kanye west graduation

Why do people always think that because you've recently discovered an artist, that makes you any less of a fan?

This album is mediocre, with few highlights. And that So Me video pisses me off, but I give him an A+ for being so ambitious.

The show's what Kanye would expect from a band A-Trak likes. Loud and aggressive and playful, and he knows he's going to have bruises in the morning. He wants them.

He feels alive like he hasn't in what feels like months. The music drills into his brain, his heart echoes the thump of the bass, and he raises his hands above his head, loses himself in it, in the people, the press of bodies around him. Every once in awhile he catches a glimpse of A-Trak, eyes drifting to his from where he holds court at the bar - making sure I'm okay, Kanye thinks - and smiles. He can't disappear because no one escapes the watchful gaze of A-Trak. Kanye feels safe - first time in awhile for that, too.

When it's all over, A-Trak drives him home. They're silent, most of the way. A-Trak is like that a lot, when the cameras are off and they're out of the public eye. He chooses his words carefully, Kanye thinks. Knows the value of quiet. Smart guy.

They sit in Kanye's driveway for several long minutes, and Kanye mostly waits, because he senses there's something to say. He's more perceptive than people give him credit for.

A-Trak's fingers tap on the steering wheel. "Rosie O'Donnell wants to buy one of my bikes."

"Huh." Kanye's not sure what to say.

"She's gay."

"Yeah, I kind of already figured that out." There's a ghost of a smile on Kanye's lips.

"I'm gay, too, you know."

Kanye starts to giggle, because yes, yes, it's true. A-Trak is gay. A-Trak told them that years ago, when the whole thing started out, and he's not at all sure why it's funny, but Rosie's gay, and so is A-Trak, and maybe they'll be grand marshals of some Big Gay Parade somewhere. The giggles turn to full-fledged laughter, and before Kanye realizes what's happening he's laughing so hard he's crying. Then he is crying, great big fat tears streaming down his face and A-Trak's arms around him, A-Trak's voice soft in his ear.

It's been a long time since he's let himself cry.

When he's done, he wipes his face and gets out of the car, nodding at A-Trak, who rolls down his window. "Good to see you're still alive in there," he says, and backs out of the driveway. "By the way, you should check out this record by these French robot dudes, Daft Punk. Everyone at the club loves it."

Kanye stands there for a long time, well after his taillights have disappeared into the distance.

you people.

is that fan fic!? I thought A-Trak was dating Flosstradamus's weed carrier chick.

who, deej?

I'd rather hear Chris Martin plinkety-plocketing about fireworks in Lake Michigan than getting wet over clocks and yellow.

Why?

also why compare it to Coldplay in response to my question specifically comparing it to an earlier version of the same song?

He's asleep, passed out on the couch in the booth, when gentle fingers nudge him awake. He opens his eyes, and A-Trak is fidgeting in front of him, bouncing on his toes, all nervous energy.

"What?" he asks.

"It's done, I think. I think maybe it's done," A-Trak says, and hands him a disc.

Kanye swallows, nodding, pulling himself to his feet. "We should take a listen then, huh?"

They go into the den, and Kanye slides the CD into the tray, presses play on the stereo, and sits down on the couch, his head in his hands, already wincing before he's heard the first note.

It's going to be bad. It's going to be awful, he knows. All that work, all Mike Dean and Jon Brion and Timbaland and Toomp have done, wasted, because Kanye doesn't have what it takes.

"Kanye."

He jerks his head up.

"Just. Give it a chance, okay?"

Kanye swallows and nods, and closes his eyes. He listens.

He tips his head and he listens, and before he knows it he's shaking, his face wet, and he's brushing at his eyes fiercely because he's not a fucking woman, okay? He's not.

But those are his words and his music and his voice - his - and it doesn't hurt. Doesn't hurt to hear it like he thought it would.

Something starts to loosen in his chest, and he smiles.

xpost Kid Deejster

wait, is Gavin really DK?

Don Knotts? He's dead, mang.

Why?

-- jaymc,

Dude sounds cuddly for once! Charming! Appropriate!

also why compare it to Coldplay in response to my question specifically comparing it to an earlier version of the same song?

I haven't heard the other song.

gavin is gavin mu3113r i think

sry someone can googleproof that if they want

narcissistic personality disorder is not the same as cock sure attitude.

kanye's "passion" leaves me indifferent

Mods please googleproof thx.

fwiw I was making a joke about gay fan fic about rappers, not implying that "Gavin" wasn't actually someone named Gavin

so now i've outed gavin mu311er's gay rapper fanfic fetish for no reason

Deej, you shoot some dirty pool.

But seriously let's talk about the album.

ok but please no more vivid scenarios about Kanye and A-Trak's idea of "dirty pool"

They didn't even kiss yet.

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/freshcrunkjuice/03/01/curtis1.jpg
kanye, a-trak

Throughout the Kon The Louis Vuitton Don mix-tape Kanye West samples the part of “Lucifer” where Jay-Z gushes “Kanyeezy you did it again. You a genius nigga!” in a way that made me think about the Simpsons gag where Smithers turns on his computer to reveal screensaver of an unclothed, lascivious Mr. Burns cooing “You’re. Quite. Good. At.Turning.Me. On”.

Rabin OTM! that mixtape always kinda creeped me out for that reason.

This album is great!!

"Did you realize that you were a champion in their eyes?" "YES I DID."

Awesome!

snrub...ot...m?

As just-OK as this album is, it is still better than pretty much any rap record this year.

The only ones I would say that are arguably better are Hyphy Hits, UGK and Devin.

massive xpost

well i'm sure what Kanye's doing does appeal to some indie kids, but it probably turns off the hipster rap fan sect that REALLY WANTS to believe that the Clipse and Juelz really do deal.

-- Alex in Baltimore, Thursday, 13 September 2007 17:52 (

I was shocked to find out that these hipster rap fans actually exist and aren't just straw men. Had a coworker that hated Kanye/"any and all rap for white people" cause "when I listen to rap I wanna hear about people gettin shot and sellin crack and stuff, you know?"

i think alex might be wrong on the whole, so many of those ridiculous reviews of clipse et al used the "ok so who knows if they REALLY deal cocaine, what is important is..." apologetic zzz. There is a fakeness and distance about the rapping that appeals bcuz its NOT so into authenticity ... it flagrantly disregards 'show don't tell,' the cool is purely surface level and like any good pomo hipsteur i doubt the 'truth' really enters into it for most.

My father is a police officer. I know crime sucks. But in the same way I want to hear him tell me stories about wiretaps and drug busts, I yearn to hear the other side from Raekwon the Chef and Kool G Rap. There’s something stirring and electric about the found sound approach hip-hop uses. It’s an abandonment of tradition in that most songs don’t use instrumentation, and verbal acrobatics are consistently on display. Raekwon may not know Raymond Chandler. He doesn’t have to. He’s already Phillip Marlowe.

as a ray chandler stan (i named my cat marlow ffs), ^ = mad rong

Hipster interest in rap is very on the wain now tho, thankfully. And I can enjoy my Devin album in peace without some glo-worm in a My Little Pony t-shirt and a "Yo! Willie!" Alf hat telling me how "crazy" it is.

The less I think about 2005, the better.

Snob!

Pitchfork gave it an 8.7

by my logic that anything over 8.4 on pitchfork must be a good album, this must be quite a good album.

i therefore bought it.

i must say, the first 6 songs are wonderful, but it does trail off towards the end.

Now way a 4 (that is fucking ridiculous) and it makes me quite sad that someone would let it be a 4 at Drowned in Sound.

very biased.
Shame people can't just put their preconcieved opinions behind them, and listen to the album.

it is actually pretty good, though it is obviously no petsounds etc etc etc whatever.

And I can enjoy my Devin album in peace without some glo-worm in a My Little Pony t-shirt and a "Yo! Willie!" Alf hat telling me how "crazy" it is.

http://popculturewilleatitself.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/gazoo.jpg
Is this the glo-worm in question?

thing is that devin album aint that enjoyable

http://nahright.com/news/2007/09/20/video-stronger-revisited/

and i STILL can't tell the difference between the album version and the single version. what kanye doesn't realize is that the snare is what's wrong with "stronger" more than the kick, but the first step in fixing his shitty drums is admitting he has a problem, i guess.

all hip hop is a 4

^I could watch hours of shit like that studio clip!

i fuck with this
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/3019/screenhunter001am1.jpg

League Crew/Kanye West: Intro
Kanye West and 50 Cent: Flashing Lights (Mick Boogie Mix)
Kanye West and Nas: I Wonder (Terry Urban Mix)
Kanye West and Jay-Z: Never Let Me Down (9th Wonder Remix)
Kanye West and Jay-Z: Big Brother/Encore (live)
Kanye and Mos Def: Good Night
Kanye West: I Still Love Her
Kanye West: Stronger (Original Unreleased Verse)
Kanye and Nas: Major League (Mick Boogie Mix)
Kanye and Biggie: Kicks Open Doors (Terry Urban Mix)
Kanye West: A Million And One
Kanye West, Little Brother and Lil Wayne: Breakin My Heart (Mick Boogie Mix / produced by 9th Wonder)
Kanye West: Champion (live)
Kanye West and Jay-Z: Everything I am (Terry Urban Mix)
Kanye West: Freestyle
Kanye West and Common: Get Em High (A-Trak Remix)
Consequence and Kanye West: Complications (Mick Boogie Mix)
Kanye West and Ludacris: Breathe In (9th Wonder Remix)
Kanye West and Talib Kweli: The Bounce/Two Words (live)
Kanye West: Two Words (9th Wonder Remix)
Kanye, Dr. Dre and Busta Rhymes: Imagine 2008 (Terry Urban Remix)
Kanye West, Consequence, & Patti Labelle: Anything
Consequence and Kanye West: Skillz (Terry Urban Mix)
Kanye West and Common: Glory (Mick Boogie Remix)
Kanye West and Termanology: Everything (The Diddy Song)
Kanye West and Consequence: Dont Forget Em
Kanye West, Common and Lupe Fiasco: Southside (Terry Urban Remix)
Kanye West and Little Brother: Naaw (9th Wonder Bonus Track)

http://www.urbpage.com/mickboogie/music/MB_TU_Kanye_TheGraduate.zip

kanye's mom died:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/11/obit.west.ap/index.html

this seems like a surprise, since i thought she was kind of young. anyway, this is really sad since it was obvious that they were really close. thoughts are w/ kanye.

on a purely selfish level (i hope this isn't too soon), it will be very interesting to see where this takes him musically.

yeah, very sad, RIP

I'm sorry to hear this.

this is really sad.

jordan that's a fucked thing to say.

jordan that's a fucked thing to say.

Seconded, thirded and fourthed. What the hell, man.

RIP kanye's mom

ned you've never posted a news story about 300 iraqis getting blown up and reacted all "hmmm ... interesting to see how the NRO will react to this"?? ... i understand your reaction but i think we can cut jordan a teeny bit of slack here

Can I invoke Godwin's Law so we can all move on?

Jordan S. killed six million jews.

RIP