My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

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Fin nok. Pre-full-retard-Ye, men meget lang.... Og slap lige af - så god er du sgu nok heller ikke til at kneppe.

yeah really good, fell asleep though so maybe give it another go at some point he puts the pussy in a sarcophagus

many good songs, some more fillery.

Surprisingly enjoyed this from Ye. Some bangers

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the fifth album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It's primarily a hip hop/rap album, but it features a grand production style using a wide range of different musical elements - including the genres of soul, pop, baroque, electronica, progressive rock, and symphonic (orchestra compositions). There are many producers and vocalists featured on this album that had helped West create this masterpiece over days of 24 hour recording sessions. The recording process was collaborative in which West asked for contributions and criticism on the music being produced. Kanye West poured his heart and soul into this album and raps about some of the struggles he faces. All of this resulted in a sonic assault of beautifully layered samples, bass beats, vocals, and instruments that has since been described as a rap opera or the first progressive-rap album. In fact, there is a musical short film called Runaway that West produced along with this album to really make this a rap opera. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was a best-seller at release and critics were raving about it. It's a chart topper and a favorite album for Best Of lists. It's been certified 3x platinum in the US and platinum in Canada. It won the Best Rap Album Grammy in 2012, while "All of the Lights" won the Best Rap Song Grammy. Controversy surrounded the coveted Grammy Album of the Year because this album (along with West's next album Watch the Throne) was not even nominated despite it being one of the most widely positively reviewed albums. This was probably a political decision since Kanye West can be polarizing. In conclusion, this is an awesome Kanye West album - perhaps his best. It's a blockbuster release for hip hop in the early 2010's, and continues to provide inspiration for new projects. I have a soft spot for "Runaway" and "All of the Lights", but every track is a gem. You have to give this album a listen!

Labiau patiko albumas nei tikėjausi. Nėra galbūt favorite iš Kanye repertuaro, bet kai kurios dainos visiškai iconic, ir paliečia sielos kampelius.

damn, this is much better than I expected. A couple of real bangers - and I generally don't like hip-hop.

Fuck Kanye

Some bangers for sure, a few tracks didn't really hold my attention as much though. Not bad tracks, but not a no skip album for sure.

Sometimes become repetitive, has catchy songs.

He's a colossal dickhead but this is very good. Not the best hiphop album we've had (Jay-Z gets that), but it's a polished, ambitious, collaborative effort that works on several levels.

Really excellent album. It's just a shame Kanye's such a jackass. It's hard for me to give it 5 stars given the artist.

Not my cup of tea, but still good tea.

This is musically great tho some of the lyrics are facile. I feel like it is maybe slightly over rated.

Excellent album

Five star production, three star bars

While I don't think it's as absolutely perfect as others, this album really is great and deserves most of it's praise given out over it's legacy. Not only lots of replayability, but it aged extraordinarily well and holds to this day of being a massive landmark moment Hip Hop.

many good songs, some more fillery.

The production of this album is excellent. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy feels big and full, it’s clear the attention to detail and thought that went into it and that’s what makes this album so strong. The featured guests had a strong impact as well, Nicki Minaj’s appearance on Monster was especially impressive. The only guest track that I didn’t necessarily appreciate was John Legend’s. Some clever lyricism on this as well, “Too many Urkels on Your Team, that’s why your wins low” is a favourite of mine. I did appreciate Kanye’s annoyance on Gorgeous when he sang, “Choke a South Park writer with a fishstick” made me think he truly doesn’t get the joke. This is a really well done album a couple tracks that didn’t do it for me. 4.5 stars

Kinda poppy tbh

August 25, 2023 HL: "POWER", "Runaway", "Lost in the World", “All of the Lights”, “Monster” Damn… the best album I’ve heard all week and it’s by self-proclaimed Nazi, Ye and company. If there’s one thing that’s consistent among these very different Kanye albums, is that they bring out the best in his collaborators, whether it’s Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver or Raekwon. Wasn’t super impressed with “Runaway” the 1st time I heard it, but it works so well as a change of pace after the louder, more celebratory “POWER” & “Monster” Here's a short list of all the artists who I had every album (on this website) before a single one by Radiohead: Kanye West (3 albums), Leonard Cohen (5 albums), Queen (3), Sonic Youth (5), U2 (4), Wilco (3), Yes (3)

Will not become my favourite but undeniably a very good album. Great production but lyrics mean I won’t be a regular listener.

I recall getting this albums years ago when I was a teenager, and not really appreciating it all too much, haven’t listened to it since. Now that I’m older I realize why it’s so revered all these years later, all songs sound unique in their own way, very memorable.

Almost didn't listen to this because Kanye is a schmuck. But I did and I'm glad I did. It's a lot better than I expected.

first two songs both felt like intros, also felt slightly contrived but could equally be him being mentally ill. mostly banger after banger in the middle but ends and begins somewhat forgetabbly.

I never got into Kanye. I liked this album but it didn’t hit like a supposed all-timer should. Maybe it’s too introspective and I don’t care about him that much.

Millennial nostalgia was strong with this one, and it’s always interesting to revisit a “masterpiece” without zeitgeist. The whiplash from Runaway (which is a masterpiece) to Hell of a Life (which is stupid) is significant. The Chris Rock skit is far too long. That said the high points of this album are raw and virtuosic. I miss the old Kanye!

Heard it before?: Yes Enjoy it?: I do, it was peak Kanye, strongest run of tracks upon this release and the features on this were insane and added so much to it Favourite song: Track 8 - Devil in A New Dress

Such a good album, only thing i would say is the second half is a tad over dramatic but otherwise perfect

BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF BUT HE MADE MBDTF

😎

Everyone's favourite narcissist here with a pretty banging album, mixing hip-hop beats with elements of rock and R&B to good effect. The machismo is sometimes a little grating but otherwise a solid album

All time classic really great

Discazo. Un par de canciones flojas, pero en general guay.

Shame Kanye turned out to be an anti-semetic psycho cause dang does he make some solid hip-hop. The various collaborations, the hints of different genres and influences, and the production is all killer.

listened to again masterful production, features, and bars

if somebody else made this i’d give it a 5

4,5/5 Highlights: Dark Fantasy, Gorgeous, All Of The Lights, Runaway

First listen: amazing production, but I'm not really convinced by the lyrics Second listen: maaan, I really made a mistake of paying attention to the lyrics. I felt similarly when listening to JAY-Zs Blueprint. However, unlike there, these beats are fire. Nonetheless, I'd much prefer it to be instrumental. Apparently I found out that pop rap is not my cup of tea. A weak 4

Some bangers, Some very forgettable songs. Overall the production is amazing, but has some lacklustre features. Favourite tracks “Runaway” and “ All Of The Lights” 8/10

Onlangs dit album nog een keer vrijwillig geluisterd omdat dit album steevast genoemd wordt in diverse toplijsten. Geen idee waar het allemaal over gaat, maar het is gevarieerd, het is met vlagen echt hiphop, met vlagen is het wat meer pop. Er werken diverse grote namen aan mee, de productie is top. Alleen "Blame Game" vind ik een nogal ongemakkelijke track.

Good album despite Kanye being an anti semite

Some of the lyrics in here made me want to give this less but I gotta admit it's a solid listen

Admittedly I’d give this a 3.5 if possible. The songs that are good are great but the ones that aren’t hold the album back and a couple songs run a little too long in my opinion

I like it, even though it's Kanye, even though some don't.

I avoided Kanye my entire life due to his lackluster reputation as a decent member of society, but I started listening to him last year when I accidentally listened to 808s & Heartbreak. When I say I accidentally listened to a whole ass album, I played "Welcome to Heartbreak" with the intention of only listening to "Welcome to Heartbreak". And then "Heartless" came on, then "Amazing", then "Love Lockdown", and before I knew it, I had gone through the whole album. The worst part was that I really liked it. So yes, Kanye is a piece of shit and him and his fan base infuriate me. But he makes damn good music. I thought "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" was overrated the first time I listened back in September. I didn't think all the hits were even that good. But I've been listening to "So Appalled" all year, and that has yet to get old. Upon the most recent listen, however, I appreciated it a lot more. I can't articulate why though. More importantly, I can't believe he sampled King Crimson in "POWER". That's crazy that I recognized "21st Century Schizoid Man" (bless this generator for introducing me to King Crimson), but it also makes so much sense.

I hate Kanye. He’s an awful, awful person. I cannot say enough bad things about who he is. Not to mention, my freshman roommate was obsessed with Kanye. And I hated that kid too. One time he held a Kanye album drop party in our room at midnight without telling me, then him and a few others got so blacked out that one passed out on the toilet mid shit and the others were puking their guts out in every trash bag we had. And guess what - the album didn’t even drop that night!!! But goddamnit, so many of these songs just hit. That is the only way I can describe it. Every single song makes me believe that I can one day like rap. Ironically the only thing that could make this a 5 is if Kanye wasn’t rapping.

I really like(d) this album. I really dislike what Kanye has become.

Solid Rap album, surprised at the diversity. Too much profanity.

Something I have never heard before, but I like it. Not preferred stile, but good to listen to.

Pretty Good Album actually.

I can understand why this is being seen as such a pivotal album in HipHop history and Kanye's career. This is his Magnum Opus and it has all gone downhill from here, music and sanity wise. I think the balance was found here.

Supergodt album!

This is an absolute masterpiece from Ye. Song after song is filled with top notch lyrics and it’s musically perhaps his most ambitious endeavor. I hate giving the guy props but a great album is a great album.

I don’t like Kanye West or hip hop, but this album is good. Production wise honestly brilliant, the rapping is super mediocre in my opinion. I didn’t like when he was actually doing any of the ‘singing’ I liked when there were guests and whatnot. Some great songs sampled too That being said that much of KW was way too much. By the second half of the album I was just waiting for it to be over Saved tracks: Dark Fantasy, Gorgeous, POWER, Who Will Survive In America

As always, let me preface this by saying that Kanye, the person, is trash. Contrary to the opinion of some, I also think that Kanye the rapper is trash. He comes up with the occasional good line, but for the most part, his lines come off like a 10 year-old who thinks he's edgy. Kanye the singer? A whole other level of bad. But Kanye the producer? I've gotta give it up to that guy. This album has some of the best production in rap history. The samples are fantastic. The features are great. Overall, it's a pretty damn great collection of songs, in spite of the artist.

4.5/5

Album has some class songs. Power is anthemic. Gorgeous also a bop. Shame Kanye is such an anti-semite and general asshole. All of the lights and monster not as good, Nicki Minaj pisses me off on the latter song haha. And devil in a new dress is confusing... the song doesn't mention the colour, style of this new dress at all 🤔 song slaps tho. Good album x

I especially like this album.

What an amazing album. Everything is so good and original and exciting. Alive with energy. So many good artists all on one album. Dragged toward the end of the album and some songs may go on a little long, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. No doubt will listen to again. 4/5

A lush, epic, melodramatic, hip hop saga of an album. I wanted to dislike this, but much of it is pretty great. For someone that spouts such abhorrent views, Ye is surprising touchy about a South Park episode poking fun at him. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Runaway Date listened: 31/03/23

4.0

Separating the art and the artist. Lots of amazing songs. A shame Kanye went crazy. Won't stream his music again to give him money.

What a surprise! I knew Kanye West more as a celebrity with extremely terrible opinions and world views, than a musician, producer or a rapper. But oh boy, he made a really great album almost 13 years ago now! First of all, I love the marriage between Kanyes style and prog rock riffs turned into samples. It creates a fabulous atmosphere without any additional input, just such a great foundation for songs. And then you have so many collaborations from many famous rappers and singers, but every time it actually adds something special to the track. The four opening songs are instant classics, at least in some genres, amazing beats, vocals, feeling. Unfortunately, the level drops quite a bit after "All of the Lights". I didn't like that the style became much subdued and the energy of the first art of an album was gone. None of the tracks from the second half were interesting or had any repeatability value, in my opinion. But just the four tracks to start off the album were enough to place "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" on this list. Overall, I really enjoyed this position, looks like at some point Kanye was actually a talented man!

Disclaimer: I’m on Kim’s side, I’m on Taylor’s side, and I’m on Pete’s side. Kanye’s foray into anti semitism that he has now renounced because of 21 Jump Street ??? is not ok and disgusts me deeply. However I’ve decided to rate this album based purely off the music. I’ve never listened to more than a few of Kanye’s hits before. The beginning of this album was so good I honestly thought I might have to give him a 5 against my will. Fortunately, then “All of the lights” came on, a very weak song despite my love for Rihanna. Monster would have been a very average song without that incredible Nicki verse, and I’m not giving Kanye credit for her talent! Runaway is apparently widely acclaimed but I thought it was nothing special, way too long and the last two minutes of nothing but distortion gave me a headache. Blame Game contained a lyric I found disturbing in light of the reality of domestic violence against women and the number of times victims are accused of lying “Lie and say I hit you… running my name through the mud”. It was made worse by the weird talking at the end of the song. Gross. I loved Dark Fantasy and Lost In The World. Best tracks: Dark Fantasy, Power, Monster, Devil In A New Dress, So Appalled, Hell Of A Life, Lost In The World Worst tracks: All Of The Lights, Runaway, Blame Game A final shout out to this lyric: “No more drugs for me, pussy and religion is all I need” which pretty much seems to define Kanye to this day.

Not his best and soundwise hasn't aged well. But some emotional highpoints of Kanye West.

This album just made me sad that Kanye became Ye. The production quality is out of this world.

He is a world class moron, but the album is easy to listen.

Kanye is bonkers but this album is awesome. Close 5 for me.

This is an exceptionally good album, but I struggle with Ye's lyrics too much to be able to award a 5.

Beautiful, dark, twisted, fantastic 👍🏾

Fuck Kanye. But, this was a tour-de-force. I know around this time there wasn't a lot of prog-hip-hop or anything approaching this level of grandiosity in the genre, so for that it's admirable. Crazy collabs as well. It's not my fav. style of hip hop but credit to where credit is due.

Close to the end of Ye's genius. After this and Yeezus, he really started slipping for me. But this record is intense. It's challenging, ok a good way.

Unreal. Didn’t want to like it. Loved it.

The guest roster is impressive and the beats are textured and memorable. Arguably Kanye’s last great work before he descended into the sad, hateful man he has become.

Wasn’t at all expecting to like West’s music because of the controversial bollocks he comes out with but I have to respect rhyming sarcophagus with oesophagus. He’s funny. I think he knows he’s an arse hole and is unapologetic about it. He’s got a really good grasp of rhythm and can turn simple Melodic lines into something really beautiful. I actually understand why he is famous now.

Nice listen, runaway alone is perfect

I was really hoping to hear Fish Sticks on this album. Alas I am disapointed but enjoyed it non the less.

Yo!

A Kanye West album definitely wasn't on my wish list for Christmas so I took the day off and didn't listen. Too bad Ye is such a public mess because a lot of this album is truly great. Yeah, some of it is misogynist-ick and some of it is just plain ick. But several of the songs really got to me in a way that's hard to reconcile. Once again, I am failed by a one-dimensional scale.

I don’t really want to hear any more about Kanye so I was not happy with this Christmas present. Still, I got through this and must admit that it is an impressive album. The production spares no expense. It’s expertly crafted. The lyrics are often pretty great although there are some dud moments. Like the Chris Rock skit at the end of the Blame Game - yuck. Some of these songs are truly great. If I had never heard of Kanye this would likely be a 5. He definitely complicates my feelings greatly about this album. Going with a 4 but part of me thinks that’s too high and part of me thinks that is too low.

Rap progresivo. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Très bon!

Definitely not my favorite Kanye album, but still good. He is a talented dude.

Again an album I would not have thought I’d like but did.

Kanye is crazy and I hate to admit that his music is good

Better than I remember it being. I have always felt this was overrated (still do) but maybe appreciated it more this listen. 4/5

still like earlier Kanye better

I sure would like to hate this album seeing as how big a prick Kanye turned out to be but this really is a great album. I guess if you’re looking for really deep lyrics you won’t find it hear but you will find great production and clever wordplay. I enjoyed listening to it

notes - ive never actually listened to this whole album, just songs - kanye is all over the news lately so its cool to rewind to 2010 - great samples and verses all over the whole album - described by kanye as a kind of apology for 808s and heartbreak - theres a good amount of humour and jokes on here to balance the indulgence and ego - something i really like in this album is his use of super compressed overdriven drums, they have this great way of filling out the songs fav - devil in a new dress - i really like the samples on this song - kanye’s energy is great, and rick ross has a really creative verse least fav - so appalled - some good verses on here but the song doesn’t really change up in any interesting ways 4.5/5

Rap progresivo. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Ik vond 808s en heartbreak beter. Daar zat precies wat meer reliëf in

Loved the first half more than the second. Power, followed by All of the Lights followed by Monster was the highlight for me.

Never took Kanye West seriously either. All I really know about him is he’s a batshit crazy cringe lord. Maybe so, and yet. Still can’t stand boast songs and there are a couple that would be better if there were no vox, but damn if it doesn’t sound really, really good end to end. (previously listened)

Dark Fantasy tem bom riff e vocais. All of the Lights também é interessante. So Appalled também tem várias coisas interessantes.

foo

First four songs are one of the best album openers ever. Rest of the album doesn’t keep that level but still good overall.

I’m not into rap but decided to invest in this album. It was worth it. I’m starting to appreciate the esthetic and virtuosity of the performers. I find myself getting into the groove and surprised by the creativity. I’ll have to listen to this again!

Cool!

Listening to this post Alex Jones interview, it doesn't hit the same, not like it used to

It's a great and well produced album, but it's far from being my favorite work from Kanye. I feel like it shortened the gap between rap and pop music, but I'm not sure this is a nice thing. Overall, it's good music, features a handful of well curated samples and a few great special guests. 3.8

While I dislike Kanye's antics, I'm definitely warming up to his music. Lot's of carefully crafted "songs" with original instrumentation, string quartets (!), talented vocalists & fellow rappers. Plus there are no 1 minute interludes (aka taping a rant by your drunken homey) and few F-bombs. It's rap for old white guys, with nods to King Crimson & Black Sabbath.

I've actually never listened to Kanye West before, well because he's such a monumentally arrogant, narcisstic douche. I avoided anything to do with him and the Kardashian clan like the plague because to me they epitomize everything that is wrong with this world. But 1,001 gave it to me for my homework assignment so I had to give it a spin. Right off the bat, Dark Fantasy samples a relatively obscure piece from Mike Oldfield's In High Places, hey that's pretty cool. POWER then samples King Crimson's 21st Century Schizhoid man, and its seamlessly integrated into the song so it sounds like its been part of that song forever. Whoa, that's impressive! I also hear samples taken from some of my favourite pieces, eg April 14 from Aphex Twin, and You are, I am from Manfred Mann. There are also samples from Gil Scott Heron, Smokey Robinson and Iron Man from Black Sabbath that are really well done. As a self confessed music geek, hearing these samples from obscure musical gems being so well integrated into his songs is truly impressive. And the music itself is also really well done, its complex and superbly produced: All of the Lights, Devil in a New Dress, Runaway, they are all so good. After over 500 albums so far, this is the most impressive new (to me) album that I've heard so far.

It all ends with President Kayne West holding the nuclear codes, doesn't it?

Peak Kanye West never better but could possibly have been slightly shorter

Kanye is goated truly a genius

I’m definitely being forced to confront a lot of musical hang-ups in this initial run of albums. It’s not exactly a unique opinion to hate on Kanye, and I certainly fall into the category of “detractor”. I’ve also held a lot of reservations about the style of contemporary hip-hop he has helped pioneer. My opinion on Kanye remains unchanged. The guy is repellent and everything he stands for reinforces my puzzlement over his status as an artistic genius. This album is extremely underwhelming when it comes to lyrical content, and does nothing to convince me that hip-hop is held to a complete double-standard by its fans (and we all know why…). Even the more nuanced reflections on tracks like “Gorgeous” are undermined by the Kanye’s asinine commonplace observations. He gives a lot of time on this album to guest artists as well, which offers some respite. However, a strange Stockholm Syndrome began to set in during these prolonged absences and I actually missed the guy’s presence on tracks. And then I realised this album is a real grower in terms of its appeal. Complementing the production is a bit of a given, but it really is spectacular (particularly on “Runaway”, “Monster” and “POWER”). And in that regard I have gained a new appreciation of Kanye as an artist. He unquestionably embodies the hypocrisy and contradictions of his genre, but he’s more of a deliberate conduit than an unwitting victim. I refuse to afford him the luxury of attributing his vacuous artistic sentiment to the refuge of ironic provocation or iconoclasm. Kanye stands for nothing consequential. But there’s something extremely vital about this album which I cannot get away from, and it’s completely down to his singular talent. 100% will revisit in the future.

"Too many Urkels on your team, that's why your Winslow" As someone who never goes out of their way to listen to Kanye, it's a testament to how prolific his music is that I've heard almost every song from this album. Not a fan of the man but I will give credit that his songwriting skills are excellent and this album is loaded with some absolute bangers. Dark Fantasy, Gorgeous, Power, All of the Lights, Runaway, Devil in a New Dress. Dammit I'm going to give Kanye a 5 aren't I? Didn't like: Monster, So Appalled, Hell of a Life, Blame Game...ok there's enough here to shave off a star. Some other notes: The lineup on Monster is hilarious, Kanye, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj.....and then Bon Iver. That "HHEEHH" sound he makes is like nails on a chalkboard.

I love this album but in recent years I've really come to understand why Fantano gave it a 6. And Kanye himself said he wasn't fond of it overall, saying it wasn't bringing anything new to the table. I see MBDTF as a complete perfection of the music he'd been pulling off since his debut, but it didn't blaze any trails. It was a total flex/victory lap. It's not bad at all though, and has a lot of iconic tracks. Kanye's a little tainted for me recently, though, so not really listening to him anymore.

certains propos sont dérangeants

Enjoyed this way more than I expected.

While I don't like him personally, it's impossible to deny that Kanye West is a legendary and very influential rapper and music producer. I enjoyed this album a lot and I will continue to listen to his music and try to separate the art from the person.

First time I heard this album was at a closet of an apartment in Philly at 3 am in the waning days of 2011 as some guy we were staying with was blasting it and trying to convince us of its greatness when all we wanted to do was sleep. I liked it better this time.

This is probably only the third or fourth time that I have listened to this album, but it is one of Kanye's best. I was a big fan of his "college" trilogy and when this album released he was starting to act a little off of the rails. I think that turned me off a little, but I wasted time by not appreciating this album then.

lycanthropy rap

Listened Before? N This was a fantastic album. I have never heard a single song by Kanye, and this was a good intdroduction. That said, I will probably never listen to it again. I'm usually capable of separating the art from the artist but in this case I don't want to. I already didn't like Kanye, so there's no need to put in some effort to forget he's a giant douche. Added to Library? N Songs added to Playlist: None. I won't give him money.

I remember not being impressed by this when it first came out. I liked some of it but I didn't love it like so many others did. In 2022 I find this a lot more enjoyable for some reason. I feel like if I spend more time with it it could get a 5 out of me. It's a very strong 4, despite Kanye being the unbearable creature that he is.

4 good album. Shame Yeezy is such a fuckin dickhead

Generally its very impressive but, man, some of these lyrics are a bit edgelord

I thought I was going to hate it.

Another great sounding hip hop record. I really had no idea how talented Kanye West is. Yes the record is too long but I hardly notice because each song real substance and stands on its own as a piece. The longer songs never wear out their welcome. A testament to his inate ability to keep things flowing and accessible. 4 🌟

Despite only being two years after Ye's album in 2008, MBDTF feels like it was a decade in the making. The production has a perfect blend of stuff that we love him for, like using his own voice to make a guitar riff on the end of "Runaway" like on 808sAHB or sampling vocals on "Devil In A New Dress". The cover art is interesting, because it might be the most iconic one on a Ye album. Kanye Bear is iconic, but the fact that the cover is mostly censored makes this more iconic while thinking of it. This album is packed of features, and it can either be a blessing or a curse. For example, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and Kid Cudi kill it on the retrospective tracks that that are on, however some features just leave me with a bad taste in my mouth I feel like they could've removed JAY-Z's verse from "Monster", because it feels like he didn't understand what the track was even about. Chris Rock ruins the would-be-great "Blame Game", since the joke runs out if you just repeat it. My favourite track would have to be "POWER". I know that it is a bit overplayed, but the fact that it took over 1 000 hours just shows how dedicated Ye was to get respect back from the industry after they painted him as an asshole after the VMAs incident. My least favourite track would have to be "All Of The Lights". The track has like a thousand features on it, and I don’t think that anyone really sounds good on it except for Rihanna. 8/10

The man is conceited and thinks he is way better than he is. I’ve rated other albums pretty low, but I will say this is a pretty great listen.

Love this. Had never paid attention to Kanye west before- not sure why. This is fun, innovative, fresh hip hop.

Funny and charming, with memorable moments.

Not my thing but very listenable… brash US pop.

Parts of this were much better than I remembered, and others were very "Kanye 1.0" (which I found a little grating at the time, and more now).

If I heard this before Yeezus, I would have hated that one even more, because this cements Kanye as being able to construct consistently amazing songs. Still not a fan of him as a vocalist or lyricist though, so it's a good thing this has loads of guest features on it. Also, the last three tracks could get cut and it would make the album better in my opinion.

Early kayne.. what’s not to like. Have to try very hard to separate the artist from the art though!!

Could listen to again. Not that Google speaker will let me listen to anything other than the instrumental version.

Kanye has just gotten crazier and crazier over time, but this album is pretty good.

This album is a superb mess. Separating the artist from the work gives it a 4/5. Throwing in the current scandals makes some of the songs like Monster incredibly chilling.

Great album with longer ranty songs.

Production is fantastic. Takes a little to get running, but from "POWER" and onwards, it's amazing. Bangers and wonderful atmospheric jams like the fantastic "Runaway". Nicki Minaj's feature on "Monster" is nuts.

POWER and All of the Lights are absolute bangers Probably the best Kanye album? At least it's the last one where his ambition and ego were still positives fueling his creativity before getting diminishing returns on subsequent albums. Great beats, exceptional hooks, great use of samples. Runaway and Blame Game feel a little overlong, and there is a bit of a forecasting of the born-again religious direction he would take on his more recent albums. 4/5

Not normally a fan of Kanye, but can hear why this made it into the 1001 list, great album, just a pity about the personality.

Whats has Kanye ever done for us....... Well this is my first listen to this and I am surprised at the content, some interesting fusion stuff. I must admit that even that this was post his Taylor Swift Rant I am drawn to his inventiveness and his (I Hope) tongue in cheek view of populism...so is his pro trumpism really irony, to see how far they would let him go? Has some credit this album but an overuse of Autotune and some dodgy lyrics. I liked "Runaway"

Not my kinda music but not bad Don't really like the way he talks about women though

A real iconic album from Kanye and a great follow up from 808s & Heartbreak. There are several songs on the album that are still in rotation on many playlists (as of Jan 2022) that never fail to please. At times throughout it can be a bit self-indulgent with the extra long tracks. (9 min+). Best: Power; Monster Worst: Devil In a new Dress

😈

Would have given 5 if it weren’t for auto tuning and some v v dodgy lyrics

Dark Fantasy - Intro reminded me of "Night Before Christmas", leads to some electronicially clean gospel vibes, then a verse which starts with the classic "ye, ye", Family Matters pun wins some points for sure. Monster - Absolutely amazing, especially Nicki Minaj So Appalled - RZA kills it Runaway - Beautiful song

Kanye certainly has things to say. An album filled with a lot of variety, and perhaps one of my favorite songs that I didn't know existed - Runaway.

Never took Kanye West seriously either. All I really know about him is he’s a batshit crazy cringe lord. Maybe so, and yet. Still can’t stand boast songs and there are a couple that would be better if there were no vox, but damn if it doesn’t sound really, really good end to end.

Нравится, как звучит альбом в целом, но не зацепилась. ┐('～`;)┌ Возможно, хип-хоп не совсем мой жанр, а текст больше актуален для американских реалий. Стоит послушать его еще пару раз.

Well, I gave college dropout a 3 so this one’s got to be a 4. I’m able to see why Kanye has blown up in popularity, but I’m still going to dispute that he’s an “artistic genius”. Maybe on the grounds of modern pop hip hop, I can understand why he grabs so many peoples attentions. But, when actually analyzing, all I see him doing is glueing a bunch of other peoples art together, throwing stream of consciousness lyrics on top, and looping it. On top of that, a lot of his songs are like exhibit a for the concept of projection. Every song is about himself, his ego, and his utterly unthinkably deep lack of self awareness. What’s most nauseating is how many people parrot his egoic verbal diarrhea and bow down to worship the almighty Ye just because a bipolar narcissist figured out how to mix shit in a studio. A. It’s innovative AF for hip hop (but, really is it when you just rely on sampling for all your shit?) B. It appeals to the masses with its simplicity C. It couldn’t possibly have been bad with the amount of collaborative talent involved Credit where credit is due for this albums success, but no I don’t think he’s that talented of a musician. He’s talented at being a celebrity and controversial media masturbation fodder figure.

Another great sounding hip hop record. I really had no idea how talented Kanye West is. Yes the record is too long but I hardly notice because each song real substance and stands on its own as a piece. The longer songs never wear out their welcome. A testament to his inate ability to keep things flowing and accessible. Some more listens might bring this to 5 stars but for today...4.5 🌟

I feared listening to this, based on my perception of Kanye West as a personality. But in truth, the album is intriguing, engaging, and entertaining. Along the way, there are a few moments where the lyrical compositions deter, but the ambition and cinematic scale of the sounds win through. Surprisingly good.

Do like a bit of Kayne I must say

One of my favorites from high-school! So many good songs on this album

Hate that its so good, but it is

Yeah its powerful for sure...with that said, I have to separate the artist from the art...with that said as well, at least its better than a lot of the generic rap out there...maybe given time I'll appreciate the message more.

It's been a while since I've heard many of these songs. Honestly a good album with some cool features. Hearing Nikki Minaj brought me back to middle school. Definitely some bangers on here. You should listen at least once.

Hip hop really isn't a genre a follow, but I enjoyed the album. Interesting grooves.

Beautiful production, nice lyrical content in most songs, but definitely some glaring weak spots. Overall would say it’s DEFINITELY overrated; I don’t think this is his Magnum Opus. Very long winded and drawn out, probably could’ve been 10-15 minutes shorter. Features were spotty; Nicki on Monster was a highlight, as were the features on Gorgeous and John Legend on Blame Game. Jay Z and Fergie were not great. 7/10.

Really really great record here. Lyrically, there were moments that I enjoyed. Musically, from the beats to the production, this was solid AF. Not quite at the 5 star mark for me yet, but this was better than College Dropout (the only other Kanye album I've heard).

Good

Prog-rap? Yeah, I think so. Kanye might be a huge douche and kind of insane but this record *is* pretty amazing sounding. Lyrically it has some pretty problematic spots but it's also pretty funny. This isn't my genre and I'm probably not going to revisit much but it's a fascinating listen. Totally get why this is on the list.

Separate the man (colossal egoist) from the art (incredibly well produced hip hop album) and this is a banging record. I've never listened to one of his albums before but I enjoyed this way more than I expected.

Kanye West has gone off a deep end so profound that he can bring down an established three day music festival just by being named as its headlining act. Sponsors ran fast – the prevalent feeling being one that, for risks to brand reputation of this scale, there’s no returns policy. The mega cash cow of Brand Ye might be RIP, but it’s still debated as to whether there’s any conceivable way back for Kanye the artist. This album serves as a potent reminder for why some might secretly hope there is. It’s a maximalist triumph, full of discourse defining rhymes and super slick hooks. There’s a grandiose onanism to the whole thing; it might be recession pop’s most important record. Anyway, fuck Nazis ✌🏼

It reminded me that I like Kanye

Oh boy, I was intimidated going into this one. One of the biggest albums of my lifetime- what more can be said by a hip-hop newbie? What if I hate it? But nope- undoubtedly one of the best hip-hop albums I've heard. Despite being a blockbuster (in everything from maximalist production to roster of A-list guests) it has such a tight focus for most of its runtime as it bounces from one set-piece to another. I surely don't need to heap more praise on the opening rhyme and epic introduction to "Dark Fantasy"- the swaggering bravado of "POWER" and its inspired King Crimson sample- the anthemic wall of sound in "All of the Lights"- THAT Minaj verse in "Monster" which was my highlight of the whole album. This latter track had my favourite lyrics and beats across the board and set the high watermark for the record, so that "So Appalled" and "Devil in a New Dress" paled in comparison by feeling too repetitive and not demanding my attention. It was also around this time that I started to feel the length of the journey. But then came "Runaway": a gorgeous track I hadn't heard before and an absolute stand-out, striking me as the emotional and thematic heart of the set, where all the excess just came together and made perfect sense. It could have been a closer, but then "Lost in the World" and "Who Will Survive" formed a powerful note to go out on. Why not 5*? Needs more listens, but partly the middling songs mentioned above, and also the skin-crawling Chris Rock skit in Blame Game with the "Yeezy taught me" mantra. One of several uncomfortable moments where the arrogance stopped feeling ironic or satirical and just seemed like Kanye being Kanye. For the most part though, this was a roller-coaster and I believed the hype.

I'm normally not too big into these kind of albums, however after hearing this I have to say that this was bloody amazing. Does a good job in making each song diverse than the last. Despite being rap. POWER and All Of The Lights are magical.

This overcrowded album certainly brought together good arrangement ambitions in a pompous and multifaceted manner. (7/10) Favourite Tracks: Runaway, Lost in the World

Een over-geproduced hiphop/pop album en Kanye was altijd al (een beetje) vol van zichzelf, maar met wel enkele steengoede songs

Creative

Honestly? Yeah, okay, I'm about it. He's got some chops and the music itself is legit.

Saved Prior: POWER, All Of The Lights, Monster, Runaway Off Rip: Dark Fantasy, Hell Of A Life, Lost In The World Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Lots of great songs on this album (particularly Runaway POWER and Dark Fantasy) and the theme is really strong and ties the album together well. That being said, there's just something about this album that just keeps it from 5 status. I think it might be Kanye's sometimes lackluster rapping or maybe I don't like some of the hooks, but I can't quite put my finger on it. 4.(ialsodidntreallylikekanyespartondevilinanewdresstothepointwhereididntsavethesong.wouldvebeensavedifitwasjustthebeatandrickross.sorryiknowpeoplereallylikethatsong)

"The watered down one, the one you know Was made up centuries ago" (Dark fantasy) "You could be the King but watch the Queen conquer" (Monster) Siento mucho que lo mejor de este disco sea la estrofa de Nicki Minaj. Nah, es bromis (a medias), aunque a mí Kanye no me interese lo suficiente como para separar obra de autor (o que me interese más la posibilidad de que se vaya a montar una secta), es muy bueno en lo suyo y el disco funciona muy bien.

I never really gave this album a good listen, but I can see why so many rate it highly.

Ohhhh maaan that was intense! And incredibly good!! A wicked album.

Kanyee, power 5/5 a yks toinenki 5/5, mut en mä ny tätä täydelliseks sanois

I wanted to hate this, and assumed I would, but from the moment I heard the King Crimson sample I knew it would be difficult.

Classic, great album regardless of what people say

:) definitively the heaviest produced ye album. ton of man hours. great songs. not my personal fav though.

Great example of something I had written off previously but ended up really enjoying. Album flows brilliantly and has some great standouts

Good. Not my kind of music, but I would listen to it again.

(Listened to Before) Had this on repeat in middle school and listening back I have a similar opinion on it still. Some of my favorite Kanye songs are on here, but there’s also some mediocre cuts. Think this is maybe his 4th or 5th best album, but it’s still one of the most important and era-defining projects ever dropped. The production blows my mind for most of it and even on some of the tracks I don’t care for Kanye raps his ass off. Favorite Tracks: Hell Of A Life, Devil In A New Dress, POWER Least Favorite Tracks: Gorgeous, So Apalled, Blame Game

Good rap album

Episode 1

Middle tracks dragged a bit, but solid Kanye. Showed glimpses of the madness that was going to come (Chris Rock stand-up bit talking about pussy and the woman learning how to be dirty from Yeezy). Earlier collabs with Bon Iver.

suitably flawless production, messaging is a bit wonky here and there and references are dated, knocking a star off for trump love

Besides a fer not so hard hitting songs in the second part of the album (Blame game, Hell of a life) this album is an hip-hop masterpiece. It's hard to even call it straight up hip-hop, because it incorporates multiple genres from soul, edm, folk, rock etc.

Everyone says this is Kanye’s best album, I think it’s just okay. Part of me thinks the popularity of this album is solely based on Runaway, the only iconic song on this album, IMO. It’s a solid album, don’t get me wrong, but nothing really sticks with me. Kanye is definitely talented at creating a soundscape. As usual l, lots of very clever rhymes throughout. I find I like his gospel chorus sounds overly sincere, not up my alley. I appreciated the King Crimson sample but felt it gets cut off, he could let it play a little more and it would’ve made the song better. Lots of abrupt cuts in his soundscape, themes coming in an out chaotically, changing the song briefly before it goes back to normal, creates an interesting pastiche. Almost all the songs have a epic vibe to them, they feel big, the scale is big. But are they good? The rhyme “put the Pussy in a sarcophagus” just to rhyme with esophagus, seems a little lazy. There are a few fives on this album, few fours, a 2 and a threes. B+

good until about 70% through. i liked 808s and Heartbreak better

i can hear why it's good but i dont think i like it

8.25, pretty good

7/10

Krasses Pop Monster, schillerndes Sampling, kongeniale Instrumentierung, teils spontan wirkende Wendungen und ein Songwriting, das sich komplett auf einem Plateau durchzieht, sodass eine Reihe ebenbürtiger Einzelteile einen top draft schwierig macht, was die longplay Stärke betont. And god knows I tried to hate it. So hard. And failed...harder. But: Yeezy taught me

Geiler - was soll ich sagen/wie nennt man das, Hightech-Hiphop? aber ohne die Nerv-Faktoren Autotune und hyperaktives Sample-Geklicker. Supermodern (2010...) und trotzdem voll in meinem wertkonservativen Popsoundgeschmack, und nach 2,5 Durchgängen entsteht der Eindruck, dass das Ding von vorn bis hinten immer runder wird, bis „All of the Lights“, vielleicht auch „Monster“ ist noch bisschen holprig aber ab da fliegt er eigentlich konstant über 36000 Fuß. Hab Yeezy immer vor allem als Phänomen wahrgenommen, zwischen Amüsement und zunehmendem zuneHMENDEM ZUNEHMENDEM Kopfschütteln. Und auch wenn letzteres wohl here to stay ist - dies Album macht echt Bock auf mehr. Fuck it, sorry but not sorry: wenn ich Em für die Marshall Mathers 4 Sterne gegeben hab, kann das hier nicht weniger sein. Let's have a toast for the scumbags!

was very poggers

“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” by Kanye West (2010). My first time listening to the music of Kanye West. Excellent album. Expansively produced. Horizon stretching. Near epic theatricality. My education in hip hop is only on a third grade level, but I appreciate music enough to recognize that this is really good. It’s well constructed as an album, starting with a beautifully engaging, poetic and choral intro. I couldn’t write. I had to zip it and listen. (However, imagine Mila Kunis doing the spoken intro instead of Nicki Minaj, and tell me what you think.) The album then builds in tension and intensity, expressing rage (of course), rack, resentment, regret, remorse, redemption and resolution. Very good collaborative writing and innovative production without being gimmicky. It’s all in service to the music. Many extraordinarily clever turns of phrase in the lyrics, which are intricately woven within the selected constraints of well chosen and disciplined rhyme schemes. Very accessible poetics. Thoughtful and culturally well grounded lyrical themes. Entrancing intros precede conventional but powerful hip hop rhythms. The cello and piano intro to “All of the Lights (Interlude)” followed by the synth-brass/vocal choral (Rihanna and friends) intro to “All of the Lights” is superlative (Elton John [!] on piano after verse 3 and the outro). The howling, haunting male chorus intro to “Monster” is another great example. And what the piano does in the intro to “Runaway” (and throughout) is superb. Let’s have a toast. I like this album, bought this album and intend to listen to it over and over. Moments of weeping and sobbing on only the second listen. So much more could be said, I might follow up with a supplement. The only weakness worth mentioning (and it’s not minor) is that Kanye West’s voice lacks timbre, range, control, and power. He compensates by bringing in better vocalists, but the weakness is pervasive. Otherwise this album would have been a “five”. 4/5

Runaway vale el LP

Kanye has always been a bundle of concepts. When they come together, they REALLY come together, which is the case for roughly 80 percent of this album.

Goddamit now I have to listen to more Kanye West. Kinda blown away.

Good. 2nd favorite Kanye album behind debut. 7-8/10 1. Gorgeous 2. Power 3. So Appalled

this was the first kanye album i've listened to, and i gotta say, i have a new respect for his music. it was a great album, well composed and mixed, and lyrics are damn powerful.

Kanye has such bonker lyrics so it easily very fun. Nicki's verse and the Ada rhymes were the best part

I miss the old Kanye. One of his many classics.

It's hard to separate the man from the musician, but this album is great despite being made by a shitty person.

“Too many Urkels on your team. That’s why ya wins low” This album is such a great culmination of the beats and rhymes of his first two albums. It definitely showed a changing point for Kanye and you could tell he was starting to unwind as a human and as an artist. The best track for me is “Monster” I use it all the time to show people what a powerful rapper Nicki Minaj is. On a track with Kanye, Rick Ross and one of the all time greats Jay Z, she absolutely steals the track and owns it with her schizophrenic rhyming.

I feel most conflicted over this one because of the personality. Fuck Kanye. But this was his second best album, and as an album, it’s damn good. But at the same time, he’s obviously mentally ill, and that’s none of my business, it just… well poor fucknut has a problem. So that said, I’ll remove the personality and just rate it as an album. Four stars.

Verrassend goed, kende natuurlijk wel al wat nummers

Great production up until the last few minutes of Runaway. After that the album dips a little in quality. However the front of this album is purely amazing.

Kanye's good, I gotta give it to him. I love the choir and the beats. All of the Lights, Runaway, and Lost in the World are my faves. And Monster - reminds me of Neil rapping along with Nicki.

An excellent album but not as good as College Dropout

belle découverte

I enjoyed listening to this album. While I've not always been a fan of Kanye, I think it's one of his best pieces. "Runaway" is probably my favorite track of his and particularly a bright spot on the album.

First time listening to this album, as Kanye is highly hit-or-miss for me. On the other hand, I really enjoy Yeezus in full and the single cuts from Fantasy are iconic. On balance, this reinforces my notion that middle Ye is the best. While patchy in parts (and the mixing here seems especially meh) and extremely self-indulgent, the highs are like nothing else in hip-hop.

Album #212: Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ⭐⭐⭐ A big, bastard pop album with all the bells on it. When it came up this morning, I thought I was looking at another five-star review from memory alone, but it was a surprising relisten. The good stuff is that Kanye is an exceptional producer. This thing gets off to a fairly low-key start. Despite the “Can we get much higher?” refrain, both Dark Fantasy and Gorgeous are slow enough, simple hip-hop songs. But once Power comes in, the album unleashes its true power, forgive the pun. From there, it’s that maximalist sound that this album is known for. That’s all great. It’s too long, but that comes with the territory. Not every song is great, but most are brilliant. The music isn’t the problem. It’s the vocalist. With as huge a sound as this, you need an exceptional voice to carry it. And Kanye doesn’t have that. He awkwardly sits at the top of the mix with his flat vocal that’s just too thin for what’s around him. Take All of the Lights. Rihanna sounds awesome on that song, but Kanye sounds downright amateurish with his “I’m heading home, I’m almost there” singing voice. It made me wonder what this album would be like if it was a Rihanna solo album with Kanye producing. Or Madonna! Or Beyoncé! Or even Michael Jackson, as he’s mentioned in the song itself. If he had lived to have one of his albums produced by Kanye, I think it would have been a really interesting listen. Even Rick Ross, who is absolutely shit near 100% of the time, commands the music around him on Devil in a New Dress. You need a voice like that, with some power and weight behind it. Kanye’s a decent rapper, with decent lyrics (with a few too many references to his literal asshole), and his voice works on his more hip-hop stuff, but not here. The task is too huge. Speaking of features, everyone turns up on this thing, but what blew me away is who actually stole the show, and that’s Nicki Minaj on Monster. Her verse on that is the best moment on the album for me. It’s funny, witty, powerful and exceptionally delivered. So we’ll do the rating mathematically. Five stars for production, minus two stars for Kanye, equals three stars.

Pretty good.

Ahh, Kanye. He made a few beloved albums and then started spouting extreme-right viewpoints that hurt his own kind. Granted, this is a pretty good rap album. There is some disgusting lyrical content here, but there's also some very cool samples and unique beats. Features appear frequently across all the songs, often helping them to sound more unique. Either way, it's very different from the gangster rap of the 1990s. For his music to be good and then his political beliefs to be so abhorrent is a tragedy. This album is ranked #4 of 8 albums for 2010. Other 2010 albums rated by me: Brothers(1/8)-3 The ArchAndroid(3/8)-5 Queen of Denmark(7/8)-4 Halcyon Digest(8/8)-2

Kanye West confuses me. He can clearly make (produce?) very good sounding music, although the type he's making here isn't quite my thing. At times his rapping is compelling and he's saying something interesting, but then there's also these really inane lines too; "Put the pussy in a sarcophagus". College dropout is still my favourite of his we've had. Before he'd gone full Yesus. There is still something about this though. 3.5

Not full in decline Kanye yet but pretty weak compared to his earlier work.

This one is tough to review. There are moments of brilliance on here and then there are moments of Kanye BS. There’s no question he can make a great album that is unusual and unique. I was a fan when he came out with College Dropout and Late Registration but then I lost interest, so this album was new to me. It’s good overall but maybe not as great as Kanye thinks it is. I was waffling between a 3 and 4 but going to stick with a 3.

Kanye is nuttier than squirrel shit but damn if this mofo can’t write a song. Ye tends to lean a little too far into the racist area with his lyrics for me, but see my first comment I guess. Nasty beats across too many tracks and a rhythm that you can’t stay away from.

Very much a microcosm of Kanye himself, this is opulent and overproduced. You cannot dismiss it because it definitely has moments of brilliance, but there’s so much extra bullshit that you have to sift through in order to find those highlights, it really isn’t worth it. An exercise in tolerance that I lose every time I try to listen all the way through.

Lite för poppig för mig

Girl I was dating bought this on release day. Not sure why.

Ein spannendes Rap-Album mit vielen Gast-Künstlern. Songschnipsel z.B. aus King Crimson-Alben. 3/5

A very well produced album that highlights West's exceptional talent for combining hip hop lyrics with a variety of samples. I particularly enjoyed the use of more progressive pieces, like the King Crimson samples used in "". Unfortunately, this album is about ten minutes too long, and I began to feel that West was drawing it out with extended spoken segments and unpleasant electronic arrangements. Overall, I was left with the feeling that, for all his producing bona fides, the album sounds more like a product of all the music that was sampled and less like a genuine creation of West's.

I hate that it's pleasant to listen to. To me it feels overproduced to always get something that good to enjoy which is not a bad thing, but doesn't feel natural. I'll keep the hate, but must admit it's less terrible than anticipated.

We’re not at home to Mr Potty Mouth.

Some of this was fine I guess.

Bleh

Obligatory Kanye is an awful human being. Id not heard this before, and seeing the amount of accolades it’s achieved I was expecting a lot. But honestly the juxtaposition of the grandiose production and ambition with such puerile, pointless lyrics so much of the time is odd. It sounds as though it wants to be taken really seriously, but undermines it with cod philosophy and self aggrandising that’s just distracting. He’s clearly worked with talented people and the production is great, but overall it didn’t really work for me. Oh and Kanye is an awful human being

-2 stars for the south park bar. Grow up

It’s hard with Kanye. He’s a great lyricist but a terrible person.

This album starts out strong and then drops in the middle and then it strengthens back up in the end. I like the singing songs better than the rap songs.

i cant stand the man

I have zero desire to listen to this. So far the first track is already better than I expected. Even before all the media attention I was never a Kanye fan and didn’t get the hype. Now the stuff I like about the first track is gone and it now sounds exactly like I expected. 2nd track has phenomenal lyrics. And thank goodness. This is a long album. I didn’t want to suffer for an hour. 😂 if they all go like this I might like this album. Up to track 6. Each track gets a little better. Track 7 is a step back. This just sounds like everything else I’ve heard. Nothing original. Track 9 is killer from the get go. There are some great songs on here and others feel like filler. Track 9 is amazing because of the music. I love this. Track 10 has a killer intro. Last track was really good. I can’t hate this album, but there are definitely songs I’d skip if I listened again.

En ollut koskaan kuunnellut Kanye Westiä omatoimisesti, mutta nyt sekin tuli tehtyä. Muutamat tämän levyn biiseistä kuitenkin kuulostivat tutuilta. Ja tämähän oli ihan hyvä levy, vaikka en ole tämän tyylisen musiikin isoin fani. Tässä ei varsinaisesti ollut muuta vikaa, kuin autotunen käyttö.

Very interesting to hear it again. It came out in my teenage years and lets me think back. In particular I just like two or three songs the rest is weird. I know the album back when there was no pixelation on the cover.

One of the few albums I was told to listen to, regardless of my feelings for the artist. Can say it was good, still not a great person, but regardless the album is good.

Oof. I don't want to dunk on this album because Yeezy went off the deepest of deep ends. If you downgrade artists for their personal lives and politics then I think that would just leave us with Dolly Parton. That said, all the misogyny and narcism is a turn off. I'm giving it a 3 because there is both too much and not enough.

honestly, it's kind of worth the hype. he really did something here, it's just not perfectly executed near the back end Would I listen again: have many times Deserves to be on this list: for cultural relevance alone no rating (3 for the sake of leaving a review)

I dreaded getting the Kanye albums on this list because the man is actively destroying his legacy and it was going to be hard to come into it objectively. I tried to come into this with the mindset as someone who only knew 2010 Kanye, an egotistical asshole, but not a nazi (at least as far as we knew) and what did I find? Just an ok album The run of "Power," "All of the Lights," and "Monster" is fantastic. But I was underwhelmed by some of the other songs that came after. "Runaway" while a bop is WAY to damn long (and this is coming from someone who likes prog) the same could be said for "Blame Game." Other songs, like "Devil in a Red Dress" just didn't do much for me and I felt like the back half of the album started to drag. I understand more why the story of Hip-hop cannot be told without Kanye West. I just think this album may have been a tad overhyped. Maybe Fantano was right about this album? Gotta watch his review. 3/5

the lyricism and music itself are really good but because kanye is a horrible, selfish, neo-nazi, i can't in good consicence give it more than a 3. not to mention all he sings about is how great he is

Really like the first half, second half is kinda more meh

ascoltato pochissimo, comunque non è il mio genere però devo riconoscere che i cori che ci sono in vari pezzi così come alcuni parti melodiche sono belle

Priem, paar goede nummers

I didn't mind it

Note: The star rating reflects my personal enjoyment of the album and not my support of Kanye as a person. I despise Kanye. That being said, I adore his first 5 albums and like his other ones. I think he is a production genius. His rap tone and style work for me. I like his musical ear. But his personality and well, everything else about him as a person make me cringe to listen to any of his music. When it comes to separating the art from the artist, I think it really is up to individual interpretation of what that means for them. Like JK Rowling, I choose not to support Kanye financially. I have bought a couple albums secondhand (and his early albums I already had), and have converted them to digital files so I don't have to even give him a penny on spotify. I refuse to see him in concert. I rarely listen to him - occasionally I'm in the mood and put him on, but I go out of my way to not support him. I understand a lot of his issues is mental illness in some ways, but I think fueling his ego and not actually holding him accountable limits the ability for him to truly change his life so I choose not to aid in his self destruction. And still, I have a hard time when I listen to him not turning the song off because I know it's Kanye. He has left such a visceral bad taste in my mind, that it limits my enjoyment of his albums. I know this one might be a masterpiece, or at least a very, very good album. But man, does it hurt me to listen to it. I thought I could separate the artist more and expected to give this 5 stars. But I'm gonna go right down the middle.

I wish I could give it the 5 it deserves. Oh well.

I asked my son who grew up with rap and hip hop to give me his take on this album. He said, yeah it's great -- almost -- and he recommended Runaway (I liked) and Gorgeous (meh). I just am never going to rank this style very high. I appreciate the style and just do not love it myself.

Oh boy. Kanye. Album title is interesting. At least it is better than Snoop Dog Rapping is not bad. Too much misogyny. Too much swearing. Introductions to songs sometimes interesting. Some good songs. Power is good with the King Crimson sample. Who will survive American? Good last song. An average album. Three stars.

There's a couple of great tracks on here, but they're somewhat lost in the gigantic sea of West's vastly overinflated ego. Nine-minute rap tracks indeed.

I definitely think I'm in the minority here, but I think the record execs were right, and Kanye should have stuck to producing. His beats are amazing, and the rest is fine I guess. Good thing he's friends with Jay. He peaked in high school. Everything went downhill after graduation.

This is annoyingly a very well produced album with a lot of Kanye classics on this But because of who he is and what he’s said and done especially in this period I can’t be rating this highly

This isn’t complete ass, which was my expectation.

I see we've arrived at the classic consideration of whether or not to separate the art from the artist. Kanye West is, without question, an absolute piece of shit. I don't pay him much attention, so I don't know if it's all an act to be edgy for attention, or if he is just genuinely a shitty person, but either way fuck that guy. And it's a shame too, because while I am not a hiphophead, I can recognize that there is true artistry & talent on display with this album. I probably would have rated this higher without the baggage of the artist to go with it.

Some creative tunes.

생각보다 좋음. Runaway는 익숙한 브금. 니키미나즈만 기억난다.

Clung on to a 3

All my disdain for this poor man aside, this is a fun and polished pop album. Much better than that atrocious trainwreck Yeezus I got and had to endure a couple of days ago. Kanye uses A LOT of samples of classic rock songs here and I found it rather amusing. An enjoyable album overall.

kanye crazy but the music cool

Still not my favorite genre, and it goes without saying that Kanye’s a pretty horrible person. That said, I can separate the artist and from the art, and damn if he didn’t make some catchy songs. 3/5.

Favorite songs: Dark Fantasy, POWER, Devil in a New Dress, Runaway, Hell of a Life, Lost in the World

I thought I'd enjoy this album a lot more, even despite the seemingly endless additions to the controversy section of his wikipedia page, but I really just found it meh.. My only real highlights bumping this up to a 3* were the features - Nicki Minaj really stole the show on Monster - so I think if the same album existed but with a different rapper I'd enjoy it better. I prefer the youtube mashup album Good Kid Twisted Fantasy (highly recommend) Will I listen again? No.

Que buenas rolas, muy chidas

Not bad but I couldn’t finish it

Ugh, this was such a how-the-mighty-have-fallen listen. Nicki DID have the best verse on Monster and that song still goes OFF. It’s not my favourite Kanye but there are some all-time greats on here (Power, Dark Fantasy, All of The Lights, Runaway, the aforementioned Monster). “I call it Mali-booyah” is such a bar. Just sucks that he’s such a POS (and also Nicki!! I can’t shake the icky feeling when listening to these guys)

I hate Kanye, but god Runaway is perfect

It's the best Kanye by some distance, in my opinion, but there's also a good reason for that - it has quite a lot of it that is not, in fact, him. The number and variety of guests on here really stops it dragging in the way that his other, especially most recent, albums have, and give a real sense of light and shade to the record. In particular, getting Bon Iver and John Legend in just soften the edges really well. It's a long way from my cup of tea, and there were some songs that were pretty hard to stomach, but overall, I would say I enjoyed it.

I try to be understanding of Kanye and his mental health issues, but even if you give him grace it's still hard to ignore all the, erm... unpleasantness. There are some great songs on here (and the guy is a hell of a producer), but some stuff hasn't aged well and even the stuff that has is just hard to listen to the same way in 2026.

Favourite Songs: So Appalled Runaway

Llegamos al penúltimo día de trabajo con hip hop, sin duda uno de los géneros favoritos de éste libro. Nuevamente, toca un artista que ubico de nombre y por alguna que otra canción. Gran disco con tremendos temones. El álbum me gustó pero no me volvió loco como otros que aparecieron en el reto. Gracias y hasta mañana

a few songs are ok

o meu 3 com mais cara de 5 do mundo porque não quero que esse album apareça no meu perfil *imagem da menina com a balaclava ouvindo música* eu era vidrada nesse quando lançou e até hoje acho um album INCRÍVEL, de verdade mesmo. as músicas são hiper mega bem produzidas, hell of a life e power tem uns dos melhores usos de sample da música... enfim, pena que o artista morreu cedo (apesar de que tem gente aqui que vangloria uns artistas meio duvidosos kk mas né, somos todos hipócritas)

This took me all over the place as the artist seems to take on the world. At its heart though is a very listenable album.

Innovative and captivating- a flawed genius.

Tiene temas que estan incrustados en mi mente a lo largo de los años, pero salvo Runaway, ninguno de ellos realmente me apasiona. No había escuchado el album entero hasta ahora, ye ha acabado dejando un poco indiferente :(

:D

Lots of standouts but too many bad words

6/10 Kanye, Kanye, Kanye. Having really enjoyed College Dropout, I was interested to hear where our boy Ye had gone in the intervening 6 years. Well, if the braggadocious tendencies were clear enough to spot on his debut LP, the critical success that it and subsequent work received have only gone to enhance his sense of self-importance. The thing is, he is good. There are some brilliant tracks on here, like Power and Runaway, but much of the album feels quite scattergun and the maximalist production approach often produces tracks that are a little too cluttered or lacking in focus for my personal tastes. And he also spends much of the album continuing to brag about how wonderful he is, or railing against perceived injustices, interspersed with more introspective or self-critical moments that I can never really tell to be truthful or some attempt at false modesty. There’s some really good stuff on here, but he has a tendency to drag a decent track out for too long without adding in enough range to the musical content to maintain interest, or throwing in elements that detract from the better moments within a track. He can also be quite lyrically repetitive, which doesn’t help, particularly with the less instrumentally varied cuts on the record. After a few listens, I still can’t quite wrap my head around what this album is. It feels like he’s a man with so many ideas, but without the ability to self edit in order to allow the best of those ideas to sing. I kept getting the nagging feeling that he was trying to do way too much, and as a result, the record feels a touch confused and quite bloated, despite the presence of a real streak of excellence that bubbles under the surface. In effect, this kind of feels like a signpost for the direction that Kanye was sending himself from this point on. Erratic, scattered with moments of genius, but ultimately victim to Kanye’s inability to control his own thoughts and direct his talents towards a coherent and focused output. Dark Fantasy - Kanye grabs bits and pieces from all over the place, doesn’t he? An opening verse by Roald Dahl, delivered by Nicki Minaj, autotuned vocals from Bon Iver, samples from Mike Oldfield. It’s pretty good and there’s plenty going on to keep it feeling fresh, including sections where he doesn’t rely on a beat to drive the song, and instead focuses on harmonic content and strong melodic hooks. The verses give it a good hip-hop core, but it’s good that he doesn’t just settle into that or drag it out too long. It does feel a touch disjointed in places, but I think the ambition here is to be applauded. Gorgeous - I’m not convinced by the guitar / lead vocal doubling to kick this off, and that guitar riff is vastly overplayed without any variation until right near to the end. It’s a good starting point, but it just goes nowhere. There’s some decent soundscaping work to give this a dark, foreboding tone, but it’s just way too repetitive and lacks much musical depth. Boring. Power - More eclectic sampling choices from King Crimson and Continent Number 6, most prominently. There’s a lot more going on here and it has a great, dirty feel with crunchy beats, plenty of melodic quality and harmonic richness. It doesn’t insist on driving the beat the whole way through again, and there’s a lot of development of the musical ideas across the run time, which is impressive. This one was excellent. All Of The Lights (Interlude) - This is a lovely piece of piano and cello work. I was surprised to find out this wasn't a sample, so fair play. It’s fleeting, but a pretty little interlude. All Of The Lights - I’m not sold at all on the horns here and while the atmosphere of the track is good, it feels like it doesn’t do enough musically to really maintain interest throughout. He’s gone for a sound that throws a whole load of vocalists together, but for me it feels a bit overfull and disjointed as a result. It was a good concept, but poor execution. Monster - When Kanye drifts back towards more straight hip-hop, I feel like he loses something of what makes him special. This is a good hip-hop track, but in all honesty, he’s not the greatest rapper in the world, which is exposed on a track that he shares rapping duties with others. This is also quite repetitive, both musically and lyrically, which is exacerbated by it being over 6 minutes long. Not that it’s particularly bad, it’s just a bit bland. So Appalled - The dark vibe here is good and I quite like the slightly broken beat nature of the drums. Within the tonal work there’s actually a decent bit of development and range, but it’s rhythmically quite uneventful. As with the last track, it’s not bad, just a bit too repetitive and too long so becomes played out by the end. Devil In A New Dress - The main loop for this is very nice, but it’s short and just goes on and on. I don’t think the rapping performance is great here either. When we get a breakdown in the middle, it improves things, and in the second half, Rick Ross’ verses are better. If there was a bit more range to the main musical hook, this could be quite good, but it doesn’t really do enough to maintain interest apart from the nice middle section. Runaway - The dark, foreboding atmosphere of this is really nice. We’re back into the kind of production that really showcases Kanye at his best, with long, developing musical themes, a good blend of sung and rapped vocals, and a skilled arrangement with plenty of production depth and good hooks. Despite being the longest cut on the record, it has enough range to justify its length, with interesting instrumental sections, good rapping from both Kanye and Pusha T, and a quality sung chorus hook from Kanye himself. Really good stuff. Hell Of A Life - The bass here is pretty mean and, again, we get an example of Kanye just grabbing stuff from everywhere, using the melody from Black Sabbath’s Iron Man for the chorus. Unfortunately, he uses it for a horrible, auto-tuned and frankly, shit, chorus vocal. There are some really decent bits of sound design on this track, including some nice atmospheres and harmonic compliments to the bass, but it’s gathered up into a song that has some pretty weak rapping, a horrible chorus and a fairly inconsistent flow. Blame Game - And now we get a sample of Aphex Twin’s glorious Avril 14th. As with much of this album, there’s some really great stuff in here. The blend of lo-fi drums and the crisp piano sample and complimentary cello work are excellent and there’s some cool effects and editing work on Kanye’s vocal. There’s a bit of an edge of Stan by Eminem to the delivery and rhythm of the rapping in places. But while the instrumental work is really nice, it’s incredibly repetitive for an almost 8 minute track. And the last couple of minutes with Chris Rock that are supposed to be funny are absolutely cringeworthy. I mean, really, really bad. Lost In The World - We’re back full circle to a sample of Bon Iver’s lovely Woods (apparently re-recorded for this with new elements). There’s a decent amount of range to this and plenty of development of the themes. The parts often clash against each other and then find their way together in a really satisfying way. It’s very full, but feels purposeful despite being a touch cluttered. There are a few moments when things get stripped back a bit, which gives the more maximalist elements space to breathe, which is cool. As with much of the album, I think this is decent, but I’m struggling to fully connect with it. Who Will Survive In America - And we finally roll straight into our closer. It’s got a good beat, some nice piano work and the sample of Gil Scott Heron is great. But it is essentially a remix of Comment #1 rather than a fresh track and Kanye, as usual, appears to value his input more highly than is probably justified.

This shit is fucking ridiculous

TOP 3: Devil In A New Dress, Monster, Hell Of A Life.

OK, but I'll never listen to it again. ★★★

I can't give this streams right now but this was the last thing he put out I enjoyed.

Surprisingly or perhaps not, this is much better than I expected. I think I can see why his early career was so highly praised before he went bananas. At least strong 3 stars, maybe even 4 but we will see, 3.5 on RYM.

I'm not a big fan of Kanye (for a myriad of reasons), but this album might be my new favorite of his. There's some good lyrics and beats on this one. Sampling 21st Century Schizoid Man was a cool choice and the Kid Cudi tracks were good. Album might have been a little long and I didn't like the back half as much as the front, but good overall. If Kanye wasn't such an asshole, it might be easier to like his music more.

No entiendo nada. Dice que es uno de los mejores discos de rap y de la vida. Me pareció muy lleno de cosas. Lo volvería a escuchar, pero no entiendo la letra

Never understood this one, why is it so important? Never found a review I cared to look at.

This is the album hat tipped me over the edge. I used to be Rap-Agnostic, neither being a Hater or a Lover. Alas, after an onslaught of Rap albums on this 1001 site...I've tipped into the "Oh, FFS. Not another formulaic acclaimed rapper with a Messiah complex."

Was hyped to get an album after 2000, was disappointed. I dont like him. The album was ok. Sounded like 2010. would not listen again.

Going into this thought it would be a 4+. The highs are high but the lows are just as low.

Wait, this was actually pretty good. As somebody who has a stoic disdain for Mr West it came as a complete surprise to me that I enjoyed myself here. The beats are catchy, the mixing is on another level, and the lyrics explore a very complex relationship with the world of fame. However, stars have been deducted for the simple fact that it's less of an album and more of a collection of songs, with a couple here and there not quite scratching the itch. Not amazing, but still pretty cool. Favourite track: Devil in a New Dress Least favourite track: Blame Game

First time listening to this album. I've always heard Kanye was a music icon in the beginning, and most of this album was just alright to me. However, Lost In The World slaps!!

Too many Urkels on your team, that's why your wins low. What a fucking line. Two Kanye albums in a row for the generator, this and Yeezus...which, both very different, but both fantastic. I don't listen to much rap anymore but when I do, it's the stuff I listened to in the 90s in high school. But this is still great. I should probably come back to this and listen to it more.

Je n'ai pas fini, assez iconique mais beurk Kanye West

++: Gorgeous, Power, All of the Lights (Interlude), All of the Lights, Devil in a New Dress, Lost in the World, Who Will Survive in America +: Dark Fantasy, Monster, Runaway +-: So Appalled, Hell of a Life --: Blame Game 6,3/10

Ja nei.. Veldig 2010. Måtte skippe et par av traumatiske årsaka. Koffør skal alle sangan være så helvetes lang? Jaja, det skal det få en snill treer her også.

The inevitable misogyny present seemingly in all rapid albums aside, listenable enough. I don’t think it breaks any barriers though, just well produced and polished rap.

Le préféré de Clara

First listening of anything by him. Super catchy tunes, I love the gospel and old school hip hop being featured.

I don't think I ever listened to the whole album. College Dropout thru Graduation were really more my era, but I had some Pandora stations that included a few of these songs as well. This was my last stop on the Kanye Express though.

some really essential songs

Unfortunately this one was really good. Really have to separate the art from the artist here

me gusto mucho si