The Ye Takeover

There are so many artists trying to claim Summer 18’, and Kanye West is right in the mix of it all. While being held up in Wyoming, he has single-handedly taken on several projects of different artist, some of whom are signed on G.O.O.D. music, including his own.

During his most recent return to social media when he was ranting about free thinking and MAGA hats, he slipped in the announcement of his album and the others would be released this June. Since then, the build up and the anticipation has left the media waiting on Ye to deliver each album — all of which will only feature seven tracks.

“I Thought About Killing You,” starts off with a spoken word monologue that will have you thinking, “Kim, girl run, get out!” I do get how most people are too scared to admit the things he is saying in the beginning of this song, but some say you have never been in love if you have not thought about killing the other person. He says, “you’d only care enough to kill somebody you love, the most beautiful thoughts are always inside the darkest.”

Courtesy photos

Overall, the Ye album is a great body of work wrapped up in seven songs. You can always hear the Jay in Ye, or maybe we’ve been hearing the Kanye in Jay. The extreme he goes through to get to this endpoint is amazing. The selection of artists that Kanye uses is so random and eclectic pushing them and creating their best at times. Jeremih, Charlie Wilson, Ty Dolla $ign, Dej loaf, 070 Shake, Kid Cudi, and of course John Legend. It is very subtle but it works, and Kanye is still all over it.

He has eight features strategically placed over just seven tracks, with PartyNextDoor and Ty Dolla sounding like an entire choir on “Wouldn’t Leave,” with Jeremih sprinkled in. Charlie Wilson and Kid Cudi harmonized while a snippet of Slick Rick sneaks through on “No Mistakes”

The amount of “Violent Crimes,” that a parent would think to do if something happens to their precious daughter is something we as parents don’t ever want to have to face. Kanye is no different when it comes to North. He puts it in terms as he is a man and he knows the thoughts of a man and he is a changed man because of this. He says in Violent Crimes, “cause now i see women as something to nurture not something to conquer.”

The title of the album is “Ye,” but the artwork says, “I hate being bipolar, it's awesome.” While cleverly tongue-in-cheek, what message is he sending about mental illness? Is it cool now to be up and then possibly severely down, or is he saying it is ok, live your truth, but get help? “My bipolar isn’t a disability that’s my superpower ain’t no disability I’m a superhero,” Kanye said on “Yikes.”

Now the world will sit back and wait on the Nas and Teyana Taylor projects, and there’s still a Kid Cudi and Kanye collaboration due to come. We also cannot forget the Pusha T album that Kanye produced that dropped last week and is receiving top notch reviews. It is safe to say Kanye West is a contender for who will be dominating Summer 18’ and possibly the rest of the year.