letsss counttt itt downnnn. I made a spotify playlist with all of the songs I talk about in case you want to listen along. It has spoilers though! I tried to add links to live performances whenever I could. It’s been a while since I’ve watched some live Kanye and I need to say that I so so so strongly recommend watching them. They’re so good and probably the best part of this article.
#10 – Homecoming verse 1
I met this girl when i was three years old.
And what I loved most is she had so much soul.
A proud and colorful anthem to Kanye’s hometown, Chicago. I’ve listened to this song on every plane ride to or from college I’ve been on. The extended metaphor of Chicago to a childhood best friend captures the feelings of nostalgia and pride associated with a hometown. Kanye’s not really one for metaphor but he executes it beautifully here. I remember reading the genius page for the first time and being like OH SHIT it was CHICAGO THE WHOLE TIME. It’s a beautiful anthem to a beautiful city with a beautiful bean and a beautiful lake. I love how kanye tells the story of his rise to fame and how it interacted and effected his relationship with Chicago. The driving piano really adds to the energy and makes the song sound distinctly downtown and urban. I can feel the energy of chicago in the beat and in Kanye’s voice. I also felt like I should include something from graduation on this list. Now that I’m thinking of it maybe this should be a verse in Can’t Tell Me Nothing, I think that would be the canonical choice based on other lists like this I’ve seen. Fuck it I always thought that song was overrated, this one is it for sure. Kanye’s not really one for metaphors but he executes it wonderfully here.
#9 – Saint Pablo verse 1
The ultimate gemini has survived
I wasn’t sposed to make it passed 25
The addition of Saint Pablo is the most significant of many post-release modifications that Kanye made to TLOP. The original release did not include the song. Kanye closes the album out with one of his most personal verses. He looks us in the eye and gets real about his struggles with mental illness and debt. I always find it refreshing to hear self aware Kanye. Especially here where he contrasts his vulnerability with lines like “this generations closest thing so einstein”: we’re really seeing both sides of him here. I love the line quoted above, which ends the verse. It’s a great callback to We Don’t Care, the opener to The College Dropout “we wasn’t sposed to make it past 25, jokes on you we still alive.” This song, specifically that damn chorus, is what got me into Kanye initially. Theres this shrill noise in the beat that sounds like a samurai unsheathing a sword. It can actually be pretty harsh if you focus too much on it but overall I find it a wonderful compliment to the rough and honest verse.
#8 – Hey Mama verse 1
An all time favorite Kanye song of mine. You can watch the beautiful video of Kanye singing this song with his mom, or the heartbreaking video of Kanye breaking down in tears while preforming this song at the Grammys following the tragic and premature death of Donda West. Either way, this song serves as a beautiful tribute to the woman who so obviously influenced and loved Kanye so much. In the first verse we hear the story of Kanye growing up in Chicago with a single mother. With his voice tremoring with love Kanye details the various sacrifices that Donda made for him during his upbringing. “I wanna tell the whole world about a friend of mine” he says it so loudly and proudly! So genuine! I don’t think Kanye has sounded this grateful wholesome and devoted anywhere else in his career. The flow is so smooth too “mommy got my training wheels so i can keep on my bike”. and It’s a tribute to mothers everywhere. By the way mothers day is coming up, remember your mom and grandmas.
#7 – Family Business verse 3
I woke up early this morning with a new state of mind, a creative way to rhyme
I knew I wanted to include this song in this list, but it was hard picking a verse from it. I’m going with the third verse because it is so damn unique. A truly sentimental Kanye isn’t something we see often on TCD. The imagery of Kanye’s huge family and hectic family reunions, cousins packed like sardines in the small beds – its hilarious, its brilliant. Kanye starts the third verse with what I like to think of as a thesis of the album as a whole. This album is so revolutionary exactly because Kanye woke up in the morning with a new state of mind, a creative way to rhyme without using knives or guns. These lines are almost self referential, as Kanye spits them in a very soft and kind voice. The context of these lines in the verse makes it seem like Kanyes attributing his success to his family and his upbringing. To the values and the cousins (except the one that stole his laptop, maybe.) What takes this song into the stratosphere is the absurd beats – gorgeous warm soft soul samples that sound like childhood for some reason. Once again Kanye beautifully blends nostalgia, classic Kanye egoism and innovative beats and melodies.
#6 – Touch the Sky verse 1
me and my momma hopped in that u haul van
I’ve frequently thought about making that quote an insta caption, i just need to go with my mom in a u haul somewhere first. Kanye summarizes the entire story that he tells in the outro of last call succinctly in this 1 verse. The braggadocio(?) is wonderful and Kanye’s voice is simply bursting with pride.
Here’s a pretty bomb live performance
Any pessimists, I ain’t talk to them
Plus I ain’t have no phone in my apart ah ment
i don’t even know what he’s talking about but the flow is so smooth and satisfying.
A hip-hop legend
I think I died in that accident cause this must be heaven
thats hilarious! so smooth! It
#5 – Last Call verse 2
Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips
Okay I’m obsessed with this verse, its the most clever bars Kanye has ever dropped. Every single line is so smooth, rhymes so well and is so funny. I’m looking through it to find quotes to post but its literally the whole thing.
I’m Kan, the Louis-Vuitton don
Bought my mom a purse, now she’s Louis-Vuitton mom!!
Hah! I’ve always found this song particularly powerful. Kanye spent years working his ass off just to be written off, this song is his victory lap. He pokes fun at everyone who didn’t believe him and does it in such style. He sounds so passionate and sassy that I can’t help but smile. “You can’t say shit to Kanye west before!” Its the epitome of grinding and it paying off. If I’m being honesty I’ve listened to this entire song including the outro before almost every midterm I’ve ever taken. It gets me pumped up and makes me believe in myself in this magical way. I think it’s Kanye’s ability to instill this sort of inspiration and make people believe in themself that makes him so popular among people aged 18-25. It’s why he has the most popular music community on reddit! He’s a voice to a generation of young adults who are unsure of themself and frightened on the precipice of a becoming a full member of the harsh adult world. Kanye brings warmth and genuity (is this a word? noun form of genuine?) No one believes in themself as much as Kanye does and the success, bravado and warmth on this song goes straight to my heart.
#4 – Gone verse 5
I’m ahead of my time, sometimes years out
So the powers that be won’t let me get my ideas out
Oh shit! Gone! The best song on the best album. Far and away the most underrated Kanye song. We begin with two very strong and funny verses form Kanye over a lighthearted and catchy beat. I love them! Next we get two incredibly strong guest verses from Killa Cam and Consequence respectively. Both of these features kinda blow Kanye’s verses out of the water. They’re so punchy and fun. I especially love consequences verse where he uses the word “gone” in almost every bar, it’s just so fun.
Here‘s a live performance of this song from one of my all-time favorite kanye live shows, Late Orchestration
At this point you might think the song is over. There’s an instrumental bream of sorts and the strings start to swell … and then… HOLY SHIT Kanye comes in like a wrecking ball and goes nuts. Kanye delivers a passionate defense of his art and style like his life depends on it. The sweet strings which harrolded (i sweat this is a word wtf) in the verse become extremely dark and ominous as Kanye reflects on the difficulties of fame and some other harsh realities. The strings become progressively brighter and more optimistic as kanye continues on in a fit of both egoism and passion for helping others. He also rhymes churro with mirror.
#3 – Gorgeous verse 3
Like a crip set
I got way too many blues for any more bad news
This entire song is poetry and perhaps Kanye’s best work as a writer. Heres a video of Kanye passionately delivering this song. You should really watch that video, it’s insane. The third verse especially as an impressive show of lyricism as Kanye touches on racism in society, sexism in the music industry and his own struggles. Damn Kanye sounds passionate he really cares about what he’s saying. I don’t even know what to say about this, I think it speaks for itself. Just go listen to it and maybe read along the genius page.
“They rewrite history, I don’t believe in yesterday
And what’s a black Beatle anyway, a fucking roach?
I guess that’s why they got me sitting in fucking coach”
#2 – No More Parties in LA verse 2
Pink fur, got Nori dressin like cam
Kanye eats Kendrick alive and don’t let anyone else tell you different. Kanye spits one long verse and its too good. There are so many different parts that I love. He goes from talking about him trying to make it in LA to talking about his family life to struggles with his career. He touches on so many subjects with such passion and honesty. This is one of those verses that I spent half an hour in my room listening to over and over agains so I could rap along to it. It’s so dense with references and wordplay the only way to fully appreciate it is so listen and read along with the genius page.
“I be worried ’bout my daughter, I be worried ’bout Kim
But Saint is baby ‘Ye, I ain’t worried ’bout him”
Kanye is in full form as a family man.
“I know some fans thought I wouldn’t rap like this again
But the writer’s block is over; emcees, cancel your plans”
People really didn’t believe that Kanye would make good raps after yeezus. Man he really proved them wrong
I’m overwhelmed trying to write about this. It’s a blend of family kanye bragging kanye and vulnerable kanye all through the best most passionayte raps he’s ever delivered.
#1 – New Slaves verse 2
I throw these Maybach keys
I wear my heart on the sleeve
Yeah this is the hardest Kanye has ever gone. By far, I think. Heres a bonkers performance of it. He’s angry and passionate. Basically he’s sick of racism and the prison industrial complex and people following him around with cameras and if you do any of those things then he’s gonna beat you up. He only gets more passionate as the verse goes on until he’s virtually yelling. At the peak of his anger the song explodes into this beautiful outro with vocals from Frank Ocean and Hungarian rock band. I mean… come on. This is it.
Thank’s for reading!
This Vibe Has Flown 