Kanye West

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella)

By Jodi Root
Published: December 14th, 2010 | 7:00am

Whether you love him or hate him, one thing is undisputable: Kanye West sure knows how to grab your attention. He’s been in the headlines pretty much non-stop since the drop of his 2004 debut College Dropout for good and bad. Sure, the dude has some unfiltered tendencies, but it isn’t always easy for someone who wears his heart on his sleeve to behave. As he admitted in “All Falls Down” (“We’re all self-conscious/I’m just the first to admit it”), it turns out Kanye’s a pretty sensitive guy. So let’s forget about his antics and focus on what matters: his music.

Anyone who has given West’s fifth release, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a listen can attest that ‘Ye’s downright mastered his craft. His best release to date, MBDTF is 13 tracks full of sleek production, sick hooks, his best rapping to date, and features every guest artist imaginable including Rihanna, Jay-Z, Bon Iver, and Elton John. While no one may be able to comprehend exactly what’s going on inside Yeezy’s head (did you watch his coinciding 35-minute film “Runaway”?!), it doesn’t matter—it’s apparent that West is bursting with creative juices and the music eventually speaks for itself. Highlights from the album include the uplifting, horn-infused “All of the Lights,” the sleek Nicki Minaj British narrating opener “Dark Fantasy,” the dark and gritty rap banger “Monster,” and the confessional piano tinkering single “Runaway.” Sure, Kanye’s made some mistakes, but My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is more than his public apology and gift to the public—it’s his musical redemption.

Kanye West official site

Kanye West MySpace page

Roc-A-Fella Records