Kanye “Ye” West began his musical career as a producer during the late 1990s, but the Chicago-based artist constantly yearned for success and fortune. Even though West worked with numerous rappers and showcased his talents on hi-hats and drums, he always wanted to perform as a rapper. In 2004, he released his debut studio album, “The College Dropout,” and the rest became history; West won various accolades, and music lovers continue to view him as one of the best artists in the diverse hip-hop genre. After releasing “Vultures” as the lead single for his next album with Ty Dolla $ign, longtime fans started feeling concerned about West’s longevity and whether he would disappoint his fans with future songs.
Before West released “Vultures” on streaming platforms, a Chicago radio station leaked the song, and fans quickly became concerned about West’s lackluster performance. From his monotone voice to his horrible lyrics, comparing West’s latest song to his discography seems blatantly disrespectful. The once-prolific artist additionally adds a lyric regarding his antisemitic rhetoric, in which he claims that he could not hate Jewish people because he engaged in sexual intercourse with a Jewish woman. This lyric remains tone-deaf, considering his previous statements about Jewish people, and several fans have compared it to Central Cee’s laughable song “Doja.”
Throughout his verse on “Vultures,” West provides a low amount of energy as he includes basic lyrics about women and the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre that feels both insensitive and overused due to how rappers constantly refer to the shooting. West also insults his former manager, Scooter Braun, as well as Braun’s ethnically Jewish ex-wife. West has reached a point in his career where his lyricism has declined, and he currently lacks the ambition that he once carried.
However, fanatics have defended him by claiming they appreciate West’s musical ideas and experimentation in his latest releases. West fans also assert that people cannot look past his controversial fall-off in 2022, a year in which he wore a “White Lives Matter” shirt and praised Adolf Hitler next to far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Fans within the Cobb County School District even believe that West may still drop phenomenal music in the future despite his underwhelming contribution in “Vultures”.
“I wish the Bump J and Ye verses had more energy that matched the energy of the beat. The Lil Durk and Ty Dolla $ign verses were the best part of the tracks though. I also hear a lot of people online saying that Ye is washed, but how does one bad song make you washed up? I hope that album comes out better [sic],” South Cobb High School senior Daniel Rojo said.
Although fans adamantly argue that one song does not prove how West has fallen in quality, the prolific artist has gradually declined with his musical capabilities since his 10th studio album, “Donda.” While West showcased his musical creativity in immersive songs such as “Off The Grid” and “Come To Life,” the artist provided lackluster performances in several other songs. The rollout for “Donda” resonated with musical fans as Ye hosted amusing listening parties for his project, but the prolific artist also wrote underwhelming verses for the album in emotional tracks such as “Life of the Party” and “Jonah.”
Fans could assert that West has achieved an eclectic career, and he simply wanted other artists to shine on his tenth studio album. However, his listening party for “Donda 2” perfectly showcased his gradual decline in curating music. February 22, 2022, West walked around a crowded stadium as unfinished songs played from various speakers. He presented decent ideas with the music that broadcasted during the event, but his rapping consisted of him either mumbling words or making questionable comments, such as a lyric regarding ex-wife Kim Kardashian and how he heard Morgan Freeman whenever they engaged in sexual intercourse. At one point, Jack Harlow outperformed the prolific artist on a song where West repeated the same line repeatedly.
After nonsensical controversies and underwhelming performances, the future of West and his music seems questionable. West revealed that his collaborative project, “Vultures,” would release December 15, 2023. While fans may feel excited about his upcoming album with Ty Dolla $ign, other fans cannot help but reminisce about West’s old music and how different his newer music sounds.
“In my humble opinion, I do believe that Kanye’s music has declined. In his older music, he sounded very hungry and he was extremely creative. But now, his music seems more redundant and more bland. It’s starting to sound like everybody else’s music, and he’s losing the edge that made him different,” magnet senior Ralph Philogene said.
