In this article, we have created a ranking of Kanye West.
This man is not only a rapper, but a person with comprehensive skills.
The music he creates is very creative and does not fit within the scope of HipHop.
Regardless of the genre, I think he is someone you must listen to.
You can check out his various talents.
This blog is an automatic translation of a Japanese blog into English.
Please understand that it may be difficult to read.
- 1 No.1 「Stronger」(Album:Graduation)
- 2 No.2 「Runaway」(Album:My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy)
- 3 No.3 「Family Business」(Album:The College Dropout)
- 4 No.4 「Devil in a New Dress」(Album:My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy)
- 5 No.5 「On Sight」(Album:Yeezus)
- 6 No.6 「Heard ‘Em Say」(Album:Late Registration)
- 7 No.7 「Flashing Lights」(Album:Graduation)
- 8 No.8 「Highlights」(Album:The Life of Pablo)
- 9 No.9 「Paranoid」(Album:808s & Heartbreak)
- 10 No.10 「Only One」(Single Only)
No.1 「Stronger」(Album:Graduation)
■Artist Name：Kanye West
■Song Title：Stronger
■Album Name：Graduation
■Video link：「Stronger」
When I first heard this song, I was quite shocked.
Up until now, rock fans have had several opportunities to discover the appeal of hiphop.
It’s not hard to imagine that Public Enemy, Eminem, and this song, among others, have all helped to get rock fans into hiphop.
If you heard this song and thought it sounded like Daft Punk, you were right.
I thought it sounded like Daft Punk too, but I couldn’t immediately think of which song it was based on.
I looked it up, and it seems to be this song.
Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
It is quite processed, so it may be a little difficult to understand.
No.2 「Runaway」(Album:My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy)
■Artist Name：Kanye West (feat. Pusha T)
■Song Title：Runaway
■Album Name：My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
■Video link：「Runaway」
Some of the greatest artists have long peak periods.
This guy’s debut album only reached No. 2, but since then he has had eight consecutive albums at No. 1 on the album charts.
This is his fifth album, and it is considered to be his masterpiece.
It is almost a work of art.
This song is over 8 minutes long.
However, the distorted guitar in the latter half of the song is wonderful and never gets old.
The promotional video for this song is also worth watching.
The world expressed by the many ballerinas is so beautiful that it is difficult to explain with my writing skills.
It is one of the best ten music videos I have ever seen.
No.3 「Family Business」(Album:The College Dropout)
■Artist Name：Kanye West
■Song Title：Family Business
■Album Name：The College Dropout
■Video link：「Family Business」
This is a selection from his first album.
At that time, he was already famous.
He produced Jay-Z’s album “The Blueprint” and Alicia Keys’ famous song “You Don’t Know My Name”.
The latter won him a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.
However, the release of this Album further accelerated his popularity.
The album reached No. 2 in the U.S., which led to an appearance on Live 8 that same year, as well as being selected as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People Today” in 2005. At the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, he received a total of 10 nominations as an artist, songwriter, and producer, and won three awards[3].
That year, Kanye founded his own label, GOOD Music, under Def Jam.
There is no doubt about his talent.
このAlbumでは他にも「All Falls Down」や、Chaka Khanの「Through the Fire」を早回しで使った「Through The Wire」など名曲ぞろいです。
No.4 「Devil in a New Dress」(Album:My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy)
■Artist Name：Kanye West (feat. Rick Ross)
■Song Title：Devil in a New Dress
■Album Name：My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
■Video link：「Devil in a New Dress」
This album is a very well-received work.
The album has been hailed by critics as one of the best albums of the 2010s, with Complex, A.V. Club, New York Post, Odyssey, and Rolling Stone placing it at number one, Pitchfork at number two, and Stereogum at number four. Pitchfork ranked it second, and Stereogum ranked it fourth.
It has been ranked as one of the best albums of the 2010s by many media.
I also think that this album is Kanye’s best work.
I think it’s outstanding and I can’t imagine Kanye without it.
It’s like The Eagles without “Hotel California”.
Without it, he would still be a great artist, but without it, it’s a big difference.
If I had to buy one Kanye album, I would recommend this one.
No.5 「On Sight」(Album:Yeezus)
■Artist Name：Kanye West
■Song Title：On Sight
■Album Name：Yeezus
■Video link：「On Sight」
This is the most unique work in his Album.
This song is produced by Daft Punk, but the immediate and electro sound creation is noticeable.
Other than this song, “Black Skinhead”, also produced by Daft Punk, and “Blood On The Leaves”, produced by TNGHT, are equally great songs.
Throughout the album, the industrial sound is exciting, reminiscent of Trent Reznor.
Kanye’s first three albums solidified his position with a sellable sound.
But since then, he has changed his approach to each album, and each time he has succeeded in making the change.
His willingness to take on challenges was his appeal.
No.6 「Heard ‘Em Say」(Album:Late Registration)
■Artist Name：Kanye West (feat. Adam Levine of Maroon 5)
■Song Title：Heard ‘Em Say
■Album Name：Late Registration
■Video link：「Heard ‘Em Say」
On this album, he performed with Adam Levine of Maroon 5.
He also worked with Jon Brion on this album.
Jon produced Rufus Wainwright’s first album and Fiona Apple’s “When the Pawn…”. John has produced Rufus Wainwright’s first album and Fiona Apple’s “When the Pawn…”.
In this song with Kanye, the use of the piano is very impressive.
The use of the piano in this song with Kanye is very impressive, and I think it is to John’s credit that he is very particular about the use of the piano.
He seems to enjoy the chemical reactions that occur when he brings in talented people from outside.
No.7 「Flashing Lights」(Album:Graduation)
■Artist Name：Kanye West (feat. Dwele)
■Song Title：Flashing Lights
■Album Name：Graduation
■Video link：「Flashing Lights」
The first three albums up to this album are called the “College Trilogy”.
However, Kanye dropped out of school, so he didn’t actually graduate.
The cover of this album, the finishing touch to the trilogy, was created by Takashi Murakami, a contemporary art painter.
The name of the bear on the cover is “Dropout Bear”.
In fact, Kanye dropped out of college when he was 20 years old.
At that time, Kanye wasn’t a big seller yet, but he still quit college.
Later, around the time he was hired by Jay-Z, he finally became a household name.
In that sense, this album jacket with the bear jumping out of the university is very interesting.
No.8 「Highlights」(Album:The Life of Pablo)
■Artist Name：Kanye West (feat. Velous)
■Song Title：Highlights
■Album Name：The Life of Pablo
■Video link：「Highlights」
This album has been released only through subscription and music distribution services.
Therefore, it is not available as CD media.
Such a sign was seen from the time of the previous album “Yeezus”.
Normally, before releasing an album, a single is released first.
Normally, a single is released before the album is released, and the single attracts attention and leads to album sales.
However, “Yeezus” did not have an advance single.
Also, “Yeezus” didn’t have a booklet to serve as the album jacket.
In other words, it was just a CD in a case.
It was as if they were saying, “A CD is just a disc with sound on it.
His two most recent albums, “Ye” and “Kids See Ghosts,” were both less than 24 minutes long.
I think he probably thinks that the CD era is over.
No.9 「Paranoid」(Album:808s & Heartbreak)
■Artist Name：Kanye West (feat. Mr. Hudson)
■Song Title：Paranoid
■Album Name：808s & Heartbreak
■Video link：「Paranoid」
This album is titled “808s & Heartbreak”.
The “808s” refers to the Roland TR-808 rhythm machine used in this album.
And “Heartbreak” refers to two breakups.
One was the breakup of his fiancée, Alexis Pfeiffer.
The other is the death of Kanye’s mother, Donda West.
Her mother was a brilliant woman who got divorced when Kanye was three years old and went on to get her doctorate while raising her son.
Now, other than this song, I recommend “Bad News”.
The song is a little depressing, but it is more shadowy than his previous songs and has a different appeal.
This change in Album may have been an important turning point for him.
No.10 「Only One」(Single Only)
■Artist Name：Kanye West (feat. Paul McCartney )
■Song Title：Only One
■Video link：「Only One」
This song features Paul McCartney on electric piano and background vocals.
Paul and I also performed together later on a song called “Four Five Seconds”.
Kanye’s mother passed away in 2007 at the age of 58.
Kanye’s mother died in 2007 at the age of 58. Kanye broke up with his fiancée the following year, and after various relationships, he had his first child with Kim Kardashian in 2013.
In the song, the mother-like voice says to Kanye, “You are my only one.
You’re the only one I’ve got. I don’t want you to forget that.
And that God was going to send you an angel.
In 2013, Kanye gave birth to his first child.
The lyrics of this song have a double meaning.
In the form of a mother telling Kanye that he is the only one who can help her, Kanye is trying to tell his newborn child that he is the only one who can help him.
I think it’s a great lyric that shows Kanye West’s love.
