This is such a good video. Even though i disagree and find JIK to be pretty disappointing musically and lyrically, your analysis and reading into the albums text is fascinating, and something i would have never even considered. It makes me want to listen to the record again and read harder into it, even though I dont like the songs and dont feel that my opinion on their quality would change that much
@@SoloTheSlayer it just felt like all the pieces making up the songs never came together for me the same way they did on other kanye projects, before and after jik. there are good musical / instrumental ideas and phrases here, but in my view they didnt coalesce in the songs themselves or get developed to even anywhere near their potential. its frustrating, cuz i do find some of the ideas being toyed here and especially on the yandhi leaks super interesting, and not seeing them blossom in their full potential makes me sad.
@@onlinestonedogii Calling somebody "brain dead" for their subjective opinion on production doesn't fit the accedmic tone of this channel, and honestly isn't worthy of a reply.
Great review with two great precursor videos. I have been slowly enjoying this album more and more every time I listen to it and I'm glad someone else seems to appreciate aswell. My enjoyment, however, has come mostly from the music itself. I just love the way it sounds. The composition is immaculate, but after this review I will certainly be paying closer attention to the lyrics and themes of this album.
fantastic analysiis es of Jesusisking, this is a terrible time in life and culture to be immersing myself and enjoying for the first time Kanye West's discography, but the second those drums came in on my first listen of On Sight it was already over. for context, I think I sat down witg Yeezus for the first time in the dead middle and the dead quiet after the horrible horrible tweets but before vultures began creeping into sight. I thought/hoped kanye was dead (as a public figure) and I thought/hoped I was safe to listen. now it feels very bad. I loved vultures 1, too. I deleted it from all my playlists like a week after it dropped. cus I saw it in my friends' playlists and it made me think "God, they're insensitive!", and I realised then that I am no different. no victim of artistry. I'm not special because I'm an artist myself. this terribly timed love is a love icant stop and a love I must keep in the shadows. please please please kanye stop being so bad and evil please so we can walk through gardens through real sunshine together and I can be unafraid in love. I reckon my favourite album is Ye, by the way. AVAA
oddly comforting to see someone in the same sort of predicament. It's hard to say shit person, great art/music/performance when the person and their many faults are the art, and especially now when the art becomes a sort of vassal to express the artists awfulness, but somehow that doesn't negate the catharsis and inspiration and meaning that comes from it and idk, that's a very strange thing to sit with.
this is a great video and perspective, Prof Skye. i hated this record and most songs on it repulsed me personally - especially Closed on Sunday, but hearing you be so passionate about the project has made me look it over a second time. it's interesting how you point out the anti-capitalist themes when at first listen, i thought this project was the very opposite of that. but that was more of a knee jerk reaction without consideration of the actual text. (which, by the way, i still dont think is good. but your interpretation of them is great) i know i'm never gonna be able to cry while listening to Use This Gospel but at least now i can understand why a man would at such a song (LOL)
Even though I still don't like the album (I love every other Kanye record), this is a great review and really made me consider some things I haven't thought of before. I disagree with some of what you said, but your logic and reasoning is solid. Full speed ahead for Donda next week!
Revisiting this album, definitely grown on me. Only song I was meh about is Water due to the religious mantra/repetition of "Jesus is" (while is definitely in message of the album, would've liked a proper ye verse with Ant Clemons' angelic voice).
This may be the only review that ever had a hope of getting me to willingly listen to anything from Kanye. :) I honestly think that Kanye appears to have gone through some serious mental health issues. It has been so fascinating to see, as you discussed in detail, what happens when people who do seem to have some sort of major issues which they are working through also have power on a massive scale. Having gone through some dark times myself, I know that it can shrink the size of your perspective until you can barely see your hand in front of you, so to speak. In that mode, why would anyone be thinking about the long-term, world-wide scale of consequences for their actions? And that can be extremely dangerous. But what has astonished me is that sometimes, it can also be the only solution to a problem. Sometimes, the world gets stuck on certain things, and it takes a massive upheaval to change it, like the prison system. But that doesn't lessen the danger... Anyway, just some rambling to say - I do not like Kanye's actions, but I understand the massive impact he's had. And just maybe, we'll all get lucky and the bowl of spaghetti sauce tossed in the air will land on something we all wanted to paint red anyways? At least with the music scene, that seems to be the case so far.
If you’ve still never gave Kanye a listen, start off with Pinocchio’s Story on 808s & Heartbreak. Its a freestyle that will basically tell you a lot about why he is the way he is today.
I’m an atheist. And so I am so happy your daughter as an atheist could listen to, enjoy and find her own meaning in this album without being turned off by its references to god or Christianity. But it is amazing, isn’t it, how we can listen to Wu Tang sing about mustering people, listen to Kanye’s sexual exploits, listen to NWA commit some crime, and not have it bother us. But once god or religion is entered into the song, we become so guarded. As I said, I’m very happy to hear your daughter could get past this. A sign of good parenting.
It's just natural and healthy to be guarded when somebody comes at you with religion. At this point, most of us know it's the go-to tool for getting people to justify just about anything, whethet it's political atrocities, excuses for personal shortcomings or whatever. These murderous artists like NWA were so subversive particularly for their time because they were so upfront, transparent, and authentic. But religion is often very inauthentic. Especially in the way that Kanye delivers it on this record, and on Donda.
I love Gospel music but this album didn't feel Gospel. It's a decent album but compared to rest of Kanye's discography, this is his most underwhelming project.
If you get the chance and are interested, check out the RUclips channel Watching the Throne. They literally dissect every Kanye song and album line for line. They have a summary video of Jesus is King as well and I think they explain it in a way that makes it make more sense narratively. There's definitely subjectivity to it and you may not agree with every interpretation they have but I feel confident guaranteeing anyone who listens to them with an open mind, you'll start hearing Kanye albums differently and appreciate him more artistically.
I remember enjoying this album when it was released but I didn’t love it. But a wired thing happened where I went 18 months without listening to it. So when I went back to it this summer I was surprised at how good it is. Wow. What a great album. It is short, which I think is a key tennent to a successful Ye album. When his albums get too long flaws start to show. Now Closed on Sunday and Hands are definite skips I. This album, but other than that, this album is so tight. Really under appreciated. Really good vibes, beats, and flow (from song to song and verbally). With Ye (the album) and Jesus is King both being such short albums I find they are very complimentary. I used to pair Ye (another highly under appreciated album) up with Kids See Ghosts and play them back to back but Jesus is King is a much better pairing with Ye. So they make a great side A and side B. Let’s be honest Kids See Ghosts is so unique and powerful it doesn’t need to be paired with anything even with its short run time. I love how the album opens with Selah after Every Hour. Follow God and On God are both bangers. Then the album smoothes out with Everything We Need and Water. Very chill. And then God Is is a timeless classic. It could be any decade over the past 60 years. And Ye’s singing has gotten so much better since 808s. Truly great here. And to close out with Use This Gospel and Jesus is Lord are the perfect toppers. I think a lot of Ye fans will come back to this album and find a real gem. Truly brilliant.
Legit same thing happened to me. When it came out i didn’t even finish it (and i’m religious) i was like this is trash. 8 months ago i relistnef and its been on repeat ever since
This is a great video, I NEED to know if you have heard of Westside Gunn? Griselda the group is incredible, but Westside Gunn is an ARTIST. I recommend Hitler Wears Hermes 1-7, Pray for Paris, the song Overcomer is like his Playas anthem, Fourth Rope, FLYGOD, he has an Ep with MF doom RIP. I have spent the last 6 weeks listening solely to Westside Gunn lol
hey prof you da man. just noted your zara comment. Ye "Zara'd" (to copy) James Turrell spaces for his churches. From the Zane Lowe interview. Thanks for your thoughts!
Very interesting perspective. I'm not really sold on it though. JIK and Donda are most disappointed I've ever been by an album. And I'm 27, so I've had a few years to be disappointed by other things. Kanye seems to have lost himself. There's a long list of religious songs that I can appreciate and respect, including Kanye's earlier work. But these two albums bring to mind the most frightening aspect of religion, which is its ability to seemingly erase a person's entire identity. Once my favorite artist, Kanye is a person on these two albums who I just can't recognize, let alone relate to. I mean, the man is censoring cuss words on Donda.... preachers literally "stole his streetness". It seems like he's running and hiding from some aspect of his life that he refuses to come to terms with. It feels like a very inauthentic display of faith. Not to mention just very boring from a lyrical and musical standpoint, despite a few production highlights. That Chic-Fil-A line in particular irks me badly. Any attempt to divorce Chic-Fil-A from its primary reputation as an anti-gay establishment is a bit sinful in my eyes. Another force that weaponizes religion for the sake of cultural supremacy. I'm not usually one to hammer hard on a particular individual line like that, but paired with the Trump support, the right wing talking points in "Ye vs the People", and the sudden inauthentic abandonment of everything that makes Kanye Kanye, it leaves a disturbing and uncomfortable taste in my mouth.
@@professorskye I’m not a huge Kanye fan so couldn’t have guessed that sorry for pre judging. What’s the merch and why is it a confederate flag that’s confusing ?
@@mattferguson9532 Even if it was an unironical confederate flag that shouldn't stop you from listening to his perspective. It's easy to live in an echo chamber these days and completely ignore anyone who has diverging views to yourself but true growth comes from challenging your own thoughts and ideas.
Hi Professor,
Miguel here. Intern architect in SC. Love what you are doing and your reviews. Definitely revives my faith in music and artists.
This is such a good video. Even though i disagree and find JIK to be pretty disappointing musically and lyrically, your analysis and reading into the albums text is fascinating, and something i would have never even considered. It makes me want to listen to the record again and read harder into it, even though I dont like the songs and dont feel that my opinion on their quality would change that much
Brain dead take if you find JIK musically disappointing
@@SoloTheSlayer it just felt like all the pieces making up the songs never came together for me the same way they did on other kanye projects, before and after jik. there are good musical / instrumental ideas and phrases here, but in my view they didnt coalesce in the songs themselves or get developed to even anywhere near their potential. its frustrating, cuz i do find some of the ideas being toyed here and especially on the yandhi leaks super interesting, and not seeing them blossom in their full potential makes me sad.
@@onlinestonedogii Calling somebody "brain dead" for their subjective opinion on production doesn't fit the accedmic tone of this channel, and honestly isn't worthy of a reply.
@@nikkilee3840 probably true, but it gave me an excuse to babble a bit more about music and that’s always nice
@@SoloTheSlayer “braindead” get off the horse… and Kanye’s meat
Great review with two great precursor videos. I have been slowly enjoying this album more and more every time I listen to it and I'm glad someone else seems to appreciate aswell. My enjoyment, however, has come mostly from the music itself. I just love the way it sounds. The composition is immaculate, but after this review I will certainly be paying closer attention to the lyrics and themes of this album.
I could listen to you analyse Ye for days, thank you for putting in the effort that goes into making these
Was no ready for how chaotic good these earlier Skye videos are. Gonna need to replay JIK after this new lens to look through
First time I heard Real Friends I cried in the Meijer parking lot reflecting on how easily I lost touch with friends after going to college
fantastic analysiis es of Jesusisking, this is a terrible time in life and culture to be immersing myself and enjoying for the first time Kanye West's discography, but the second those drums came in on my first listen of On Sight it was already over. for context, I think I sat down witg Yeezus for the first time in the dead middle and the dead quiet after the horrible horrible tweets but before vultures began creeping into sight. I thought/hoped kanye was dead (as a public figure) and I thought/hoped I was safe to listen. now it feels very bad. I loved vultures 1, too. I deleted it from all my playlists like a week after it dropped. cus I saw it in my friends' playlists and it made me think "God, they're insensitive!", and I realised then that I am no different. no victim of artistry. I'm not special because I'm an artist myself. this terribly timed love is a love icant stop and a love I must keep in the shadows. please please please kanye stop being so bad and evil please so we can walk through gardens through real sunshine together and I can be unafraid in love. I reckon my favourite album is Ye, by the way. AVAA
oddly comforting to see someone in the same sort of predicament. It's hard to say shit person, great art/music/performance when the person and their many faults are the art, and especially now when the art becomes a sort of vassal to express the artists awfulness, but somehow that doesn't negate the catharsis and inspiration and meaning that comes from it and idk, that's a very strange thing to sit with.
Great review, enjoyed the analysis
your videos are so underrated
What would you think if Ye released yandhi instead of this album? Also a lot of people like yandhi more than JIK from what i've seen.
this is a great video and perspective, Prof Skye. i hated this record and most songs on it repulsed me personally - especially Closed on Sunday, but hearing you be so passionate about the project has made me look it over a second time. it's interesting how you point out the anti-capitalist themes when at first listen, i thought this project was the very opposite of that. but that was more of a knee jerk reaction without consideration of the actual text. (which, by the way, i still dont think is good. but your interpretation of them is great) i know i'm never gonna be able to cry while listening to Use This Gospel but at least now i can understand why a man would at such a song (LOL)
Girl ! I did not expect to find you there ! T_T you have good taste
Even though I still don't like the album (I love every other Kanye record), this is a great review and really made me consider some things I haven't thought of before. I disagree with some of what you said, but your logic and reasoning is solid. Full speed ahead for Donda next week!
please tell me you've seen the new dunkey video
EmmanuelMacaron2002 oh yes I did. Hilarious. As much as I love Kanye’s music, his fashion does escape me.
Great review! Would love to hear you expand your thoughts on the American prison system as well.
Dude, you're great
Did you get to see the JIK film? I loved it. Wish I could see it again.
Revisiting this album, definitely grown on me. Only song I was meh about is Water due to the religious mantra/repetition of "Jesus is" (while is definitely in message of the album, would've liked a proper ye verse with Ant Clemons' angelic voice).
This may be the only review that ever had a hope of getting me to willingly listen to anything from Kanye. :) I honestly think that Kanye appears to have gone through some serious mental health issues. It has been so fascinating to see, as you discussed in detail, what happens when people who do seem to have some sort of major issues which they are working through also have power on a massive scale. Having gone through some dark times myself, I know that it can shrink the size of your perspective until you can barely see your hand in front of you, so to speak. In that mode, why would anyone be thinking about the long-term, world-wide scale of consequences for their actions? And that can be extremely dangerous. But what has astonished me is that sometimes, it can also be the only solution to a problem. Sometimes, the world gets stuck on certain things, and it takes a massive upheaval to change it, like the prison system. But that doesn't lessen the danger... Anyway, just some rambling to say - I do not like Kanye's actions, but I understand the massive impact he's had. And just maybe, we'll all get lucky and the bowl of spaghetti sauce tossed in the air will land on something we all wanted to paint red anyways? At least with the music scene, that seems to be the case so far.
If you’ve still never gave Kanye a listen, start off with Pinocchio’s Story on 808s & Heartbreak. Its a freestyle that will basically tell you a lot about why he is the way he is today.
I’m an atheist. And so I am so happy your daughter as an atheist could listen to, enjoy and find her own meaning in this album without being turned off by its references to god or Christianity. But it is amazing, isn’t it, how we can listen to Wu Tang sing about mustering people, listen to Kanye’s sexual exploits, listen to NWA commit some crime, and not have it bother us. But once god or religion is entered into the song, we become so guarded. As I said, I’m very happy to hear your daughter could get past this. A sign of good parenting.
It's just natural and healthy to be guarded when somebody comes at you with religion. At this point, most of us know it's the go-to tool for getting people to justify just about anything, whethet it's political atrocities, excuses for personal shortcomings or whatever. These murderous artists like NWA were so subversive particularly for their time because they were so upfront, transparent, and authentic. But religion is often very inauthentic. Especially in the way that Kanye delivers it on this record, and on Donda.
Hey Skye, have you heard some of the leaked versions of Yandhi? Very interesting lyrics and songs.
Greetings from Germany
I love Gospel music but this album didn't feel Gospel. It's a decent album but compared to rest of Kanye's discography, this is his most underwhelming project.
If you get the chance and are interested, check out the RUclips channel Watching the Throne. They literally dissect every Kanye song and album line for line. They have a summary video of Jesus is King as well and I think they explain it in a way that makes it make more sense narratively. There's definitely subjectivity to it and you may not agree with every interpretation they have but I feel confident guaranteeing anyone who listens to them with an open mind, you'll start hearing Kanye albums differently and appreciate him more artistically.
I absolutely love this album, and I thought that it was an anti-religion album from my first careful listens too, it is good to see someone who agrees
I remember enjoying this album when it was released but I didn’t love it. But a wired thing happened where I went 18 months without listening to it. So when I went back to it this summer I was surprised at how good it is. Wow. What a great album. It is short, which I think is a key tennent to a successful Ye album. When his albums get too long flaws start to show. Now Closed on Sunday and Hands are definite skips I. This album, but other than that, this album is so tight. Really under appreciated. Really good vibes, beats, and flow (from song to song and verbally). With Ye (the album) and Jesus is King both being such short albums I find they are very complimentary. I used to pair Ye (another highly under appreciated album) up with Kids See Ghosts and play them back to back but Jesus is King is a much better pairing with Ye. So they make a great side A and side B. Let’s be honest Kids See Ghosts is so unique and powerful it doesn’t need to be paired with anything even with its short run time. I love how the album opens with Selah after Every Hour. Follow God and On God are both bangers. Then the album smoothes out with Everything We Need and Water. Very chill. And then God Is is a timeless classic. It could be any decade over the past 60 years. And Ye’s singing has gotten so much better since 808s. Truly great here. And to close out with Use This Gospel and Jesus is Lord are the perfect toppers. I think a lot of Ye fans will come back to this album and find a real gem. Truly brilliant.
Legit same thing happened to me. When it came out i didn’t even finish it (and i’m religious) i was like this is trash. 8 months ago i relistnef and its been on repeat ever since
This is a great video, I NEED to know if you have heard of Westside Gunn? Griselda the group is incredible, but Westside Gunn is an ARTIST. I recommend Hitler Wears Hermes 1-7, Pray for Paris, the song Overcomer is like his Playas anthem, Fourth Rope, FLYGOD, he has an Ep with MF doom RIP. I have spent the last 6 weeks listening solely to Westside Gunn lol
hey prof you da man. just noted your zara comment. Ye "Zara'd" (to copy) James Turrell spaces for his churches. From the Zane Lowe interview. Thanks for your thoughts!
The mixing on this album was initially pretty poor
Very interesting perspective. I'm not really sold on it though. JIK and Donda are most disappointed I've ever been by an album. And I'm 27, so I've had a few years to be disappointed by other things. Kanye seems to have lost himself. There's a long list of religious songs that I can appreciate and respect, including Kanye's earlier work. But these two albums bring to mind the most frightening aspect of religion, which is its ability to seemingly erase a person's entire identity. Once my favorite artist, Kanye is a person on these two albums who I just can't recognize, let alone relate to. I mean, the man is censoring cuss words on Donda.... preachers literally "stole his streetness". It seems like he's running and hiding from some aspect of his life that he refuses to come to terms with. It feels like a very inauthentic display of faith. Not to mention just very boring from a lyrical and musical standpoint, despite a few production highlights. That Chic-Fil-A line in particular irks me badly. Any attempt to divorce Chic-Fil-A from its primary reputation as an anti-gay establishment is a bit sinful in my eyes. Another force that weaponizes religion for the sake of cultural supremacy. I'm not usually one to hammer hard on a particular individual line like that, but paired with the Trump support, the right wing talking points in "Ye vs the People", and the sudden inauthentic abandonment of everything that makes Kanye Kanye, it leaves a disturbing and uncomfortable taste in my mouth.
5:51
Great review, loved the confederate flag that somehow disappeared 😀🤷🏽♂️.
Yeah, I had to take it down eventually. Its fine when Kanye does it, but probably not when I do!
But seriously, a very good review!
hi, i think he says dead religion, not dammed religion...
It was changed
Oh no confederate flag that’s my cue to leave
Totally understand , but please know it is a confederate flag from Kanye merch.
@@professorskye I’m not a huge Kanye fan so couldn’t have guessed that sorry for pre judging. What’s the merch and why is it a confederate flag that’s confusing ?
@@mattferguson9532 Even if it was an unironical confederate flag that shouldn't stop you from listening to his perspective. It's easy to live in an echo chamber these days and completely ignore anyone who has diverging views to yourself but true growth comes from challenging your own thoughts and ideas.
@@Thermolizer lol no. Confederate flag, Nazi flag, etc. isn't just an equivalent "perspective". It's just propaganda of the past. False dichotomy.
@@Thermolizer "Challenging your thoughts and ideas" by giving a bunch of your attention to people who justify slavery? No thanks clown.
What’s more capitalistic than charging an arm and a leg for your product? He’s trying to maximize profit which is literally the premise of capitalism.
… arm and a leg for what???
@@miggycox3062 his merch I believe is what he’s talking about