Review by Shawn Majeed
Often called THE album of the 2010’s, Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is an album to remember (obviously). Halfway through my first listen I didn’t get it. I had already heard the radio hits like “Power” and “All of the lights”, but listening to tracks like “Monster” and “So Appalled” made me confused. This wasn’t what I wanted from Kanye. The majority of the almost 6 ½ minute track “Monster” was occupied by other artists. After more than 5 listens, and plenty of time for thought and self-growth, I finally got it. Kanye brings out the best in them. They are the track’s strengths, they are the song. On “808’s and Heartbreak,” Kanye began his CEO style of creating albums. Instead of being one of the only people writing his songs, Kanye would regularly have 4 or more writing credits. MBDTF is his best use of this artistic strategy. Tapping into the talents of Elton John, Mike Dean and Jeff Bhasker, they were able to create a wide variety of tracks spanning the rumbling bass on “Monster” to the storm of sounds found on “Lost in the World”. Strong features by Rick Ross, Pusha T, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj (an up and comer at the time) paired with Kanye’s highly regarded production created a hard-to-match collage of high-octane tracks. While this might not be my favorite Kanye project, it is a master class of brilliant lyricism, grandiose production and it is solidified as a permanent staple of the 2010’s.
