his track record and tremendous musical ability, and agree that it’s disheartening to know that people who are supposed to recognize musical gifts, don’t.
But the Grammys have been awarding the wrong AOTY for so long now. I think if people, especially nominated artists, take that award too seriously they are misguided. Grammys are great exposure, but they aren’t looked to as the definitive answer on the best music from a given year. But maybe I am a little too jaded and lost perspective. 😉
Thank you!!!
I bow to this awesomeness what a comment! We have a winner!
This comment is everything.
I thought her greatest talent was getting peed on.
I had to look up Goetic. Thank you for the laugh, and for starting my day by getting to learn something new.
Kanye is right this time (except for the kids part, they shouldn’t even be mentioned). And he should really leave Taylor alone, there’s a video from last night where he is still talking about her.
To be fair, Erzin isn’t saying that MC Hammer was a better rapper than Kanye. He’s pointing out that Hammer was able to ingrain himself into pop culture and yes, his stuff still gets quoted and mentioned with frequency. Let’s be real – Hammer made dumb, catchy songs that people liked to dance to – but what’s the harm in that? Kanye is quickly becoming better known for his tantrums and ego more than his music, which is what Erzin was pointing out. And that’s a shame. It’s sad that this is the same guy who put out “Jesus Walks.” He does not lack for talent, but he’s letting his personal life and ego get in front of that.
ETA: And this fixation on Taylor Swift is starting to get a little – dare I say – creepy? You don’t have to be a fan of hers. But her albums are generally well-reviewed by the critics. She’s not making music that is really similar to Kanye’s in any way, so why fixate on her? Shouldn’t he be more pissed at lousy rappers? But in a way, I think he’s a little bit of a coward. Calling out other rappers would open the gates to letting them attack him (and his wife) in their songs – and I have no doubt they’d have plenty to say. He doesn’t want to start anything within the rap genre, so it’s easier to attack a country/pop artist.
I like your point of his personal life and ego get in the way of his talent as a musician.
And I think maybe he’s getting pissy and frustrated that people don’t soak up with a smile that shi*ty personality and ego like they did his music.
People seems to do it with his wife, why not Yeezy?
KW needs to respect the artistry, that is Bob Ezrin’s opinion. I don’t know why Kanye thinks that no one except himself is entitled to their opinion. It’s fine for him to shit on other people, but when it’s done to him he has a tantrum.
Bob is correct in saying that “Kanye’s greatest achievements have been in the form of excessive behavior, egomaniacal tantrums and tasteless grandstanding.” This is what Kanye’s legacy has become.
I agree, kanye is acting like a coward.
So I suppose Demon Mother is furiously finding some new pictures of Saint or some story about another family member to distract from Kanye’s latest outburst? I will be very surprised if Kanye and Kim are still together by year’s end.
NewWester, that’s probably why Demom Mum threw a family dinner to honour what would have been Robert Kardashian Snr’s 72nd birthday? Complete with photos everywhere, of course…
I’m starting to think Kanye really does just want to have sex with Taylor. There’s justified criticism of an actual point (which if you want to go that route Kendrick and Beyonce nailed with fair more Grace) and then there’s…this.
When he and Kim first got together I remember how reverently he spoke about her and how long they said he kept waiting for her to actually choose him. Since she has little by little I just see this detachment and disinterest. More and more he references her sex tape and calls her bitch.
Taylor and Amber make him burn hotter by barely doing anything. Reminds me of an old male acquaintance who pursued a girl for 2 years just trying to get her to call him and once they started dating would just ignore the phone when she called.
ESE, are you in my brain?! cause you just wrote what I’ve been thinking and trying to verbalize well.
I, too, have wondered about the whole “thrill of the chase” thing with him and KK. I think he had this idea in his head of what she and their life together would be like, and he’s come to realize what an empty shell of a person she really is.
and also agree about him wanting to get with Swift.
@Sideeye. I really do not think it is sex, it is more of envy of the power. Taylor is where Kanye thinks he should be. Taylor’s squad gets positive press with her association and is beloved and Kanye, no matter how hard he tries, squad is a punchline. Ye just envys what she has.
Well his squad is the Kardashian Klan so yeah it is a punchline. Both Jay Z & Big Sean want no part of it.
This! And that she’s a female makes it burn even more for him. I’m not a fan of Taylor’s but he’s blaming her for his lack of success and adoration from the public. Take a hint Kanye – Taylor doesn’t grate like you, isn’t an a**hole like you and her antics aren’t laughable like yours are.
Yes but a lot of men equate sex with power, so if he could dominate Taylor sexually, then he would have “won”. This also explains his growing disinterest in Kim. He has dominated her already, so now she is just a “b!tch”.
I agree. He’s jealous of Taylor Swift’s success.
Zwella, exactly! That’s what I was thinking. In his mind, Taylor is getting what he thinks he ought to have, and is doing so well because he brought attention to her with that whole interrupting business. Many men equate sex with power, that somehow a woman is worth less if you (or anyone) have slept with her, and that way of thinking is prevalent and often expressed in rap culture. It’s not too far of a stretch to believe that Kanye thinks that if he sleeps with Taylor he will somehow have won, or at least diminished her in some way. That coupled with the fact that he likely always wants what’s out of reach, would explain a lot.
If you look at the women he dated you will know that Tay is not his type. She lacks that asset.
It’s the power he craves, not her actual body. He feels insecure (and retorts angrily) at her.
Like with Amber, she ended their relationship, and he’s still angry at her. It is not about sex anymore. He is far from a mature person, and really, he needs professional help.
I’m a subscriber to Ezrin’s blog, I get it once to several times a day in my email. Here’s the thing about him, he’s criticized everyone at some point but he’s also praised a lot of those same people. I read this particular blog/email when it came out, he said exactly what everyone was thinking.
Also can I just give Beyonce a round of applause as someone who doesn’t compliment her much?
Kanye is sitting around in piles of unsold shamwow’s Googling himself and getting mad over something a music critic said and Beyonce is literally having police groups publicly boycotting and refusing to offer her protection as a result of one song…and not a peep from her.
I think a big part of Kanye IS mad that he doesn’t have the impact of Kendrick or Beyonce and that the world doesn’t rumble when he delivers a message like it does for others.
“I think a big part of Kanye IS mad that he doesn’t have the impact of Kendrick or Beyonce and that the world doesn’t rumble when he delivers a message like it does for others.”
I go back and forth on this. On the one hand, I can easily see how that might bother Kanye considering his enormous ego, but on the other hand, I wonder whether he has that kind of self-awareness. It seems to me as if he doesn’t realise that these petulant, obnoxious, downright delusional Twitter rants have turned him into a laughingstock.
Isn’t that the definition of a narcissist, that they can’t recognize when they are being criticized? They just flat out refuse to believe anything negative about themselves.
There is such a BIGGER conversation that is going on right now, and the fact that he choses to not participate in the actual meat of the discussion is kind of amazing. He is so focused on the petty, when the mood of society is craving something with more substance.
As a supposed brilliant business man and artist, I just don’t understand why he doesn’t dig into the bigger issues. My only guess is that he actually doesn’t run that deep.
THANK YOU OMG you said it exactly!
There is a HUGE conversation happening right now and so much of our young black talent is having this conversation and feeling brave to for the first time engage and be honest and even artists like Beyonce are delivering powerful messages like they haven’t before and Kanye is…doing nothing.
It’s confusing because, like you, I really expected him to have such amazingly perspective on this topic and speak more throughly and elaborate but so far he’s been mute except for the temper tantrums. Then after the Mark Zuckerberg/Africa tweet I realized all this time he’s been using black issues as static material without having real connection to the community.
Like he’s only black when he needs to perform a song or complain about not being called a genius.
Excellent comment, Eternal. I hope Kanye reads Celebitchy.
I understand the Hammer comment because he (the bat boy whose dreams came true) helped to make hip hop more approachable for people who wouldn’t even give it a second thought which, in turn, led them to discover other hip hop artists with a more powerful message, like NWA, Wu-Tang, and so on.
And Macklemore wrote about the pitfalls of excess, the need for acceptance, and how love is tolerance.
Kanye recently wrote about banging his wife and banging Taylor Swift…
While yes, MDTF is a phenomenal album, it was also heavily influenced by pure, raw emotion. The majority of the stuff he’s released since stems from pure ego. Beats might be catchy, and rhymes might be tight, but it has about as much substance as the air in my mouth.
amen.
One of Kanye’s strengths is juxtaposing serious lyrics with ridiculous, “I’m so rich” lyrics.
This is from “New Slaves” on Yeezus:
My momma was raised in the era when
Clean water was only served to the fairer skin
Doing clothes you woulda thought I had help
But they weren’t satisfied unless I picked the cotton myself
You see there’s broke n—— racism that says “don’t touch anything in the store”
And there’s rich n—— racism that says “please come in and buy more”
What you want a Bentley? A fur coat? A diamond chain?
All you blacks want all the same things!
Spending all your money on Alexander Wang
New slaves
Ok. So that song is about institutionalized racism and the slavery of conspicuous consumption. And these lyrics are not out of the norm for Kanye. I don’t think you know what you are talking about as far as Kanye “saying something” with his lyrics.
Wowza: Kanye is only one of 12 people who have credit for writing New Slaves. That’s why he is no genius. He isn’t even responsible for creating these lyrics, even if you want to praise them.
Hmmm… so first you say Kanye doesn’t address social issues, then when I quote a very socially conscious song he put out recently, you move the goal posts and say he didn’t even write it.
Maybe that ghostwriter wrote the Taylor line from the new album.
😀
@wowza, look, don’t put made up phrases in quotations and attribute then to me. You’re doing yourself a disservice here.
Furthermore, his juxtaposition of historical slavery with the slavery of capitalist consumption add a means of somehow arguing against the evil of greed is nullified by his $300 Yeezys, his $500 homeless chic apparel, his $300 Hanes t-shirt, and so on.
Don’t assume that, just because you can recite lines from Kanye that others whom dislike him can’t. I’ve listened to all of his albums. I even bought Yeezus because I know (as stated already) that he’s got the talent and the skill. Again, his previous stuff was inspired. It had power. There was heart, soul, and thought to it.
This ish he’s been putting out lately comes from one place only, and that’s his ego. If I wanted a healthy dose of that in my ears I’d buy an audio copy of Trump’s book.
Hahahahahaa. What social issues did Marshall tackle? The plight of poor white men who dream of murdering their mothers and wives, and putting their bodies in the trunk and driving it off a cliff? Ezrins got jokes.
Kanye needs to lay off Taylor though. The entire thinking world already knows she is sitting on an undeserved Best Album grammy, coming after her just gets her sympathy support.
Marshall covered going to rehab, he also released Mosh which was against Bush in 04. He covered issues with so called possess/cliques/gangs in rap on that same album. I can not for the life of me remember the albums name but I remember the music off of that album. He’s also discussed how being white in the music industry helped his career over black artists.
Happyxamp, I co-sign your Marshall/Eminem comment, and I believe the album you’re thinking of is Encore.
He obviously wasn’t husband of the year (I know, massive understatement), but he did an amazing job raising his daughter Hallie and adopting his niece Alanna (sp?) and raising her as his own when Kim’s twin sister was unable to care for her due to drugs.
Two of my relatives hung out with Hallie (she’s at Michigan State now) and reported she is super nice and incredibly down to earth…they said you would never know who her dad was or that she was worth millions. Hopefully the same can be said about Kanye’s kids in a few years.
Honestly this critic sounds not very knowledgeable of hip-hop.
Dear Kanye,
I’ve heard of Bob, but only have CB and Kim K to thank for knowing about you. So, I guess I’m one of those “old people” who should shut up, uh?
However, completely agree with Bob. Your music, if you keep putting out crap, will be irrelevant in 20 years. People are still listening to Run DMC, Beastie Boys, NWA, Tupac and Biggie. If you want that to be you, then sit down, pull your ego back and make music that sounds good. (i.e. hire ghostwriters for your rhymes).
Oh yeah, stay off Twiiter,
H
“it’s guys like you that run companies and don’t invest in Ye even if I’m your kid’s idol!!!”
Cause if there’s one thing smart people do it’s sink their money into whatever their teenage kids are temporarily obsessed with. You’re not PBS Kanye.
“I’m tired of old people that have no connection with anything trying to comment on music!”
Bro. Dude. You’re a little too old yourself to be using someone’s age as an excuse for their opinion. Someone please tell Kanye he’s not 16.
If Bob Ezrin is somebody that has ‘no connection to anything’….then who IS ‘connected’ in the music industry according to Kanye?
just Kanye?
such a lack of respect or even refusal of acknowledgment for Ezrin’s experience in the music industry is just ignorance or Kanye being petty.
apparently the only person who deserves recognition, respect and an opinion about music is Kanye.
I’m laughing at the idea that Kayne is “connected” to something important or interesting. I think he has this fantasy that he lived on the street and represents an important part of our culture, but he just seems like a spoiled mommy’s boy to me. His anger is so contrived.
As you said, Kanye is already older for the world of music himself, but he is one of those eternally immature adults that fancy themselves hip and cool, as a teen. He is going on forty, it is going to hit him harder than Kim.
“Do something relevant… Please don’t speak on me bro ever again!!! Your kids are ashamed of their dad… Sorry for speaking about kids… but could you imagine if you were Bob Ezrin’s kids…I’m so sorry for them… ”
1. you’re NOT sorry for brining up kids, because you did. you ass.
2. if you feel sorry for his kids but then claim “I’m your kid’s idol!!!”, that makes no sense.
3. while he has a point that his other albums were ‘snubbed’ (they were good, and I do truly wonder if he would behave this way, or worse, if a Grammy was sitting on his mantel right now)…what does that have to do with Erzin calling you out for the behavior you not only are totally guilty of, but brag about and go on twitter to defend?
Erzin is absolutely correct when he says that Kanye will be remembered for his behavior, famewhoring, and all his other rants and fits and sentences of delusion, rather than his music.
And Kanye can’t help but feed that fire by throwing a fit and ranting about being called out for throwing fits and ranting.
I’m going to disagree with you about the MC Hammer comment, simply because MC Hammer may not have been that influential to rap music, personally I think he was, but he had a huge impact on pop culture at the time. How may kiosks in how many malls sold MC Hammer pants? Sure they we just harem pants, but we knew that as Hammer pants. He inspired dance moves and we do still sing his songs now. He made an impression on pop culture as a whole.
What can we really point to that Kanye has “created”? Admittedly, I am not a fan so I could be missing something, but that is also the point. Even people who weren’t hip hop fans knew MC Hammer’s name. Kanye is the master at undoing any influence he could have by alienating people with his megalomaniacal rants. He can disagree with Bob Ezrin, yeah I doubt many people knew Bob’s name before today. But Kanye seriously needs to learn to take constructive criticism with more grace so that when he feels like he’s been incorrectly criticized, it doesn’t just seem like white noise to the rest of us.
My 72 y.o. Mother even knows that song when she hears it. Lol
Well he’s a genius producer. You can’t take that away from him.
I cannot stand this man. Everyday it’s another running commentary about his greatness. Kanye, let me break it down for you. Your music is awful. Your clothing is ugly. But your attitude is the worst.
You do make beautiful babies. Maybe try dialing back on your “career” and instead shut down your social media and raise your babies with dignity and humility. They are your greatest achievement.
So would this be a bad time to tell Kanye the only song of his I remember is Jesus Walks because it was in a movie trailer? Other than that I really just know him as the guy married to that woman who got famous from a sex tape?
Even being the whitest if white girls when it comes to rap and hip hop I will acknowledge a few songs made an impact on or at least interested me. Kayne I just know from his tantrums. #TeamBob
“…memorably address social issues through his music like Marshall, Macklemore and Kendrick” LMAO! I struggle to see what social issue Macklemore and Marshall have memorably addressed. This will make me look like a Kanye Apologist but as much as I hate his persona now musically Kanye has done a lot for hip-hop. Production wise he shaped most of the sound of the mid 2000 with the soul samples, then with the autotune singing and the 808’s. Lyrically he has never been the strongest or the most gifted but there are many lyrics that people who listen to hip-hop remember and use : the lines in Gold Digger, the “light skin friend and dark skin friend looking like Michael Jackson” in Slow Jamz, I could go on…
This will be dismissed as another of his crazy rants, but this critics sounds like he doesn’t listen to hip hop AT ALL if he’s stating that Macklemore’s music is memorable and Kanye’s not.
I don’t listen to rap or hiphop, but I can name a few songs by Eminem and a few by MC Hammer. I don’t think I can name one by Kanye, besides the ones mentioned upthread, and I’m not sure I ever heard those. I am literally going on Youtube next to see if I recognize ANY song by Kanye. So, as far as I’m concerned, the critic is spot on. Other people he mentions crossed over into the mainstream, so that even people who are not hip-hop or rap fans know the songs. It seems to me that Kanye hasn’t, in spite of being more current.
This is so frustrating.
Yes, I get it — Kanye has a crazy public persona.
But make no mistake — he is absolutely an incredible creator of pop music, and his music does have a huge impact culturally and artistically. I’m sorry, but if you say otherwise, you are out of touch. “Gold Digger”, “Stronger”, “Jesus Walks”, “Mercy”, “Blood on the Leaves”, “N—— in Paris”, “Monster”. It’s no big if this genre of music isn’t your cup of tea, but Kanye has been churning out stone-cold classics for years and shows no sign of slowing down. His place in music history is absolutely secure.
And the man feels like he is being gaslighted because people who clearly don’t understand Kanye’s musical legacy (for instance, Bob Ezrin name-checking Jay-Z, for whom Kanye produced his most iconic album!!!) telling Kanye that he sucks or whatever… It’s ridiculous! And yeah, tinged with paternalistic racist undertones too.
Whenever I read a Kanye article on here, I want to have a meaningful conversation about what’s going, but everytime I come to the comment section here, it’s just full of comments like “NO TALENT WHATSOEVER! NO ONE WILL REMEMBER THIS MAN” which I can’t even engage with, it’s just so wrong-headed. Literally anyone who is familiar with the musical landscape of the last ten years will tell you otherwise. Say you don’t like that he bullies Taylor Swift, but understand how out of touch you sound when you say that stuff about his lack of talent.
And then understand that many uninformed people calling him untalented when he has proven himself 10x over definitely contributes to his paranoia and anger.
THANK YOU! This is like what Solange was saying about indie critics. She pointed out that critics who rate r&b music should listen to deep Brandy cuts first, and the indie critics laughed at her for that. If you don’t listen to hip hop regularly and you don’t know the history, don’t rate hip-hop albums, it’s easy!
I can’t comment on Kanye’s talent of lack thereof. I can name rap songs but none of his – that means nothing in the grand scheme of things, obviously, but the point is – regardless of how talented he is, that doesn’t excuse his rants, his complete as*holeness and the ridiculous way in which he acts like a petulant child when a critic has the nerve to critique his work.
Whether we agree with Bob or not is irrelevant. Most of us are not qualified as music industry experts – the only way we get to express our opinion is with our dollars when we choose what we buy. But this guy ‘s job is, and has been for a long time, music. He is absolutely entitled to judge an album and say what he thinks about it. Kanye is also free to disagree with that criticism and continue thinking he is God’s gift to music, BUT dragging the man’s family and friends into it? WTF? And claiming he is the kids’ idol? And bringing TS indirectly into this – again? Complaining about the awards he has not received? The money people don’t invest in all his crap ideas? There is no excuse on God’s green Earth to justify even one percent of that behaviour.
Saying that criticism contributes to his paranoia and anger sounds like you are justifying his completely insane behaviour. Anger and paranoia – why, for God’s sake? He is a multimillionaire living a life of ease, traipsing around the world in furs and torn clothing that he thinks is brilliant, being married to that plastic doll he thinks is Venus reborn, what does he have to be angry about? That we don’t all bow down and worship him? That folks don’t throw $1B at him to finance his ideas? I thought he couldn’t get any lower when he publicly humiliated a disabled person in a wheelchair at his concert. I was wrong, there is no end to his insanity.
@wowza-Kanye does have talent. When he first came out, I really liked him. And I do listen to, and love, rap. It is just that his talent is overshadowed by the antics, the wife, that awful family…and lately, his stuff isn’t that great. Yes, he’s had some moments musically, as you pointed out. But Kanye himself is no longer focused on music. He has changed drastically, and it’s a crappy change. He is his own worst enemy, and no one can deny that fact. Now instead of good music, we get treated to endless rants, horrible fashion,, and that gross family he married into.Blame it Satan’s heifers being cursed, blame it on Kanye’s critics whatever…but until he gets his mind in the right place, his music is going to suffer.
@vauvert slow clap great post
nah, I defended him in other threads. Strange Fruit sample (BOTL), brilliant, spot on. Etc. But I posted that I thought there was legit criticism of Yeezus in that the misogyny distracts from his work and really holds him back from making stronger social commentary.
Psyched to see I’m not batsh*t crazy tho. Used to make a point to teach black history to teenagers so I recognize the cultural contexts for his work. Used to play Jesus Walks music video to classrooms of int’l kids and tell them that’s America.
Yeah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say *nobody* on here gets it, I know there are some who do. That’s totally a great point about the misogyny on “Yeezus” and that’s really cool that you taught your class that way about America, brings a smile to my face.
Mostly I just get this slightly racial vibe to all the criticism like, “I don’t listen to the rap anyways, but I know he’s CRAP” and it rubs me the wrong way. And people wanting him to “know his place.”
@wowza, I totally get it. You know, “the uppity black man”…I get that vibe. And I agree with the fact that probably a lot of critics don’t know squat about rap, period, and there’s loads of racial undertones to it all.
But I also think it’s just one of those things where someone talks so much about how great he is that people take glee in finding opportunities to tell him he’s not. I want two things for him:
(1) take a communications class, Kanye. I really want that for you;
(2) SHOW DON’T TELL. Not because you’re black and should wait, but because good art will find an audience that will sustain it long after you’re gone (see: Great Gatsby, Van Gogh). The fact that Swifty has 2 Album of the Years and you don’t just makes the Grammys look bad. I think awards matter, but shouldn’t be overstated. They don’t make art, and that’s what stands the test of time.
You’re exaggerating a bit though I agree with some of what you said. Kanye definetly is a big talent. But rap isn’t just about producing ( if so timbaland should be as famous as Kanye). And I don’t think it’s accurate to say Kanye is the brains behind jaz z music. In fact it is more like jay z introduced Kanye to the mainstream when he picked him as one of his producers.
FYI Kanye isn’t the only producer jay worked with. People like timbaland and Chad Hugo and pharrell ( the neptunes) and swizz beats worked with jay from day one and are massively influential . That Kanye is more well known sort of proves this guys point imo it’s largely because of his attention whoring not because the extent of his commercial success or originality ( pharrell has had more hits as a producer timbaland was just as innovative). Kanye actually started producing on jay z albums around the first blueprint album, he was one of many producers mind and by that time jay was already an established rapper with a big audience which Kanye benefitted from when he released his first cd.
Also and this i think is the main point in this mans article; rappers who are generally considered the best are excellent wordsmiths they are street poets. Jay z, nas, tupac, biggie and now kendrick
Kanye isn’t anywhere that level. Imo he’s up there with hip hops best producers ever, he’s up with timbaland, pharrell and swizz beats, timbaland and Kanye are probably the most innovative in the mainstream.
Thank you for such a thoughtful reply, seriously.
I do know that Jay-Z brought Kanye up, I kind of simplified it because people on CB don’t seem to realize the connection at all.
I don’t know, do you think Bob Ezrin meant that Kanye is technically a poor rapper and that’s what he was getting at? I got the sense that he was simply not engaged with the music at all and was relying on the vanguard of respected rap/hip-hop names to create a counterpoint. For instance, name-checking Grandmaster Flash etc. not because of his creative accomplishments but because of his “innovation” says to me “I understand that hip-hop is important but I don’t really get it”.
If Ezrin had mentioned Kendrick I might’ve given Ezrin more credit bc Kendrick is obviously carrying the torch for that style of “street poets” but he was conspicuously missing,
And speaking of street poets– I get that Kanye doesn’t fit in the established mold, but I find him very poetic in an unpretentious way. He reminds me of more post-post-modern internet-influenced poets. Like, “Hold My Liquor” is like a beautiful, tense poem. Even when he says clumsy things like “pray for Paris, pray for the parents” I feel like sometimes it’s intended to have a disarming effect. And I saw, for instance, Lou Reed say a similar thing in his defense of “Yeezus”, so it’s not like just because you’re an old, white, rock dude you can’t appreciate what Kanye is doing there.
It’s interesting, Timbaland, Swizz, the Neptunes and Chad Hugo are all on the same tier as Kanye as far as producing, I totally agree. Which is to say they are all really, really talented. But Kanye has been persuing something different for a while, and I don’t think it’s something those other guys want, so no disrespect to them. Kanye wanted to be a pop star in his own right.
I agree – Kayne is a talent, but not the wunderkind he would have us believe him to be. To me, Kayne has some solid early success, but seems to have run out of ideas. I find myself exhausted listening to song after song about how under-appreciated he is, how woman are out to get him, etc… . He hasn’t evolved, and no one is buying his schtick about being beaten down. He and his music have become too contrived, too forced.
Wowza
And thank you for a thoughtful reply.
In terms of kanyes rapping style it’s not the best technically, what I liked in his early years was the raw vulnerable delivery. He will never be effortless like jay, Eminem, nas etc but I did like that he brought some kind of honest vulnerability to the game.
His lyrics used to be better, I don’t know if that’s because rhymefest, consequence and those guys stopped writing for him? When I listened to Pablo I could enjoy the music but the lyrics have gotten so poor and sometimes offensive that it was distracting me from enjoying the music. It’s the first Kanye album I wished was instrumental.
Also I think Kanye generally gets credit for some stuff that actually came from more underground artists.
Something like auto tune which Kanye is widely associated with was actually first used by T-pain as far as I know.
I definetly think he’s a huge talent but he is somewhat overhyped compared to other hip hop producers and I do feel that’s because of how he chased fame at all costs rather then realistically saying he’s the best that ever was. Timbaland output with missy and Aliyah for instance, was just as groundbreaking sonically as anything Kanye has done.
You’re right those guys probably didn’t want to be pop stars. But here lies the problem imo, because it doesn’t stop at pop star. He wants to be a designer and who knows what else and he wants to be recognised as the best at that too and if he isn’t he’s going to yell at people. Its never enough for Kanye. It’s meglomania rooted in a deep seated insecurity imo and I actually think this writer is right as in the music is suffering because of this. Music is what he’s gifted at so I for one wish he went away like he did in 2009, came back with a masterpiece like MBDTF.
I totally feel the same way about the lyrics on Pablo! For instance, I love the production on Waves (putting aside that Chris Brown sings on it), but I wish there was just *more* to it lyrically.
It’s funny that I should be defending Kanye so much, because Pablo is definitely his most uneven album in a minute, and yeah, especially lyrically it can feel a little half-assed. Or, I heard it called “mixtape-ish” what with all his last-minute shuffling of tracklists, etc. Pretty interesting actually, for a control freak like Kanye. Also– it’s a way more content album than Yeezus which actually sounds like a man on the brink in all aspects of his life (new marriage, kid on the way, racial issues coming to a head in this country). Pablo actually seems kind of content. And that is what makes his public behavior interesting to me. I can’t tell what’s going on with him, it doesn’t match the music he just put out.
Having said all that about Pablo, there’s really, really beautiful stuff in there too. It’s growing on me in the same way Yeezus did. If that encourages anyone who was a little disappointed on a first listen. For instance, there are these little bookends on certain songs, like “Pt. 2”, the last 30-seconds, with this robotic woman’s voice, that bring a strange cohesiveness to the album. I also didn’t realize how hilarious the last 2 minutes of “30 hours” is. Reminds me a bit of the extended Chris Rock bit at the end of “Blame Game” from MBDTF.
I still haven’t seen a Kanye lyric that sounds interesting. I miss old ice T. Was so disappointed when he shut up about politics and signed onto pop culture full time.
Wowza, Thanks for your insightful post. I feel very much how you do on Kanye posts here. I love rap and hip hip but not crazy about some of the stuff that gets mainstream radio play. I do find Kanye’s music the exception. I think he is quite innovative and influential and disagree with this critic. Like you, I don’t think this guy is that knowledgeable about rap, as revealed in the examples he uses to compare Kanye’s music.
Kanye’s behaviour is unfortunate and unattractive. Not a fan of that. I also agree that people are mixing this up with his musical talent and contributions. Of course as a black artist, critiques of his bad behaviour will have a racist tinge.
“Of course as a black artist, critiques of his bad behaviour will have a racist tinge.”
True to some extent, but i hate it when a guy who said racism is an outdated concept, turns around cries racism as soon as he gets a few unfavourable reviews.
Meanwhile Kendrick really is about black people, ALL black people. Kanye is for the rich people. Kanye is for himself. Hell even Beyonce is more progressive at the moment.
Sure I agree with you. I used to think he had a broader analysis of racism but it seems pretty narrowly focused on himself these days.
It doesn’t change the fact that some of the critiques about him have a racist undertone. That’s unfair regardless of what you may say of his moral character.
Are there some racists undertones towards Kanye and other black rappers? Sure. It bugs when he dismisses racism as non existent however acts like a martyr when it suits his agenda. Furthermore i always thought white critics enjoy and understand his work more so then they do the typical rapper. He is widely admired in many indie/rock circles. This seems to be because 1) they don’t care about the lyrics to the extent the typical rap fan does 2) because of his middle class credentials 3) because he often collaborates across genres with white rock artists. NME, Rolling stone and especially Pitchfork have always loved Kanye. One review that isn’t OMG Kanye is a genius!!! does not them racists make.
I think I’m getting more of a racial vibe from people on these boards than from the professional music reviews. When commenters on Celebitchy say Kanye is a talentless hack in the same breath that they mention (proudly) that they don’t like hip-hop in general, I feel like they are speaking from a place of privilege, as if they are saying, “I don’t know anything about this genre, but I don’t see any reason why that should stop me from voicing my uninformed opinion about someone who is extremely respected creatively in the genre. ”
Also, I have to correct myself, I somehow didn’t notice that Ezrin did namecheck Kendrick, so I’ll give him credit there. But in reading his full comments I also found out he hasn’t listen to Life of Pablo sooooo… it kind of cancels out. Speaking on a piece of art you haven’t even seen/heard yet is a pet peeve of mine. It’s just arrogant!
Also, thank you Sanders, I really like how you put that.
I’m with you! I love Yeezy, he’s got great music. separate the music from the persona.
@wowza which Kardashian are you? And you think n****** in Paris is a stone cold classic? I won’t even get into the fact that he can say that word, but get pissed when a white person says it. Kanye will be more well known for his ridiculous Twitter rants and how he married the piss queen than he will be for his music. He has three good songs, that’s it.
@Melinda
… did you really just shade Kanye because he can use the n-word and you can’t? That is Race in America 101. It means something different when used within the black community! In that song n***** means “my friends,” it’s used in solidarity. It’s off limits for white people because they have used it to suppress black people for centuries. Black people reclaimed it. Good for them!
Furthermore — why does that bother you?
This is exactly my point. Whether you meant to or not, you just used one of the arguments from the “undercover racist” handbook. How can I even take your critique of him seriously.
Not a “N****** in Paris” fan? When I’m out, and it comes on, it’s definitely one of those songs that the DJ lowers the volume at times, because the whole club/bar is screaming “That s*** cray!” or “Mary Kate and Ashley!” but that’s just my experience.
In no way was my list exhaustive, though. Seriously, the man has made a lot of great music, “All of the Lights”, “Touch the Sky”, “Power”, “Flashing Lights”, “Bound 2.” I’m only scratching the surface. Interested in which three you thought were good.
And I’m Kendall, btw
@Melinda
One doesn’t have to be a “Kardashian” to be of the opinion that regardless of his jerk/misogynistic behavior, Kanye actually IS talented and has contributed WAAAAAY more to the Rap/Hip-Hip genre than MC Hammer or (c’mon!) Macklemore…. YOU think he has three good songs, but he has 21 GRAMMYs. How did that happen if he’s only known for being “ridiculous and married to the Piss Queen”? So, you’re kinda proving Wowza’s point. I could be wrong, but it seems like you know very little about this genre and have likely only heard the watered-down trendy songs that end up on ClearChannel radio stations. Plus you seem really upset about the fact that he can use the N word and you can’t. 0_o (which kinda speaks volumes to me)
Ezrin’s review can be disagreed with (he admitted he didn’t even hear the album) and Kanye can still be douchebag, the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
I do enjoy a lot of Kanye’s work. That being said, PLEASE SHUT UP.
“Do something relevant… Please don’t speak on me bro ever again!!!” – so you’re saying you’re not relevant Yeezus?
And I’m 100% with him on the MC Hammer thing- he’s not saying Hammer was breaking a ton of ground, and when he said “or even MC Hammer for that matter” it’s like he’s saying “jesus, even Hammer is more memorable than Kanye. People still quote his music despite it not being something artistically amazing. But it’s not going to be like that with Kanye.
MAYBE people will be quoting Gold Digger in 15-20 years. But I doubt it.
His tantrum was embarassing, and the whole “wah wah invest in me bro” thing is getting so incredibly old. He insults people, complains about old white guys running things and then begs them to give him money. What the hell is wrong with this man? He’s never been stable, but you’d think after 10 years of the same old tantrums SOMEONE would have stepped in by now.
Maybe Kanye should Google Bob Ezrin while he’s googling himself. Many people have “heard of him.” (Insert eye roll here)
Bob was giving a valid review, even the MC Hammer comment was valid…who doesn’t hear that song in their head when they hear the words “can’t touch this”? He was also being ironic by including him in the list, not out of touch.
But of course Kanye just did what he always does: called Bob names and verbally attacked his family.
another day, another rant. I’m so bored.
Megalomanic Kanye is the Donald Trump of the music world
IMO, a comparison of West’s TLOP is sort of like GaGa’s ArtPop was.
No, just no. Like them or hate them,,, these are both incredibly talented Artists.
Kanye is a mess. A big heaping, stank pile of a mess.
Basically, grow up and shut up. The man is always in Bitch mode. Yeezy needs to save this bs for Tisci. Ugh. Kanye… No one cares about your bisexuality…but you are so fake and materialistic and you give us all a headache!!!
Again with the Taylor Swift stuff? He is obsessed with her.
Why can’t he just say well, that guy didn’t like it, but others did, and move on with his life? If Bob means so little to him, why does his opinion matter so much? I think a few of those personal criticisms hit too close to home.
I am with you and so tired of him and his tantrums. The guy can dish it out when it comes to Beck but hey say something about his auto-tuned and computerized music and it becomes a racial thing. More people need to tell him the truth. Jay Z made those first few albums great and he knows it. If I were Bey and Jay I would be moving away from West and his cr2p.
A month ago had i heard the MC Hammer comment I would have been like WHAT?!?!?! But I fell into his Behind the Music a few weeks ago on YouTube and I have o say I forgot how influential and groundbreaking he really was at the time. Not to mention generous, humble and hardworking. Sure we remember his pants and being 2Legit, but he also was able to reinvent himself a few times, sometimes not so successfully, to change with the trends of hip hop and rap. His career spanned a lot more years than i recalled and there were some song i either forgot about or dint realize were him. ALSO there is a reason and HUGE connection behind why he is often played at sports events, that was super sweet and shows what a hustler he was as a kid.
“I’m tired of old people”
Does Kanye think he is 22?
Furthermore I think Kanye is increasingly out of touch himself in his early middle age. Black lives matter, the Beyonce controversy, Kendrick, this is where the culture is at right about now.
Exactly, teens think Kanye is some crazy old man too. He ain’t 21.
Go back and see who won album of the year when mbdtf (eligible for 2012) and watch the throne (eligible for 2011) came out and then argue on behalf of kanye west.
I guess Ezrin has never heard a little song by Kanye called Power. I don’t subscribe to Kanye’s brand of crazy but he does have a long trail of hits (either directly his or from a production standpoint) that we ALL know and love. Perhaps Ezrin should’ve done his homework a little more thoroughly before saying some of what he said.
But that doesn’t make Kanye a genius. In fact, he’s just a performer because if you look at who wrote Power, it was a group of 18 people, not just Kanye. And that doesn’t count the multiple producers of Kanye’s version. So even if that song was as influential as you claim, Kanye isn’t the one who should get all the credit.
Yup still talking about people’s kids huh Kanye? Actually YOUR kids should be embarrassed (and probably will be) because they have two idiots for parents. You constantly embarrass yourself Kanye. Not everyone has to like your music. If no one has ever heard of this critic, why are you giving him so much power that you had to rant about him? Get over yourself.
He hates women period. He went off on Amber Rose and Taylor Swift AGAIN last night at 1 OAK.
Kanye needs help. He’s 38, just had a second child, and maybe this is all a mid-life crisis? He clearly feels like he got robbed, so he’s going to keep throwing a tantrum about it, lying that he didn’t ask Amber Rose to penetrate him because he’s ashamed. He’s a huge joke.
Tired of “mid-life crisis” being the excuse for anybody’s behavior – both men and women. My ex had TWO “mid-life crisises” – didn’t fly as an exuse either time.
Oh, I don’t think it’s an excuse, just a sign of failure to develop the character and emotional skills needed to reach full maturity.
@priya – it is used as an excuse for many people’s behavior.
The debate over Kanye’s “genius” is never-ending. The fact is that taste in music is SUBJECTIVE and not everyone is going to believe that someone is a musical genius. It’s a matter of personal taste. This man is perfectly entitled to his opinion.
I’ll admit that Kanye is completely unafraid to go against the grain. It’s beginning to work to his detriment because people are beginning to think he’s treading crazy dude on a soap box territory at this point.
For me, what makes someone a genius when it comes to hip hop is wordplay. I listen to Jay Z and his wordplay is genius. What he has made of his life is genius. “Reasonable Doubt” leaves me thinking to myself “this man is so damn talented” every single time I hear it, all these years later. Nas is a genius for his wordplay. Eminem is the same. Talib Kweli. Yasiin Bey. These men, to me, are hip hop geniuses. They’re obviously exceptionally intelligent, well-read, they’re well spoken, and they’re wordsmiths. What they do is poetry to me. For me, because I base my opinion of who is a hip hop genius (once again this is MY opinion) on wordplay, Kanye doesn’t do it for me. His music is good, his early albums are the soundtrack to some of the best years of my life, but his wordplay is WEAK. In my opinion, Kanye is only exceptional at production. Kanye is good at being original. He sets trends. He put on a pair of adidas and now everyone I know is buying adidas instead of Nike. I don’t find any of his music to be mind-blowing and I don’t believe that he belongs in the same class as the greats. I’m sorry, but I just don’t see how anyone can listen to or even read what Talib or Yasiin Bey or Jay Z or Eminem or Tupac wrote/write and really believe that Kanye is on par with them. I don’t even think Kanye’s flow is that great. Biggie didn’t rap about the most socially conscious stuff, but his flow was phenomenal and his wordplay was amazing. That doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy Kanye’s music. He’s an innovator, but I find this talent to be lacking.
I don’t know if I really agree with Bob that no one is ever going to talk about anything done by Kanye in 20 years, but I think everyone, especially Kanye himself, needs to understand and respect that everyone has their own tastes.
Agreed.
Kanye is a producer and it shows, that’s not a bad thing, he does have some amazing songs where I think his production was masterful (All Of The Lights is one imo) and his rapping manages to achieve an effect where it all played together beautifully but that’s about it.
His wordplay is weak and lately I see him going against the grain less and less and becoming more and more the type of rapper he rejected in his youth. Sadly it doesn’t work in his favor. Genius and true skill has a very unique quality in our world and we recognize genius mostly by the person’s accomplishments not their words or bragging.
The more he brags and the weaker his products become the less
talented he appears, at this point I really believe he’s in danger of destroying his early positive legacy.
YES! I am right there with you. Whatever wordplay skills Kanye once had have been replaced… Someone upthread referenced lyrics from a few albums ago about racism – now his newest song is about buying a fur coat for his baby. He has become the exact person he used to ridicule and doesn’t even realize it.
Further, his production skills are good – but innovative? Hardly. Autotune and heavy sampling are nothing new – they’ve been around for decades and I dare say that T Pain bested him on those techniques.
Real artists take in legitimate critiques from people who are smarter and more experienced than them. Posers with giant egos throw tantrums and hurl insults.
As for the Taylor comments – it’s just sad that a grown man who has everything going for him is still bitter and jealous and focused on the few things he doesn’t have. It’s a very ugly look for a father of two.
Taylor deserved AOTY way more than his wife deserves a star on the walk of fame or an Emmy….
I love how he bashes someone and then says “all positive vibes”. Are you serious? Kanye thinks he can say and do as he pleases but no one else has that luxury. Does he know we live in a free country and he is not our ruler? F*ck you Kanye.
Kanye can dish stuff out but he can not take it. For someone so thin skinned to call himself an artist is ludicrous. He really needs professional counseling.
He’s a total narcissist. People call Swift one, but she’s very mature, is able to think outside of her own needs and see others’ POV and manage herself emotionally instead of lashing out at the slightest hint of criticism.
It wasn’t too long ago that Kanye declared that “Beck needs to respect artistry”… as he ranted about Beck’s album winning AOTY. He apologized, but his stupid rant — and his go-to lectures about “artistry”, have become tiresome. There are artists of every genre of music, and in every genre of ART who respect and seek out art — and who champion artists as a complex, varied, brilliant group of people.
No matter how you feel about Ezrin’s critique, it is clear that Kanye’s biggest crutch as an artist is that the lens in which he views the world is only a mirror focused on himself. And that will always injure his art.
Perhaps he is an artist who shone brightest as he battled his way to the top, as he had to prove himself as a producer? Is he considered “establishment” now, and has lost his ability to offer thoughtful, biting, relevant commentary?
Sit down and shut up Kanye!
If you have to keep telling people you’re a genius, all the while dragging in some junior high school level drama with a couple of women you either envy or hate for dumping you, you’re probably not a genius. Just sayin’.
Don’t know if I know any of Kanye’s music or not. Sure I have heard some as my 17 year old grandson takes over the radio when he is in the car. But whether Kanye or anyone else for that matter is a genius or not, the method of ranting on twitter about your displeasure is not the way to do it. If you want to direct your comments about those in the critique then that’s fine. It is never okay to bring in someone’s child/family or name check someone else who was not mentioned in the critique.
I admit I couldn’t identify Kanye West’s music if it was playing. Maybe he’s even decent? BUT he cannot possibly live up to his own hype. First off actual geniuses of any discipline don’t have to declare themselves geniuses. Others do it for them. See for example David Bowie or Stephen Hawking. Genius is self-evident. Self-congratulation is arrogance, not genius. See Donald Trump.
Here’s what I do know about Kanye’s music: what videos I have watched made no lasting impression on me. I don’t think you have to be a fan of the genre to recognize something special, either. I’m not a fan of heavy metal, but when Disturbed’s cover of The Sound of Silence started circulating, people were going “wow!” When Kanye’s attempt at Bohemian Rhapsody started circulating, it was accompanied by videos of Freddie Mercury (genius) laughing at him.
Hes an asshat!! I don’t take anything he says as truth, he just likes to run his mouth!!!!
Kanye – FYI Ezrin’s son died tragically Leave people’s children out of your rants as you promised. Please stop trying to divide and conquer everyone who doesn’t agree with you, and be prejudiced act downright cruel to others in the process. Stop shaming and dragging people of different colors and socioeconomic status for enjoying and talking about hip hop on twitter. As an artist, you open your work up to all kinds of critique. You’re not a benevolent God. Not Steve jobs inventing a home computer. You’re a modern recording artist and songwriter. Please stop tweeting
I think Kanye could definitely benefit from some kind of counseling, therapy or something of that nature, sure, just for the way he constantly shoots himself in the foot by running off at the mouth. I think his tweet to this critic was overly harsh. But I agree – trying to say that he’s not talented or hasn’t brought a lot to hip-hop is just ignorant, imo. I haven’t listened to much of his more recent stuff, but I LOVED his earlier stuff and had a bunch of his music on my iPod. I hope he stops letting his anger and personality get in the way of his true talent.
I wonder if Kanye believes the myth that mania is helpful for creativity and is resisting treatment. But mania and its flip side depression actually just get in the way, as do other types of “mental illnesses” (really physical illnesses that affect the brain and behavior and our perceptions/thinking). In a manic phase especially, the person can grossly overestimate the objective worth of their work, just as drunks often do. If he could get stable!in his brain, then his talent could really shine and he would be in a much better position to seriously evaluate his work in progress and make needed changes to the get the right effect. Instead, it seems that he’s driving away people that he has hired in the past for their strengths in such areas as the lyrics. If Team Yeezy is now just a bunch of yes men rather than the real talent he previously was able to collect and weave into a coherent whole – then the art will indeed suffer.
Even though I wish – oh how I wish — Kanye would put a lid on it for a while, here’s a Daily Beast article putting Kanye’s antics in a little perspective
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/24/taylor-swift-is-not-more-influential-than-kanye-west.html
Ran into this long, detailed and interesting interview with Bob Ezrin:
http://encore.celebrityaccess.com/?encoreId=193&articleId=31072
I think Bob meant MC hammer because people keep quoting his popular line “can’t touch this” and how even tho he’s kinda sad he’s remembered. Kanye will probably not be remembered for his music but for acting like a child. I totally get what he means …