Why So Angry, Kanye?
I love music. It’s what I do. It’s very much a part of me. I have spent much of my time and money creating, performing and studying music.
Though I was raised on soul and educated on jazz, I love hip hop. I respect all great lyricists, but great rappers in particular because they flat out write more words per song than great singers do. I think it’s more challenging to write great lyrics to be rapped than great lyrics to be sung.
I love hip hop. I produce it, perform it, and listen to it daily.
I really like Kanye West’s first album “College Dropout.” I enjoy the song “We Don’t Care,” though I will admit that as an adult who works with lots of children, I cringe when I hear the kids singing “drug dealing just to get high / stack your money till it gets sky high.” I like Kanye’s second album “Late Registration,” too. I like one song from his third album “Graduation.” I hate every single thing about his fourth album “808s & Heartbreak.” I really like his collaborative album “Watch the Throne” with Jay-Z. Because my love for his work has decreased as his career as gone on, I don’t keep up with him as an artist as much as I used to, but I still think he is a tremendous producer and a gifted lyricist.
I have sympathy for Kanye West through his controversies. More than once in his career, Kanye has spoken in anger and said regretful, false words to the masses. I have done the same more than once in my life, though because I don’t have the platform, few have heard it. That doesn’t make Kanye’s outbursts any more detestable than mine, as I believe God hears everything. After Kanye calmed down following his outbursts, he publicly apologized. After I have calmed down following my outbursts, I have apologized. I feel for Kanye as he I and I both seem to be emotional people who sometimes have trouble keeping our tempers in check. We both struggle to control our temper and tongue.
Before I got to work this morning, I watched Kanye’s recent SNL performance of two of his new songs. Via my favorite homepage, Okayplayer, here is Kanye West performing two of his newest songs, “Black Skinhead” and “New Slaves” - http://tiny.cc/o53dxw
Through my studies, I have concluded that the four criteria developed by the 20th Century theologian and philosopher Francis Schaeffer are the best. I have come to understand his criteria and use them to evaluate works of art.
Technical Excellence: I believe Kanye wrote and performed these two songs with great technical excellence. I was particularly impressed by his use of musical space.
Validity: I believe Kanye created and performed these two songs honestly, with integrity to his personal worldviews. He is always honest.
Worldview Expressed: I believe Kanye’s worldview is focused on the wrong things, and he expresses them in these songs. It's all about anger.
Medium & Message: I believe Kanye's use of his medium of music - mixed with all the visuals - is suited to his message. His dark songs and intense performance express his rage appropriately.
Because I cannot agree with the worldview expressed - one of intense anger that is focused on the problem and not on the solution - I do not like these songs. I cannot like these songs. There’s nothing incredibly unique about the worldview that Kanye is expressing through these songs. There’s nothing uplifting or encouraging about the worldview that Kanye is expressing through these songs. I believe artists have power to influence, and therefore a responsibility to influence positively.
Why is he so angry? At 35 years old, he has 21 Grammy awards. His net worth is over $100 million. He seems excited to have a baby on the way with Kim Kardashian. To my knowledge, he has beautiful homes in Beverly Hills and New York and owns a Benz, a Lamborghini, and an Aston Martin. He regularly vacations in Hawaii and Italy. He supports noble causes such as public education through the Dr. Donda West organization, medical relief through Doctors Without Borders, and sick children through The Art of Elysium. He has the best musicians and studio equipment at his disposal at any given moment and gets to make music for a luxurious living. I understand that he also has significant family problems (join the club, Kanye) and has faced legal problems.
Okay, so there are still issues that Kanye is angry about. Fine. Good. I’m glad when people aren’t asleep to the problems our world faces. Kanye fights some of these problems through his philanthropic work. Yet his art continues to express rage. When it’s not expressing rage, it’s expressing pride.
I wish Kanye would use his platform and power to express positive messages to the many people that listen to him instead of constant rage and naïve pride. I think he should stop inciting intense rage and divisiveness. This country has innumerable problems. Is art created by one of the wealthiest musicians on the planet that expresses his rage the solution? Is pride admirable? Kanye doesn't seem interested in using his art to improve his world, but rather to let everybody know how pissed off he is and how much he thinks the world sucks.
Following the Boston Marathon Bombings, I saw this quote by Leonard Bernstein all over social media: “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.” I think that would be a much better use of art by somebody as talented and insightful as Kanye West. But it’s clear that he is missing something, or maybe many things. I guess all his wealth and accolades aren’t enough to bring him consistent joy, or peace, or faith, or strength through trials. I will pray for Kanye as I pray for myself to have those things as well, because I struggle with them too. I think God protected me when he redirected my career from being a performing artist to outreach and education. But I pray that I trust God all the time and do what I can to be a vehicle for this will. I'll pray the same for Kanye West. I pray that all artists recognize their power and responsibility. I pray that all artists desire to positively influence the world.