So if you’ve seen some of my earlier posts, you probably noticed a trend of dissing Kanye West. Honestly, why shouldn’t I have? “Power” was a huge disappointment, at least to me. “Monster” was all right, but not up to his old standards. And that apology track for Taylor Swift at the VMAs was touching but definitely not ‘Ye-worthy.
Last night, I got caught up with the G.O.O.D. Friday releases, actually inadvertently.I still haven’t really been able to figure out the reasoning behind this plan- and I’m a marketing student- but hey, I am not complaining.
Some of the other tracks are almost as bad as “Power,” but they have progressively gotten better. (I refused to download “Runaway Love” in accordance with my anti-Bieber policy.) The only two things that rescue “Power (Remix)” from being even more of a wreck than the original are Jay-Z’s verse and the last minute and a half where the beat is changed completely. “Lord Lord Lord” is an interesting change. The other two are fairly regrettable.
And then there is “So Appalled.” The track itself is both reminiscent of Kanye’s “Graduation” days and clearly a foray into a new, experimental style. The arrangement is dark and brooding, and makes excellent use of strings and panning. And, at last, Kanye gives us a real, thought-provoking verse, with lines like “N***as are going through real shit, man, they outta work/ That’s why another goddamn dance track gotta hurt.” (Neither the beat nor the verse are new; they’ve bounced around for the past several months, but this seems to be their permanent incarnation.)
Jay-Z follows with another outstanding verse; at this point, in my eyes, Hov can do no wrong. His verse is album-quality, which might be because the track is slated to be included on his and Ye’s upcoming short album, Watch the Throne. Being the highest-paid and highest-charting rapper has got to indicate some industry sense, and so I was not surprised to learn that Jay was upset about Kanye releasing “So Appalled.” I agree, but damn it, I love this song, and a track of this caliber was exactly what was needed to get me back on the Kanye bandwagon. I’m sure I’m not the only listener who feels this way. So it isn’t an entirely lost cause.
Pusha T and Cyhi da Prynce follow with equally impressive verses. As we learned from the travesty of “Forever,” even the best-loved rappers can falter on high-profile collaborations. Fortunately, this is not the case here; everyone involved rises to the bar and complements the others. It comes together like a symphony.
All that remains to be seen is whether the rest of the G.O.O.D. Friday releases live up to this standard. I don’t expect them to, but I also hope they don’t drop back down to the pit that “Power” was. I want to see ‘Ye and Hov top the charts this November. But I won’t spend my money on an album full of overproduction and unmerited hype.
Now, an album full of “So Appalled,” I’ll buy five of.
Life of a Raindrop 