Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Album Review]

To begin, let me answer the question foremost in the minds of those of you who haven’t yet heard Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy:

Is it really that good?

The short answer is yes. Yes it is.

But the detailed specifics of that – the whys and hows of West’s achievement on Fantasy – is a complicated mix of musical and lyrical alchemy that of course can’t help but be set squarely against the emotional blood and guts of West The Man, as the album relentlessly dictates his flawed, very public humanity, and creates something transcendant from its contradictions.

Kanye West has always at heart been a confessional poet. His work and life, his introspective self and overinflated persona, his foibles and triumphs, have long been the creative foundation of his best work – something that could, to a lesser extent, be said to be true of many of his hip hop contemporaries. But what makes Fantasy and its creator unique is just how unflinching and ruthlessly self-implicating West’s inventory of his own behavior and experience is, pushing the boundaries of what most people – let alone rap artists – would be willing to admit of themselves. Indeed, the emotional substance of the majority of Fantasy centers on West explicating a troubled awareness of his own demons, depravities, and excesses, all the while making no excuses for himself. On “Runaway” West muses:

She find pictures in my email
I sent this girl a picture of my dick
I don’t know what it is with females
But I’m not too good with that shit
See, I could have me a good girl
And still be addicted to them hoodrats
And I just blame everything on you
At least you know that’s what I’m good at

And it’s precisely this sort of unvarnished self-reflection, mixing as it does self-criticism and humor with low notes of melancholy, that elevates Fantasy from being merely a good hip hop album to something complex approaching artistic greatness. On this album West is – almost despite himself – at his most likeable and relatable, as he lets the ego drop and reveals the self-conscious and, yes, fragile human being behind it standing in stark naked relief.

Which is not to say West doesn’t still have torrents of braggadocio rushing through his veins – he does, and through the album he frequently relishes brandishing his own ego like a weapon, defensively or otherwise. On “Power” he chants:

I’m livin’ in the 21st century
Doin’ something mean to it
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music

But even in his self-mythologizing, West’s sense of irony is palpable – he gets that Kanye West The Superhero doesn’t merit the standard grand symphonic accompaniment bestowed upon most superheroes, and that his “heroic” deeds are in fact less than heroic, no matter how well he believes he does them (which, of course, he does. This is still Kanye West we’re talking about, people).

Pulling samples from diverse sources (Aphex Twin, King Crimson, Black Sabbath), the album musically grabs inspiration from R&B, Techno, synth-pop and others, weaving these styles into something that sounds genuinely fresh. It probably doesn’t hurt that Fantasy is loaded with an unprecedented variety of guest talent — Chris Rock, Bon Iver, Elton John, Nicki Minaj, and others all leave their unique mark, each adding unexpected dimension to the songs they contribute on. Never let it be said that Kanye West isn’t broad enough in his musical tastes to bring a wow factor to his collaborations, employing the best artists for the job from all possible genres so skillfully in his songs that it’s hard to not be a little in awe of just how fucking good he is a producer in addition to his obvious talents as an artist.

Joined together in seamless harmony – man and myth, ego and naked humanity, music and lyrics - the sum of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is, simply put, an instant classic – a creative achievement as rich in complexity as its creator, and one that is absolutely the next album you (and everyone you know) should buy.