That’s the question of the hour. If you give me an honest, insightful and entertaining answer, you just might win one of the first Serato picture discs to be made. One side features A-Trak’s Nike+ Original Run and the other side is a Serato control disc. There are only 1000 of these in existance and they are only for promo use. Courtesy of White Label.
So what do you think? We all took a listen of what may be his newest project, Tokin’ Black Guy. Is that the future of Kanye? Or will be follow Weezy’s footsteps?
Tags: Q&A Fridays
Dear Kanye,
Please make Graduation 2
Love Josh
Heartbreaks was a one-off, has to be. It had only a few genuinely decent tracks and Kanye has got to recognise that at some point.
He’ll get a new girlfriend, fall back in love again and he’ll be back to dropout once more.
Kanye never fails to surprise and as a result its nearly impossible to predict what the the next album will sound like. Hope fully he will continue with the ‘college theme’ and release ‘GOOD ASS JOB’ which would see a return of the rapper we love/hate and the old school soul samples!! ‘808s’ was a spur of the moment side project brought about by the tough times Kanye had been going through and I don’t think he will continue with the autotune (atleast not anywhere near to the same extent) and will surprise us with something fresh.
Kanye loves the mainstream and whatevers considered popular because it allows him to become even more loved and appreciated so whatever he releases will be ‘open to all ears’!
Whatever he does Im sure we’ll see a few G.O.O.D artist features and the return of rap!
After “808 & Heartbreak” in my opinion he’s going to go back to a similar style to some of his previous work, like some personal favorites of mine: “Stronger”, “Good Life” and “The New Workout Plan” with it’s clever lyrics and catchy melody. He received quite a lot of criticism because of the auto-tune, because it’s so overused and boring and some reviews even said that he can’t sing at all. Considering that, I think that he’s gonna focus on rapping on his next album. I’d like to see him featuring other artists on his song, kinda like Timbaland did on his “Shock Value” but not as much. It’d be pretty cool if he sampled some classic songs, like he did with “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”.
Only thing is that could have been said in about 1,000 less words. Just bustin’ balls
kanye is kanye – like folks have said – who the fork knows?
THATS A NICE BULGE THAT THAT PEANUT GUY OR WHATEVER HE IS HAS.A
damn, nori. damn. can anyone argue with that?
I don’t think Tokin’ Black Guy had anything to do with Kanye. I think he just used his name to get some hype. I think any prediction as to what the next Kanye music will sound like is a complete guess. That being said…I think it will be on some Kid Cudi type shit. Rapping and also half-singing, kind of spaced out beats with an emphasis on simple melodies. Could be totally wrong though. We’ll see.
In all reality Kanye although seemingly unpredictable and very fresh has certain traits that introduce elements of predictability among his work. The most important though I believe:his surroundings and emotion towards those surroundings. Taking an inside look into his singles this trend is definitely more identifiable.
Starting out with “The College Dropout” and “Through the Wire” i listen to that track and i still cant get over the picture of perseverance and tenacity he rips through that track with, in all honesty -f*ckin unbelievable.Yet what drove him to this point to record a song “two weeks later with his jaw still wired shut”?- its simple, his surroundings forced him too. Kanye had so much emotion and like any artist needed a venue to release it chose to spit, and succeeded. Which leads me to the next album and next single(I could continue with the other songs but i want to keep this realistically long).
Late Registration came with a vengeance as Kanye had won a source award the year before and looked to continue on his tear of the industry. Yet with his theme of despair and perseverance in the gutter-yea he made it back- we saw a side of kanye that seemed like it was just waiting to explode: cockiness. “Touch the Sky” was a clever and intuitive way for Kanye to promote his new found charisma. It had him talking about he made it to this great new position “Jay favourite line dawg in do time, now Jay look at me like Dam dawg you where i amâ€, he had grown out of his prior position of trying to make it, to his new bonified position of “a hip hop legend†all within the span of a year(or so). Once again Kanye expressed through his rhymes what he was feeling about his surroundings at that time(listen i know gold digger was the biggest hit off that album but seriously we all know that was a summer club song/album pusher).
Then came the ultimate banger Graduation. Kanye at the height of his fame and releasing furies of inventive beats by fusing sick samples with witty lines. No one doubted Kanye at the time of his album drop and the months prior(i mean who didnt call him crushing fifty?),he knew it and he seriously ate that sh*t up.
Bow in the presence of greatness
Cause right now thou has forsaken us
You should be honored by my lateness
That I would even show up to this fake shit
So go ahead go nuts go ape shit
Specially on my best stand on my bape shit
Act like you can’t tell who made this
New gospel homey take six, and take this, haters
New gospel? Jesus walks and his name is Ye. After showing you that verse i just feel like nothing else needs to be said(or at least what people don’t already know) –other than i thought it was a bad ass idea to premier “the good life†on entourage and cameo in the episode too. Kanye once again lets it go and shows what hes feelin through his song.
808’s and heartbreak along with its pages and pages of reviews found its home deep within the depths of Kanye. A side yet to have been seen from the past three albums emerged in its full form: heartbreak. Yet the question still lingers, was it the music that people didn’t like or was it just the fact that kanye west was no longer the super hero livin “the good lifeâ€. Now more specifically to love lockdown, Alexis Phifer oh Alexis Phifer. Let’s face it the breakup with his fiancé hurt, whether it was in the tenderness of his heart that “love lockdown†was created, or the inability to actually handle his emotions-this is without a doubt the largest statement of Ye’s tendency to an extroverted way of dealing with emotions to date. He was in denial (“Im in love with you, but the vibe is wrongâ€), in pain(“How many times did I take ’til I finally got through you lose, you loseâ€), and most of all insecure-“keep ya loved lock downâ€. So of course he was going to go into this outrageous sense of independence and not caring about what other think in his publicity; just think of when a creature most dangerous and aggresive- when he is trapped and surrounded, insecure in a corner .
This leads me to my final point of where his next album will likely lead. I hope my argument has somewhat convinced of the trend within his work. There are two main ways i can see this album going, perhaps both in one album is the best way to think about it.
Judging by his interviews, blogs and seemingly present state of mood one way it will most likely diverge to is a sense of frustration and confusion. Frustration with the misinterpretation of his album, frustration with his life being constantly under the condescending microscopic eye of society and frustration with his failed personal life; confusion with the backlash of ridicule and confusion with peoples intrusive nature and supposed desire to reduce him to nothing :
“Who have I hurt so bad that they want to destroy me? Who have I ever spoke about so negatively?”(oh kanye blog how intense you are at times)
Now let’s face it if he is somewhat confused and frustrated one can easily deduce that his songs will be fiery, and what better way to come forward with that than going back to clever lyricism(which to many will be a gift from up above)- so one can only assume most of the album will be rap. As for the slow songs, Kanye most likely is done with it, he’s and innovator and proved he can do the whole emotional thing-therefore likely does not see the need to go through it again. Kanye has a seemingly ever expanding music taste therefore i can only imagine his new CD will be filled with samples due to his lack of samples on his old one.
Now that takes up about half of a cd.
The other half as one can only imagine a person like Kanye would do, is his “rebirthâ€. Yes he was devastated both by the death of his mother(don’t think i forgot that, i just only had time to explain love lockdown) and the split with his fiancée. But knowing Kanye his frustration and confusion will simply sow the seeds for his perseverance and persistence to pull through again- i personally know there will be a countless number of Donda West( but i mean who could blame him his connection with her was something no one will replace). This is wear the feel good club tunes will come from, like i said before the troubles only give way for Kanye to shine on again with his brilliant tactics, and he will let us know that no one will ever beat him down to the ground-only down to his knees.
So in close i truly cannot say i know what Kanye has up his sleeves in form. Yet judging from his past creations it is easy to see where the actualy content of his cd will be taken, which i think is more important. If that means anything then so be it, if not, then my b for wastin time on a Saturday afternoon.
Listening to it again, it sounds like the lead singer from disbanded rap rock outfit El Pus. Check it: http://www.youtube.com/user/HoodlumRock
I think Tokin’ Black Guy is a little indie side project Kanye put together in the meantime while he gets ready to start work on a new album. He’s probably going to go more indie, possibly in the direction Calvin Harris is taking. We know Kanye West went through some major heartbreak last year and this obviously effected the outcome of “808 & Heartbreak”, so who knows where he’s heading next.
No Idea. Its That Simple. Everybody whose predicting is almost dfefinetly wrong. On a diffrent note, I would love a collaboration record with everyone in the Game. CuDi, Wale, The Knux, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Andre 3000,Nas, Common,Lupe, Dr. Dre, that would b sick. And No Shit Rap like fiddy,T-Pain, ect.
Predicting what Kanye’s next album will sound like is a difficult task. If you look at his progression from “Through the Wire” up to 808, he has tried so many different styles/genres that the next album could be anything. I think the new album will be more of a mix of styles than 808 or Graduation was. There will probably be some “sung” songs like “Heartless” or “Coldest Winter” and there will definitely be some cool sample raps like “Stronger” and “Champion”. Kanye loves bringing in guests, and I think that he’ll go more indie on this next release. Until this point, I think he still needed some other names to boost his sales, but now he is big enough to sell records alone (proved by 808). He seems like the type of guy who follows underground artists, and he will probably choose a few to bring in (I personally would suggest B.O.B, Old Money, and UK MC Sway). I think he will also probably go old school on at least one track (Warren G/DJ Quik anyone?). He will be incorporating more rock elements than he has before, which is the element I think will separate this release from he previous ones.
On a more personal note, I wish Kanye would really rap more. Listen to his verse in the remix of N.E.R.D’s “Everybody Nose”- he really spits, which has been rare on his records.
Cheers
oh, yes… mr west… mr. fresh… mr. got all the white boys wonderin’ what he gonna do next?
from the mp3… from the hype machine.. seems he always sees… whats seen before the scene
pma… it say… club bangers will have their day… mista blog insider… betcha’ll his next joints sound just like timid tiger
Kanye is gonna go both ways i think, who needs a t-pain hook when he can do it himself, in the end he’ll never lose his identity as a ‘rapper’.
To be completely honest, I’m hoping that 808s and Heartbreaks was a random inspiration probably/possibly based on emotions or revelations of the moment. Then, he will finish off his rap sequence by finally coming out with Good Ass Job. HURRAH! *wishes and hopes*
haha, that mashup is so old. pma posted that like a year ago.
Like The Lonely Island – I’m On A Boat.
But seriously…
I think that the Tokin’ Black Guy track was inspiringly fresh, and it would be a miracle to hear Kanye’s new stuff to draw from material like this.
auto-tune… it isn’t going anywhere. It is too easy, too distinct, too simple. I would like it if they would change it up a little; take a hint from Kid A style Radiohead and completely turn the genre on its head.
Veni, Vidi, Automatum Canti
Speaking of Radiohead, the mashup of Reckoner Lockdown hints at something that could bring a new vitality to Kanye. If were to make an educated guess, drawing on Tokin’ as an indicator, we will see Kanye turn to driving guitars to fuel the drive while hopefully doing something completely different with auto-tuning to provide novelty. Idealy something like Ratatat with Kanye at the helm.
I can hope.
He’s gonna sample D.A.N.C.A. and make a number one single and then start his own underwear line.