The other day, I got to thinking, “Y’know, maybe I’ve been a little too focused on Kanye lately… maybe, for my next column, I should talk about something else; you know, something other than this extremely exiting, critically-acclaimed new album by the most prominent rapper-producer in the game.” So I had this meticulously researched critical analysis of the use of the Flexatone (you know, this thing) throughout hip-hop history ready to go… unfortunately, my cat ate my hard drive, and that epic breakdown was lost for all time. So, f*ck it. I’m gonna break down My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. All of it – not all at once, that’d be crazy, but a little bit at a time.
What better place to start, then, than at the ending? Nah, just messing with you – if I were attempting a thematic analysis of MBDTF, then the Gil-Scott Heron poem sampled in closing track “Who Will Survive in America” might be an excellent starting point, but we’re talking about production here, so let’s begin at the beginning.
In contrast to the poem mentioned above, Minaj’s spoken-word intro seems about as relevant to the rest of the album as your average newspaper horoscope is to real life – as in, you could draw any number of interesting conclusions, but there isn’t much “there” there. (Sorry, astrology fans). What is there, though, is arguably the project’s first sample/interpolation. Chip, a user on the Kanyetothe.com forum, points out the similarity to these lines from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory writer Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes (the opening to a retelling of the Cinderella story):
“I guess you think you know this story.
You don’t. The real one’s much more gory.
The phoney one, the one you know,
Was cooked up years and years ago,
And made to sound all soft and sappy
just to keep the children happy.”
I’ll leave it to y’all to argue over whether this is a coded admission of Yeezy’s desire to marry a handsome prince, who the ugly stepsisters in the scenario are, and so on… I’m gonna move on to the actual beat, which finds West joining forces with fellow heavyweights No I.D. and RZA to set the tone for the rest of the album. Stark piano loops, studio-tweaked backing vocals and pensive strings all add to the alternately spacious and constricted feel of the instrumental. And in the midst of it all, we hear a sample from “In High Places,” an ‘87 single by English composer Mike Oldfield.
Yes, that’s a dude singing – actually, it’s Jon Anderson, the dude from progressive-rock group Yes. And, no, I’m pretty sure his voice couldn’t get much higher.
bitcloud7 |
As always insightful. I know music is what Kanye does, but I don't understand how he can flip some of these what I would consider otherwise average unheard of tracks into gold. Most be part of his genius. |
| Posted on Nov 19, 2010 |
| bitcloud7 |
must* |
| Posted on Nov 19, 2010 |
| T-Rey |
Dark Fantasy is the kind of beat that makes you feel on top of the world and lets face the facts 1. Everyone wants to be on top of the world 2. Ye is a beast producer. Nuff said. |
| Posted on Nov 20, 2010 |
Young Mo Fo |
All of the lights has to be one of the best produced tracks of the last few years. I loved the breakdown in "Devil in a New Dress" also, it was amazing. Normal words cant describe his album well enough. Get a home theatre and pop the CD in...Jizzed in the Christmas tree. xD |
| Posted on Dec 03, 2010 |
Public Enemy said it best: don’t believe the hype. Urban music and culture has found a home online, but with the explosion of new content appearing online everyday, it’s become difficult to separate what’s real with what’s just hype.
RefinedHype gathers everything that’s new in urban culture and refines it for a discriminating audience. From exclusive new music to the latest in entertainment, fashion, events and more, we give you the high quality content you demand.
‘Tis The Season To Be Toning (The Top 3 Toning Sneakers)
The First Annual RefinedHype Awards (Vote!)
Meet the Mystery Booty of the Week, Noemie Lenoir! (Pics)
Can You Guess the Mystery Booty of the Week? (Pics)
