Tag Archives: Good Ass Job

Kanye West’s “Power”: “it’s not a video…it’s a painting”

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Tonight MTV premiered the music video painting for Kanye West’s new single “Power.”  Kanye started to hype the one minute forty-three second video/painting hybrid yesterday on his blog and Twitter account.  He constantly made sure to specifiy that the final product would not be a music video but instead a “painting”.  The video begins with a close-up of Kanye’s face with two lines of parallel pillars behind him.  As the track plays, the camera slowly pans outward to reveal scantily-clad women donning horns, canes, and wings.  Almost immediately you realize that this is not a traditional music video but instead a slow moving painting taking place in the clouds among angels and demons.  After only one verse the video draws to its conclusion when the camera starts to sporatically dart around the scene.  Then the mystical creatures disappear, two men fly through the air with swords aimed for Kanye’s head (and another one dangling above him through a halo ring), and the letters P-O-W-E-R filled with images from the video take over the screen.

Artist Marco Brambilla directed the video; he successfully invokes Michelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel, his source for inspiration, by placing historical characters and creatures in the neoclassical scenery.  Kanye approaced Brambilla after watching his tremendous specticle “Civilization.”  Click here for a brief behind-the-scenes look at the making of the “Power” video.  (NSFW warning: It does contain minor instances of nudity.)

I have one word to describe what Kanye has done here: interesting.  It’s definitely a bold risk for a music video for two obvious reasons.  One, it’s not really a music video, it’s a “painting”; and two, it does not encompass the entire song.  That said, the art direction is spectacular and the featured goddesses are a nice treat.  I also like the way it was filmed; the slow panning, the quick darting shots, and the awesome illusion on the eyes that made it look like Kanye was moving ever-so-slightly towards us all made for a high value viewing.  I am disappointed that “Power” will not be getting a standard music video that it so rightfully deserves.  I’d almost rather purchase an enlarged poster of this living portrait than watch it in video form.  But this is what Kanye wanted, and Kanye gets what Kanye wants.  Unconventional as it may be, the “painting” proves to be stylistically impressive and easy on the eyes.

P.S. – That poster idea got me thinking.  Watch the video in HD, take a screen cap of your favorite part, and now you have an groovy background image for your computer.  You’re welcome. Continue reading Kanye West’s “Power”: “it’s not a video…it’s a painting” →

Kanye West braces for new album by previewing new songs at Facebook, joining Twitter [Update: Rolling Stone visit]

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After spending some time out of the limelight, Kanye West has returned to entertain us with his slick, emotionally-driven raps and different side of his thumping ego.  On Wednesday Kanye visited Facebook HQ in Palo Alto, California to preview four tracks from his upcoming album.  He donned a fresh suit and rapped a capella atop a table inside a fluorescently lit conference room in front of Facebook employees.  He starts with a “fun rap”, that’s the one embedded above.  It rocks.  “Kill the hypocrisy/This is an aristocracy..I’m Socrates/But my skin more chocolatey.”  The next rap is rather short; it may just be a freestyle, but it’s got a sick line in it: “Lost in this plastic life/Let’s break out of this fake-ass party, turn this into a classic night.”  The next song likely titled “Chain Heavy” is dipped in politics and contains this humorous line: “They try to tell me that aliens built the pyramids/I swear life’s on bitch on a period”; it concludes with my favorite line I’ve heard this far: “This is the making of a masterpiece/So we broke out the chains and told our master, ‘Peace’.”  The fourth song is called “Mama’s Boyfriend” and it’s an extremely emotional track about Kanye’s late mother Donde West.  In it he journeys back to the days when his divorced mother started dating other men.  “I’m my mama’s boyfriend/I’m her little husband…Keep your hands off my mama” he screams.  Apprently this track took him 33 years to write and it clearly means a lot to him.  ‘Ye drops so many uses of the n-word in this track, but he says, “I’m allowed to use it.”

Later that day he posted this message targeted to the Facebook employees:  “Many times in life I’ve had to deal with moments of doubt. And as it’s been a minute since I’ve performed any fresh material in front of an audience, this could’ve been one of those moments… but it wasn’t. Your energy was a gift so electric, so genuine, that it really helped me give my best. The energy was so inspiring I had to keep going!  I just hope you got as much from me as I got from you…which was everything!”  Be sure to look after the break to listen to all the tracks.

From one popular social network to another, Kanye finally caved in and joined the Twitterverse.  And you know what?  He actually comes across a non-egotistical funnyman.  Peep his first tweet: “Up early in the morning taking meetings in Silicone Valley.”  This was followed almost immediately by: “Lol I spelled Silicon wrong ( I guess I was still thinking about the other type of silicone ITS A PROCESS!! : )”  Then came some important news regarding his upcoming album: “The album is no longer called “Good Ass Job” I’m bouncing a couple of titles around now.”  Just confirming our suspicions, Kanye.  After giving a handful of shoutouts to various blogs for reporting his Facebook HQ visit, he started to notice how quickly he was garnering a following.  In less than two days he managed to gain a following of nearly 300,000 (he’s currently at 293,687 followers).  With tweets like these: “My thoughts on Twitter so far… at the end of the day, God damnit I’m killing this shit!!!” and “I think Twitter was designed specifically with me in mind just my humble opinion hahhhahaaaahaaa humble hahahahhahaahaaaa” you might think ‘Ye is stroking his ego again, but I think he’s actually starting to satirize himself.  He’s finally realized that he “has the power to let power go” and he’s learning from his past mistakes.  Hilarious comic (and one of Kanye’s friends) Aziz Ansari started trending the hashtag #PredictingKanyeTweets, and Kanye simply retweeted jokes that were on him.  “Damn I wish Hermes made edible snacks, Cheezits just ain’t dope enough for my mouth”, tweeted Ansari.  The fact that he’s not retaliating but instead having fun with his new lease on life through Twitter makes me believe that he’s turning a corner for the better.  But don’t take my word for it.  Follow @kanyewest and form your own opinions.

At the end of the day, it appears as if Kanye wants to begin a new chapter in his career.  After coming out of hiding he decided to tease some tracks and open up his fanbase using the power of social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter.  It’s an interesting and unconventional route to take but it’s one I can commend.  Welcome back Mr. West.  September 14 come now please.

Update: Later in the week Kanye visited a bunch of magazine headquarters including XXL and Rolling Stone.  A video surfaced on YouTube from his meeting with the latter outlet.  Look for it after the break.

[Via KWBlog; KWTwitter] Continue reading Kanye West braces for new album by previewing new songs at Facebook, joining Twitter [Update: Rolling Stone visit] →

Kanye West’s “Power” single hits iTunes, severed head and all

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We already know that “Power” is the first single off Kanye West’s forthcoming album Good Ass Job.  What you didn’t know is what exactly ‘Ye was thinking when he wrote the song.  Though it’s still up for interpretation, I think we can all deduce what was West takes away from his masterpiece single by looking at the George Condo album artwork that’s tagged with the track in iTunes.  At the end of the song West says, “You got the power to let power go.”  It appears as if this severed head belongs to Kanye, and the sword left in it plus the bloody residue represents the death of the old egotistic, power-hungry Kanye and the birth of a new man.  What kind of man that is we still don’t know; but there was no Taylor Swift type incident at the BET Awards last week, where Kanye performed a fantastic rendition of “Power”, and that’s a good start.

Head over to iTunes to download the “21st Century Schizoid Man”-sampled  track and start anticipating the rumored September release of Good Ass Job.

New Kanye West song leaks — listen and download it here [Update]

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The wait is over.  Late last night a brand spankin’ new Kanye West track leaked on the Internet.  It’s called “Power” and it is phenomenal.  “Power”, featuring Dwele, tells a mean and gritty and dark tale of Kanye’s controversial life thus far, and he uses it to vent off the negativity that surrounded him previous to his much needed hiatus from the spotlight.  It’s a lengthy epic that incorporates heavy drums and guitars and a blasting, deep bass in unique style that Kanye has mastered over the years.  And for all you auto-tune/singing haters, Kanye the Rapper is back.

‘Ye starts it off with: “I’m living in the 21st Century, doing something mean to it/ Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it/ Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it/ I guess every superhero need his theme music.”  On the Taylor Swift incident: “F— ‘SNL’ and the whole cast/ Tell ’em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass/ More specifically they can kiss my a–hole/ I’m a a–hole?/ You n—as got jokes/ You short-minded n—as’ thoughts is Napoleon/ My furs is Mongolian/ My ice brought the goalies in.  On his hiatus: “I just needed time alone with my own thoughts/ Got treasures in my mind/ But couldn’t open up my own vault …/ Reality is catching up with me/ Taking my inner child/ I’m fighting for custody.”  To the haters: “They say I was the abomination of Obama’s nation/ Well, that’s a pretty bad way to start the conversation/ At the end of day, goddammit I’m killin’ this sh–/ I know damn well y’all feelin’ this sh–.”  Then there’s the chorus that features a sample from King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man”: “No one man should have all that power/ The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours/ Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power/ (21st century schizoid man).”  The song closes with a verse from Dwele (who was featured on Graduation‘s “Flashing Lights”): “Now this would be a beautiful death/ Jumpin’ out the window/ Lettin’ everything go .. You got the power to let power go.”

So is this the first single off Kanye’s forthcoming album tentitively titled Good Ass Job?  No one knows for sure since this was in fact a leak.  ‘Ye’s A&R Plain Pat had this to say about the leak via Twitter: “So waaaack. Working on a record for all those months to see an unfinished leak hit the Net.”  OK, so what you’re listening to here is not the final version, but it sounds damn near close to completion.  Though Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam has not announced a release date for Good Ass Job, sources peg a late summer drop.  After listing to “Power” I pray this album does not get the delay treatment.

Update: Yesterday mid-afternoon Kanye West promised fans that a “mixed and mastered” version of “Power”, the confirmed lead single off his next album, would be released shortly.  And here it is.  I’ve updated the download link and audio clip below.  The mastered track is subtly superior to the original leak and should be replace it in your music library.  So what are you waiting for?  Have at it! Pasted above is a freaky “Power portait” created by artist George Condo.

Download: Kanye West – Power (Featuring Dwele)

[audio: Kanye West – Power (Featuring Dwele).mp3]

[Via Savagebeatz; MTVNews]