1. Kelsey Adams
Arts/Culture Review
Album Review – Kanye West’s “The Life of Pablo”
The Life of Pablo sees Kanye West’s dreams of God-like grandeur finally
realized. His 8th solo album is a profane Gospel journey centered around Pablo
better known as San Pablo or the disciple St. Paul. On the opening track “Ultralight
Beam” West begs God to “Deliver us serenity, deliver us peace” and then goes on to
debate anal sex with a model on “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1”. West’s Holy one
does not discriminate.
On Feb 14th TLOP challenged our ideas about albums entirely. An album is
typically a finished entity, not for West who released it before it was fully complete,
pulled it off sale, started releasing new versions of songs and updated the track
listing on a whim. His ridiculous Twitter rants dwarfed any conversation about the
actual music. To call the album’s roll out messy would be an understatement and
Yeezy doesn’t deal in understatement.
Cutting through the noise you get to what West is best at; producing music
that defies all current trends. The Life of Pablo is at once subdued and brash; it’s an
album at war with itself. The mix of influences shouldn’t work on paper but West’s
work with other producers like DJ Dodger Stadium, Swizz Beatz and Cashmere Cat
makes old school reggae, Chicago house vibes and anthemic Gospel chants coexist
on the same album.
With collaborators ranging from Chance the Rapper to Rihanna and those
Nina Simone samples on which West has become so reliant, some songs don’t even
place him as the dominant voice. Of course that doesn’t last long, West playfully
pokes fun at himself with “I Love Kanye” which simultaneously calls him out for his
braggadocio and also calls out his fans that miss the old ’04 Kanye.
But then, just when West reaches Jay-Z status as a rapper so out of touch he
can only rap about the problems he used to have, “Real Friends” emerges as the gem
and centrepiece of the album. Tellingly it’s the only song that West produced by
himself as he laments about the chasm that exists within him and his family. The
poignant moment is when West reveals his cousin stole his laptop to blackmail him
demanding $250,000. West blames himself repeatedly rapping “I guess I get what I
deserve don’t I?”
With “Facts” and “Freestyle 4” West co-opts the drill rapping style of
Chicago’s south side youth but his go-to auto-tuned wailing still makes an
appearance.
Within TLOP’s 18 tracks are lyrics about being saved but also self-obsession,
introspection but also calling out everyone on West’s hit list. West has never been
one for subtlety.

2. Despite his grandstanding, he no longer exclaims, “I am a God” as he did on
2013’s Yeezus, he now sees himself as a disciple. The thematic thread that runs,
somewhat loosely through the album from first track, “Ultralight Beam” to final
track “Fade” is that of a saviour for the unsalvageable. The repeated refrain, “I’ve
been lifted” that closes off “Fade” lets us know he received his deliverance. It’s no
longer just a “God dream,” he’s telling us that if his life of bravado, irreproachable
sexuality and anti-depressants can be saved, anyone’s can.