Is Kanye West Having the Best Run in Rap History? (Complex Article)
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Kanye West can't even rap though
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Hes not among the best on the mic, but he definitely improved and stepped his game up over the years.
Just compare his flow and delivery on "The Bounce" off of BP2 with his current ? . -
Meh. They make it sound like Kanye is the vanguard of rap.
Maybe i'm wrong. And someone can prove me wrong, but Kanye's earlier production work with the soul stuff, up until Graduation (maybe), was somewhat lazy in his soul-sampling and beat sampling. His production sounds were pretty obvious where the beat was from. In a lot of cases, he doesn't change too much between the original sample (if anything at all) and really just added an appropriate drum or 808, and a bassline with the scratched-in hook.
It sounded dope, but i can't point really point to many beats where you listen to the sound and think "that's incredible how he flipped a small sample beat sample into something totally in left field.
Sometimes i think his music is made out to be more than it really is, just b/c it's Kanye. Especially with the "bringing soul samples back". If you check samples of music, it's always been around, just not as obvious as in Kanye's production.
Just Blaze, IMO, did more for soul-sampling on The Blueprint than Kanye. Kanye just stuck to that sound and sorta made it his trademark.
And RZA was the one to bring the style of sampling Kanye uses. I've seen numerous times on Reddit and a couple other places, where people treat him like some kind of musical ? for "inventing chipmunk sampling". When infact, RZA's been doing that sampling style since Shadowboxin'. And perfected the chipmunk sound on 'For Heaven's Sake' in 1997.
Also, Puff's No Way Out had plenty of soul sampling. Mos Def's had that sorta sound.
Not to take a great deal away from Kanye, or to diminish his accomplishments. But I think his influence in terms of changing the sound is overblown a lot. He's a dope producer, and an average rapper. But I wouldn't put him as some kind of vanguard of the genre like too many people do.
(i'm prepared for negative reactions)
Kanye does do a lot of unoriginal sampling (albeit still dope), but there comes times (especially around LR/Graduation period) where his chop game is sick. Especially his drums. He found like 6-7 ways to chops The Gaturs' Cold Bear in so many patterns, to the point where he pretty much owns that patent sound. Peep Common's Be and Finding Forever, look up the samples and peep the different ways he chops them. Best example of his chop game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjCiKk-wHys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvDB-26aPtA
And the way he chops Funky Drummer... crazy. -
nah not to me..his music is hit or miss now.
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Outkast first 4 albums >>>>
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His catalog is extremely strong considering his time in the game. He easily has a top 10 catalog, but as an MC....nah. As a producer he makes a strong argument, considering he pretty much made the soul sampling underground mainstream again but I dunno.
I ? hate Complex because they are the epitome of a suburban hip-hop mag/site. They ? ride anyone who spins. -
No.
He's not even the best rapper in Chicago (Common or Lupe are).
He's not the best producer from Chicago (NO ID is).
He wasn't even the best producer on Roc-a-fella.
He's not even the best producer in the Midwest (that's BlackMilk or Hi-Tek)
He's not even the best overall artist from Chicago (Curtis Mayfield, R. Kelly, Donny Hathaway, Chaka Khan, Lou Rawls, Quincy Jones, Minnie Ripperton, Sam Cooke, etc).
So how has he had the best run in rap's short history? -
No.
He's not even the best rapper in Chicago (Common or Lupe are).
He's not the best producer from Chicago (NO ID is).
He wasn't even the best producer on Roc-a-fella.
He's not even the best producer in the Midwest (that's BlackMilk or Hi-Tek)
He's not even the best overall artist from Chicago (Curtis Mayfield, R. Kelly, Donny Hathaway, Chaka Khan, Lou Rawls, Quincy Jones, Minnie Ripperton, Sam Cooke, etc).
So how has he had the best run in rap's short history?
Compare his discography to other rappers, not Curtis Mayfield. -
complex is known kanye stans
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? ? Kanye West. He not even worthy to wipe RZA ass. FOH with this article before I throw this laptop against the damn wall. Kanye's best production cant even come close to ? RZA did 20 years ago. Jay Z ran with that GOAT rapper ? but i aint letting the gayfish think he can one up RZA
RZA TRACK RECORD DURING HIS PRIME. HE EITHER FULLY PRODUCED OR EXECUTIVE PRODUCED THESE ALBUMS
36 Chambers-1993 3X PLAT
Tical-1994 3X PLAT
6 Feet Deep-1994 GOLD
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx-1995 PLATNIUM
Return To The 36 Chambers-1995 PLATNIUM
Liquid Swords-1995 PLATNIUM
Ironman-1996 PLATNIUM
Pick Sickle Shovel-1997 GOLD
Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars-1997 GOLD
Wu Forever-1997 4X PLATNIUM
The Pillage-1998 PLATNIUM
Bobby Digital In Stereo-1998 PLATNIUM
Tical 2000-1998 4X PLATNIUM
Immobilarity-1999 GOLD
Uncontrolled Substance-1999 GOLD
Redemption-1999 GOLD
Supreme Clientele-2000 PLATNIUM
The W-2000 PLATNIUM
What ? album does Kanye got that can ? with any album listed above. Kanye aint no ? messiah to sampling. half second sample of Bing Crosby on Ice Water>>>>>any of them ? ass co produced so called bangers or masterpieces Kanye got. ? Kanye West -
? . Damn. ? outta here though with The Pillage going platinum.
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Only Jigga and maybe Ghostface have a better catalogs than kanye west
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One of the many reasons i hate complex magazine. They Stan Wayne, Jay and Ye all too much. Anyway Kanye has had an impressive run. Great catalog and production. He's simply not a great rapper. So he'll probably never get mentions with the g.o.a.ts.
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kanye catalog is top 5 catalog for sure...he already is one of the goats imo..been on top of the game since he came out
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I bought all his albums, so I have to agree.
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The best no but what he is doing should be applauded. 808's wasn't even bad it was just different. The ? that hate on it probably didnt listen to it or just said ? it because of what he was doing. I can't be mad at anyone for trying something new. He has a top 10 discography at least. From a technical standpoint he isn't that good but he isn't horrible either. he is good enough but he does make great music. ? all the metaphors, internal rhyme, multis etc., if it isn't good no one will pay attention.
Article was dckriding nh Complex is known for that. -
I can't cosign any of this. Kanye West rapping skills were inconsistent when he first started, some songs were great and some songs were downright awful. His mic skills have gotten progressively worse IMO. Also, his creativity has also diminished. You can make the argument that Drake has become the rapper, mic-skill wise, that Kanye was supposed to be.
And as a producer, meh. Again, he's too hot and cold.
Matter of fact, you can argue that Kanye has been a cold streak as of late. -
with all due respect... no
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I ? hate Complex because they are the epitome of a suburban hip-hop mag/site. They ? ride anyone who spins.
I gave the article a chance, enjoyed checkin' out their argument but finished reading the article feeling like you lol
Ye has had his success but to say it's unprecedented is reaching. No need to find numbers to back my claims but what about the runs of Whodini, LL, Run DMC, Rakim, BDK, N.W.A. (Not to mention their solo careers), Public Enemy and ? that's just the 80's. And ? they sold records, sold out venues and had "unprecedented" success when it was "unprecedented" to play hip-hop/rap anywhere. -
Cigarello Slim wrote: »
I ? hate Complex because they are the epitome of a suburban hip-hop mag/site. They ? ride anyone who spins.
I gave the article a chance, enjoyed checkin' out their argument but finished reading the article feeling like you lol
Ye has had his success but to say it's unprecedented is reaching. No need to find numbers to back my claims but what about the runs of Whodini, LL, Run DMC, Rakim, BDK, N.W.A. (Not to mention their solo careers), Public Enemy and ? that's just the 80's. And ? they sold records, sold out venues and had "unprecedented" success when it was "unprecedented" to play hip-hop/rap anywhere.
Kanye has them beat on sales and cultural impact
inb4wacks -
Kanye first 3 albums were good. His last two were forgettable to me. It's all subjective but haven't been a big fan of his last two.
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Black Jerry Maguire wrote: »Cigarello Slim wrote: »
I ? hate Complex because they are the epitome of a suburban hip-hop mag/site. They ? ride anyone who spins.
I gave the article a chance, enjoyed checkin' out their argument but finished reading the article feeling like you lol
Ye has had his success but to say it's unprecedented is reaching. No need to find numbers to back my claims but what about the runs of Whodini, LL, Run DMC, Rakim, BDK, N.W.A. (Not to mention their solo careers), Public Enemy and ? that's just the 80's. And ? they sold records, sold out venues and had "unprecedented" success when it was "unprecedented" to play hip-hop/rap anywhere.
Kanye has them beat on sales and cultural impact
inb4wacks
If you put 'Ye in their era and vice versa do you still think that point would hold up? Hip-Hop is way more commercially accepted now than it was then. I think their runs were more impressive given the circumstances. -
Kanye West one of the best catalougues out there Top 10 worthy. Kanye West music has longevity College Dropout still one of my favorites album.
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A solid catalogue with Late Registration being his creative best IMO
In the last couple of years, however, he's been more miss than hit musically and the use of multuple producers, mixers and engineers on his recent albums I ain't really feeling ..
Like I said, he's next solo effort will tell if he's peaked or if he got that soul power
And NaS still has thee BEST Rap album out by leaps and bounds as I post -
Kanye is a great rapper in my opinion, he is not the most lyrical, but his rhymes are so honest and his subject matter resonates and appeals to the average Joe along with ? that be hustling. He is top 3 as far as runs I have witness since the 90's. 808's is his most creative album IMO followed by Late Registration (Production) and MBDTF.
