The follow-up to Kanye West’s Yeezus was finally released over the weekend after a stellar performance on SNL and a some delays on what would be the final packaging of the record.
The Life Of Pablo has had many transformations along the way, including title changes and overnight track list updates, but beyond all of that is the fact that Kanye himself has confirmed that he is continuing to work on this ever-evolving project, even though it’s already been released for public consumption. So this review will focus on the project as it stands today, which at the time of publication means TLOP has 17 tracks and these are the tracks that we’re delving into here. Overall, the album is yet another strong effort from Kanye that only strengthens his legacy. Is it his best ever? I wouldn’t go that far. Do I like it more than Yeezus? As a whole definitely yes, though I have to hand it to that last project for featuring more individual tracks of high quality than TLOP. The POD squad was divided between rating it 4-out-of-5 and 4.5-out-of-5, so that’s a good look as to how we see the album overall.
After careful listening throughout the week, sometimes doing back-to-back sessions in a given sitting, we’ve rounded up the tracks that stood out the most and which deserve being heralded as the best this album has to offer.
Look below and find what are our “Top 5” records on The Life Of Pablo.
Listen to The Life Of Pablo via TIDAL
“Ultralight Beam” feat. Chance The Rapper, Kirk Franklin, The-Dream, Kelly Price
There’s an unwritten rule of starting an album with one of the strongest songs in your collection, setting the mood for the listener and enticing them to continue with the experience that they are about to embark on. The opener for TLOP follows that example completely and I can honestly say that I believe this is the best song on the entire album. The recurring line of “We on an ultralight beam/ This is a God dream” and the lyrics about the struggle to keep your faith will hit your soul, and Chance’s verse shows the young Chicago star at his very best. Chano delivers the line “I made ‘Sunday Candy’ I’m never going to hell, I met Kanye West I’m never going to fail,” a message that perfectly encapsulates that coveted collaboration with Kanye that Chance had always strived for. The clever wordplay and the references that any hiphopheads can admire are the essence of his feature, and it elevates the song to an even greater stature. You go, Lil Chano from 79th! The Gospel roots of the track were strengthened by the choir and Kirk Franklin having lent his voice to this one, but Yeezy’s bars paired with the distorted spin on the instrumentation showed that while he’s religious, there’s something dark beneath that also influences his expression. It’s also cool knowing that Donnie Trumpet contributed to this production.
“Famous” feat. Rihanna, Swizz Beatz
Sure, this track got some lengthy attention because of its controversial lyric about Kanye possibly getting to fuck Taylor Swift because he made her famous, which went beyond general disapproval and instead bled into T. Swift’s acceptance speech at the Grammys, but if that’s all you’re focusing on then boy are you missing out! The real highlights in this one stem from Rihanna’s cover of Nina Simone’s “Do What You Gotta Do” (a sample of Nina’s original also appears at the end) and the remix of club staple “Bam Bam,” by Sister Nancy. The former is an excellent counterpart to Kanye’s bravado, while the latter’s transformation makes “Famous” seem heroic, anthemic even, an attribute widely seen throughout Kanye’s earliest work.
“I Love Kanye”
This one may not appear on many lists like these or highlighted in many reviews, but I’m including it because I just love its raw energy, ignoring the fact that it’s not even a minute long. This acapella break comes at a perfect part of the album not only for how it deviates from the vibes that had been established in the first half, but also because it functions as an excellent transition piece for the shimmery track that follows it, “Waves.” The Chicago South Sider is in his element in this self-reflective effort, eloquently spitting lines like “See, I invented Kanye, it wasn’t any Kanyes, and now I look and look around and there’s so many Kanyes,” and the memorable finale: “I love you like Kanye loves Kanye.”
“Wolves” feat. Frank Ocean
Look, am I disappointed that Vic Mensa’s contribution to the original version of “Wolves” was taken out? Of course! Do I wish the alternate version of “Wolves” that surfaced online earlier today that brings together that first cut of the song featuring Vic and Sia with the version that wound up on the album, now including Frank Ocean? Fuck yes! But this one is still good as hell. The production is spectacular with its darkness (a special thanks to Caroline Shaw is more than necessary for her part too) and Kanye’s line “I know it’s corny bitches you wish you could unfollow/I know it’s corny niggas you wish you could unswallow” is as good and stinging as anything else on this album. But Kanye’s likening of his relationship with Kim to that of the Bible’s Joseph and Mary is a remarkable look into his mind, and the way he relates his own family to Jesus Christ’s is beyond fascinating. Frank Ocean’s poignant appearance in the outro is the cherry on top.
“No More Parties in LA” feat. Kendrick Lamar
This one was an instant shoe-in for me from the second I saw the last track list update included it. I’m a huge fan of the classic Hip Hop looping beat element because the production functions more like the foundation over which MCs get to lay their masterful vocal creations, as opposed to being a star of its own within the track and ending up becoming as memorable, if not more, than anything the rappers can say their bars. Kanye and Kendrick shared a half of this track, and they commanded the mic like only the two top rappers on Earth can. A part of me wishes the way this one was conceived was that they were rocking hoodies in a dark studio, saying “uh, uh” a lot as they waited for the beat to loop back around as they prepared to deliver an onslaught of musical poetry.
