Album Review: Kanye West- Donda

By The Mosh Turnout

DONDA - KANYE WEST'S TENTH SOLO STUDIO ALBUM.




This album comes off an epic rollout of three listening parties which came with three missed release dates, chopping & changing of album covers the result being a blacked out image as the final cover art, featuring of two cancelled artists & an alleged plotting to release on the same day as arch-rival Drake.Ye probably had fun toying with people's emotions, the people deserve it for believing his lies. Released on a Sunday with no notice put up before it's release, what seems as an unconventional move but this is a signature move by Ye or maybe Universal Music Group.




The album lands high on the rubble of expectations due to the high hype, a line-up of features that could fill an A4 page, a rivalry between Ye & Drake who put out his record 5 days later, and most importantly this is a dedication to his deceased mother as it's named after her.

It only takes a second before the point is passed across as the show opens up with 60 chants of "Donda" in different tones & patterns, representing Donda West's last 60 heartbeats before she died.
Enchantments which induce a trance-like state upon you, leading up to Ye announcing  his presence as the lead.
He makes a star appearance teaming up with the squad he assembled on a three track run beginning with Jail featuring Jay-Z, where he hints at a return of The Throne. God Breathed & Off The Grid complete the run, at this point Ye & his squad enjoy equal moments of brilliance.

On the three track run that follows, The squad grab the baton and run away with it, getting Ye to function as an assistant.
Ye reverses the role on a three track run where Ye paints a clear painting of his status. A God-fearing fearless confident, outspoken, no nonsense taking GOAT. No juxtaposition just typical Ye in character.

Three track runs are where its at on this album as Ye is on melodic & harmonious mode on 24, Remote Control & Moon.
Acts like Sunday Service , Young Thug , Don Toliver, & Kid Cudi gang up on Ye and they didn't take him to the cleaners, but did the laundry themselves.

A solo Ye recovers possesion on Heaven & Hell, where he commands, preaches & scats signifying control over the devil. On the other hand the title track follows, sandwiched between two halves of the album. Opening with harmonious vocals by Ye and background vocals by Sunday Service Choir featuring a speech by Donda West whereby she gives thanks for the support she has received and speaks about Kanye, her decidingly different & fearless son, he is her son as the saying goes "an apple doesn't fall far from the tree"
 
Onto another three track run with their titles being derived from their choruses. More emotion, more soul & more depth, the part where the album speaks. Tell The Vision follows when the run completes, Pop Smoke makes a solo posthumous appearance, a road which leads to the best part of it all, the vulnerable part, the righteous part, the rebirth, the finale & the purpose. Where the outer body experience happens, where your luggage lightens and the burdens burn so that you see the light and see its not just rapping.

Ye embodies every charasteristic of a baptist throughout this record, drowning you into a pool of his truths & experiences hoping you relate then bringing you out in all hopes that you don't come out the same. He's patient with those reluctant to change, he keeps it clean but it can get messy. As Confident & faithful as this record is, it gets vulnerable around the edges where Ye lifts it back up with back up.

Looking into the back up Ye calls for, which I label as the "squad", I see a diverse, hand-picked, mix & match, mostly hip-hop oriented group of artists who settle in well as Ye let them play to their strengths as Ye does a triple-double with assists this time.
Junya could find itself a spot on a Playboi Carti album while Tell The Vision did find itself on a Pop Smoke album. Diversifying across Hip-Hop, Gospel, Trap, Drill & Boom Bap surely Cassper Nyovest is proud of his boy Ye. (JUST KIDDING XD).
My five top features are Playboi Carti, Vory, Don Toliver, Young Thug & Kid Cudi.
Stand-out verses are from, Lil Yachty, Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, Jay Electronica, & Jadakiss.

Even though I feel Ye could have merged the songs instead of adding another version. He reduces the replay value by making this LP lengthy as ever, but well an LP is a Lenghty Project. Ye's progressive sound prevents the album from going on the one song dragging for too long route. This is a puzzle completed by the masterpieces that preceded.

I rate it A Solid 8/10.

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