He did it. Kanye West released five albums in five weeks under his G.O.O.D. Music label, executive producing all of them. It's been a pretty turbulent ride but for the most parts the albums are being well-received. With the final one dropping last Friday, it's time to rank all five of them.
1. Pusha T - DAYTONA
Pusha T’s album was the first cab off the rank and yet it lasted five weeks at the top of the pyramid. The record sparked a beef with Drake but it’s unlikely that’s what DAYTONA will be remembered for. Starting with the hard-hitting If You Know You Know and ending on the powerful Infrared, Pusha didn’t let a second go by without injecting it with purpose and passion. He’s never been this on form lyrically and maybe that’s because the seven track length allowed him to trim the fat.
2. Teyana Taylor - K.T.S.E.
Kanye said that this was the best of the five albums and he’s not far off. Teyana Taylor’s could’ve easily been the forgotten record tacked on at the end but after four hip-hop records, the injection of classic R&B was a much-needed addition. The minimal production on K.T.S.E. is spectacular but it never would’ve worked if it weren’t for Taylor’s flawless vocals. She’s sensual, autobiographical and passionate, telling stories on Rose In Harlem and giving us unmatched intimacy on 3Way. There’s no one taking R&B back to basics right now and this record is a real highlight of 2018.
3. Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts
Kanye’s second album saw him finally team with Kid Cudi. They’ve both battled mental health over the past few years. Kids See Ghosts’ biggest strength is that it embraces those and even celebrates them with some beautifully liberating moments. Kanye delivers bars while Cudi mostly aims for hooks and melody. There was scope to go even bigger but it’s hard to deny the power of Kanye’s primal screams on Feel The Love or Cudi’s declarations of liberating on Freeee.
4. Kanye West - ye
ye isn’t a bad album but it feels empty compared to his other projects. It’s missing the intent and grandeur of My Dark Twisted Beautiful Fantasy, the experimentation of Yeezus and the wild unpredictability of The Life Of Pablo. Many fans expected to gain more insight into his slavery and Trump comments but instead they were reduced to one-liners that didn’t quite hit the mark. That said, hearing Kanye go back to chopping soul make the record worthwhile. The hooks of both Wouldn’t Leave and Violent Crimes are inspired while Ghost Town feels triumphant thanks to its injection of soul. Lyrically, his honesty shines through when talking about mental illness and wife Kim Kardashian. ye could’ve been great instead of just good with some more finesse.
5. Nas - Nasir
Nasir is a difficult project to swallow. There are some brilliant moments like the relentless sampling on Cops Shot The Kid and the beautiful opening to Everything but Nas feels somewhat uninspired. Compared to Pusha T’s sharp, no-shit bars, Nas meanders, struggling to find personal purpose. Given that he has unaddressed domestic abuse allegations hanging over him, it’s hard to find reason to dig any deeper into Nasir.
