Ka-ha-hanye! The latest Kanye West music release, Late Registration, follow-up to the oppositely titled, The College Dropout, has Kanye going in exactly that, an opposite direction in everything, except credibility. That part's intact.
It's getting tougher and tougher, as opposed to the 90's and even decades preceding, to place an artist strictly in a subgenre of a genre. Yes, Kanye West music is obviously in the hip-hop genre. But what type of subgenre does he really fall in? I mean, he does speak for "the people", in particularly America's African-American population, making the general population at large become aware of the crises that his brothers and sisters are going through. If not obvious from his music, it is obvious off the stage, regarding his recent opinion of U.S. President George Bush.
So what would that subgenre be? Political rap? "Folk-rap"? "Socioneconomic rap"? Can't really think of many others...
But here's some accurate thoughts on the subject. Kanye West music has socioenomical, and political influences. This aspect of his music is quite intact even through his latest release, Late Registration. Of the interesting approaches that he takes with this record is the anomosity that "brothers" may feel when one of their own "graduates" from their clan and "leaves" them.
Background tracks are gallore throughout both West's releases. The latest turn on Late, however, regarding the overall look and feel music-wise, is more raw and vibrant than its predecessor.
Music patterns of the late 60's and 70's; for example, Major7 to "minor"7 shifts, horn orchestra sections; occupy much of the background of Kanye West music on his current release. The first several tracks are vibrant in even another more current way, with more spicing of techno in the bass.
The College Dropout was a big pleaser to both fans and critic alike. Late Registration, which keeps a great distance away from a traditional sophomore slump (interesting how we don't see many of these anymore), should have no problem in similar pleasing, or even more, on most aspects.
While The college Dropout had several moments in it, for example strong stand-out tracks and singles, or even "what-the-****- was-that?!" moment of lyrics, there are less tracks on Late Registration that appear to stick out like a sore thumb. Don't get me wrong, it is still an excellent record, although as a whole, not because of just several spiky moments of ingenious Kanye West music.
