Kanye West - Donda (August 6th, 2021) Album • Page 58

I’m only saying that not to jump on you, but to say that it’s been something that many have said in this thread and other Kanye threads that “maybe he’ll be different” and he always comes back with some new, shocking action that’s worse than before. He’s so far gone and the fact that this did well means there’s absolutely no consequences so he’s just going to act worse.

 

Did you know Kanye is problematic ?

 

that's why i said i doubted it! but thank you so much for the information

 

a different version of the song is on the recent Pop Smoke album, also featuring Pusha

 

Even if I didn't listen, even if I pirated this..

It would still be #1 in 130+ countries.

The Kanye effect is undeniable. I can't foresee a massive shift in public opinion resulting from controversy that ultimately negatively effects streaming/tickets/merch sales. If that were the case, something would have happened a long time ago.

In a perfect world, he would face consequences. It's wishful thinking, it's good nurtured. But here we are.

I know it's frustrating, but put your energy into doing good where you can.

 

doing good where you can is continuing to be vocal about shitty people and actively promoting a boycott of their music, not burying your head in the sand just because people around the world will still listen to him.

 

Ok, then do that.

 

My point is, do good in the capacity you are able and willing to.

If it means not streaming or engaging with an artist, fine. If it means presenting your point to the fanbase, fine.

Sounding the alarm (I'm not being snarky) all the time can be grating on some people from a mental health stand point. I'm speaking about the one speaking out, not those being spoken to.

Putting so much of yourself into what makes you angry, ultimately can be unhealthy.

I am not saying what Kanye did with this promo cycle and album was ok. It was clearly wrong and even worse, it was utilized as a tactic to drum up press.

 

A few people expressing largely mixed or tepid responses to Kanye West’s Donda on a niche message board is not having much of an effect on Kanye’s success or behavior, or the behavior of the culture at large/music consumers, I feel comfortable saying. I doubt anyone here will get very far by crusading for a boycott. I don’t think it’s hypocritical to be against Kanye as a person and curious about his art. The issues that allow him to behave this way go way deeper than just him, and as long as those engaging with his (or most other problematic artists) work are weighing the real consequences and harm of his actions equally alongside it, I don’t see any harm in that and would prefer engaging with that than pretending he doesn’t exist, as great as it would be if everyone in the world universally decided to do that.

Personally, even when I entertained the curiosity and thought about listening, I haven’t been able to bring myself to. But I don’t think that has to be everyone’s experience. I didn’t listen to Ye or KSG. I listened to Daytona and Jesus is King, and re-listened to Late Registration, 808s, MBDTF, and Yeezus in the last few months. Who cares.

 

my favorite past time is picking extremely fruitless moral fights against people who, in literally every way that matters, are on the same side as me sociopolitically. I will make enemies of comrades in order to ensure moral purity.

 

quick someone delete the thread

 

Yeah, throw this thread in the garbage. Good lord.

 

From a more innocent time

 

Reflecting on his career and this album, I think it's interesting that the decline in musical quality happened to correspond with his political/moral heel turn, and I'm willing to bet that as many people as there are streaming and enjoying this album, when looking back, one of the biggest takeaways from his career post-Yeezus (aside from his actions) will be that he simply stopped innovating. On a smaller scale, he continues to do and try new things, makes music that people seemingly enjoy, but from a cultural standpoint, even as someone who loves Pablo, it's hard for me to imagine looking back on anything post-Yeezus truly changing the landscape or genre.

 

And Audrey is right ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ the people in this thread are not the people you need to convince that Kanye is a bad dude lol

 

That only makes sense if you happen to like Kanye post-MBDTF to begin with though lol My theory of decline is very different

 

A lot of us in here are regular posters in the accountability thread so we definitely aren't the ones who need convincing.

Are there people on this website who are listening and also excusing everything Kanye has done? I have no doubt, but I believe those people are not the ones posting in this thread, nor are those people active in the accountability thread whatsoever.

 

That's true. Yeezus are Pablo were relatively well-received, so I'm thinking about it from a more objective angle, but I can see the argument leading towards decline in those first five albums.

 

Unless you were a Taylor Swift fan back then, "Pablo" was before his heel turn and the cracks were definitely starting to show. He was shown that he could fly by the seat of his pants and people would still listen then built his whole musical output on that. Then he did that extremely gross music video and he was off to the races of being a full-on, unrepentant asshole.

 

Kanye as rapper first entered my life as the conscious rapper that really had something to say and did so over soulful beats and yet somehow managed to become a superstar, and by doing so changed the game after those kinds of rappers haven't been relevant like that for quite a few years. If that's your Kanye, then the decline arguably set in even before MBDTF, but most definitely after.

 

Agreed. Everything post-Yeezus doesn't necessarily feel as grand or sonically brilliant in regards to innovating as you said. They feel like pit stops, whereas each record before Yeezus was a drastic leap forward from the one prior. The records simply don't *sound* as good.

Thinking about the recording process for MBDTF and how elaborately calculated the most minor of details were in the studio. I'd love to see how that contrasts to the other albums in his catalogue.

Though I don't think this dictates his workflow as a whole (especially with his newer work), there is a video somewhere of Timbaland coming into the studio when they were working on Stronger. It took days and days to get a kick sound that Kanye was happy with.

 

Bill Cosby innocent was pre Pablo. It was where I drew the line, along with the Amber Rose shit

 

In a lot of ways, Pablo was the heel turn, regardless of how you feel about that record. It's the brief return of GOOD Fridays. It's BILL COSBY INNOCENT. It's the floating stage. It's FAMOUS and the resulting music video. It's the ever-changing album titles and tracklists. It's his hospitalization. It's his initial meeting with Trump. It's the bonus tracks, changing Wolves post-release and adding Saint Pablo. It was a rollout equal parts exciting and infuriating. The cracks are arguably what make it so fascinating (to me, anyway). It's the last to receive relative critical acclaim and very likely his most polarizing album.

 

d u m b