Artists & Bands

Kanye West | Tunes + Guitar Lessons

Kanye's fearless experimentation and boundary-pushing productions have left a lasting mark on hip-hop and pop culture alike—proving that sometimes, genius and controversy walk hand in hand!

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Kanye West: Genius or Controversy? The Fine Line Between Both

Kanye West is a polarising figure in the music industry, with opinions about him often swinging between genius and madness. Some hail him as a musical innovator, while others label him as unpredictable, particularly after his 2020 bid for the U.S. presidency—an endeavour that, to many, highlighted his lack of suitability for political office.

Kanye’s journey began in the early 2000s, producing beats for Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella label. However, his aspirations quickly expanded beyond production, and by 2003, he was releasing his own material. His breakout moment came with the release of Gold Digger in 2005, which became his first #1 hit. The track, based on Ray Charles’s I Got a Woman, featured Jamie Foxx, who had portrayed the legendary musician in the 2004 biopic Ray.

By 2007, Kanye’s influence was undeniable with the release of Stronger, a song where he sampled Daft Punk’s Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. The track’s philosophical riff on Nietzsche’s “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” resonated deeply, and Kanye took the song through 75 mixes before he was satisfied with it—a testament to his perfectionist approach.

These songs—American Boy, Gold Digger, and Stronger—share something important: they all started as something familiar and were transformed into something fresh and unique. Kanye has mastered the art of taking established elements from hip-hop and pop culture, flipping them into his own creations. His ability to blend the old with the new and offer a twist on familiar sounds is a key part of his creative genius. This approach could be summed up by the phrase Familiarity with a twist, which aligns with Kanye’s method of innovation.

But Kanye’s genius is often overshadowed by the media’s focus on his personal life—his relationships, controversial statements, mental health struggles, and even his distinctive fashion choices. Yet, if you want to understand his brilliance, perhaps it’s worth focusing on his music rather than getting caught up in his public persona. With over 100 singles to his name, Kanye’s catalogue offers plenty of material to dive into and learn from.

At the end of the day, whether you love or loathe him, Kanye West’s impact on music is undeniable. And while his shoes might be a symbol of his success, it’s the music that speaks loudest.