From the club hit “All Of The Lights,” to melodic rap in “Lost In The World,” Kanye refuses to let MBDTF be defined by a single style.
#KANYE WEST DARK FANTASY SAMPLES FULL#
Kanye’s trademark versatility and confidence in himself is in full display - every track is a masterpiece, with seamless transitions and no song left feeling like unnecessary filler. In the hedonistic “Dark Fantasy,” he addresses celebrity worship and the complacency plaguing society with the advent of technology. MBDTF is peak Kanye storytelling, where he meshes together some of the most prominent voices in hip-hop to address some of the pressing issues on his mind. Upon first listen, a few things will immediately stand out about MBDTF - the maximalist production, the samples, the features and, most important, the narrative. Artist George Condo designed five different covers, but Kanye eventually had to censor the first cover so streaming services didn’t find it as offensive and provocative. The album’s cover immediately catches the eye, with its lewd depiction of Kanye entangled with a winged woman. Let’s talk about the old Kanye - the dark, twisted and introspective Kanye. Ever since, Kanye has gone on to perfect his musical craft by experimenting with the harsh drums and tones of “Yeezus,” the critically acclaimed psychedelic, out-of-this-world vibe of “Kids See Ghosts” and even gospel music in his most recent project, “Jesus Is King.”īut enough about the new Kanye. Many consider My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ( MBDTF) to be Kanye West’s magnum opus and the greatest hip-hop album ever produced. As his career progressed throughout the early 21st century, West became a superstar on his own terms without adapting his appearance, his rhetoric, or his music to fit any one musical mold. His production abilities seemed boundless, as he not only racked up impressive hits for himself (including number one singles "Gold Digger" and "Stronger") but also had smash hits with longtime collaborator Jay-Z (on their 2011 Watch the Throne track "Ni**as in Paris") and even Paul McCartney (along with Rihanna on 2015's "FourFiveSeconds"). And yet, his steady presence in the celebrity limelight couldn't eclipse his musical talent. With his outsized personality, he courted plenty of controversy, posing for the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ, claiming that "George Bush doesn't care about Black people" during a televised Hurricane Katrina fundraiser, and infamously interrupting an awards speech by Taylor Swift in 2009. This flamboyance made for good press, something that West enjoyed, for better or worse, throughout the course of his career. With a backpack and brightly colored polo shirt, his dapper fashion sense set him apart from many of his rap peers, while his attitude often came across as boastful and egotistical. Early on, West paired his beats with tongue-twisting raps and outspoken confidence. One of the most influential and critically lauded artists of the early 21st century, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker as his production work for artists such as Jay-Z led to a major-label recording contract and, ultimately, a wildly successful solo career that counted an unbroken string of chart-topping, multi-platinum albums and nearly two-dozen Grammy Awards for classic sets like 2005's Late Registration, 2007's Graduation, and 2010's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. MUSIC HISTORY COMPILED BY BEN AUSTIN-DOCAMPO: