The Life Of Pablo: Genius or Lunacy?

“I just want to feel liberated! The lyrics to Kanye’s song Father Stretch My Hands Pt 1 off his new album, perfectly articulates Kanye’s purpose in his music. Part inspirational, part fanatical and eccentric, his career is littered with many of the classic mistakes associated with fame. His new album, The Life of Pablo,  highly anticipated by many  is a testament to the genius and lunacy his life exhibits. But before dismissing his newest work as merely the ramblings of a mad man, one must first analyze the complexity involved in his story.

T.L.O.P., the final title to Kanye’s seventh studio album, underwent several name changes from its announcement from So Help Me God to Waves and finally the Life of Pablo. Unwittingly many viewed the reference to Pablo as a nod to the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, whose story was chronicled this past year in the show Narcos, a Netflix series. True to form, Kanye’s true meaning behind his decision reflected a increasingly conflicted view of reality with Pablo apparently being a nod to the Christian writer Paul mentioned in the New Testament.

                Pablo, Spanish for Paul, is referred to by Kanye in various tweets as “the most powerful messenger of the first century” and it does not take a genius to see that Kanye seems himself as a man whose life experience is comparable. Paul’s message to the world made him a target for persecution and violence and while Kanye has not faced violence, he undoubtedly feels as if he has been under considerable scrutiny and backlash from critics and pundits alike.  For those confused as to how Kanye could even feel this way, I encourage you to closely examine his “streams of consciousness” on the Jimmy Kimmel Show as well as his speech at Oxford Guild Society. He speaks passionately about trying to inspire people to believe in their dreams and fight off the shackles of low self esteem, class-ism and doubt as well as the opposition he’s faced in his efforts to do so. It is this fervor that has influenced his life and in turn the music he is making.

The album opens with the song Ultra Light Beam. It begins with a child presumably at church exhorting the Lord vehemently, much to the joy of the congregation. Kanye’s soulful singing over a gospel backdrop and choir alone is enough to throw off the average listener, and when its accompanied by vocals from Kelly Price, the Dream and a prayer by Kirk Franklin it’s downright unexpected. The appearance of Chance the Rapper, the newcomer from Chicago, is welcomed as he drops a grandiose verse mixed with just the right amount of bravado and gratitude. The track helps to prepare the listener for what is sure to be another experimental journey, one filled with the hypocrisy we’ve come to know and love from him and countless other rappers from Pac to Nas.

The following tracks Father Stretch My Hands Pt 1 and 2  continue in a similar vein as the opening track, filled with samples from gospel records galore and introspective Kanye lyrics chock full of the guilt and pain his life has brought him. The production takes a noticeable turn after track 3, reminiscent of 808’s & Heartbreak with the song Famous. Controversial, Kanye expresses his belief that he could have sex with country singer Taylor Swift because after all “he made that b**** famous!  While witty, it served as the perfect weapon for critics and fans alike who saw his comment as just another example of his misogyny being displayed for the world.

The minimalist approach to the record Feedback makes this a skippable record. The skit Low Lights picks up on the central theme of a church congregation with a woman testifying about the mercy of the Lord and his grace. A central theme, Kanye references it over the album. The next record Highlight helps to raise the mood of the listener as its production is noticeably higher. Notable lyrics like “Me and Ray J would prolly be friends, if we ain’t f*** the same b****. Yeah he hit it first, only problem is I’m rich!  Full of witty and provocative lyrics, the track stands out as one of his more balanced tracks.
I Love Kanye, a funny record dedicated to fans who miss the old Kanye presents us with the vintage Kanye ingredient we loved from him which was his tendency to be a jack ass. FML(F*** My Life Up) finds him partnered with the Weekend talking about his destructive habits and his commitment to not allowing his vices to ruin him. Stellar production, Kanye finds himself crooning hard as the track fades out. Real Friends, one of the three tracks heard prior to the album, finds Kanye lamenting on the effects fame has placed on his family, from his neglect of family members and their lives to being extorted by his own cousin for an exorbitant amount of money. One of the gems on the album, the honest presented by Kanye remains his strongest selling points.

                Wolves, another highly anticipated track from the album, sounds like the perfect theme song for the Hunger Games or some other dystopian society movie. Despite the initial excitement, the track appears to be missing something and in the end comes off as nothing more than an awesome instrumental. Frank Ocean’s vocals at the end bring some much needed life to the track however. 30 Hours contains more vintage Ye as he continues to talk his sh**. with lyrics such as “My ex said she gave me the best years of her life, I saw a recent picture of her I guess she was right! or “I wake up all veggies, no eggs, I hit the gym all chest no legs. Then I make a smoothie, then wifey and I make a movie!  Even more compelling are the guest vocals from Andre 3000 who lends his voice to the song’s refrain. The album then wraps up with No More Parties in LA, a classic Ye record that features Kendrick Lamar in rare form and Facts, a scathing diss to Nike.

Despite the production and lyrics though, Kanye’s album sounds disjointed and suffers from lack of a real direction. The lack of cohesion is what will take away from the true beauty of the album and its message, a message that remains unclear by large. The good news lies in the fact that Kanye appears to still have an ear for what sounds good sonically and has not lost his penchant for honesty and great lyricism. While nowhere near the top of his catalog, this album deserves to be acknowledged for its earnestness and experimentation much like his projects 808’s & Heartbreak and MBDTWF.