I have a confession. I downloaded Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy almost immediately when it came out in the fall of 2010, and I hated it. I downloaded the whole thing because I liked “Power” so much. “Power” was on my workout, running, and party playlists. I vividly remember running to “Power” on the National Mall, looking at the Capitol, and thinking that this whole city, that building, all these people, are seeking the power that Kanye is rapping about. The people of our nation’s capital are fueled by it. Needless to say, I was thrilled to listen to the WHOLE album. My first listen was on a long walk I had to the grocery store. I started with “Dark Fantasy” and quickly started skipping to search for “Power.” Listened to it. Awesome. Then I ran into “All of the Lights” — damn that track was tight. Then, um, I hated every other song. I remember getting impatient and skipping after only hearing a few seconds of a few songs. Then, and I can’t really remember why I did this, I decided that I was extremely disappointed and hated the whole album. I never even gave it a second chance. Well, until I did. But only after inexplicably hating the album for over a year, making fun of Kanye for being a jerk and crazy, really disliking Watch the Throne (which I still do), and agreeing with our President when he said this. What finally pushed me to give it another shot was not the 2,456 Grammies Kanye won, or the fact that “All of the Lights” had replaced “Power” on multiple playlists; but it was my fiance hearing “Dark Fantasy” and “kind of liking it,” and my sister’s boyfriend (music producer) telling me over and over again how good the album was. Fine. I’ll listen to it again. Here is what happened over the past several months, song by song. And maybe the other dope boy will finally give this album its first real listen.
1) Dark Fantasy: Can we get much higher?? I can’t since I work for the government. But the song is a nice start to the album. Like most of the songs on this album, you have to stay with it for a little bit. But once you do, you are handsomely rewarded…for the most part (more on that later).
2) Gorgeous: The Lonely Stoner and Raekwon join Kanye to smooth us out with a very nice track. I have no idea why I didn’t like this song the first time I heard it. Raekwon’s appearance on Outkast’s “Old Skool Players” on Aquemini alone would have made me want to love this song. Thinking back now, the songs didn’t sync on my Ipod in the right order. So I blame Apple. Maybe this song was made to inform me that Kanye would never ever let me live this down, down, down…
3) Power: Covered in first paragraph. No one man should have all that power…well, unless it’s me.
4) All of the Lights (Interlude): This is nice.
5) All of the Lights: Bum’ Bum’ Bum’ Bum’ BUM BUM BUM BUM! “Turn up the lights in here baby” will be the first words our wedding party hears when the dancing session begins at our wedding reception. That’s right — it’s leading off. It’s there to get every guest on the dance floor. It’s there to pump everyone up. It’s there to make everyone throw their hands in the air, and wave them all around like they just don’t care. And it’s there mostly because you should see my fiance’s facial expression and bodily reaction when this song drops. It’s special. Now here is where things get interesting.
6) Monster: Ok, here we go. Kanye gets dirty on this track. Jay-Z reinforces it. And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Nikki Minaj lays down a tolerable verse. I don’t think Kanye thinks he’s a bad monster, but he does think he’s a nasty (in the talented sense) monster. When I listen to this song, I begin to agree with him. The beat is head bopping, especially at the 1:11 mark, just after Kanye’s triple-double-no-assist. Ok. I’m thinking I made a mistake. I like this song (and maybe this album?)
7) So Appalled: Well shit. I want to put one hand in the air, two hands in the air, and my middle finger in the air, well, because, it’s like that sometimes, I mean ridiculous.
8) Devil in a New Dress: Well fuck. I’m hooked. I’m in a trance. The sample lures me. Rick Ross is waiting in the wings. I only like Rick Ross when he has one verse on a song, but it’s usually pretty good. Besides, he’s the only fat ni*$a in a sauna with Jews. This song is a sin-sensation. My favorite on the album, so far…
9) Runaway: Piano. Piano. Piano. This song is 6 minutes too long. I usually end up skipping this one. But sometimes, I’ll listen to the first 3 minutes.
10) Hell of a Life: And we’re back. I have lost my mind. No more drugs for me. Kanye is in love with a pornstar and got married in the bathroom. That does sound like one of hell of a life.
11) Blame Game: Let’s play the blame. game. for. making. this. song. Skip (the only true skip on the album).
12) Lost in the World: Ah, Bon Iver. Not to say I was there way back when on Bon Iver, but I was there way back when. I listened to “Re: stacks” every night before falling asleep for months. It was good to see him win a Grammy last year for best “new” artist. I found him in 2008…whatever. In true Bon Iver fashion, who knows what the hell he is really saying. But somehow it doesn’t matter. “Lost in the World,” or woods, is my favorite song on the album. It’s an anthem. I will survive in America. What an odd couple. Thank you both for making this song…and, I didn’t really like it the first time I heard it.
13) Who Will Survive in America and See Me Now (Bonus Track): You can stop listening after track 12. Unless you like hearing Kanye’s thoughts on colonialism, or Beyonce. That’s what I thought.
two dope boys in a Cadillac 