Appreciating Kanye West’s Genius Through His Album Art Posted by Alex Siber on 01/13/14 | Filed under Top Stories, Opinion, Kanye West, Art

Kanye West gets a lot of shit. For internet commenters, rap fans and art-world pundits alike, he’s the guy they love to hate. West does act distastefully and much of his received criticisms are valid, but when it comes to his creations in the music world, Jay’s little brother deserves respect.

Over three years have passed since music’s most controversial individual opened an accessible passageway into his beautiful, dark, twisted fantasy. Meanwhile, three more years of declining physical album sales have come and gone, and the importance of their physical packaging has diminished. It's hard to think of another well-known artist who extends their yearning for innovation to an area most would consider irrelevant, the packaging of an album, quite like Kanye. The inclusion of multiple covers, a half-hour mini-film, quad-folds and ornate decoration alone distinguishes his packaging from the rest. 

It’s difficult to call West’s art faux and meritless after examining "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"s external qualities: the regal gold fonts, borders and illustrations that elegantly lace each side of the packaging are not shallow attempts at artistic prowess but thematically significant. While his stressed self-comparison to the late Steve Jobs is often met with scrutiny and raised eyebrows, both dedicate themselves to all aspects of their offered product.

The enlistment of famed American visual artist George Condo exhibits this zealous chase for top-tier quality, whose paintings-which occupy substantial and precious space between the five square, gleaming frames-evoke a thoughtful appreciation. In an interview with Vulture Magazine, Condo discussed the creative process and meaning behind his artwork. The significance of these pieces in regard to media acceptance and censorship is evident in Condo’s response to the banning of the album’s primary cover, which consists of a naked, devilish Kanye sitting beneath a demon woman:

“The superimposition of people’s perceptions on a cartoon is shocking.... What’s happening in their minds should be banned, not the painting”.

According to Condo, even Kanye felt “shocked” by the twisted vulgarity of the image, but he liked the piece and opted to keep it. Hate it or love it, West’s decision represents what is perhaps his most lauded and criticized trait: an eccentric dedication to his own opinions and desires. It goes without saying that such a tendency has landed the Chicagoan in hot water. The industry imposed exile following the Taylor Swift Incident (an ‘incident’ I, personally, enjoyed) influenced the makings of "Dark Fantasy", as well as yet another controversial cover: Kanye’s beheading.

“His tragedy was a kind of exile that Kanye imposed upon himself” - George Condo, on the “Head with Sword” cover.

This optional cover, also the familiar single artwork for "MBDTF"s “Power,” depicts the head of a decapitated West lying horizontally atop a white platform. Four spillages of blood disrupt its purity, as light and dark clouds coexist in the background and a sword cuts through the side of Ye’s crowned skull like a stake in the ground. In another image, the same sword and crowd rest in a beautifully textured hill of grass, the same skies painted behind it. Condo describes this piece as “cubism and classicism forged together”, the latter serving as a major inspiration behind Yeezus and a 2013 filled with “Kanye Rants”.

Equally interesting are the opened eyes of a seemingly dead West, who Condo acknowledged to be “alive in the painting... in a strange way”. The simplistic depth behind this portrait relates back to the polar opposite results of the Swift Fiasco: Yeezy’s career was perceived to be in shambles, but he opened his eyes and created his best work. In another pairing, the image containing a monstrous male figure contrasts with that of the Runaway ballerina, a female figure who appears normal in comparison. Look closely, however, and a small detail emerges: her mouth is a wicked one, resembling that of a rat. From the perspective of West, such an arrangement may speak to the subtly twisted ways of women, whereas men are often perceived as the gender more likely to practice blatant aggression.

A large number of interpretations are available in addition to those provided by Condo and West themselves, and they may all be correct. Or maybe none of them are. But even the ability to justifiably derive such analysis stands for the considerable thought and care that Kanye puts towards all aspects of his product (have you seen the YEEZUS Tour setup?).

He never shies from an opportunity that can showcase his genius and/or passion, a process that has allowed for what is arguably the best catalog in hip-hop to take shape, and also some of the more memorable, outspoken remarks of a generation (shouts to President Bush). On top of that, this provocative commitment to physical albums (additionally seen in the Yeezus ‘cover’) might come with an economic benefit: the incentive to actually buy an album surely grows when the physical product offers so much more than the digital purchase, let alone the illegal online download or stream.

By simply comparing the content of the packaging for Drake’s "Nothing Was The Same" to "MBDTF", the difference favors West. You don’t receive much else through buying Drake’s CD compared to digitally downloading. In this sense, Kanye’s dominance as an artist whose music also becomes collector’s items is clear. If nothing else, the utilization of Condo exemplifies two more admirable attributes of West’s persona: humility (yes, you read that correctly) and conductorship.

Since his "Late Registration" days, which included a creative partnership with composer Jon Brion, West has felt no shame working with an eclectic, extensive list of medium-spanning artists: Riccardo Tisci’s "Watch the Throne" packaging, the left-field usage of Justin Vernon and Chief Keef, his storied collaborative production process. West might seem like an angered bigot to some, but when it comes to his work, he consistently relies on others and recognizes what they bring that he alone cannot. He consistently exercises humility.

“If you ever see someone standing next to me, know that they’re better than me at something” - Kanye West, at Yeezus preview gathering in New York. 

His genius lies in a vision and ability to lead others towards one cohesive, musically powerful product. He is hip-hop’s brightest composer, the genre’s only artist who remotely grants a Steve Jobs comparison. More than three years after its release, Kanye still boasts one of the finest triumphs in the physical packaging of music. For an album that continues to stand the test of time, from an artist who’s attention to detail and willingness to receive help from others remains unrivaled, anything less would have felt like a disappointment.

(By @Alex_Siber)