Theory Talk Trader

3y

my biggest complaint about ye is that if there was any album that desperately needed to be longer than 7 songs it's ye

the 7 track gimmick was good for daytona and ksg cus they felt complete, but there's missing pieces when it comes to ye and you feel it when listening

Gojira

3y

the beginning of the downfall

Theory Talk Trader

3y

my biggest complaint about ye is that if there was any album that desperately needed to be longer than 7 songs it's ye

the 7 track gimmick was good for daytona and ksg cus they felt complete, but there's missing pieces when it comes to ye and you feel it when listening

Laced

3y

Nah that was TLOP

Flaphead

3y

Man, times change

This album was such a weird first listen lol. I remember watching the livestream eyes wide hearing I Thought About Killing You thinking we were about to get some deranged s***. Great song, but for his first song since the hospitalization and everything on the TLOP tour it was chilling. Yikes and All Mine continued that vibe, but by “none of us would be here without cum” my reaction was less shock and more “oh, yeah he’s just aiming for some off the wall s*** for a reaction.” I still think that first 3 song run is very solid and up until last year it was my most revisited part of the project.

Wouldn’t Leave and No Mistakes are good songs, but they really kill the momentum. I get what he’s going for and it does kind of follow the arc of an episode, but I wasn’t really coming back to those as often. I do wish he explored that kind of modernized sample chop style a bit more, but it was a double-edged sword in that it really reflected how much worse his lyrics and flow had gotten since even TLOP. Compare something like the “calm down you lightskin” verse with 30 Hours or Real Friends and yeah.

Ghost Town is a great song, even if it leans heavily on the sample and has some ridiculously unnecessary mumble at the beginning. Shake absolutely knocked it out of the park and the sample flip has an argument for top 20 of his discog (instrumental alone). At the time, it was the clear standout from the album, and I think it’s aged relatively well. I remember making a Kanye best-of playlist shortly after Donda and only adding this song from Ye; if I were to do it now, I’d consider Yikes or All Mine for inclusion as well.

Hot take, I’ve always hated Violent Crimes. This was one of the first songs of his that was a genuine skip off of sheer disagreement with the lyrics. Famous at least had an argument for being satirical or purposefully over the top, and even I Thought About Killing You is much more poignant. This is a heartfelt, dead serious song about Kanye not wanting his daughter to hit puberty because he doesn’t want other guys to be attracted to her because he sees himself as so h**** he would be attracted to any girl with curves at their age as well, not to mention the “if you beat her ass she move in with him” bit. This was a real “man, what a warped mindset” moment before things got REALLY bad that fall. Shame because the hook is absolutely wasted on the rest of the track. Imo it leaves a sour enough taste on a full listen that it weighs down the whole project, especially given how short it is.

Overall, as many have said, this was the first Kanye album that I wouldn’t call great. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but the man dropped KSG the next week. He absolutely was starting to decline and it shows. Everything since then has only made it harder to love the album. Personally, I’ll remember it as the last time I was truly hyped for a new Kanye release with no asterisks or reservations. It succeeded as a part of the Wyoming project, but it marks the start of the fall of a man who should be regarded as one of the greats with only himself to blame for why it’s hard to.

Can y’all tell I’m procrastinating at work lmao

UniversalSoldier

3y

There is just no way y’all hear ghost town or violent crimes and think this album sucks like fr

Jonboi

3y

Thank God he didn’t put XTCY on there, that song is terrible

JeffersonSteelflex

3y

Well said bro. You hit everything on the nail. I’d argue that All Mine, while it slaps, wasn’t needed also. I really wish we got the original songs for the album like XTCY, Brothers, Everything, Take it to the Light, etc.

hoopsplayer21

3y

it unfortunately has not grown on me much, i NEVER disagree with Ye's artistic choices, but on this one he dropped the ball hard. if you take off ghost town (its a ksg track i believe it was even said it was intended for it) this album is really his worst. EXTSY shoulda been on it, and brothers shoulda been the track, not violent crimes. wouldnt leave has also aged quite poorly. all that being said, this is still better than most ppls favs best album

Jonboi

3y

Thank God he didn’t put XTCY on there, that song is terrible

SpiderMan

3y

Will never get people who call Ghost Town trash or overrated. Genuinely amazing and liberating song.

Sometimes I take all the shine
Talk like I drink all the wine
Years ahead but way behind
I'm on one, two, three, four, five
No half-truths, just naked minds

One of my favorite moments ever

slimreapercantrap

3y

all caps on NEVER is some crazy meatriding

Gojira

3y

the beginning of the downfall

JJThaJuiceman

3y

The Life of Pablo