On Kanye's debut album one of the many standouts was the epic closing track Last Call, so when his second album dropped a couple of years later I was excited to see how he would close it out.
OK, so Gone isn't actually the last track on Late Registration, but it's the last one that isn't a bonus or hidden track so I consider it the official album closer.
'Ye enlists Cam'ron and Consequence to help him out as he shows off one of the most impressive sample based instrumentals of his career. Employing a trick that he would use again on Watch The Throne, the track opens with a vocal snippet from the legendary Otis Redding, before Mr. West chops up the sample and makes it his own while delivering the kind of braggadocious lines that only he can get away with.
They claim you never know what you got til it's gone,
I know I got it, I don't know what y'all on
As the track continues, the instrumental gets more and more layered and while the guests deliver fine verses, Kanye steals the show with the last verse though as the beat and the song take a slightly darker turn.
If you couldn't already tell, I think this is one of the best examples of the kind of trademark soul sample based production that helped establish Kanye as the hottest producer around early in his career.
Personally I think that Kanye has continued to grow as an artist since then, but there are plenty that yearn for this kind of Kanye West to return. I think this Kanye is long gone and unlikely to return, so for now let's just enjoy this classic track
Nice post - the feel of this track, and the change in sound that would come after it, makes this feel like the end credits for "College Kanye" then he graduates and continues. Also the last lyrics - Mr West is Gone!
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I love about Kanye is that in my eyes he is a true artist - he is actively following a muse and growing musically and artistically. People take the piss out of him a lot, but he is properly living the ethos of GOOD. It's all very inspiring.
Also a bit of the post that resonated with me - considering it the last track of the album. Albums are much more satisfying if you look for the track the artist considered the last. Rap albums especially have a horrible habit of over-running with bonuses etc. A great example is Long Live A$AP - it's a brilliant (IMO) tight album if you stop at "Suddenly", if you listen to the bonuses it's about 25 mins longer and loses the punch. Same for Good Kid MAAD City - stop after Compton.
Final point - studio footage of Kanye working on this album is class. There's footage of him doing Addiction with his MPC, it's mesmerising.
Yeah man, on your first point that's kind of why I picked this track to review - it's like the final (and one of the best examples) of "Old Kanye". He's definitely one of the biggest boundary pushers in rap and never takes the safe option.
DeleteAgree completely on taking an album as a whole - so many albums are structured really well and have a fitting end only for bonus tracks to come along and mess up the vibe - I guess that's why it was good 10 years ago when bonus tracks would either come on a separate CD or after a minute or two of silence. Agree on GKMC for sure, but stuff like this, The Blueprint, Nothing Was The Same and Common's latest all have the same kind of deal. Don't get me wrong - it's great to get some good quality bonus tracks, but I definitely connect more with the album if it has a definite plan!
100% agree, sidepoint - is there a single fully, start to finish good Snoop album? It's like he takes the 80 minute CD capacity as a challenge.
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Doggystyle is the only one - everything after that he completely did try to "push the boundaries" of music!
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