For some artists, a blown deadline is a problem. But for Kanye West, it is a marketing opportunity. After announcing, then missing, his deadlines, the
For some artists, a blown deadline is a problem. But for Kanye West, it is a marketing opportunity. After announcing, then missing, his deadlines, the rapper yesterday, finally put out his ninth LP, a gospel themed album and an Imax film capturing one of the Sunday Service concerts that inspired it.
“This album has been made to be an expression of the gospel and to share the gospel and the truth of what Jesus has done to me,” West said late last month, after his first promised release date came and went. To prevent leaks, fans’ phones were secured in locked pouches.
“When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all that he does for me, my soul cries out.”
Thursday, Apple’s Beats 1 online radio station broadcast a rambling two-hour interview in which West declared himself “unquestionably, undoubtedly, the greatest human artist of all time,” He spoke about the roots of what he said was a “full-on pornography addiction” and called his dispute with Drake “painful,” but barely talked about “Jesus Is King.”
Across 11 songs, in just over 27 minutes, Kanye seeks to use rap as a vessel for worship. So here are five things to expect from the Jesus Is King experience.
Holy War:
Even amid his turn toward being saved—or perhaps because of it—there are still a few things in the secular world Kanye has beef with. After calling slavery “a choice” and pushing for the abolishment of the 13th Amendment, prompting confusion and outrage, he continues to try to clarify himself here. The 13th amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for committing a crime, and on the album, he repeatedly makes it known that, that is his issue. Kanye is taking aim at the for-profit prison industrial complex, which he sees as a loophole in the 13th amendment. In his own way, he has joined a movement that includes Ava Duvernay, Meek Mill and Pusha T who are fighting the unjust practices that lead to higher mass incarceration rates for black men and women. This has become a family issue for the Wests; earlier this year, his wife, Kim Kardashian, went to the White House to promote the First Step Act, which seeks to reform the federal prison system and reduce the risk that offenders will return to prison after they’ve been released.
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Something Kanye seems to find nearly as damaging as the prison industrial complex is Instagram, an app that has apparently been feeding his sex addiction. Across the album, when he isn’t praising, he’s decrying that window into desire. “Hold the selfies, put the ’Gram away/Get your family, y’all hold hands and pray,” he sings on “Closed on Sunday,” before warding off Jezebels. Now that he’s given himself to the Lord, he refuses to succumb, and as repayment for his dedication he seems to want spiritual liberation from the IRS. There are tax exemptions for religious organizations, but those don’t (yet) apply to Yeezy wearers.
All the king’s men:
On Jesus Is King, Kanye’s rap world becomes one big Sunday Service. Bold-name producers (Timbaland, Pi’erre Bourne, Ronny J, FNZ) and members of the long-running Kanye think tank (Consequence, CyHi the Prynce, Mike Dean, Ty Dolla $ign) join gospel artist, Fred Hammond, singer, Ant Clemons, and the Sunday Service Choir in transforming rap songs into Christian ones. Kanye apparently asked his collaborators to fast and refrain from premarital sex while working on the album, and Jesus Is King is also a reflection of the clergy in one of the worst ways: There is a rather conspicuous lack of women in the credits. (The only female performers are in the choir.)
Same old Kanye:
Kanye’s been pitching Jesus Is King as the moment when he sets aside his ego and dedicates himself to a higher power. “Now that I’m in service to Christ, my job is to spread the gospel, to let people know what Jesus has done for me,” he once said. The thing is, throughout the record, the scales tip more toward Kanye than Jesus; it’s about Jesus’ proximity to him and not vice versa. While the album is a devotional, it’s hardly a selfless offering, and Kanye’s faith often seems conditioned on what he’s received in return. He’s worried about judgment from other Christians, he’s comparing himself to Noah, and he’s still dubbing himself “the greatest artist restin’ or alive.” Jesus preached humility, but that concept still eludes Kanye.
Sunday service – The movie:
Shot mostly through the same pinhole lens as Kanye’s Coachella set, the Jesus Is King IMAX film is largely a Sunday Service performance with a new setlist. Different bible scriptures bookmark a beautiful, albeit perplexing, audio-visual experience that includes images of a prancing deer, flowers, and Kanye singing to one of his children.
Additional story from pitchfork.com
