THE JEEN-YUHS OF HYPE

Kanye West made his name in rap 20 years ago. Since then, he’s become a mogul who influences fashion, politics and pop culture.

BY KENDALL POLIDORI

WHAT STAR CAN SELL OUT A a stadium when tickets start at around $200 and all he’s going to do is show up two hours late and head bop to a recording of his music? Only one comes to mind: Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West.

He has that special something that gets fans on board with whatever he’s promoting, whether it’s music, footwear, fashion, audio devices or a presidential campaign. Despite the controversy he engenders, no one can deny he’s the embodiment of hype.

Ye, who was born in Atlanta and grew up in Chicago, first got in front of the public on Channel Zero, an underground hip-hop showcase on Chicago Public Access television. The program’s host, Coodie Simmons, went on to direct the Netflix docuseries Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy about Ye’s life as an artist, record producer, businessman and fashion designer.

The three-part series opens when Ye was working as a producer for Roc-A-Fella and trying to prove himself as a solo artist and rapper. It brings out his human side, portraying him as a relatable person who struggled to land a record deal. Viewers are privy to his close relationship with his mother and suffer with him as he grapples with bipolar disorder in an unsympathetic environment.

But the documentary, released in January, is just one reason Ye’s name is in the headlines.

Aside from writing and producing songs for the likes of Jay-Z, Janet Jackson, Ludacris and Alicia Keys, Ye’s own 10 studio albums have put him at the forefront of hip-hop. Last year alone, he won a Grammyfor Best Contemporary Christian Music Album and was named songwriter of the year at the BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards.

After Ye’s 32-track album Donda garnered mixed reviews and drew complaints about “incomplete” production last year, he released a follow-up titled Donda 2. But a few days before Donda 2’s release, Ye announced fans could listen to the album only through his own Stem Player, a device introduced last year in conjunction with Donda. The Stem Player costs $200 and is shipped as a Bluetooth speaker-like device, making the album unavailable on streaming platforms. Allegedly, Ye turned down a $100 million deal to produce a device with Apple.

Ye informed his 14.6 million Instagram followers that “artists get just 12% of the money the industry makes. It’s time to free music from this oppressive system. It’s time to take control and build our own.”

At press time, Ye had collected in excess of $2 million from the sale of more than 10,000 Stem Players, including one bought by Luckbox. That means Donda 2, which includes 16 tracks, will be heard legally by fewer than 125,000 fans who own Stem Players.

At least Ye leaked a few Donda 2 songs during his Feb. 22 show in Miami, which was also streamed at IMAX theaters in 15 cities.

Kendall Polidori is The Rockhound, Luckbox’s resident rock critic. Follow her reviews onInstagram @rockhound_luckbox and Twitter @rockhoundlb.

THE ROCKHOUND REVIEW

YE’S latest 16-track album, Donda 2, skipped the streaming services and was released exclusively through his Stem Player, which fans can purchase at stemplayer.com. The move is Ye’s response to what he considers an unjust system that gives too much money to the services and not enough to artists. The album has received mixed responses, partly out of sympathy for fans who can’t afford to shell out $200 for a Stem Player. But for those who can afford it, the album lives up to its hype.

Music aside, the Stem Player provides users with an interactive listening experience. Besides adjusting the volume and bass, they can manipulate the tempo and the verses by sliding lighted tactile effects. That means they can make the album experience their own or leave it alone. The device is covered in soft, skin-like silicone and fits into the palm of the listener’s hand.

The album itself is better than its predecessor, Donda. The production is crisper, with a less-muddled sound. The tracks recall “the old Kanye.” His lyrics reflect his solid relationship with his mom, the pain of his divorce and his struggles with his mental-health issues. Say what one will about Ye, he owns up to his faults and shares his regrets in a gut-wrenchingly honest way.

The album features guests that include Migos, Travis Scott, Pusha T, Jack Harlow and Playboi Carti. Future, who was an executive producer of the album, also makes an appearance on the album. It’s a diverse mix of tempos and beats, with Ye throwing out more autotune melodies than usual. Ye’s genius shines through with his use of samples, including one of Kim Kardashian’s opening monologue on Saturday Night Live last year.

Donda 2 highlights Ye’s ability to amp up the bass and deliver swift verses, while also acknowledging the need to strip down the beats and slow his pace. It’s no match for The College Dropout, but it brings to the forefront the elements that made Ye so influential in hip-hop in the first place: deeply personal lyrics about religion and life set to original beats that meld soul, hip-hop, R&B and gospel.

MORE THAN BEATS

In 2020, Ye’s fashion footwear brand, Yeezy, took in $1.3 billion. It consistently pumps out new shoe designs, including the Adidas Yeezy 450, which costs $250-$300 a pair. Besides his commitments to other fashion ventures, Ye has signed a 10-year deal with The Gap that’s expected to bring in $150 million in sales in its first full year. He founded the record label and production company GOOD Music in 2004 in conjunction with Sony BMG. And, of course, there’s his relationship with Kim Kardashian, not to mention his political campaigns. He didn’t need the Democrats or the Republicans when he ran for president in 2020 because he had his own party: the Birthday Party.