The Life Of Pablo Review

"The Life Of Pablo" is the highly anticipated seventh studio album from rapper Kanye West.  The weeks leading up to the release of "TLOP" were filled with the confusion of when the album would actually drop, or even the official name of the album.  The album finally dropped after Kanye's performance on SNL (February 13th 2016) as I swiftly downloaded a copy.  The album also features a plethora of guest features such as The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown, Frank Ocean, and Rihanna.  

You can call this Kanye's attempt at a "White Album" as each track doesn't fit one mold.  His previous release "Yeezus" was met with mixed reviews as the Chicago rapper was at the height of his fame, and with that, the height of his eccentric behavior.  "TLOP" showcases a man in the spotlight who has settled into his role in pop culture; embracing everything that has been thrown his way.  The opening track "Ultralight Beam" is a great opener as the guest vocals helped propel this song to new heights; as the chanting gospel choir in the background gives the track extra depth. Chance The Rapper, and the stunning vocal stylings of Kelly Price make the song come full circle as I wished the remainder of the album followed suit. 

"Father Stretch My Hands Pt 1 & 2" seemed very filler as Kanye takes a full verse from Desiigner's song "Panda" in Pt 2.  This copy and paste effort gave these two tracks a very empty feeling as they stray extremely far from the style of "Ultralight Beam".  "Famous" helps the album regain some credibility as Rihanna gives the song a great hook accompanied by some hard hitting beats.  But still, with lyrics talking about how Kanye may still fuck Taylor Swift, my head shakes in disappointment when childish rhymes clutter an album that was so highly anticipated.

"Feedback" was a glimpse back to the "Old Kanye" as the song reminded me of a track that would be off of "Late Registration" or even "Graduation".  I'm glad he went back to his roots with this one as I was getting annoyed listening to a line of tracks that felt empty to me.  "Highlights" is a song that utilized gospel chants alla "Ultralight Beam" and turned out to be a strong point on an album so far comparable to a blind man punching the air trying to hit pay dirt.  "Highlights" gives some legitimacy to the album as the smooth R&B beats mixed with gospel undertones is an breath of fresh air like "Ultralight Beam".  "Freestyle 4" and "I Love Kanye" are more filler tracks that don't overstay their welcome.  The quick "I Love Kanye" is funny as he talks about how everyone misses the old Kanye, but isn't meant to be taken seriously. 

"Waves" featuring Chris Brown has a very catchy beat but I felt like I was listening to a song produced by DJ Khaled.  The repetitiveness was annoying although Chris' hook was well done in my opinion.  "FML" comes out of left field as the dreariness of the track opened up my eyes.  Kanye was on point with his somber lyrics and when The Weeknd shows up, the track becomes breath-taking.  The Weeknd and Kanye bounce back and forth in a well-balanced effort.  "Real Friends" lyrically speaks about how we all get caught up in our lives and that we don't make time for our real friends, as we only have a couple in this world.  "Wolves" has some great guest features (Frank Ocean, Sia) and overall is a solid track. I also believe it was the correct length before it became daunting to listen to.   "No More Parties In LA" put Kendrick Lamar up against Kanye and Kanye won.  In my opinion, Kanye put more care and control onto his verses as Kendrick's verse was good, but Kanye seemingly felt like he had something to prove on this track.

Final Summary:

"The Life of Pablo" is an album that lacks direction.  There are definite highlights such as "Ultralight Beam", "FML", and "Real Friends"; but there are more filler tracks than solid ones for me to consider this album a stroke of genius.  Kanye's effort is seen sporadically throughout this album and it seems to me that Kanye feels he doesn't have to prove anything to anyone anymore.  Kanye is using his high-profile status as the draw, and in my opinion, straying away from what made Kanye great in the first place.  I'm hoping with his apparent summer 2016 release we see more of the "Old Kanye" because just like on "Yeezus", "The Life Of Pablo" is all talk and no substance.

Rating: 6.3/10