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No artist, perhaps in history, has been able to inspire more debate and discussion than legendary hip-hop artist and producer Kanye West. From conversations ranging from mental health awareness to God complex and religion to fashion and influence, there is no debating that he remains one of the most polarizing celebrities in history. Every decision Kanye makes in any area of his life is dissected in the world of public opinion, mainly due to the fact that he is very open and honest about whatever thoughts surface in his mind. And whether found profound or insane, much of the world seems to pay some sort of attention to the Chicago native.
While many of his antics and decisions in the public eye can be viewed and judged in a negative light, there is no question that he responsible for some of the best music of his generation, and is influential in the careers of some of the biggest artists in hip-hop today. He sits on at least four surefire classic albums and some loyal fans would argue five or even six, which speaks to both his talent and popularity. Dating back to his 2004 debut album The College Dropout, to his superstar status certifying sophomore effort Late Registration, and his historic third album Graduation, Kanye West spent the better have of the 2000's on one of the greatest career arcs music had ever seen.
At the height of his historic run, his production or vocals were seemed to feature on every track that mattered during that time, and he was nowhere close to stopping. His fourth album 808's & Heartbreak had changed the landscape of traditional Hip/Hop and even R&B with its release back in 2008. Even with the superstar MC's such as Eminem, T.I. and Lil' Wayne still releasing quality music consistently, the anticipation for a Kanye album was its own event at the time. He even managed to establish a recording label named G.O.O.D. Music, incorporating one of the strongest groups of MC's in recent memory. With an eventual album roll-out forecasting a very eclectic, mysterious and powerful theme, the hype and anticipation would be at an all time high for newest project from an artist who simply couldn't miss. And in 2010, Kanye West would change the hip-hop world for the foreseeable future with the release of one of the greatest rap albums of all-time.
On November 22, 2010, West's 5th album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy released in stores. A personal account of his view on pop culture, the celebrity lifestyle and his own stardom, the album displayed Kanye at his most creative point to date. A meticulous mixture of rock, soul, electronic and of course hip-hop elements blended perfectly with a star studded cast of features to set a standard that very few albums in the upcoming decade would even come close to matching. From the opening Nicki Minaj spoken word to the Teyana Taylor assisted vocals on the bold and brash introductory track Dark Fantasy, Kanye wasted not a single second in delivering quality lyrics, sound and cohesiveness throughout the entire album.
He makes the unique pairing of famed emo-crooner Kid Cudi and hip-hop legend Raekwon a perfect match on the beautifully distorted track Gorgeous. Horns blare loudly, supporting the vocals from pop icon Rihanna on the radio hit record All of the Lights. And on the album's first radio single, Kanye himself delivers one of his most popular songs to date with the braggadocios and self-indulging Power. With those songs alone already making a case for a strong album, they're not widely considered the best songs on the album.
When looking back at the MBDTF album, there are four songs, all unique onto themselves, that have spent this past decade as some of the most popular songs from the classic album. Some even are considered to be the best song Kanye has ever made, which speaks volume given his all-time great level catalog. The first two tracks are songs that both respectively deserve consideration when people dissuasion the best posse cuts (songs featuring four or more rappers) of all-time.
The first is a rap/rock mash up track titled Monster, which features some of hip-hop's most respected MC's in Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and arguably the greatest MC ever, Jay-Z. The verses are perfectly place and each MC is more aggressive and brash than the last, ending with a Nicki verse that remains one of the most memorable verses of the decade. The other collective track, So Appalled, is the most traditional hip-hop sound on the entire album. This time Ye is assisted by his G.O.O.D. Music affiliate Pusha-T, then newcomer Cyhi The Prynce, Jay-Z again and a pair of hip-hop fixtures in legendary producers Swizz Beatz and RZA. The group focuses in on their individual success, talents and the excess that comes as a result of their lifestyles. Cyhi's verse rivals any verse on the entire album, which given the quality of features, is a major accomplishment for someone new to the mainstream music scene at the time.
The other two standout tracks carry a much different tempo and focuses on a completely different topic. The first, a piano and drum laden track unique from any song one will ever hear, Kanye teams with Pusha-T yet again on Runaway, which also features one of the most unique music videos of its era. Despite self-examination and rationalization of a relationship on the outs, the song is tribute to people who never seem to get things right, due in large part to their bad attitudes. The other track, which many consider in the discussion for best hip-hop song of all-time, carries every element one would look for in a great song. This time Ye and Rick Ross deliver some of their best bars on the classic Devil In a New Dress. If the sample alone isn't enough to pull the listener in, then Rick Ross's all-time great feature verse will surely do the job. There's even a guitar solo in the song that deserved to be an interlude. It is Kanye's best song to date and one of hip-hop's greatest songs of all-time.
The album closes out with more exceptional songs such as the sexually charged Hell of a Life and the John Legend assisted track about the low points of relationships titled Blame Game. Like the songs mentioned before them, they all contain unique elements all to themselves, but flow together perfectly to create a listening experience with extremely high replay value. Kanye has always been praised for his ability to create great songs from the most unlikely type of sources, and mixing them in with quality features and hooks to give them longevity long after they release. And this displays itself on no other album more than MBDTF.
In the midst of the constant pressure to always exceed high expectations, there was little doubt after the release of his 5th album, that Kanye West's legendary status among the greatest MC's in the history of hip-hop was no longer in question. He had delivered yet another album with a sound we had never quite heard and produced timeless songs that will be heard long after his career is over. For all of his bravado and questionable choices, his genius in music during the first half of his career can not be debated. That legacy can has been greatly impacted by such a special project. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a standard for classic rap albums, and was the best hip-hop album for 2010.
Top 5 Songs:
1. Devil In a New Dress
2. Dark Fantasy
3. Runaway
4. So Appalled
5. Monster
Runner-Ups
Rick Ross - Teflon Don
Curren$y- Pilot Talk 2
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday
Drake - Thank Me Later