Review by Evan Frew
I just want to put on the record that I am writing this while listening to MBDTF. Admittedly, it has been a while since I listen to the album in full. However, I do recall my first exposure to the album. Before it was released (And when I was an avid watcher of MTV because it was the… Cool… thing to do back in my middle school) I remember Kanye debuting “Runaway” at the 2010 MTV VMA awards. I didn’t see the award show the year before but that was the one where he called Taylor Swift out. There was a lot of publicity surrounding his performance, whether or not it would hurt his career or not because of the previous award show. I remember seeing it and being blown away. The music I predominately listened to at the time was classic rock and my knowledge of hip hop and rap was very small. I had an idea of what that genre should sound like, at the time, but this was something different. Something unique and intriguing. My family wasn’t big on the performance but I was fan and wanted more. I bought the digital single and was talking to my friends about what we saw/heard. My first real listen to the album occurred around the following December/January and it gave me not only a better understanding of the genre but a new appreciation for Kanye. At that time, I only understood him to be the guy who hijacked Taylor’s speech and the musician behind “Stronger” and “Gold Digger.” Later on, I heard more of his work after I heard MBDTF and I can conclude that this album took his career to a whole new level. It is genius and beautiful. A classic that will stand the test of time. It feels odd to hear that this album will be turning ten. It feels timeless to me, despite it being released when I was in middle school. I look forward to re-listening to this album with the years I have left. To end this commentary on the album in the most cliché way possible… Let’s have a toast to the douchebags… And enjoy your birthday!
