Whether or not you like him as an artist, Kanye West is the undisputed king of self-publicity. You’d be forgiven for assuming that his personal Twitter is a parody account, such is the extremity of his narcissism. Though much of Kanye’s act is built around confusing his listeners, the drawn out “reveal” of the title ‘The Life of Pablo’ was an anti-climax in that it was predictable.
West has compared himself to the artist Pablo Picasso several times over the past few years, almost as often as he’s declared himself a god. The legendary artist’s use of collage appears to have profoundly influenced Kanye’s entire process, and he alludes to it through the scatterbrain approach to this record. He practically lays out the concept on FML, saying: “I been… revealing the layers to my soul.”
It’s unsurprising that Kanye is the first to label himself a crazy genius (Feedback), but it’s strange that so many fans and critics are so willing to accept it. The mark of a genius is what they say with their art, so when Kanye talks about bleached assholes (Father Stretch My Hands Part 1) or attaching a GoPro to his genitalia (Highlights), Picasso hardly feels like an appropriate point of reference.
Lyrical banalities aside, there are certainly creative moments here. The sparse production of Real Friends and the gospel-influenced opener Ultralight Beam works fantastically well, giving Kanye room to express himself through different flows and vocal effects. There’s a diversity in the production, with trap instrumentals segueing into jazzy boom bap joints and sometimes a combination of the two.
Every cut is ultimately only a snippet in Kanye’s grand collage, though, and he never dwells on an idea for long. The constant beat changes are clearly intentional but that doesn’t make them any less annoying. Potential bangers like Freestyle 4 hit the brakes just as you’re starting to enjoy them.
You’d think this multifarious approach would at least give Kanye scope to explore a multitude of topics and ideas – different “layers to his soul” as he put it – but he often just wheels out the same subjects: the trappings of fame, gossip about his wife, how much money he has etc.
While he displays a level of self-awareness on the jokey interlude I Love Kanye, he still seems to miss the irony that he’s allowed himself to become defined by the very ills that he preached against on All Falls Down. His brags aren’t compelling, they’re just boring.
Perhaps that’s why ‘The Life of Pablo’ is so frustrating, because the high points on here are glorious. Virtually every feature works incredibly well, from Chance the Rapper’s emotive display on Ultralight Beam to Rihanna’s electrifying verses on ‘Famous’. Kanye has a keen ear for bringing disparate elements together, whether it be through his tasteful use of guest vocalist’s talents or his meticulous sampling techniques.
The trouble is that he gets it wrong as often as he gets it right. In making an album that deliberately lacks cohesion, Kanye has signed off on something that also lacks reliable quality levels. Some listeners seem happy to entertain his mass of contradictions, calling it a sign of an intelligent artist. But if Kanye really wants to be recognised as a genius, every track he creates must be held to those lofty standards. As a whole, he doesn’t pass that test here.
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