speaking for his time

'soon as they like you make ‘em unlike you,’ says kanye west on i am a god. it’s the third track off an album we know is titled yeezus only because a sticker placed helpfully by the record company informs us of this. the line and lack of album sleeve are both revelatory. the former helps one understand west’s current approach after the jaw-dropping masterpiece that was my beautiful dark twisted fantasy. the latter is a bold statement that can only be made by someone supremely confident of his artistic vision.

that kanye west has long been confident will come as no surprise to anyone who has followed his career (or reads american tabloids). to his credit he backs it up consistently, breaking new ground in an age that tends to reward artistes who play it safe. take i am a god again, for instance. it samples ‘forward inna dem clothes’ by jamaican reggae artist clifton bailey iii and ‘arey zindagi hai khel’ by anand bakshi and a certain rahul burman. how does he arrive at these choices? bound 2 samples a 1977 track called ‘aeroplane’ and ‘sweet nothin’s’ by rockabilly singer brenda lee. and, somehow, it all works.

his guest performers are equally impressive. justin vernon (i’m in it) and frank ocean (new slaves) drop by again, as they did on the last kanye release. also present this time are controversial rapper chief keef (hold my liquor) and kid cudi (guilt trip). blood on the leaves samples an astonishing cover, by nina simone, of billie holiday’s strange fruit. by doing so, they add unique textures to each track, lifting them up and out of the realm of the ordinary soundscape that is contemporary american hip-hop.

ultimately, dear potential listener, you have two choices. one: take kanye west at face value and dismiss him as a loudmouth who can add nothing to your life. two: listen to yeezus carefully, then try and understand why he’s doing what he’s doing. this is an artiste bent on opening our ears, and minds, to new and surprising experiences. we should celebrate his presence.

— yeezus, kanye west, universal, rs 395