Released November 22, 2010
8 / 10
Favorites
Dark Fantasy, POWER, All Of The Lights, Monster (feat. JAY-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver), Runaway (feat. Pusha T), Lost In The World (feat. Bon Iver)
Least favorites
Blame Game (feat. John Legend)
Many felt that "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" was snubbed at the 54th Grammys when it wasn't nominated in the best album of the year category and despite it winning best rap album. The 13 track LP landed in November 2010 and created a shockwave throughout the industry, signaling the comeback of one of the most controversial artist of the time. It took no less than a regiment of writers, a dozen of producers, more than three million dollars and sessions with - brace yourselves - RZA, Pusha T, Rick Ross, Big Sean, Nicki Minaj, T.I., Drake, Common, Jay-Z, John Legend, Fergie, Rihanna, Elton John, M.I.A., Justin Vernon, Seal, Beyoncé, Kid Cudi, Santigold and Alicia Keys to name a few. Born from the backlash of Kanye's infamous intervention during Taylor Swift's speech at the 2009 VMAs, which led to the drop of the rapper's co-headlining tour with Lady Gaga and his seclusion in Hawaii, the album was Kanye's most daring and ambitious yet. In contrast with the minimalism of its younger sibling "808s & Heartbreak", "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is ridiculously maximal in intent and execution - and it doesn't try to disguise its aspirations and appetite for a seat at the pantheon of the greatest contributions to culture. Kanye didn't set out to revolutionize music from scratch, instead building on the foundations laid by the greats before him and around him by incorporating a plethora of samples and collaboration throughout the album. It's particularly significant that Kanye chose to open and close the album with other voices than his own. The perversely playful intro by Nicki Minaj throws the gauntlet into a crowded arena of hand-picked collaborators and Gil Scott Heron's "Comment No. 1" closes the show with a commentary on the black experience and the American dream on a much more sober note. So much has been said already that Kanye managed to find exactly how the words and contributions of others could enhance his. The first single to come out of the Dark Fantasy era, POWER borrows from "Afromerica", elements from "It's Your Thing" by Cold Grits and samples from "21st Century Schizoid Man" performed by King Crimson that transform the chorus into a battlecry. Likewise, the bombastic and aggressive Hell Of A Life is inspired by rock and metal influences with a bullish sampling of "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath; and the shimmering Devil In A New Dress is built around Smokey Robinson's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". The latter track also benefits from, on one hand, a closing verse by Rick Ross - with stellar word choices and delivery - and on another Mike Dean's input (co-producer) - his guitar solo is perhaps the most exciting passage of the track. More striking are the industry Justice League summoned on All Of The Lights and Monster. The former is preceded by a piano interlude by pop legend Elton John - who also lends his vocals on the song's outro. The opportune calming interlude leads the listener to a glorious opening filled with brass and a growing background vocal presence. The percussions on the post-chorus throw the whole track into a frenzy, a celebration that the album has ARRIVED. Rihanna certainly does the most with the space given on the track, Kid Cudi does his thing on the bridge and Fergie fits in perfectly in right after. Drake even blesses us with a line in unison with Rihanna. The parade finally ends with an outro led by Alicia Keys and Elton John. Likewise Monster is electrifying and boasts another incredible line-up. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver opens the runway with intense distorted vocals, followed by Rick Ross and Jay-Z, delivering what feels like grade A freestyles. The comes Nicki Minaj's turn. And let me say, Nicki didn't come to p-l-a-y. Her agility on this verse is undoubtedly one that should appear on the first page of her resume. She eats up the rap legends that give her the mic, dropping it as a lion roars at the end of her unbelievable verse. If all those big names have been given a seat at the Dark Fantasy table, it's certainly not to work on unadulterated sounds. Kanye went all out, painting with broad brushstrokes and throwing canvases around, without fear of stains or spoils. And he wasn't coy about it. After all the album does open with a majestic smashing intro, the perfect blend of Justin Vernon and Teyana Taylor's voices, that resonate as if to announce royalty has entered the room. This sense of luxury doesn't fade away as instrumentals sparkle and twinkle behind Kanye as he raps. Maximal sounds are not confined to parts of the album; they show up almost everywhere and fill up the space regally. POWER's urgency has grown legendary by now, its grandeur only created and maintained for the listener to concentrate more on what Kanye has to say than the rare melodic excursions. In fact, the acknowledgement of extravagance and indulgence is part of the thematic fabric of "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and best exemplified in a line delivered again and again by Swizz Beatz on So Appalled's: "I mean this shit is f*cking ridiculous". Kanye is even prompted to respond "I love it, though" to kick off Devil In A New Dress. Putting his money where his mouth is, Kanye closes the album with a grandiose track, Lost In The World, featuring Bon Iver yet again. Justin Vernon sounds like he's been given the necessary creative freedom to re-create the sonics he excels at. The layering of his, Kanye's and Elly Jackson's vocals on the pre-chorus beams bright as the song picks up incredible momentum. Up until the last second, the track - that had started deceptively subdued - echoes loud and proud in Kanye's twisted fantasy world. Curiously, despite the number of hands that touched and contributed to "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" before it was declared finished, the album feels like a deeply personal perspective on the state of culture at the time it was in the works. A couple of songs are filled with references to elements of pop culture zeitgeist, a snapshot of people and brands that left their imprints on society. Examples abound, with the playful line "Sex is on fire, I'm in the King of Leon-a Lewis" in Dark Fantasy, the reference to Tina Fey's hit sitcom ("Got caught with thirty rocks, the cop look like Alec Baldwin"), and his settling beef with NBCUniversal's sketch comedy giant SNL ("Fuck SNL and the whole cast") in POWER. I must admit I got enthralled in the cornucopia of references to the point where "kissed an heiress" sounded like "kissed Daenerys" - which probably says more about my personal obsessions than Kanye's. Beyond pop culture, society and political authority are also photographed and printed on the music page. The album addresses racial bias and injustice deeply rooted in the black experience in America as well as various other wrongs - like the anecdotic government's disastrous handling of the AIDS epidemic that discarded so many lives deemed unworthy of saving by utilizing public resources mentioned in Gorgeous. Also notable is Kanye's view of the woman figure. Described as money-grabbers and evil temptresses, some of the rapper's description of the female experience through the prism of his love and lust now sound outdated and quite frankly grimy - especially in Devil In A New Dress and Hell Of A Life. Kanye at his most vulnerable can sound one of two ways. In Runaway, he sounds earnest and self-aware. He engages with an incredible arrangement for more than 9 minutes, 3 of which are void of any lyrics, only enhanced by his vocoded humming that almost stops too soon. On the contrary, Blame Game's melodies cast a shadow on the lyrical content by distracting the listener, surprised to hear PC John Legend go on about calling his lover a "bitch", having to keep up with anime-like piano and a pointlessly long outro by Chris Rock meant to provide comic relief (?). Thankfully more of an anomaly than the norm on the album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" has left a very real imprint on music by raising the stakes and challenging other artists to do the same.
Favorite lyrics
"My childlike creativity, purity, and honesty Is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts Reality is catching up with me Taking my inner child, I'm fighting for custody With these responsibilities that they entrusted me As I look down at my diamond-encrusted piece"
POWER
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