At the center of every album is a musical thesis. At the center of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” by Kanye West is the most wonderfully self-absorbed album I have ever heard. Maybe I listen to too much Lupe Fiasco. Maybe my hip-hop comes with too many messages about everyday issues. Maybe I don’t know what I am talking about when it comes to the genre, but every song drips with narcissism and holy worship of the author and composer. This is a hard pill to swallow when you are trying to find yourself in lyrics, but maybe that is the point. Perhaps, we are to aspire to a life we will never have. Perhaps, we are to desire the finest of materials things. Perhaps, we are to see the life of Mr. West and think, “I wish I could be him.” While that will never be me, I can’t help, but listen and see a man who is aware of his place in pop music. He is to be an innovator, button pusher, and, if necessary, the antagonist. As we listen to rap verse after verse about his own life, we are left to wonder how we fit in the picture, which I believe is the point.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan