Kanye artist of 21st century... so far
Kanye West’s musical output and cultural impact have been unmatched in the past 25 years.
I picked one: No one has come close to Kanye West. His influence on hip-hop and music has been unparalleled in this era, and he is culturally important, too.
These days it’s fashionable to ‘hate on’ Kanye and some of his statements have been questionable and ridiculous.
His beats and productions can still hit emotionally, but some of the MCing and lyrics have been mediocre, though there are always a few killer tracks on every new album. He remains prolific and hard working and I still feel there are classic albums to come, especially as a producer.
Something changed in Kanye when his mother died in 2007. Even a cursory look at the Netflix Jeen-Yuhs triple documentary from a few years ago lays bare the contrast between before and after.
Kanye was full of hunger and joy in those early days, as he struggled to be taken seriously by an industry that just wanted him to make beats. He wanted to be a producer and a rapper and an artist and by the time Donda West died he had fulfilled his dreams.
He made his most impactful work after her death, but questionable tracks, too. Having said that, in the 21st century nobody comes close to his legacy as an artist.
Let’s first look at the competition. Some of the legacy acts from the last century were still around as we hit 2000, but sadly both Prince and Michael jackson have passed. Both had released their best work before the millennium. In hip-hop and soul and pop we’ve had culturally significant artists, such as Beyonce, but her discography doesn’t touch Kanye’s.
Pop stars such as Taylor Swift have sold more, but the music hasn’t changed the game like Ye’s. Other hit-makers, such as Bruno Mars and Eminem, do big numbers, but the music doesn’t strike a chord like Kanye’s.
Fellow rap stars, such as Drake, have sold lots, too, but none of his albums revolutionised rap, and he is a follower rather than an innovator. In hip-hop, only Kendrick comes close, and he’s a better rapper than Kanye, but even then Kendrick’s cultural impact can’t touch Ye’s.
Kanye was a fairly decent rapper in his prime, but it’s as a producer that his genius truly shines. Other big guns, such as Timbaland and Missy and the Neptunes, were already fairly established by 2000, but went on big runs, too. They are all legends, but, again, look at the albums more than the singles, and tell me who made more of an impact. Rihanna has been great, as has been the Weekend.
Frank Ocean made some of my favourite albums of the 2010s. Tyler the Creator, Future, and a whole host of youngsters have made great music. But Kanye West is the one who will be remembered years from now as the best of the early 21st century.
Now that I’ve dismissed the competition, let’s talk more about Kanye!
A visionary, he started his run as a solo artist with universally lauded albums, such as The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation, before taking a huge left turn with 808s and Heartbreaks.
This was dismissed by many at the time, but was hugely influential in the decade that followed, and it helped bring a darker, more minimal electronic, soulful sound to pop music as a whole in the years that followed.
Many electronic and indie artists took great inspiration from Kanye, too. At the time he was continuing to produce classics for other artists, and he later even had time for great collaboration albums (Watch the Throne and Kids See Ghosts) and full production credits for albums by Teyana Taylor, Nas, and Pusha T.
Absolute classics, such as My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy, Yeezus, and the Life of Pablo followed, and even as his personal life sometimes unravelled, Kanye West continued to make noteworthy and brave albums, such as Jesus is King and Donda.
His live performances helped bring hip-hop to stadiums, and he proved to be a visionary and innovator regularly in fashion and art, too.
Hate him or love him, it’s hard not to acknowledge the legacy of Kanye West!
