There is no end to the supernova that is known as Kanye Omari West. From his colorful interviews, to starting fights on social media, to selling clothes for thousands of dollars, the list could go on. However, what people tend to forget is that Kanye West is still a musician. It’s hard to look past all the outlandish drama, and listen to his music at times. 

Before the album came out, there was a lot of hype about what it would be called considering he changed the name several times. I think many people would agree when I say it doesn’t matter what the album was called, it’s about what it sounds like. When the album finally premiered on the music streaming service, Tidal, there was a seismic wave that was sent throughout the universe. In true, Kanye fashion, he released it at around 3 a.m. in the morning and every Twitter user absolutely lost their minds. Everyone had an opinion, had questions, and had smiles on their faces when TLOP dropped.

I won’t lie, I was somewhat skeptical to listen to TLOP because I was afraid of being disappointed. As a long-time Kanye fan, I was scared that all the hype over TLOP wouldn’t live up to the Kanye’s previous repeated victories. Fortunately, I had nothing to be afraid of.

Songs such as “Father Stretch My Hands Part 1” and “Ultralight Beam” make the listener realize how brilliant Kanye is. He has created a masterpiece, but he’s managed to incorporate a gospel-like sound to in it as well. Gospel and Hip Hop, it’s not a combination you see every day. Only an artist such as Kanye could do such a thing.

What amazes me the most is that Kanye didn’t make this album solely to sell a lot of copies or make a ton of money. He made this album to share his personal struggle. Most of these songs are written with Kanye’s father in mind. He even tweeted that he cried writing “Father Stretch My Hands Part 2.” He is honest with his listeners, and if there’s one thing you can appreciate about one of the most egotistical men in history, it’s his honesty. One of the songs entitled “I Love Kanye” proves just that. Even Kanye misses the old Kanye; the humble Kanye; the Kanye from the southside of Chicago.

What Kanye manages to do is make his listeners feel something through his music. We feel anger, sadness, invincibility, and so much more. While it might be difficult to look passed the flashiness and the long winded Tweets, as a listener we have to remember that this is his art; his struggle; his blood, sweat, and tears. In the song, “I Love Kanye” he raps, “I miss the old Kanye,” and that may be, however I think there is something to love about the current Kanye.