August 21, 2004

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  I’m disappointed. I’ve listened to Kanye West’s disk a couple of times through now, once with lyrics. It’s not quite as ‘conscious’ as I had hoped. I guess I had based my preconceptions on the singles (the one w/ Brandy, Jesus Walks, All Falls Down, and the one with two other guys about taking care of the shit in your life). This album, contrary to my expectation, has the primary message of ‘Post Secondary School is a waste of time.’ In between two of the song is this:

  
  

  My dad died, and uh, he left me his degrees… and now, I’m just glad he left me these, because all the regular homeless people use newspapers, and look what I have… I’m going to learn too, so I to can die without money, but I’ll be the smartest dead guy. Who has that?

  
  

  This is the feel of a few of the songs. ‘I made it, and I dropped out of school first year. You should too. Dealing drugs will get you money anyway.’ That’s the honest message of one of the songs. Aside from that, this quote from ’All Falls Down’ sort of gives you the feel of his lyrics:

  
  

  I say fuck the police, cause that’s how I treat ‘em
  We buy our way out of jail, but we can’t buy freedom
  We buy a lot of clothes, when we don’t really need ‘em
  Things we buy cover up what’s inside
  Cause they made us hate ourselves, and love they wealth
  And that’s why shortys holla “where the ballas’ at?”
  Drug dealer buy Jordans, crackhead buy crack
  And the white man get paid off of all of that
  But I aint even gonna act holier then thou
  Cause fuck it, I went to Jacob with 25 thou
  Before I had a house, and I’ll do it again
  Cause I wanna be on park and 25, pushin’ a Benz

  
  

  It’s Like he knows it’s all bull shit, but doesn’t care. As a matter of fact, the first track is called “We don’t care.” It’s about how certain people (presumably poverty stricken black people) shoulder’s care about moral’s because they want to make money. Deal drugs, steal, fuck it all, just get money.

  
  

  And they DCFS some of them dyslexic
  They favourite 50 Cent song’s 12 Questions
  We scream rock, blows, weed park
  See now we smart…
  But we don’t care what people say

  
  

  Anyway, I guess I just set my expectations way to high. The kind of stuff I was hoping this was won’t be mainstream for a long time, if ever. I mean, musically the album is gold, and it does have a little more to it then most mainstream rap today. Ah well, I think I’ll throw on that KRS-One CD now.

  
  

  Golly more of that bullshit ice rap…
  But it’s cool to rap about gold…
  Always said if I rapped I’d say something significant
  But now I’m rapping ‘bout money, hoes, and rims again
  And it’s still all about the benjamins

  • 12:19 am
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