Best Hip-Hop Album of 2010? I think so. "All of the Lights," "Power," "Hell of a Life"... so many good songs on this one.

They are a big part of the genre for some people but not for others. I guess it's just me that has written off most of Kanye's lyrics and don't expect lyrical prowess from him.

When it comes to Power there is a specific line that I can relate to but other than that....I don't like his lyrics on Power overall and they showcase his weakness.

My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
Is honestly being prodded by these grown thoughts
Reality is catchin’ up with me
Takin’ my inner child, I’m fighting for it, custody

It seems his lyrical weakness is well attested. Surely, for something to be a rap classic, the lyricism must also be of a 'classic' nature. Perhaps, on the other hand, the spectrum of 'hip-hop' as opposed to simply 'rap' can be given a broader scope. DJ Shadow, for example, is often classified under the notion of 'instrumental hip-hop'. This album is certainly a classic in terms of beats, arrangements and sampling. But a 'rap' classic is is NOT. I defy anybody to claim that the rapping on this record is (on the whole) brilliant in terms of delivery, flow, rhymes and content. Any such assertion would be ludicrous beyond anything I can conceive of.

For good actual rapping of 2010, see Big Boi.

It is a great pity that Kanye cannot sing. He could have been the greatest contemporary R&B artist ever to exist.

ok, you're right. in terms of rapping, i'd say that as a whole this doesn't even compare to Kanye's older material much less more heavyweight contemporaries. some of his older stuff, like "All Falls Down", "We Don't Care", and "Last Call", i think reflect some of his best lyrical writing, and even then that doesn't make him the greatest rapper/lyricist.

But as for being some of the worst lyrics you've heard in hip hop, like you stated in an earlier post, it's not nearly as bad as some of the completely vapid sh*t in mainstream hip hop being passed off as lyrics.




so yeah, i'd say that you could do MUCH worse, and seeing as Kanye himself is one of the most mainstream artists today, i'd say his stuff is miles ahead of alot of the crap on the radio/tv. now i know this doesn't make him some kind of legendary rapper like Nas or what-have-you, but his stuff has gotta be worth something in current mainstream hip hop, doesn't it?

so yeah, i wouldn't say it's a great rap album either, but as a hip-hop album as well music in general, it's definitely something all it's own, so i'll agree with you on that as well.

Ok, I take that back. As you demonstrate, it clearly gets a *lot* worse.

But it sure damn well is tempting to overexaggerate Kanye's lyrical shortcomings where you have crazed fanboys waving their arms around calling him a "rap god".

haha yeah, but i say ignore the fanboys, cause fanboys usually tend to over exaggerate in areas where they clearly don't know anything. :hphones:

I honestly do not find the lyrics on this album to be weak at all, they're one of my favorite things about it. Please point out some undeniably weak lines (by Kanye).

Yeah I must be missing something. Even what he pointed out earlier wasnt really weak and there are x2 the amount of excellent lyrics on the album.

x2 the amount of excellent lyrics over and above what I quoted. That suggests the album has about 7 or 8 lines of excellent lyrics, which is probably a reasonable estimate.

To be fair, there are some nice lines scattered around the record. But the "wow" moments (words-wise) are few and far between. On the other hand, there are enough "wtf" and "no he did not" moments to keep me cringing for some time. Compare this to a real classic like, I dunno, Ready2Die or Illmatic, where virtually any two lines are just freakin' gold.

Yeah I get that you were just being funny but... You know what I meant! :/

Honestly, I think the best verse wasn't even by Kanye. My favourite is Cyhi the Prince's verse in So Appalled.

I love Kanye's lyrics in that track:


"Address me as your highness, high as united
Thirty thousand feet up and you are not invited
niggas be writin bull**** like they gotta work
niggas is goin through real **** man they outta work
That's why another goddamn dance track gotta hurt
That's why I rather spit somethin that gotta purp"

I really like this verse. There is so much rubbish being released at the moment which the public for some reason is lapping up. Kanye put something out which he put his heart and soul into. And it shows....

Kanye really bounced back after his dud of a record "808 and Heartbreaks." I was anticipating the release of this album and was not disappointed.

Ok, here's my updated thoughts.

The first 6 tracks of this album, other than the rhymes, are truly great. Musically, it is one of the strongest sets of openers on an urban album I have ever heard. But from then on, things teeter off a bit. I can tolerate So Appalled, but then things start to reach suckage. There is really little worse than having to listen to Kanye's autotuned vocals. The final highlight is Blame Game, which is a super track. The album enders are poo.

I'd agree with that. I really can't stand monster but devil in a new dress is great.

Exact opposite of this, haha.

I still don't see how the album is weak.

I also still think the album is fantastic.
The only part I've really grown tired of is Chris Rock's skit.

Just listened to Monster for the first time. Hated it. No quality verses to be had.

Mmhmm, mmhmm, that's whatever you were talking about for you.

I hate rick ross' corney little intro too. The song seems like such a step backwards from most of the album.

I like Monster.

Quite a bit, I might add.

Bitch I’m a monster no good blood sucker
Fat muthaf-cker now look who’s in trouble
As you run through my jungle all you hear is rumbles
Kanye West sample, here’s one for example

god **** that intro!

and jay z definitely phoned in his verse.

Best part of Monster:

Pull up in the monster
Automobile gangster
With a bad b-tch that came from Sri Lanka
Yeah I’m in that Tonka, colour of Willy Wonka
You could be the King but watch the Queen conquer
Ok first things first I’ll eat your brains
Then I’mma start rocking gold teeth and fangs
Casue that’s what a muthaf-cking monster do
Hairdresser from milan, thats what monster do
Monster Giuseppe heel that’s the monster shoe
Young money is the roster and the monster crew
And I’m all up all up all up in the bank with the funny face
And if I’m fake I aint notice cause my money aint
So let me get this straight wait I’m the rookie
But my features and my shows ten times your pay
50k for a verse no album out!
Yeah my money’s so tall that my barbie’s gotta climb it
Hotter than a middle eastern climate
Find it 20 mataran dutty whine it
While it, nicki on a pit while I sign it
How these n-ggas so one-track minded
But really really I don’t give a F-U-C-K
Forget barbie f-ck nicki she’s fake
She’s on a diet but my pockets eating cheese cake
And I’ll say boy the Chucky is Child’s play
Just killed another career it’s a mild day
Besides ‘Ye they can’t stand besides me
I think me, you and (?) menage friday
Pink wig thick ass give em whip lash
I think big get cash make em blink fast
Now look at what you just saw I think this is what you live for
Aaahhhh, I’m a muthaf-cking monster!

Overall I liked the song, but if you were to break down the verses individually none really stand out beside Nikki's. Why was Bon Iver even in that song? It runs on a little long simply for his repetitive lines that don't sound particularly good.

I must admit my inexperience when it comes to rap albums. I have only heard six rap albums prior to this one, all of them Eminem's. The best of them was Marshall Mathers Lp. This one, at the moment, seems to be ten times better than that. I'd heard a few Kanye singles before and thought they were okay, then this album comes along. Mindblowing.

"cuz the same people who tried to blackball me forgot two things: my black balls"

I absolutely love Gorgeous, its my favorite track, but i also love Dark Fantasy, Runaway and Blame Game. And All Of The Lights

I think it suffices as a summary of West's reprehensive and laughable vanity to quote the line where he asserts that if God were to have an iPod, then Kanye would be on His playlist. Seriously. Is there ANYTHING truly culturally or socially relevant about Kanye West?

I have heard that in the past he said that if the Bible were to be written today, then he would be one of the characters in it.

are you sure he's the one that said it? I thought it was cyhi da prince that said it

Whoever said it... just allowing such a line on your record is enough evidence of being a total douche bag.

I thought that was the purpose of the album... to emphasize that point.

That's actually one of my favourite lines on the album, btw.

If Adolf Hitler had an iPod, Kanye would have been on his playlist.

Adolf looks like more of an emo guy to be honest.

Dude you make it seem like having an ego is new to hip hop. Most rap lyrics are boisterous, it just comes down to saying your the **** in clever ways.

That god having an ipod line is cute, your ****ing over-thinking it.

Say that to me on judgment day.

What's judgement day? You mean wrestling? I can't afford pay-per-view.

why so serious?

I agree. You are overthinking it.

This reminds me of someone being offended because KanYe said Satan in a song.

I forgot to mention that :D

The whole 'iPod' line isn't really much more egotistical/self-promotional than most other Kanye songs, even if he wasn't the one saying it. It's not any more evidence of his being a douche than the other 1,439,094 lines on Dark Fantasy.

It's just not a very clever line. If I owned a gas station, God would fill up on gas THERE!

about the whole ego thing, I just think it's funny. And I'm just waiting for it to bring him down. My favorite rappers (as people) are ones with humility.

Given that it was the Prince dude who said the line, it probably is about as clever as the gas station analogy. However, had Kanye been the one to say it, then he'd be insinuating some kind of biblical relevancy on his part. In that way, it might have been a "clever" line, but a stupid one all the same.