*DISCLAIMER: The guy who writes these reviews is very much opposed to Nazism and doesn’t support the current shit that Kanye, or Ye, is doing in any way shape or form, this review is simply revisiting a classic hip hop album that reaches its 15th anniversary later this year. Any new Kanye album or song will not be reviewed by beachboymusicreviews!*

   My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the fifth solo album from Chicago rapper/singer/producer, Kanye West, and it was released on November 22nd of 2010. Believe it or not, there was a time when Kanye was actually not a garbage person, and he was actually making phenomenal music. He’s always been controversial, I mean this album was quite literally his comeback after everyone thought he was done for after going on stage and interrupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs. After that incident, he pretty much isolated himself from the media and the general public in Hawaii, but in that period, he was recording an album that would end up being his greatest masterpiece, as well as one of my personal favorite albums of all time. Considering how much worse he has been acting 15 years later in comparison to the past, people like me who grew up listening to MBDTF, Yeezus, and The Life of Pablo, feel somewhat nostalgic for the period where this guy wasn’t spewing antisemitism and talking about how great Hitler was, etc., etc. I was genuinely not sure if I should review this album given all of what he has said and done recently, but I’m not reviewing Ye, I’m reviewing Kanye. I don’t know if I’m going to ever review another past album of his again, so if this is the last Kanye review I do, I might as well make it count. Here are my thoughts.

    We start off the album with a storybook style narration from Nicki Minaj on the track, “Dark Fantasy,” before we get this epic chorus of “can we get much higher?”, sung by Teyana Taylor and Justin Vernon. I love the epic production from RZA, with those cinematic violins and the simple, but effective piano loop. Kanye’s verses flow seamlessly and have some very witty cultural referencing punchlines. I love the rhyme scheme of verse one especially. “I fantasized about this back in Chicago, mercy mercy me that Murciélago,” is just a fantastic opening line to a track. It’s easily one of the greatest opening tracks to a hip hop album in history. Following that, we get the track “Gorgeous,” featuring Kid Cudi and Raekwon, I love the guitar loop sampled from Enoch Light and the Glittering Guitars’ cover of the track, “You Showed Me.” Kanye’s raps on this track are some of the best he’s ever recorded, as his dry, sarcastic lines discussing racism, the dark side of Hollywood, and hedonism really feel impactful. Raekwon’s verse is solid, and Kid Cudi contributes a catchy chorus, Mike Dean’s guitar solo is one of my favorite personal aspects of the track. Next, we have the lead single, “Power,” which is easily one of my personal favorites on the album. The defiant, anthemic nature of the track really hits hard, as it serves as a great fuck you to the critics. The combined sampling of  “21st Century Schizoid Man,” “Afromerica,” and “It’s Your Thing,” create a truly magnificent and larger than life atmosphere which serves as a great backdrop to Kanye’s rhymes of bravado. “Screams from the haters got a nice ring to it. I guess every superhero need his theme music,” is such a hard line. And his self awareness on the lines, “I embody every characteristic of the egotistic. He knows he’s so fucking gifted,” makes you long for the times where he was actually somewhat aware of his ego. We get a brief piano interlude leading up to the next track, “All of the Lights,” features multiple singers on it, and they actually layered up all of the featured artists’ vocals in the beginning of the track as well as in other parts. Rihanna sings the primary hook, but John Legend, Kid Cudi, Elton John, Drake, Alicia Keys, and many others are featured as background vocalists. The lyrical theme sticks out from a lot of the tracks that are more personal to Kanye, as this track Kanye is rapping from the perspective of a man who just got out of prison, only to find out he can’t see his daughter, as he’s still trapped in a life of crime and drugs. Lyrically, it’s not his best track, as it’s more about the bombastic horn and drum production, and the various singers’ contributions to the track. After that, we get two posse cuts. The first being “Monster,” a horrorcore styled track featuring Jay Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver, and the second being “So Appalled,” a dramatic and sinister sounding song featuring Swiss Beatz, Jay Z, Pusha T, Cyhi the Prince, and RZA. First, “Monster,” has two really weak verses, one from Jay and barely a verse from Rick Ross, so Kanye and Nicki (Nicki especially) carry this track heavily. I really like the line from Kanye, “Have you ever had sex with a pharaoh? Put the pussy in a sarcophagus,” as you don’t really often hear lines in hip hop that are referencing Ancient Egypt. Nicki’s verse is aggressive and schizophrenic as she’s rapping with multiple alter egos of herself on the track. “Pull up in the monster automobile gangsta. With a bad bitch that came from Sri Lanka.” Her word bending and energetic delivery really makes the other rappers’ contributions seem like child’s play in comparison. Justin Vernon’s outro is great as well, as his voice is quite soulful. 

   “So Appalled,” on the other hand, is an underrated track, with a simple marching style drum beat and these dark orchestral strings, and Kanye, Jay Z, and Pusha T have amazing contributions (especially Jay), talking about the dark side of fame and success, but I feel the track could definitely have benefited without Cyhi’s verse, but it’s in my opinion, one of the most under appreciated songs on the record. “Devil In A New Dress,” featuring Rick Ross, has one of my favorite beats on the record as well as another fantastic guitar solo from Mike Dean. I was actually surprised that Kanye didn’t produce the beat, which samples Smokey Robinson’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?,” I like the dichotomy of sexual and religious themes tying together in Kanye’s verses as they’re directly in conflict with each other, but at the same time feel connected to each other. And of course, I can’t forget mentioning the fact that Rick Ross spit the best verse of his entire career on this track. It’s so visually beautiful and boastful, with lines like “Had cyphers with Yeezy before his mouth wired. Before his jaw shattered climbing up the Lord’s latter.” After that, we have one of Kanye’s most famous tracks, “Runaway,” featuring Pusha T, which was entirely produced by West. The simple but iconic piano riffs and the “Look at ya!” Vocal sample give it this sound that no artist besides Kanye can replicate. It’s a heartbreaking track, because it’s one of his most personal tracks. He’s honestly addressing the critics and criticism he’s received from the media and public alike, and actually owns up to being an asshole with a huge ego. “And I always find, yeah I always find something wrong. You been putting up with my shit just way too long,” rings even more today given how far gone he is now. It has a heartbreaking double meaning to it, as he’s open about his failed relationships, his lack of self accountability, and how he’s literally encouraging everyone close to him to “run away as fast as you can.” The production is so simple, but so majestic and maximalist at the same time, and Pusha T’s verse is incredibly self-critical as well. It almost feels like a religious confession for both of them. It’s humorous, depressing, and ultimately human and there’s a reason many people believe it’s the best song he’s ever made. “Hell of a Life,” is a sexually charged and hedonistic cut with vivid lyrics talking about a marriage between him and a pornstar. It’s another underrated track off the record, and the songwriting is both humorous and disturbing at the same time. “Blame Game,” featuring John Legend is a solid track about heartbreak, domestic abuse, and failed relationships. Legend’s hook is soulful, and West’s verses seem to reference his past relationship with his ex, Amber Rose. I like the Aphex Twin sample on the album which heavily uses pianos, and the subtle use of strings at various sections of the track. However, as much as I love Chris Rock, his spoken word outro goes on way too long, and sure, it’s funny the first few times you hear it, but if you’re listening to MBDTF on repeat, or like in the car or while doing something, the skit gets tiresome, just because it goes on super long. It brings down the track for me, but I don’t hate it, I just skip the outro. Finally, we close the album off with “Lost in the World,” featuring Bon Iver. The track definitely doesn’t feel like a rap song. The layered vocals from Kanye and Vernon in the beginning are ethereal. I love the tribal drums, and Kanye’s romantic lyrics which were actually directed to Kim Kardashian, his now ex-wife. It transitions well into the spoken word poem sampling Gil Scott-Heron, “Who Will Survive In America,” which is a scathing criticism of the American government and society’s treatment of black Americans.

    MBDTF is one of those once in a generation albums that can’t be replicated in their pure sonic beauty. Kanye made some great albums after this one, but this record was where he truly peaked in his musical innovation. The lyrical themes of love, heartbreak, sin, rebirth, and racism still resonate to this very day, and it’s absolutely disappointing that the man who made this record chose to destroy everything he worked so hard to achieve, and believed in. The features, production, and lyricism on this album easily make it not only the best album of 2010, but one of the greatest albums in hip hop history.

Overall Score: 10/10

Favorite Tracks: All of Them

Least Favorite Tracks: None (but I skip the Chris Rock skit on “Blame Game,”)

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8JflBNovLE

Genres: Hip Hop/Pop Rap/Art Pop/Rap Opera