| mr. (im)perfect |

// Kanye West //
// My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy//

5 out of 5

When Kanye West tentatively named his 5th studio album Good Ass Job, it seemed he would do the expected and just make another hit record, no big deal. Unexpected, though, was West's now-famous MTV VMA stagebomb.  Mr. West has since made strides in redeeming himself but still struggles to win back that segment of his fanbase that just can't get over his douchebaggery. How ironic, then, is it that his glaring faults became the springboard to his latest triumph? Lauded as one of the most artistically diverse rap/pop albums of our time, Dark Twisted Fantasy stands out as an intimate look into the psyche of a modern hip-hop visionary.

Simply put, Dark Twisted Fantasy is Kanye at his dynamic best, crafting a balanced effort that is as sophisticated or simple as the listener makes it. With a stacked tracklisting that reads like a best-of, there's no doubt that the album is strong enough to garner acclaim from even the most critical music writers. What makes the difference between an "A" effort and "A+" like Dark Twisted Fantasy is the fact that it makes people feel things. If you should so choose, you are invited to delve deeper into West's schizophrenic, over-indulgent lifestyle.

Not since Eminem's "Love You More" have I felt this degree of "holy shit, what has this guy been through?" If it weren't for the luxurious instrumentation and story-time pacing of the album, there'd be little for Kanye's demons to hide behind. Take "Runaway," for example. Unfortunately, the "toast for the douchebags" hook is what most people remember the song by. The track finds the normally-egomaniacal West pointing the finger at himself for everything shitty he's ever done. I'm glad the Rick James sample (like live version he premiered at this year's VMAs) was added to the album version of the song. The "look atcha!" line adds to the track immensely, relentlessly taunting West at his most insecure moment. It is this brand of honesty that will continue to be Kanye's saving grace and downfall. As a real fan, it's not hard to appreciate the sincerity behind the lyrics.

For those not interested in the message behind the message, the album is tricked out with an impressive lineup of guest stars from John Legend to Elton John to Fergie to Nicki Minaj to big brother himself, Jay-Z. It's evident that Kanye aimed to go big on every track. He has effectively designed and constructed a sonic boardwalk, each song representing a landmark building with a unique structure and aesthetic. What ties everything together is a sense of an A-B-C progression (Minaj's storyteller intro sort of primes you for it). It begs for the listener to hear it in full, in this order only. When listening to the album, it seems to makes sense.

It's very hard for me to describe how rare an accomplishment Twisted Fantasy is. In the age of viral internet, it doesn't take long for the most obscure, unfinished track to be up- and downloaded thousands of times before the artist even knew it was leaked. Using Good Fridays, Kanye willingly gave away most of the album over the last few months. If the songs were anything less than classic, I would've been done with them a long time ago. I'm so not-done with this album that I had to go buy the CD and hear it as it needs to be heard. $14.99 plus tax later, I'm completely satisfied that I've heard it in all of its uncompressed glory. It's like those poor people who think waiting for Avatar to come out on DVD is good enough; no it's not, and you cheated yourself when you didn't line up to see it in 3D at the theatre. If you don't buy a hard copy of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, your ears will miss out on the last little bit of polish that you just can't get with an MP3.

Summary:  It's hard to classify Dark Twisted Fantasy as pop, rap, R&B, or hip-hop. The neatest description I can offer is: it spans multiple genres and weaves every version of Kanye West together seamlessly. What I call it is music for life. It's a soundtrack for people who act first and process later. It's fuel for those souls who want to be bigger and braver, but are crippled by insecurity and regret. For better or worse, we look to celebrities to give us a compass towards success. What Kanye West has done is told us a story about the riches, but also reminded us that success - however you measure it - can a nasty bitch. The music is great, but that was a given. What puts this album over the top is the fact that he didn't just write a few lines about living large, dating crazy bitches, or repeatedly drawing the wrath of a nation. He wrote whole songs about sensitive topics and packaged them as anthems. Perfect, through and through.

// Torrent //

// Mediafire //

^ but seriously, it's worth the purchase