Kanye West has a new album but you morons are still talking about Taylor Swift, smh

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > No More Drake > Kanye West has a new album but you morons are still talking about Taylor Swift, smh

«‹›6 »

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

hey, so I guess the album is good

nothing to do except wait for the album to drop, then buy it, then listen to it in that order

# ¿ Nov 12, 2010 06:17

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 09:38

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

the monster video leaked, it's pretty lovely

i'd wait for the final cut before watching

# ¿ Dec 30, 2010 17:28

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

CharlieFoxtrot posted:

The epileptic section of the video is totally a reference to Gaspar Noe's Enter the Void

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPxgi-PiNFE

came here to post this, ye literally had hype williams make an amv

# ¿ Feb 19, 2011 21:24

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Ebjan posted:

I know this but I think it was one of the weakness things on the album. I wish I had the ability to cut it from my CD. When I buy a music CD I just want music. I don't need or want some talking, skits, jokes, follow up or background ramblings. Pure music.

I think the skit is part of the song really

if on an artistic level he considered it a skit i don't think he would have made us sit thru it like that

I mean if you gonna break up the interlude and who will survive you might as well have broken that skit out if it was just some throwaway thing

# ¿ Apr 4, 2011 02:15

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

A Typical Goon posted:

So where would people here rank this album out of Kanye's?

I'd personally say this is his third best. Just a little better than Graduation in my mind. I perfer College Dropout and Late Registration.

mbdtf is his best, graduation is probably his worst

for me

graduation feels like floundering after the exponential growth of his first two albums

# ¿ Apr 17, 2011 01:22

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

808s is better than you think

it kinda set the stage for what was possible in mbdtf

# ¿ Apr 17, 2011 08:26

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

monster vid finally came out

kanyewest.com is hosting it but that site folded vevo will have it soon

edit: haha all his vids come with disclaimers now

# ¿ Jun 5, 2011 07:23

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

This is apparently the tentative tracklist for watch the throne

http://www.dubraontherocks.com/post/6239008872

# ¿ Jun 6, 2011 10:32

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

something's gonna happen on monday

# ¿ Jun 13, 2011 00:06

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

ok so as it turns out we all got trolled the announcement was that frank "of" ocean is gonna be on watch the throne

sorry for getting yr hopes up word on the street was that the first single (lift off w/ beyonce and bruno mars) would drop

# ¿ Jun 14, 2011 00:53

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

uhh, mama's boyfriend (finally) has a studio version

http://www.mediafire.com/?cs3bcz4m6m9fo4a

# ¿ Jun 14, 2011 03:36

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

some kid posted:

1) NO CHURCH IN A WHILE - sick beat with heavy drums� frank ocean sings a hypnotizing melodic hook � jay-z has a great verse� theres a sick bridge with sorta distortiony like effects� sounds like what kanye did with bon iver on monster sort of� there were animal noises in the outro too� probably my favorite song on the album it was loving amazing
2) LIFT OFF - really good synths beyonce has a killer hook and kanye and jay both had pretty good verses on it i dont really remember them though� should be a mainstream success� all the bitches in the room when nuts when it was playing hahah
3) THAT poo poo CRAZY - HIT BOY PRODUCED its a ridiculous beat sorta like a better version of drop the world and more swagged out� samples blades of glory in one part quoting will ferrel at the beginning and goes �there is one song we will skate too� and one song only�� then the song starts� pretty dope verses from what i could tell should be a favorite its an absolute banger
4) OTIS REDDING - probably my other favorite song from the album� poo poo was amazing� soul sample for hook and chopped up the sample for the beat and it just builds up really well and is amazing� kanye has an ill verse and it is top 3 on the album
5) not sure of the name - mentions RZA in it so i think it was produced by him� there is a piano/sample driven beat� the sample is weird at first but it meshes really well � its sorta a weird vocal effect (the sample) and i dont really know what it was but the beat turned out very well� one of the deeper songs on the album and kanye reflects on his wrongs in life and how he wants his kids to grow up ego free and loved by everyone and jay reflects on the drug game
6) LIVING SO ITALIAN - loving amazinggggg� samples POR TI VOLARE!!!! no dj pauly d� its just a really laid back fun song and its super good i really really liked it they just rap over por ti volare basically
7) WHO GON STOP ME - This is where i got confused two songs were played in a row and i didnt know if it was two songs or just a beat change but i think it might jsut be one super long song� the first part is a cool soul sampke and ye and jay bounce off eachother� then the second part (possibly new song?) is a ridiculous club banger sounds like lex luger but refined and sophisticated and it just gets you so hyped and kanye has distortion when he says �who gon stop me� again and again � really great jay verse on this song
8) MURDER TO EXCELLENCE - sorta an african soul sample i would describe it as and it talks about black on black violence and talks about the murders in chi town and the violence in iraq� the beat switches up part way through i remember � don�t remember what the second part sounds like tho
9) SWEET BABY JESUS - drum baseed beat with sorta airy zoned out synths layered over it � frank ocean sings the hook talking about jesus and what not � kanye has amazing verses on this song and has some good lines
10)WHY I LOVE YOU SO - least favorite song for me� mike dean said it needs work hahahha � the beat is sick but the hook is kinda annoying � jay and ye have good verses though its very mediocre to me�

# ¿ Jul 9, 2011 05:26

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

The deluxe CD is gonna be in a metal case covered in (what will probably be a very thin layer) of gold. poo poo's so heavy that if you pre-order it, the shipping price is full fuckin $7

# ¿ Jul 15, 2011 13:35

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Good idea, terrible mastering http://www.goodmusicallday.com/2011/07/kanye-west-vs-notorious-b-i-g-suicidal-thoughts-runaway-white-lotus-mashup/

# ¿ Jul 18, 2011 03:48

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

OK:

is

No Church In The Wild feat. Frank Ocean
(K. West, S. Carter, C. Njapa, M. Dean, F. Ocean, G. Wright, J. Loudermilk, P. Manzanera. J. Brown, J. Roach)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Papa George Music (BMI)/EMI Blackwood Music (BMI)/Bug Music|Heavens Research (BMI)/Blue Mountain Music Ltd. o/b/o Catherine�s Peak Music (BMI)/Universal Songs of PolyGram International, Inc./Universal Cedarwood Publishing (BMI)/Universal Music-MGB Songs (ASCAP)/Dynatone Publishing Co. (BMI)/Intersong-USA (ASCAP)
Produced by Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978 and 88-Keys for Keys Open Doors, LLC

Lift Off feat. Beyonc�
(K. West, S. Carter, J. Bhasker, M. Dean, S. Samuel)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc./Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Way Above Music (BMI)|Sony ATV Songs LLC (BMI)/Papa George Music (BMI)/SPZ Music Inc. (BMI)
Produced by Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978, Jeff Bhasker, and Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions
Additional Production by Q Tip and Don Jazzy
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at Barford Estate, Sydney, AU
Additional programming by LMFAO, Anthony Kilhoffer and Hit-Boy for Very Good Beats
Mixed by Noah Goldstein, Mike Dean, LMFAO and Anthony Kilhoffer at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Additional vocals: Seal, Mr Hudson, Don Jazzy, Bankulli and Ricardo Louis
Beyonc� appears courtesy of Columbia Records
Seal appears courtesy of Warner Bros. Records
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Jeff Bhasker, Mike Dean, Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel]

Niggas In Paris
(K. West, S. Carter, C. Hollis, M. Dean, W. A. Donaldson)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Hit-Boy Music/U Can�t Teach Bein the shhh/Songs of Universal (BMI)/Papa George Music (BMI)/Unichappell Music, Inc. (BMI)
Produced by Hit-Boy for Hit-Boy Music Inc./Very Good Beats and Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978
Co-Produced by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions
Additional Production by Anthony Kilhoffer
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at Le Meurice, Paris, France
Mixed by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions and Anthony Kilhoffer at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Chauncey Hollis, Mike Dean, W. A. Donaldson]

Otis feat. Otis Redding
(K. West, S. Carter, H. Woods, J. Campbell, R. Connelly, K. Robinson, R. Hammond, J. Brown, J. Roach)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/EMI Robbins Catalog Inc. (ASCAP)/BMG Gold Songs/Hot Buttermilk Music, Inc. (ASCAP)/BMG Platinum Songs/First Priority Music (BMI)/Tufamerica Inc. d/b/a Swing Beat Songs (BMI)/Dynatone Publishing Co. (BMI)/Intersong-USA, Inc. (ASCAP)
Produced by Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Mixed by Anthony Kilhoffer at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Harry Woods, Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, Kirk Robinson, Roy Hammond, James Brown, Joseph Roach]

Gotta Have It
(K. West, S. Carter, P. Williams, J. Brown, J. Roach, F. Wesley, T. Pinckney)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc./Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/More Water From Nazareth Publishing, Inc./EMI April Music, Inc. (ASCAP)/Dynatone Publishing Co. (BMI)/Intersong-USA, Inc. (ASCAP)/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Music Inc./Donna Dijon Music Publications/Unichappell Music, Inc. (BMI)
Produced by The Neptunes
Co-Produced by Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at Tribeca Grand Hotel, NYC and (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Mixed by Noah Goldstein and Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Additional vocals: Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi appears courtesy of Universal Motown Records
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Pharrell Williams, James Brown, Joseph Roach, Tony Pinckney, Fred Wesley]

New Day
(K. West, S. Carter, R. Diggs, M. Dean, L. Bricusse, A. Newley)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Ramecca Music|Universal Music-Careers Publishing (BMI)/Papa George Music (BMI)/Richmond Organization o/b/o Musical Comedy Productions (BMI)
Produced by The RZA, Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978 and Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions
Additional production by Ken Lewis
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at Le Meurice, Paris, France and Tribeca Grand, NYC
Mixed by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Additional creative input: DJ Magnum
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Robert Diggs, Mike Dean, Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley]

That�s My Bitch
(K. West, S. Carter, K. Fareed, J. Vernon, J. Brown, B. Byrd, R. Lenhoff, J. Lordan)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Universal Music-Z Tunes (ASCAP)/April Base Publishing|Chrysalis Music (ASCAP)/Crited Music, Inc. (BMI). All rights administed by Unichappell Music, Inc. (BMI)/Regent Music Corp. (BMI)
Produced by Q-Tip and Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978
Additional Production by Jeff Bhasker
Recorded by Andrew Dawson, Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions and Anthony Kilhoffer at Avex Recording Studio, Honolulu, HI
Assisted by Gaylord Holomalia and Christian Mochizuki
Mixed by Q-Tip and Blair Wells at MSR Studios, NYC
Assistant Engineer: Chris Soper
Additional vocals: Ely Jackson, Connie Mitchell and Justin Vernon
Justin Vernon appears courtesy of Jagjaguwar Records
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Kamaal Fareed, Justin Vernon, James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Ronald Lenhoff, Jeremiah Lordan]

Who Gon Stop Me
(K. West, S. Carter, S. Joseph, M. Dean, J. Kierkegaard)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Sham Joseph Publishing Designee (BMI)/Papa George Music (BMI)/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (UK) Ltd. (PRS)
Produced by Sham �Sak Pase� Joseph and Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978
Additional Production by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Mixed by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Additional vocals: Mr Hudson
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Shama E. Joseph, Mike Dean, Joshua Kierkegaard]

Murder To Excellence
(K. West, S. Carter, K. Dean, L. Griffin Jr., S. Mescudi, Q. Jones, H. Mason Jr., J. Rosenbaum, C. Semenya, B. Summers, M. Modorcea, G. Modorcea)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc./Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Swizz Beats|Universal Tunes, a division of Songs of Universal (SESAC)/Vohndee�s Soul Music Publishing (ASCAP)/Papa George Music (BMI)/ Elsie�s Baby Boy|Kobalt Songs Music Publishing (ASCAP)/Universal Music Corp. o/b/o Warner Olive Music LLC (ASCAP)/Songs of Universal, Inc. o/b/o Warner-Barham Music LLC (BMI)/Imagem Sounds (ASCAP)
Produced by Swizz Beatz and S1 for Soul Kontrollaz Productions/Very Good Beats
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at Real World Studios, Wiltshire, UK
Assisted by Mat Arnold
Mixed by Anthony Kilhoffer at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Additional vocals: Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi appears courtesy of Universal Motown Records
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Kasseem Dean, Larry D. Griffin Jr., Scott Mescudi, Quincy Jones, Harvey Mason Jr. Joel Rosenbaum, Caiphus Semenya, Bill Summers, Mihaela Modorcea, Gabriela Modorcea]

Welcome To The Jungle
(K. West, S. Carter, K. Dean, M. Dean)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Swizz Beats|Universal Tunes, a division of Songs of Universal (SESAC)/Papa George Music (BMI)
Produced by Swizz Beatz for Swizz Beatz Productions
Co-Produced by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions
Additional production by Ken Lewis
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at Tribeca Grand Hotel, NYC and (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Mixed by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Additional vocals: Swizz Beatz, Acapella Soul
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean]

Made In America feat. Frank Ocean
(K. West, S. Carter, S. Joseph, F. Ocean)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Sham Joseph Publishing Designee (BMI)/Bug Music|Heavens Research (BMI)
Produced by Sham �Sak Pase� Joseph
Additional Production by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Mixed by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions and Anthony Kilhoffer at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Violin: Laura Escud�
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Shama E. Joseph, Frank Ocean]

Why I Love You feat. Mr Hudson
(K. West, S. Carter, M. Dean, P. Cerboneschi, H. Blanc-Francard, T. Camillo, M. Sawyer)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc./Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Papa George Music (BMI)/EMI Unart Catalog Inc. (BMI)/Kama Sutra Music, Inc. (BMI)/Because Editions o/b/o itself, Headbangers Publishing, Motor Bass and Love Supreme
Produced by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions and Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at Real World Studios, Wiltshire, UK and Barford Estate, Sydney, AU
Assisted by Mat Arnold
Mixed by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions and Anthony Kilhoffer at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Cello: Chris �Hitchcock� Chorney
Cello arranged by Mike Dean
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Mike Dean, Philippe Cerboneschi, Hubert Blanc-Francard, Tony Camillo, Mary Sawyer]

Illest Motherfucker Alive
(K. West, S. Carter, M. Dean, J. Luellen, S. Mescudi)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc./Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Papa George Music (BMI)/Southside Publishing Designee|Songs of Mizay (BMI)/Elsie�s Baby Boy|Kobalt Songs Music Publishing (ASCAP)
Produced by Southside for Mizay Entertainment, Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978 and Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at Real World Studios, Wiltshire, UK
Assisted by Mat Arnold
Mixed by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Cello: Chris �Hitchcock� Chorney
Cello arranged by Mike Dean
Additional vocals: Kid Cudi, Bankulli and Aude Cardona
Kid Cudi appears courtesy of Universal Motown Records
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Mike Dean, Joshua �Southside� Luellen, Scott Mescudi]

H�A�M
(K. West, S. Carter, L. Lewis, M. Dean)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc./Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Kimani/Mizay Entertainment, Inc./Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)/Copyright Control
Produced by Lexus �Lex Luger� Lewis for Mizay Entertainment, Inc.
Co-Produced by Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978
Additional Production by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at Real World Studios, Wiltshire, UK and (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Assisted by Mat Arnold
Mixed by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Cello: Christopher �Hitchcock� Chorney
Cello arranged by Mike Dean
Additional vocals by Aude Cardona and Jacob Lewis Smith
Creative Direction: Riccardo Tisci
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Lexus Arnel Lewis, Michael Dean]

Primetime
(K. West, S. Carter, E. Wilson, R. Simmons, L. Smith, M. Reid)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Let The Story Begin Music Publishing/Chrysalis Songs (ASCAP)/Universal Music Publishing (ASCAP)/Songs of Universal Inc. (BMI)
Produced by NO ID for Rich Daily Since �71
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Mixed by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Ernest Wilson, Russell Simmons, Lawrence Smith, Maureen. Reid]

The Joy feat. Curtis Mayfield
(K. West, S. Carter, C. Mayfield, P. Phillips, S. Mescudi, J. Cameron, J. Zachary)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Soul Brother #1 (ASCAP)/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)/Universal Music-Careers (BMI)/The Numero Group (BMI)
Produced by Pete Rock for Soul Brother #1 Productions and Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978
Additional Production by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions and Jeff Bhasker
Recorded by Anthony Kilhoffer at Avex Recording Studio, Honolulu, HI
Assisted by Gaylord Holomalia and Christian Mochizuki
Mixed by Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions
Keyboards, Bass: Mike Dean
Additional vocals: Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson and Pete Rock
Kid Cudi appears courtesy of Universal Motown Records
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Curtis Mayfield, Peter Phillips, Scott Mescudi, John Cameron, John Zachary]

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 02:30 on Jul 19, 2011

# ¿ Jul 19, 2011 02:08

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

poop posted:

That album cover is my favourite thing ever - and I'm not being ironic either. I just think its really awesome.

I originally hated 808's, but over the last month or so I have been listening to it a bunch more and I'm loving it so much more now.

It's his second best album and probably lends itself best to replays.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2011 05:27

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

something:

digital is droppin aug 1

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 05:18 on Jul 20, 2011

# ¿ Jul 19, 2011 23:20

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Funkmaster Flex might play "Otis" at seven eastern

http://www.hot97.com/HotStream/index.aspx

# ¿ Jul 20, 2011 22:57

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

lyrics off of a site

Otis posted:

[Otis Redding]
It makes it easier, easier to bear
You won�t regret it, no, no
No, girl they won�t forget it
Love is their home
Happiness yeah
Sq-sq-sq-squeeze her, don�t tease her
Never leave her�

[Jay-Z]
Sounds so soulful don�t you agree

I invented swag
Poppin� bottles, puttin� supermodels in the cab, proof
I guess I got my swagger back, truth
New watch alert, Hublot�s
Or the big face Rollie I got two of those
Arm out the window through the city I maneuver slow
Cock back, snap back
See my cut through the holes

[Kanye West]
drat Yeezy and Hov,
Where the hell ya been?
Niggas talkin real reckless: stuntmen
I adopted these niggas, Phillip Drummond �em
Now I�m bout to make them tuck they whole summer in
They say I�m crazy, well, I�m �bout to go dumb again
They aint see me cause I pulled up in my other Benz
Last week I was in my other other Benz
Throw your diamonds up cause we in this bitch another �gain

[Jay-Z]
Photo shoot fresh, looking like wealth
I�m �bout to call the paparazzi on myself
Uh, live form the Mercer
Run up on Yeezy the wrong way, I might murk ya
Flee in the G450 I might surface
Political refugee, asylum can be purchased
Uh, everythings for sale, I got 5 passports
I�m never going to jail

[Kanye West]
I made �Jesus Walks� I�m never going to hell
Couture level flow, it�s never going on sale
Luxury rap, the Hermes of verses
Sophisticated ignorance, write my curses in cursive
I get it custom, you a customer
You ain�t �customed to going through Customs, you ain�t been nowhere, huh?
And all the ladies in the house, got �em showing off
I�m done, I hit ya up mana-naaaa!

[Jay-Z]
Welcome to Havana
Smoking cubanos with Castro in cabanas
Viva Mexico, Cubano
Dominicano, all the plugs that I know
Driving Benzes, wit� no benefits
Not bad huh? For some immigrants
Build your fences, we diggin� tunnels
Can�t you see? We gettin� money up under you

[Kanye]
Can�t you see the private jets flyin� over you?
Maybach bumper sticker read �What would Hova do?�
Jay is chillin�, �Ye is chillin�
What more can I say? We killin� �em
Hold up, before we end this campaign
As you can see, we done bodied the drat lames
Lord, please let them accept the things they can�t change
And pray that all of their pain be champagne

uhhhhhh hhhh hhhhh...uhhh

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 17:15 on Jul 21, 2011

# ¿ Jul 21, 2011 01:57

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

official http://watchthethrone.com/otis/

# ¿ Jul 21, 2011 02:35

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

GET MONEY posted:

I found the lyrics entertaining and clever and now I'm actually excited for the album to drop. Hope they shoot a video for this or at least one of the tracks.

Video for Lift Off (featuring Beyonce, Mr. Hudson and Seal) has already been shot.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2011 04:16

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

I love how even though Jay Z might be half the rapping on WTT, it's still really a Kanye album. Or at least it still gets discussed in the Kanye thread.

I think "Otis" is a better song and has much higher aspirations than "HAM." It's scope is certainly bigger. "HAM" is just more immediately entertaining, which is why it's a Lex Luger piece more so than a Kanye track. If there are more "Otis" tracks than "HAM" tracks then WTT will have much higher replay value.

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Jul 21, 2011

# ¿ Jul 21, 2011 17:16

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Quick, before it's taken down
Australia feat Russel Crowe
http://rapdose.com/2011/07/22/kanye-west-jay-z-watch-the-throne-documentary

edit: a vimeo of the same http://vimeo.com/26776123

The first clip you hear in this is rumored to be off of No Church in the Wild.

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Jul 22, 2011

# ¿ Jul 22, 2011 19:27

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Both links of the doc have been taken down. The limited edition of Watch the Throne is now sold out, and pre-orders on watchthethrone.com have been closed. The album is now up for pre-order on iTunes for $15.

# ¿ Jul 23, 2011 05:35

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Yeah, thanks for that link. There's another link from Def Jam floating around, but try whatever you can I guess.

Meanwhile, the album STILL isn't done yet: progress in ProTools as of 17 hours ago--

# ¿ Jul 23, 2011 20:46

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Nope, he wasn't done when the pictures went up.

http://twitter.com/#!/virgilabloh/status/94593563991617536

Meanwhile, http://gallery.kanyewest.com/ Kanye's old lovely tumblr is back up.

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 23:35 on Jul 23, 2011

# ¿ Jul 23, 2011 23:32

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

atrus50 posted:

something's gonna happen on monday

This again.

edit: This is honestly getting kind of silly. There's just no news about anything right now, and I don't think that anybody, Ye and Jay included, really knows the whole story of what's going on.

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 00:00 on Jul 25, 2011

# ¿ Jul 24, 2011 23:23

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

atrus50 posted:

Nope, he wasn't done when the pictures went up.

http://twitter.com/#!/virgilabloh/status/94593563991617536

Meanwhile, http://gallery.kanyewest.com/ Kanye's old lovely tumblr is back up.

Looks like the dude just finished this friday. http://fuckyeahmikedean.tumblr.com/post/8024638593/done

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Jul 25, 2011

# ¿ Jul 25, 2011 03:12

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Tour http://idj.to/nFjLdv

We may need a new thread for (he (hrone.

# ¿ Jul 25, 2011 12:00

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Otis will be by spike jonze

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 13:40 on Jul 28, 2011

# ¿ Jul 26, 2011 20:36

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Also, the case is not metal anymore

# ¿ Jul 28, 2011 21:09

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Aw, man Def Jam's leaking it themselves on Monday
http://hiphop-n-more.com/2011/07/watch-the-throne-worldwide-listening-session-on-august-1st/

# ¿ Jul 29, 2011 16:50

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

All right no news yet but apparently somethings gonna happen tonight at a planetarium with wild animals from brooklyn zoo

edit: For what it's worth, this is apparently the planetarium in question http://www.amnh.org/rose/

edit2: vvvvvvvvvv as to why it's a planetarium, this song

Lift Off feat. Beyonc�
(K. West, S. Carter, J. Bhasker, M. Dean, S. Samuel)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc./Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Way Above Music (BMI)|Sony ATV Songs LLC (BMI)/Papa George Music (BMI)/SPZ Music Inc. (BMI)
Produced by Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978, Jeff Bhasker, and Mike Dean for Dean�s List Productions
Additional Production by Q Tip and Don Jazzy
Recorded by Noah Goldstein at Barford Estate, Sydney, AU
Additional programming by LMFAO, Anthony Kilhoffer and Hit-Boy for Very Good Beats
Mixed by Noah Goldstein, Mike Dean, LMFAO and Anthony Kilhoffer at (The Mercer) Hotel, New York
Additional vocals: Seal, Mr Hudson, Don Jazzy, Bankulli and Ricardo Louis
Beyonc� appears courtesy of Columbia Records
Seal appears courtesy of Warner Bros. Records
[NFP: Kanye West, Shawn Carter, Jeff Bhasker, Mike Dean, Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel]

apparently samples a space shuttle launch

the wild animals (which may or may not be real/relevant; for a fact they did visit the brooklyn zoo this morning) might just be mike dean having a laugh, but wild animals are sampled on

No Church In The Wild feat. Frank Ocean
(K. West, S. Carter, C. Njapa, M. Dean, F. Ocean, G. Wright, J. Loudermilk, P. Manzanera. J. Brown, J. Roach)
Please Gimme My Publishing|EMI Blackwood Music Inc. (BMI)/EMI April Music, Inc.|Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/Papa George Music (BMI)/EMI Blackwood Music (BMI)/Bug Music|Heavens Research (BMI)/Blue Mountain Music Ltd. o/b/o Catherine�s Peak Music (BMI)/Universal Songs of PolyGram International, Inc./Universal Cedarwood Publishing (BMI)/Universal Music-MGB Songs (ASCAP)/Dynatone Publishing Co. (BMI)/Intersong-USA (ASCAP)
Produced by Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop since 1978 and 88-Keys for Keys Open Doors, LLC

also somehow involved in all of this is shark week.

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 22:21 on Aug 1, 2011

# ¿ Aug 1, 2011 18:12

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

edit: lol, Twitter.

Some misc. info http://ambrosiaforheads.com/2011/08/watch-the-throne-the-listening-party/
Pictures http://www.rap-up.com/2011/08/01/jay-z-and-kanye-west-host-star-studded-listening-for-watch-the-throne/
Some random lady's review http://www.ebtheceleb.com/2011/08/eb-celeb-attends-watch-throne-listening.html

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 04:29 on Aug 2, 2011

# ¿ Aug 1, 2011 23:03

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Alright, here's a track by track breakdown from more reputable sources

okayplayer posted:

Y�all know we have been watching The Throne fairly closely and last night�a few hours ago, really�we were lucky enough to attend an exclusive listening session for the forthcoming Kanye & Jay-Z magnum opus (drops today or one week from today, depending who you believe) at the Hayden Planetarium inside New York�s American Museum of Natural History. �Listening Session� maybe doesn�t cover it, though, since the immersive experience came with an IMAX light show and also had a surreal performance art dimension to it.

The invite was for 6pm but up until 9:15 I would have described it as the worst music industry clusterfuck I have ever had the displeasure to attend: the line was glacially slow, phones were confiscated and movement between the VIP area and two seatings in the planetarium�s theater was handled both mysteriously and rudely. Nothing was ever actually announced or communicated, full-on stampedes (ever seen people stampede and still try to act cool at the same time?) between two different waiting areas, packed elevators, and two different theater entrances being initiated by panicked rumors from the confused model types who circulated back and forth, desperate to get close to the stars.

The end result, however, was worth it.

In the end Kanye only appeared to press play and then thank everybody when the lights came up (Jay never appeared outside the VIP area, though he stayed long enough to get his picture taken and prove he was there. What follows is a track-by-track impression of Watch the Throne as we saw and heard it under the dome of the planetarium.

�No Church in the Wild� f/ Frank Ocean � The first track starts in darkness, Ocean�s voice crooning over a relentless bassline �Whats a king to a God / a god to a non-believer�?� Later we hear the words �your love is my scripture.� But, possibly inspired by Frank O�s novacane swag, (he sounds more like a star in the making than ever) The Throne talk more about white powder than love or holy wine. Jay compares his influence to �the rock, got the whole game bleached.� Kanye adds: �Coke on black skin got her striped like a zebra / I call that jungle fever.�

Constellations twinkle in the artificial sky of the planetarium theater and the template for the album is established. It feels like a Kanye record in terms of musical vision�with artful arrangements and a rock-opera sense of the dramatic�but Jay leads off the rapping, setting the lyrical pace and a certain dark momentum.

(oboe interlude)

�Lift Off� (f/ Beyonc�) � Beyonce�s voice belts �Take it to the moon and stars, takin� it to Mars� over a bassline so thick it is almost Sleng Teng, as actual moons and stars wheel overhead and rave beeps count out in �you�re a jerk� time.

�Niggas in Paris� � Mosty a mantra of �That poo poo crack / ball so hard� amplified a million times by the oh-poo poo, geek-out effect of the bass drop being synched to the explosion of a dino-killing comet burning up on reentry to the atmosphere, then wreaking havoc across Earth�s surface.

�Otis� (f/ Otis Redding) � A lots been said already but I�ll just add this: this might be the happiest record on the album. And watching the milky way morph and pulse to an Otis Redding loop is a little bit like the cosmic and prehistoric diversions of Terence Malick�s Tree of Life�like: this poo poo is amazing but what the hell is it doing in this movie?

�Gotta Have It� � Kanye starts off with �Hello white America, assassinate my character�� over a vocal sample so high and eerie it could be a tribal chorus of Deep Forest-style pygmy voices, punctuated with an almost undecipherable punch-phrase that could be: �what you need?� This whole album is going to go hard.

�New Day� � An auto-tune voice that is not Frank Ocean�the chords are familiar but not recognizable yet. Kanye: �I�ll never let my son have an ego / I make sure he act nice wherever we go / Maybe even make him be a Republican�� Jay matches his father-anxieties, closing out the song with: �My dad left me and I promised never to repeat him�� then repeats the phrase three or four times for emphasis. The hook-voice is now recognizable as a Nina Simone interpolation: �It�s a new day / it�s a new life for me� over whale-song guitar riffs you would expect from a Pink Floyd record.

�Prime Time� � Mostly registers as a fast break, like a sped-up �DWYCK,� and is cut pretty short, either an interlude or edited for this presentation.

�Welcome to The Jungle� � Beat seems Cam�ron & Vado-inspired. The voice that says �Welcome to jungle� could be Swizz Beats. Jay�s most memorable line is �My tears are tatted / rag in my pocket� and the overall theme seems to be the existential crisis of a gangster who escapes �the life,� the depression that comes with success.

(oboe interlude)

�Who Gon� Stop Me� � �I Can�t stop� (could be Pusha T�s voice?) Kanye comes the closest here to the juvenile lyrical genius that is his trademark: �Ixnay off the dixnay / That�s pig latin, bitchnay.� (A star storm rains down from the IMAX). Jay raps: �Black car, black bra, black strap / You know what that�s for.� The bass is dubstep or crunk at its most psychedelic. �The only thing that can stop me is me.�

�Murder to Excellence� � One title for what is really two tracks, �Black on Black Murder� and �Black Excellence,� a meditation on the �first and worst� status of black America. �We weren�t even supposed to be here,� Jay raps �So I�m just celebrating my post-demise.� Kanye recounts Fred Hampton�s death at the hands of the police and compares the number of deaths in Chicago and Iraq on a given day. Kanye hits some of his best balling-but-depressed lines with: �ain�t nothing on the news but the blues / go to the mall, buy some Gucci / now ain�t nothing new but the shoes.� The music changes for the �excellence� part which ends humbly on �Black Excellence, truly yours�� and ride outs on a tough dancehall pattern.

�Sweet Baby Jesus� (f/ Frank Ocean) � A sweet melody that might be the choice for single, if only so it can win a Grammy. Frank O sings the black hagiography of �Brother Malcolm / Queen Betty / Sweet Baby Jesus � we made it in America.�

This one brings the themes of the whole album together. Watch the Throne is definitely an opus of some kind�maybe an examination of the black experience kind of the way a Scorcese or Coppolla film does the Italian; instead of shying away from the stereotypes and gangsterisms, dive into them to find the universal; the aspiration, the doubt, the pride and shame, even the family values. Two thirds in, the album gets heavy� not in the way an M.O.P. or Mobb Deep album ever did�but almost heavy as in metal, even though the clean production makes it dark, aggressive pop rather than recognizable rock.

�Why I Love You (Feat. Mr Hudson)� � Feels more like a PS than a closer and ends abruptly with: �Lord forgive �em for these n**gas know not what they do.� And the theater goes black.

ddot posted:

No Church In The Wild � sets the tone in a way so compelling that you know this album is going to deliver some level of greatness. The beat itself is somewhat in the same vein of Novacane, on steroids. 88-Keys definitely earned top 4 placements with this one. Lyrically it was promising as well with Yeezy kickin a hilarious bar along the lines of �Coc on black skin got her striped like a zebra, now that�s that jungle fever� but the chorus was like �what�s a King to a God, what�s a God to a non believer�.

Lift Off � This a big and powerful record, sound wise. The beat is going to take your ears somewhere you didn�t expect to go, the name is aptly chosen here. While I�m pretty open about not being a Beyonce fan, I�d be a hater to say she didn�t make this joint hot.

Niggas In Paris � Hit-Boy knocked this one out the park, and The Throne laid down mean rear end verses. Sonically, the track itself stands out with the drums and other sounds blended in.

Otis � Sounds like interlude rap in comparison to the other records, both lyrically and the beat, while the Otis Redding sampled is flattering and refreshing, once you get passed this the album picks up again. One point that got across clear is that, if you mess with his little brother, there�s a good chance Hov�s bodyguards might murk ya.

Gotta Have It � The beat vocal sample is weird but it works, once it drops the bass hits. �I�m plankin� on a Million� � Hov

New Day � This is where the introspective and thought provoking side of the lyrical content starts to rear it�s head. You hear Kanye and Jay talking to unborn heir�s of The Throne. While the concept isn�t ground breaking, the words and emotion put into this make it undeniable. �My dad left me and I promised never to repeat em (never repeat em, never repeat em, never repeat em)� � Hov

That�s My Bitch � DOPE record, the way this was revamped in comparison to the leaked shell version of it, deserves an applause. Nothing dramatic but the full completed record will please the fans who were in limbo as to whether or not this would make the cut. Hov added some bars before he gets to �back to my Beyonce�s� or at least changed some words. Kanye�s mumbling are now words (�pop champagne, i�ll give you a sip�) and Justin Vernon adds a nice touch.

Welcome To The Jungle � An easy contender for the #1 or #2 spot as far as production goes. Swizz Beatz must have been saving this enclosed behind a �in case of emergency, break glass� window. Hov destroyed this in my opinion, by being so vulnerable in his verse, add to the fact the flow was flawless. He begins his self diatribe as the �Black Axel Rose�. From there it get crazy and you feel the pain conveyed in every line.

�My uncle died, my daddy did too, I�m numb from the pain, I can barely move. My nephew gone, my heart is torn. Sometimes I look to the sky, ask why I was born�

�Rest in peace to the leader of Jackson 5″

�where the gently caress is the Sun? It�s been a while. Momma look at ya son, what happen to my smile?�

�my tears is tatted, my gat in my pocket, I�m just lookin for the love I know someone got it�

�I look in the mirror, my only opponent�.

Who Gon Stop Me � Superb, I knew from hearing the original record that this would be problematic, in a good way. You�re going to love how it was transformed to switch up at certain transitions and breaks really sealed the deal. Hands down one of the best tracks here, from bars to sound, pretty much all around. This has the potential to shut dance floors down at the club. Kanye storms in on the first verse rhyming in pig latin �Ixnay of my Dicks-nay, that�s pig latin, bitch-nay�. The Verse Simmonds penned hook is brilliantly ignorant: �Black rims, black cards, Black on back, black broads, whole lotta money in a black bag, black strap, you know what that�s for�. Hov stand outline: �Did all this without a diploma, graduated from the corner�.

Murder To Excellence Kanye utilizes his vocals much in the way he did in Runaway, and compliments the echoed voices sewn within the track.

Made It In America This song will tug at heart strings and bring out emotion as Frank Ocean serenades this track like a young Sam Cooke, singing the sorrow in honor of fallen leaders �Sweet brother Malcolm, Queen Betty Shabazz� �Sweet Coretta�

The guardian.co.uk posted:

Is it possible for a listening party to be too opulent? Not for hip-hop's two biggest stars, Jay-Z and Kanye West, who held a party for about 400 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York on Monday to celebrate their long-promised collaboration, Watch the Throne.

A bar boasting acres of hors d'oeuvres (we sampled chicken and pineapple satay, lobster rolls, and sweet potato fritters with caramel-pecan glaze), and string-heavy 70s soul set the mood for the main event. Or, more cynically, helped lull a bunch of hacks into hitting Twitter as soon as their mobiles were returned after the playback, praising the album to the skies. (Search #watchthethrone and scroll down for the full, OK-guys-that'll-do details.)

It didn't hurt that the playback was held in the planetarium, under images of shifting constellations. There were plenty of real-life star bodies as well: Q-Tip, who co-produced two of Watch the Throne's tracks (Lift Off, featuring Beyonc�, and Prime Time) was in the domed auditorium before the gathered throng, and he was eventually joined by Kelly Rowland, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Busta Rhymes, among others. But none of it would have meant anything if the album had disappointed. Itdidn't.

That isn't to say it's an obvious classic � one listen isn't enough to determine that � but it is impressive. Both rappers sound hungry, if restrained, like they're giving each other room. Kanye keeps looking for new angles, both lyrically and in rhyming cadence, while Jay-Z seems more like he's comfortable taking aim, firing and hitting. When it was over, Jay-Z got explained that the album took nine months and three attempts to make. One was finished and, apparently, impressively bombastic but not particularly listenable. Good for them for being shrewd enough to know the difference.

Track-by-track review:

1. No Church in the Wild (ft Frank Ocean)

(prod. Kanye West and 88-Keys)

Over stalking bass, Kanye murmurs "What's a king without a god?" before Jay-Z fires off a strong verse. West is sly and clipped, describing someone as "striped like a zebra/ I call that jungle fever." Frank Ocean sings the hook through a vocoder.

2. Lift Off (ft Beyonc�)

(prod. Kanye West, Mike Dean, Jeff Bhasker, Q-Tip and Don Jazzy)

As galaxies form overhead, Beyonc� sings "Take you to the moon/ Take you to the stars." Now that's selling it. The track is bombastic � the synths recall The Final Countdown by Europe, full of triumphalist opulence.

3. Niggas in Paris

(prod. Hit-Boy, Kanye West, Mike Dean and Anthony Kilhoffer)

This percolating track could have been produced by Wiley, with sick sub-bass and a snare that sounds like static. Both rappers are in excellent form, with Jay-Z repeating "That poo poo cray" � we are left to fill in the "-zy". Kanye begins in half-time and speeds up. Among the lines that jump out: "I'm suffering from realness" and "Don't let me get in my zone." A standout track.

4. Otis (ft Otis Redding)

(prod. Kanye West)

You know this one already � more beats tied to the bass, as is largely the case on the three tracks preceding it.

5. Gotta Have It

(prod. the Neptunes and Kanye West)

Kanye: "LOLOLOL, America/ Try and assassinate my character."

6. New Day

(prod. RZA, Kanye West, Mike Dean and Ken Lewis)

Now here's a song topic: how Jay and 'Ye plan to raise their as-yet-hypothetical boys. Kayne: "I won't let my son have an ego/ Be nice to everyone wherever we go." And later, in a nod to his notorious comment about George W Bush, he talks about raising his son "Republican, so they know he likes white people".

7. Prime Time

(prod. Q-Tip, Kanye West and Jeff Bhasker)

Throwback time! The scratched-in "ba-bada-you" from Public Enemy's Brothers Gonna Work It Out, the Incredible Bongo Band's Apache conga break, and a chorus that is "very late-80s". Of course it is � they sampled it from La Roux.

8. Welcome to the Jungle

(prod. Swizz Beatz, Mike Dean and Ken Lewis)

Squabbly, mnemonic guitar forms the backdrop here. Great twist on an already worn theme: Jay-Z's "Rest in peace to the leader of the Jackson 5."

9. Who Gon Stop Me

(prod. Sham "Sak Pase" Joseph, Kanye West and Mike Dean)

"I can't stop-op-op-op-op-op": Romping, ravey synths, a big stomp without much give. West: "This is something like a holocaust/ Millions of our people lost."

10. Murder to Excellence

(prod. Swizz Beatz and Symbolyc One)

The obvious centerpiece of the album, its grandest statement: "It's all love," Kanye raps, "I love us" � meaning black America. "Pay-per-view murder/ Black-on-black murder," goes one oft-repeated line, with "black excellence" later replacing it. Congas courtesy of William DeVaughn's Be Thankful for What You've Got.

11. Sweet Baby Jesus (ft Frank Ocean)

(prod. Sham "Sak Pase" Joseph and Mike Dean)

Instead of looking forward to new family, this one looks back at old: Jay-Z raps about his "grandma" (which he rhymes with "star-spangled banner"), Kanye talks about meeting his producer No ID in Chicago and "getting high on my own supply" � of beats, naturally.

12. Why I Love You (ft Mr. Hudson)

(prod. Mike Dean and Kanye West)

Mr Hudson's hook sounds like a pitch-shifted old Ratt record, shrieking hair-metal bombast. The track and verses are pretty good, though, with Jay-Z snarling, "Got a pistol under my pit bull." The song, and album, ends abruptly, which is satisfying.

village voice posted:

The Throne (Watch The Throne listening session)
Hayden Planetarium
Monday, August 1
Better than: any listening session I've ever been to.

Album listening parties have almost always existed as excuses to drink on the record company's dwindling dime, the music itself largely ignored; background noise beneath layers of industry chit-chat, forgotten in an anonymous bar. The last two Def Jam/G.O.O.D. Music parties�this, and Big Sean's night at the Standard in June�have been something else: big-budget affairs where music is to be heard, visuals seen. You want to be social? Stay home.

No phones. No cameras. No electronics of any kind. No +1's. No ifs, ands, buts, or Tweets.

Last night's Watch the Throne event, held at the Hayden Planetarium at the Natural History Museum, was akin to a movie premiere. (If I were a worse writer, I'd say that the stars came out!!! LOL.) Kanye and Jay-Z laughed alongside one another, putting certain rumors to bed. Beyonc� hugged Kelly Rowland; photographers caught Jada Pinkett, Q-Tip, Gayle King and Andre Balazs; Busta Rhymes wore a long-sleeved Team Russia rugby jersey, even though it was a million degrees out. DJ Khaled literally climbed over seats. John Meneilly, Jay-Z's business manager, ran around the third floor frantically asking strangers, "Do you know Grizzly Bear? Have you seen Edward?"

Throughout the night, a thousand people were corralled into the planetarium like so many elementary school classes, moving down rows of cinema seating and staring upwards at the domed ceiling. As the lights went down, necks tilted back to see visuals by way of G.O.O.D.'s resident wunderkinds Mike Waxx and Mike Carson; it was like a Microsoft screensaver on Five Hour Energy�appropriate for a voyage into the uncharted and the unleaked. Planets spun around as if on dizzy bats; constellations turned to blurs, their speed warping with the press of a button. Honestly, it's a shame that everyone can't listen to this album in this way, because it felt so right.

But all of the spectacle would mean nothing if the music wasn't good. It is. It's very good, borderline great, and thank God for that: a Best of Both Worlds Redux would've left hip-hop without a clear leader, and with all of these Tea Party rappers making their way up in the ranks, it would've been disastrous for the industry.

Anyway, on to the actual track-by-track breakdown. There was a lot to get, and I didn't nearly come close to getting it all. My immediate thoughts�taken in a pitch-black room, scribbled in a non-electronic notepad, liable to change on further listens�are below:

1.) "No Church in the Wild": Frank Ocean makes good use of his time on Watch The Throne; his hooks steal the show. His voice heavily processed over a bedrock of thundering drums and marching rhythms, Frank asks, "What's a king to a god? What's a god to a nonbeliever?" Kanye sounds like his vocal cords have been run through an electrical socket.

2.) "Lift Off": How fitting that we're in a planetarium! (LOL.) Bruno Mars was originally on this song, but he has apparently been turned into glue; Beyonc� alone thunders: "We gonna take it to the moon/ We gonna take it to the stars/ How many people you know take it this far?" There's a soulful breakdown, blended with Fool's Gold futurism; also, NASA's internal communiqu� has been pasted into the middle-section.

3.) "N****s in Paris": Man, this beat is crazy. Crazy! I wrote an entire line of exclamation points (with "EXCLAMATION POINTS!") in my notepad because of this beat. It sounds like something Gucci Mane would rap over as opposed to these Gucci men, and I mean that in the best way possible. Kanye raps, "She said we could get married at the mall/ Wonders how she could have it all/ Told her meet me in the bathroom stall." The song is an excuse for Jay-Z and Kanye to just stunt on everyone.

4.) "Otis": This song has been released; dissect it at home. I didn't take notes during this song: I instead took joy in watching Kanye's entire section launch into a recreation of two Clueless scenes.

5.) "Gotta Have It": Kanye opens up one of his verses with: "LOLOLOL-uh, White America, assassinates my charactah," which is awesome. Also awesome? This is the first intriguing Neptunes beat in a long time, due to the fact that it doesn't sound like the Neptunes produced it. There's a high-pitched loop throughout, sounding like Bollywood, feeling like a scary movie.

6.) "New Day": Jay-Z and Kanye get very personal on this song, with Jay speaking to his unborn son and apologizing for the paparazzi that will be a constant presence throughout his life: "Sorry, junior, I already ruined ya." This RZA production feels like being on the inside of a hospital machine. The sample unwinds itself over time, coy, playing hard to get. (Turns out that it's Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good," her refrain of "Birds flyin' high, you know how I feel" coming at the very end.) Kanye might be referring to Amber Rose when he says, "Strip club, I learned the hard way that wasn't where to find love."

7.) "That's My Bitch": Leaked one year ago, this now has revised lyrics but the same bounce; a new hum and some added bleep-bloops. I watched a planet burst into flames and tear through space, while writing "Bongos!" So, my notes aren't perfect for this one. I loved the song then, I love it now; the planet erupting overhead was very cool.

8.) "Welcome to the Jungle": Swizzy! Jay-Z opens his verse a bit on the nose, mentioning Axl Rose, and an entire world groans. (That's not a comment on the whole song, though.) Once again, the two go very dark, piercing guitars making for the beat. Kanye says, "I asked her what she wants to be at 25�she said alive." Yikes! Jay counters with, "My nephew gone, my heart is torn." Oof. Then later, Kanye: "When I thought I had everything, I lost it all." Everyone thought this album would be brags on brags on brags, but there's a lot of heart in here.

9.) "Who Gon' Stop Me?": But that doesn't mean there isn't bragging! Over a beat constructed from the Flux Pavilion song that's been playing in my apartment non-stop, Kanye says, "Ixnay on my dixnay, that's Pig Latin, you bitchnay." Well, not every lyric is going to win a Grammy. Kanye mentions something about the Holocaust on the hook, but I don't know what; it's probably regrettable. Jay-Z mixes gun talk with talk about his past: "MOMA, and I did it all without a diploma... Middle finger to my old life."

10.) "Murder to Excellence": When you hear the upbeat children's chorus, you don't expect an examination of black-on-black crime and the struggles in rising above. (That is, until they start singing "black on black murder" in war chant fashion.) This song, which is really two-in-one, is like a latter-day "Jesus Walks," mixing conscious lyrics and materialistic fetishism in a way that's always existed as an internal conflict in Kanye's brain. Here, he compares Chicago to Iraq, citing statistics of 41 dead in 24 hours; moments later, he boasts, "Ain't nothing new but the shoes." It's a chilling few minutes.

11.) "Made in America": Frank Ocean returns! He sings proud: "Sweet brother Martin, sweet queen Coretta, sweet brother Malcolm, sweet queen Betty... sweet brother Joseph, sweet Mary, sweet baby Jesus." This seems like an intended bookend to "We Shall Overcome," a comment on Obama's residence in the White House and a wishful entryway into post-racial America. (Look how these two made it in America, they say!) That's a very positive outlook, and it's a very pretty song. It ends weirdly, though, with halting piano stabs.

12.) "Why I Love You": In his first verse, Jay-Z supposedly talks about Dame Dash, a lead-in to a song based around paranoia battling loyalty. (I wish I took better notes, here.) Elsewhere, he references the over-quoted Scarface and cocaine and generic rappers: "Fly pelican fly, turn the jets on it/For the trillionth time, like Tourette's on it," a line he had much trouble with in the leaked WTT documentary. Asteroids swarmed, planets broke apart, and the song ended abruptly.

The lights came up, and all I could do was blink.

Critical bias: I am a Kanye stan. I am a Jay-Z stan. I'm hoping to be a Throne stan.

Overheard I: "What time is it? Does anyone wear a watch?"

Overheard II: "If you were Consequence's manager, wouldn't you bring him to the listening session and have him sit front row?"

Overheard III: "Wouldn't it be awesome if Jay-Z and Kanye just invited everyone here tonight not even to play the album, but just to experience the planetarium? To encourage the arts and sciences?"

Random notebook dump: An iTunes representative was flown in to show face, as Apple is the exclusive carrier of WTT for its first four days of release. He was not egged by independent music retailers.

Seems like another record about being american. I'm hyped.
There are also low quality recordings floating around. I ain't gonna listen to them, but to each their own.

atrus50 fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Aug 2, 2011

# ¿ Aug 2, 2011 17:30

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

One more day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5bkRthqh4I&feature=player_embedded

# ¿ Aug 7, 2011 01:05

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

Never really got what the wood paneling was supposed to be about. 5.2/10.0 w/r/t the album art. Not metal.

# ¿ Aug 8, 2011 02:40

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

This is possibly the weirdest hip-hop album I've ever heard. This is not really a one listen album, but it's so exhausting that I'm not too keen to go through it again. I like that the bonus tracks were basically there to help get your bearings straight after that onslaught.

Here's a question though: what the hell is Otis doing on the album?

# ¿ Aug 8, 2011 07:44

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

I'm feeling like most of the guest artists were GOOD or at least DefJam to keep costs down.

# ¿ Aug 8, 2011 18:44

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 16, 2024 09:38

atrus50: Dec 24, 2008

I actually don't like new Otis as much

Although if they didnt add in the drum machine the track would sound completely alien on the album.

# ¿ Aug 9, 2011 02:12

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > No More Drake > Kanye West has a new album but you morons are still talking about Taylor Swift, smh

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