The McFlys are about to drop…
What if I told you that KanYe West’s new album was from the future? Would you even believe me? Or would you accuse me of hyperbolic Stanism? Would you tell me that I was paid to write that, or would you say that I had become a ‘Ye Tudda dickrider [ll]. One of you is likely to say one, or all of these things by the end of this drop. Well anyhoo, here it is real quick. If you don’t copp ‘Graduation’ on September 11th you should prah’lee just go kill yourself. Go huff a gallon of paint, stick a hooker’s bedazzled stiletto in your eye socket and put you head in your momma’s oven. Kill yourself because you are killing Hip-Hop.
The new ‘Ye Tudda album is a soulful spaceship that is built to take you away from the knowledge that your credit is all fucked the fuck up, your car got repo’d and your rent is a month late. It’s the type of shit to make you want to get to your job an hour early, and your job sucks. It’s definitely drugs. You would agree with me if you had the experience that I just did while listening to the entire album previewed in a blacked out theatre. I walked out of the theatre realizing that some people come from the future to try to help us all get back there with them.
Let me go back into the past for a second… Several years ago I sat in the audience for a taping of the Def Poetry show. The host, Mos Def, introduced KanYe West as the “future of Hip-Hop”. What?!? Nigga please! This rap cat was part of the Roc-A-Fella movement and he wasn’t really even a rapper, but a producer. He recited his verse from ‘The Wire’. At the time what I didn’t know about this dude was that he was really all fucked up behind that car accident, but his resolve to rise above it was that much greater. So much so that he would do anything he had to do to become a success in the industry. There is nothing in the game worth more than a monster work ethic. Any game. When you add talent to that work ethic you go from being an important role player, like a Dennis Rodman, into a superstar, like Michael Jordan. KanYe West is the Michael Jordan of this rap shit, because he makes the dudes that play with him[ll] into superstars. Just look at the music he gave Jigga and Cam’Ron. He did for Common what Dilla couldn’t do. Would anyone even care about Lupe, Rhymefest or Cons without their association with ‘Ye Tudda?
Fast forward to the present, which actually requires me to rewind since it happened yesterday, but just stay with me. Shouts to my homeys at ThnkTank Marketing, whose peoples at SOHH (the competition at XXL Mag Dot Com) extended the notice to me of the ‘Ye Tudda listening experience. The RSVP on the flier was deaded days ago. There was no way I was going to win on this one. Oh well, I guess I would just grab an order of wings and fried rice and come back to my apartment and watch some cartoons. But wait, I know some people. And they know some other people. Shouts to FB and H.O. who have this online video shit OnSmash. And with my nigga Young Pistol in the building I was on the list bitches. Not only do I get to hear the most anticipated album of the year, but on Universal Music’s dime which included top shelf open bar free popcorn and some of the sexiest Blasian broads interning in the music business (Sony BMG show me what you got). I came to the spot twisted already after puffing some that *cough, cough* you already know. Kids, drugs are bad (in a Mr. Mackey voice), but when you are zoning out to music, it is all good.
As the music starts inside the theatre a smoke machine propels billows through the room. The light show was crazy, while clips from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Akira, Sailor Moon and motherfucking Tron videos played on the screen. If ‘Ye Tudda could deliver these visuals along with his CD it would already be game over. The music though is what I came for. There are some tracks on the album that are just ridiculous. The best was saved for last. The song ‘Big Brother’ was a tribute to Jay-Z that was serious, heartfelt and deep. It was the defining moment of the album without question. It made me realize how deep the bonds were that had brought everyone on the Roc label together. The experiences of traveling the world the first time will never be replaced. ‘Ye Tudda still has love for Jay, Dame and everyone from the Roc, but now he is moving on.
‘Graduation’ might be ‘Ye Tudda’s most soulful album ever. He’s created so many fucking anthems on this album it’s bananas. The ingredients seem to be mixing soul music with content from the soul. It’s not possible not to feel this nigga [ll]. I told you ‘Big Brother’ was the crowning achievement. You already know ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing’ is a realer theme song than ‘I Get Money’. At least for me it is. “La, la, la, la, wait ‘til I get my money right.” You gonna fucks with the joints ‘Drunk and Hot Girls’, ‘Champion’ and ‘Everything I Am’. My favorite joint was called ‘Flashing Lights’, and embarrassingly enough in the Q & A afterwards KanYe said that was the song for the ladies. Ouch! Well, I know a hit when I hear one, and that shit is the pop. I was a little disappointed at first to know that the album had no skits, but ultimately that is what made the joint dope too. It’s all soul music. No poorly acting rappers or rappers acting poor. This might be one of the realest albums ever made. It’s also worth my sixteen bucks or whatever it is the Virgin Megastore is going to charge my ass. Funny story, true story is that the last album I was this amped to buy before it hit the shelves was ‘Get Rich Or Die Trying’.
