Looking back on this eclectic analysis, I am happy with what personally learned through the entire process. It was not quite as easy as I thought, but it gives you appreciation for the small intricacies of pop songs that don't seem complicated on the surface.
I already had a significant amount of prior knowledge about West's career and this album, however, my research led me to a lot of information on his methodology for creating music and how it has changed over the years. If I had more time, I could probably write a paper on this in itself (especially seeing that he appears to grasp all of the concepts of the Performing Arts class without realizing it), but alas, I do not.
I was the most pleased with the personal conclusions drawn about the underlying message West was trying to get across in this piece. Due to the recent release of it, there has not been much documented public reaction, so that is definitely an area to explore in the future - how it impacted things like composition and recording of new hip hop and pop and whether or not the genre of "pop art" really is here to stay.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
"Amazing" - Performance Guide
Because of the excessive amount of digital audio processing required to merely record this piece, Amazing will be at least a small challenge to perform live.
Obviously, a digital audio interface must run through a computer using a powerful audio processing program (likely either Max-MSP or Logic) that can both auto-tune a voice and distort it simultaneously. This is hard to do because the product of adding auto-tune live is that you can't necessarily control what pitch is produced. This makes a certain ability to sing around the desired note necessary and many hip hop artists struggle hearing pitch to begin with, which typically leads to extremely chromatic notes that stick out a lot more than in the recorded versions of songs. However, this is a risk that you must be willing to take for live performance so you can only do so much.
There are other measures that must be taken in order to ensure a good performance in other musical areas as well. I would recommend the use of genuine tribal drums and even a grand piano to add a level of dynamic reality that the listener doesn't get from the record. Once these things are appropriately miced, speakers with a good deal of bass response are required because, after all, this IS a hip hop song at its core. (but be careful not to add too much bass otherwise you run the risk of distorting the rest of the sound)
As far as the additional embellishments of the primate noises and the chorus, primates are probably not a great idea to have to rely on for a musical performance- the DJ can probably que the clips just fine on his/her own. However, it would be a nice touch to have a live choir to back up the chorus but could be a bit more of a logistical problem than it is worth if there are any space constraints. They can likely be substituted for with 4 or 5 backup singers.
The main vocalists should pay special attention to the flow of the artists on the record, noting specifically the syllabic emphasis in time with the beat and the easy-going rhythm that they carry throughout the piece without pushing forward too much. Let the music drive it, not the lyrics.
Obviously, a digital audio interface must run through a computer using a powerful audio processing program (likely either Max-MSP or Logic) that can both auto-tune a voice and distort it simultaneously. This is hard to do because the product of adding auto-tune live is that you can't necessarily control what pitch is produced. This makes a certain ability to sing around the desired note necessary and many hip hop artists struggle hearing pitch to begin with, which typically leads to extremely chromatic notes that stick out a lot more than in the recorded versions of songs. However, this is a risk that you must be willing to take for live performance so you can only do so much.
There are other measures that must be taken in order to ensure a good performance in other musical areas as well. I would recommend the use of genuine tribal drums and even a grand piano to add a level of dynamic reality that the listener doesn't get from the record. Once these things are appropriately miced, speakers with a good deal of bass response are required because, after all, this IS a hip hop song at its core. (but be careful not to add too much bass otherwise you run the risk of distorting the rest of the sound)
As far as the additional embellishments of the primate noises and the chorus, primates are probably not a great idea to have to rely on for a musical performance- the DJ can probably que the clips just fine on his/her own. However, it would be a nice touch to have a live choir to back up the chorus but could be a bit more of a logistical problem than it is worth if there are any space constraints. They can likely be substituted for with 4 or 5 backup singers.
The main vocalists should pay special attention to the flow of the artists on the record, noting specifically the syllabic emphasis in time with the beat and the easy-going rhythm that they carry throughout the piece without pushing forward too much. Let the music drive it, not the lyrics.
"Amazing" - Open Listenings
Upon listening to the song after performing various examinations, I got much more out of it and noticed minute details that add to the effect of the song but are hard to pick out unless you fully immerse yourself in the music.
The beat of the song is very rolling, as I said before, and with the electric-guitar sound of West's voice, it sounds like it could be an anthem to get you pumped up for something. It feels like a self-righteous proclamation that, "Yes, I AM the best."
-It affirms that the creator can do whatever he wants
--be stupidly simple (the simple chord progressions)
--be as slow as you please (lyrics aren't in a hurry to come out)
--be a machine (the auto-tune)
The insecurity is only inside of you, it is a decision to let it out or to control it yourself!
The tribal calls, upon further listening, appear to be some sort of primates. They remain in the background of the vocals for the entire part 2 of the song, taking the place of the man grunting behind Kanye West when Jeezy starts rapping.
The repetition of the song seeks to drive the point home and get the message across that this is how it is, I'm amazing. It is not up to you, it is up to ME, so don't try to have anything to do with it.
The final bass kick of the song, after everything else, is there simply because Kanye COULD put it there. It has no functional purpose, other than the representation of the effect of a single note, referencing West himself.
I feel that most people can relate to the emotion of this song and fighting against something or someone trying to hold you back - I know that I certainly can.
The beat of the song is very rolling, as I said before, and with the electric-guitar sound of West's voice, it sounds like it could be an anthem to get you pumped up for something. It feels like a self-righteous proclamation that, "Yes, I AM the best."
-It affirms that the creator can do whatever he wants
--be stupidly simple (the simple chord progressions)
--be as slow as you please (lyrics aren't in a hurry to come out)
--be a machine (the auto-tune)
The insecurity is only inside of you, it is a decision to let it out or to control it yourself!
The tribal calls, upon further listening, appear to be some sort of primates. They remain in the background of the vocals for the entire part 2 of the song, taking the place of the man grunting behind Kanye West when Jeezy starts rapping.
The repetition of the song seeks to drive the point home and get the message across that this is how it is, I'm amazing. It is not up to you, it is up to ME, so don't try to have anything to do with it.
The final bass kick of the song, after everything else, is there simply because Kanye COULD put it there. It has no functional purpose, other than the representation of the effect of a single note, referencing West himself.
I feel that most people can relate to the emotion of this song and fighting against something or someone trying to hold you back - I know that I certainly can.
"Amazing" - Onto-historical World
Given the brief historical background that was offered at the beginning of the piece, it is not hard to pick up on the fact that West has felt unappreciated by many of the people and places in music that he felt truly mattered. This song, however, as well as the album, were his first foray into an area and genre of music that he created.
By combining his artistic vision with several different genres of music, he created what he has now dubbed "pop art," not to be confused with the work of the likes of Andy Warhol, but rather "artistic pop music." It is fortunate that he considered this and said it himself before others could accuse him, because many would be quick to jump on the bandwagon of pointing fingers. Through the singing of the entire album, West has more or less turned his back on the "hip hop" that made him famous and embraced the growth and evolution of pop and hip hop together.
In a day when anyone can create songs in a studio (or even a basement), the presence of auto-tune is nothing short of ubiquitous. It can be found in literally every genre where vocal performance is required to perform, from punk rock to country to hip hop, and has had an extremely debilitating effect on the integrity of recorded music in many people's opinion. Going along with West's "against the flow" attitude and his refusal to compromise personal artistic vision in order to please someone else, he created his ultimate work with a thought process similar to the Midas Touch, asserting that, whatever he made would be good because he is that good himself and therefore cannot produce bad music anymore, whether he puts months or just days into a work. His use of auto-tune can be interpreted as a minimalist form of creation, possibly his ultimate embodiment of cockiness (or confidence) that implies that he needn't avoid the use of automatic functions as long as he is the one giving the final nod and stamp of approval.
By combining his artistic vision with several different genres of music, he created what he has now dubbed "pop art," not to be confused with the work of the likes of Andy Warhol, but rather "artistic pop music." It is fortunate that he considered this and said it himself before others could accuse him, because many would be quick to jump on the bandwagon of pointing fingers. Through the singing of the entire album, West has more or less turned his back on the "hip hop" that made him famous and embraced the growth and evolution of pop and hip hop together.
In a day when anyone can create songs in a studio (or even a basement), the presence of auto-tune is nothing short of ubiquitous. It can be found in literally every genre where vocal performance is required to perform, from punk rock to country to hip hop, and has had an extremely debilitating effect on the integrity of recorded music in many people's opinion. Going along with West's "against the flow" attitude and his refusal to compromise personal artistic vision in order to please someone else, he created his ultimate work with a thought process similar to the Midas Touch, asserting that, whatever he made would be good because he is that good himself and therefore cannot produce bad music anymore, whether he puts months or just days into a work. His use of auto-tune can be interpreted as a minimalist form of creation, possibly his ultimate embodiment of cockiness (or confidence) that implies that he needn't avoid the use of automatic functions as long as he is the one giving the final nod and stamp of approval.
"Amazing" - Virtual Feeling
The listening of this piece brings about a few very noticeable emotions within the context of "virtual feeling." Kanye, through the use of distortion and auto-tune over his voice, creates a sense that the listener may be listening to a machine. It is somewhat chilling and has a very gritty feeling that makes the listener sense that things are moving forward around them at an almost dirge-like pace. With the piano in the minor key and the jazzy embellishments, this was probably no accident, especially when compared to the funeral processions held in the predominantly black southern states. With the somber sound, though, comes brief reprise at the chorus that makes the listener feel hopeful at least and creates a base that allows us to prepare for the turn towards the melancholy emotions once again.
At the break before the development, where the tribal calls begin, the listener begins to feel confused and most likely notices that the sounds are out of place in a song of this genre to say the least. They add to the intentional unorganization and spontaniety of the song that keeps the listener on their toes and interested in what is happening.
When the main verse progression returns, the listener feels the comfort of the piano once again but with a new twist: this time a new MC is rapping instead of singing. He makes the song come together in a smooth way that inspires passion and, ultimately, the reassurance that "I'm amazing" because of tangible events, accomplishments, and overcome obstacles, not because of superficial things.
At the break before the development, where the tribal calls begin, the listener begins to feel confused and most likely notices that the sounds are out of place in a song of this genre to say the least. They add to the intentional unorganization and spontaniety of the song that keeps the listener on their toes and interested in what is happening.
When the main verse progression returns, the listener feels the comfort of the piano once again but with a new twist: this time a new MC is rapping instead of singing. He makes the song come together in a smooth way that inspires passion and, ultimately, the reassurance that "I'm amazing" because of tangible events, accomplishments, and overcome obstacles, not because of superficial things.
"Amazing" - Historical Background
Kanye West has had a pretty rough life, and he doesn't try to hide that. From early on in his career, he has been fighting what he thought were uphill battles one after the other. Much of this can easily be discerned in his writing, especially his freestyles. But before these were even popular, West was a producer first and a rapper in his imagination.
Once he made it through the stigma of being a producer and labeled as someone unable to bring across the flow of a proper hip hop song through anything other than the beat, West got signed himself. Shortly thereafter, however, he was in a serious car accident that nearly took his life and required him to have his jaw wired shut for several weeks. It was during this time that he recorded his first hit single, "Through the Wire," rapped - quite literally - by West through the wire that was keeping his mouth shut.
From here, his drive had never been stronger and his will to succeed stuck out early on in his music. His first album, College Dropout, was unexpectedly successful, but still left some doubt with serious critics and hip hop fans about whether West truly embodied the essence of a rapper and belonged inside the booth instead of behind the board. Much, if not all, of this doubt was put to rest with the release of his second full-length album "Late Registration." In "Late Registration," Kanye brought to the table some very noticeably sharpened rapping skills as well as the always-expected samples that he had become infamous for by this time.
It was during the age of "Late Registration" that most people would say West's superiority complex began to surface, especially with his episode of slight temper upon not winning any grammy's for the album that he felt extremely entitled to. From this time on, West's acts became increasingly off-the-wall, at one point including an extremely unexpected and off-color remark during a live syndicast of a fundraising event shortly following Hurrican Katrina where West proclaimed, "George Bush hates black people." If he hadn't been noticed for his antics before, he was surely recieving that attention now.
West released his third full-length album in 2007 entitled "Graduation." This album contained a notable change from his past albums to a more pop-like genre, straying away from the stronger hip hop ties his previous albums embodied.
In November, 2008, West released his fourth and most recent full-length album titled "808's and Heartbreak." This has been his biggest musical change yet, seeing as he has more or less collided several aspects from several different genres into one new genre that he refers to as "pop art." With the strong contrast from his previously recorded albums, West brought about a concept that few of his fans saw coming: an album not recorded to generate revenue, publicity, and album sales (as his past 3 had, in droves) but rather one as an artistic outlet from the MC himself. This album has many quirks to it that have been hinted at in todays pop music but not exploited, like the use of auto-tune on every track of the album. Kanye does not rap on this record, choosing instead to sing to his heart's content in order that he can express his "true emotion" and convey to his fans what is at the essence of his lyrical content musically. This technique, while somewhat popular as of lately, has never been used in such an explicit way for the entirety of an album.
Also notable about 808's and Heartbreak is the use of the Roland TR-808 beat synthesizer. This was a common rhythmic synthesizer that was in production from 1980-1984 and provided an extremely practical alternative to the LM-1 (the 808 was $1,000 and the LM-1 was $5,000). On this record, West uses the TR-808 on every track as well - just like the auto-tune - but to add the effect of very tribal-sounding drums. The other "coincidence" of the album that West points out is that it was recorded in two weeks in Hawaii, where the island happened to have the area code "808."
The length of the recording process for 808's is odd as well, because West, a noted perfectionist, saw a change in his philosophy of writing and production. He "realized" that creating something in "5 minutes" could be just as good as something that took 2 weeks elsewhere, and that, on this album, his vision did not necessarily include all of the perfection of his earlier works. His themes were no longer the immature, flashy hip hop cliche's but rather a matured, vulnerable emotion that had been shaped by the loss of the two women most important to him within the same 6 months: his mother (who raised him on her own), and his fiance.
Once he made it through the stigma of being a producer and labeled as someone unable to bring across the flow of a proper hip hop song through anything other than the beat, West got signed himself. Shortly thereafter, however, he was in a serious car accident that nearly took his life and required him to have his jaw wired shut for several weeks. It was during this time that he recorded his first hit single, "Through the Wire," rapped - quite literally - by West through the wire that was keeping his mouth shut.
From here, his drive had never been stronger and his will to succeed stuck out early on in his music. His first album, College Dropout, was unexpectedly successful, but still left some doubt with serious critics and hip hop fans about whether West truly embodied the essence of a rapper and belonged inside the booth instead of behind the board. Much, if not all, of this doubt was put to rest with the release of his second full-length album "Late Registration." In "Late Registration," Kanye brought to the table some very noticeably sharpened rapping skills as well as the always-expected samples that he had become infamous for by this time.
It was during the age of "Late Registration" that most people would say West's superiority complex began to surface, especially with his episode of slight temper upon not winning any grammy's for the album that he felt extremely entitled to. From this time on, West's acts became increasingly off-the-wall, at one point including an extremely unexpected and off-color remark during a live syndicast of a fundraising event shortly following Hurrican Katrina where West proclaimed, "George Bush hates black people." If he hadn't been noticed for his antics before, he was surely recieving that attention now.
West released his third full-length album in 2007 entitled "Graduation." This album contained a notable change from his past albums to a more pop-like genre, straying away from the stronger hip hop ties his previous albums embodied.
In November, 2008, West released his fourth and most recent full-length album titled "808's and Heartbreak." This has been his biggest musical change yet, seeing as he has more or less collided several aspects from several different genres into one new genre that he refers to as "pop art." With the strong contrast from his previously recorded albums, West brought about a concept that few of his fans saw coming: an album not recorded to generate revenue, publicity, and album sales (as his past 3 had, in droves) but rather one as an artistic outlet from the MC himself. This album has many quirks to it that have been hinted at in todays pop music but not exploited, like the use of auto-tune on every track of the album. Kanye does not rap on this record, choosing instead to sing to his heart's content in order that he can express his "true emotion" and convey to his fans what is at the essence of his lyrical content musically. This technique, while somewhat popular as of lately, has never been used in such an explicit way for the entirety of an album.
Also notable about 808's and Heartbreak is the use of the Roland TR-808 beat synthesizer. This was a common rhythmic synthesizer that was in production from 1980-1984 and provided an extremely practical alternative to the LM-1 (the 808 was $1,000 and the LM-1 was $5,000). On this record, West uses the TR-808 on every track as well - just like the auto-tune - but to add the effect of very tribal-sounding drums. The other "coincidence" of the album that West points out is that it was recorded in two weeks in Hawaii, where the island happened to have the area code "808."
The length of the recording process for 808's is odd as well, because West, a noted perfectionist, saw a change in his philosophy of writing and production. He "realized" that creating something in "5 minutes" could be just as good as something that took 2 weeks elsewhere, and that, on this album, his vision did not necessarily include all of the perfection of his earlier works. His themes were no longer the immature, flashy hip hop cliche's but rather a matured, vulnerable emotion that had been shaped by the loss of the two women most important to him within the same 6 months: his mother (who raised him on her own), and his fiance.
"Amazing" - Textural Representation
It’s amazing, I’m the reason
Everybody fired up this evening
I’m exhausted, barely breathing
Holding on to what I believe in
[Chorus]
No matter what, you’ll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see
It’s amazing, so amazing, so amazing, so amazing (x2)
It’s amazing
I’m a monster, I’m a killer
I know I’m wrong
I’m a problem
That’ll never ever be solved
[Chorus]
And no matter what, you’ll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see
It’s amazing, so amazing, so amazing, so amazing (x2)
It’s amazing
I’m a monster, I’m a maven
I know this world is changing
Never gave in, never gave up
I’m the only thing I’m afraid of
[Chorus]
No matter what, you’ll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see
It’s amazing, so amazing, so amazing, so amazing (x4)
It’s amazing
[Young Jeezy]
I’m amazing (amazing), yeah I’m all that (all that)
If I ain’t on my grind than what you call that (what you call that)
Victorious, yeah we warriors
We make history, strive for victory (yeah)
Standing at my podium, I’m trying to watch my sodium
Die high blood pressure either let the feds catch ya (yeah)
I’m amazing born on a full moon
I was breed to get it in, no spoon
That’s why I’m so goon summer time no joke
Big family small house, no room
They like “Oh God, why he go so hard
Look what he’s been through, he deserves an applause”
[Outro]
So amazing, so amazing, so amazing
It’s amazing, so amazing, so amazing, so amazing (x4)
It’s amazing
In examining the textural representation in part 1 of the piece, the background information on West must be taken into account and built upon. Most notably, if you consider the track record of West and all of the acts of attention-grabbing behavior, you will see what could be considered a very classically insecure artist. Some may say that this song, through its extremely repetitive nature, could be West speaking to himself or thoughts within his own head. No literary works have been published of the lyrical significance of this particular song yet, leaving it up to the listener to decide what they think.
I propose that West, through his rejection at the Grammy's, VMA's, and other prestigious accolades which he strove so passionately to attain, West may have a bit of self-consciousness under that cocky attitude that everyone sees in the media. This song is his ode to himself; "I'm amazing," is what West truly needs to hear in order to feel fulfilled in his accomplishments, whether it comes from himself or a third party.
As far as the verses, they are fairly straightforward enough to understand. West, throughout the song, has realization after realization that, "YES there is something 'wrong'" which is a stark contrast to the positive outlook of the chorus. The ABAB structure of back and forth between self-conscious and empowered Kanye is clear: he is unsure of exactly what he is truly capable of, and because of this, he is aware that what he does produce will be a unique and powerful thing. The neurotic conversation he is having in his head throughout the song is typical of someone with a condition such as split personality disorder, and provides a comical view if looked at in a joking way but at the same time shows an artist clearly anguished by pangs of constant self-doubt. This is considerable for West especially given his previously extremely cocky and at times belligerent behavior that was regarded by many outsiders as extremely mature. In declaring "Never gave up, never gave in," West affirms that he was aware of the pressure to conformity from those around him, but remained vigalent in staying true to what he wanted to do.
While the verses seem to tell a story of sorts of the realizations, both positive and negative, that West has come to over time, his chorus serves as his moment to bathe in the "glory" of his accolades. He preaches to whoever is listening that "No matter what, you'll never take that from me," as though he is constantly at odds with others trying to replace him and become what he worked so hard to create; he is holding onto everything he has done, which is a truly impressive amount of things, as though that is all he has left. Nobody can take it away from him, it is permanent, unlike the relationship with his fiance and the physical presence of his mother.
After examining his text in this way, it is clear that his work is quite possibly all that West has left to hold onto in the first place.
In the development, West's peer, Young Jeezy, takes over with a slow narrative that also seeks to build up personal confidence through the listing of personal struggles dating as far back as his childhood where he proclaims “big family small house, no room … Look what he’s been through, he deserves an applause.” It’s interesting that Jeezy seems to go backwards in time, beginning with times when “we make history” that, presumably, reference his perception of his impact on hip hop to date.
In contrasting the two parts, it is interesting to note the lack of the chorus to break up the verse of Jeezy that appears three times in Kanye’s part. Along with the verse chord progression, we are set up to expect a recapitulation and hear the hook but it doesn’t come and leaves the audience on edge, significantly emphasizing the lyrical content of the second half of Jeezy’s verse:
I’m amazing born on a full moon
I was breed to get it in, no spoon
That’s why I’m so goon summer time no joke
Big family small house, no room
They like “Oh God, why he go so hard
Look what he’s been through, he deserves an applause”
Here, Jeezy exemplifies the stereotypical “rise from the streets” story of so many successful hip-hop artists today. His deliverance of these lyrics in a very relaxed but reassuring tone and rhythm helps to add to his self-proclaimed stature and adds to the overall referential message of the song as a reassuring means to tell people “I’m the shit and it doesn’t matter what you do or think.” Neither artist is rapping for anyone else’s reason besides their own.
Everybody fired up this evening
I’m exhausted, barely breathing
Holding on to what I believe in
[Chorus]
No matter what, you’ll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see
It’s amazing, so amazing, so amazing, so amazing (x2)
It’s amazing
I’m a monster, I’m a killer
I know I’m wrong
I’m a problem
That’ll never ever be solved
[Chorus]
And no matter what, you’ll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see
It’s amazing, so amazing, so amazing, so amazing (x2)
It’s amazing
I’m a monster, I’m a maven
I know this world is changing
Never gave in, never gave up
I’m the only thing I’m afraid of
[Chorus]
No matter what, you’ll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see
It’s amazing, so amazing, so amazing, so amazing (x4)
It’s amazing
[Young Jeezy]
I’m amazing (amazing), yeah I’m all that (all that)
If I ain’t on my grind than what you call that (what you call that)
Victorious, yeah we warriors
We make history, strive for victory (yeah)
Standing at my podium, I’m trying to watch my sodium
Die high blood pressure either let the feds catch ya (yeah)
I’m amazing born on a full moon
I was breed to get it in, no spoon
That’s why I’m so goon summer time no joke
Big family small house, no room
They like “Oh God, why he go so hard
Look what he’s been through, he deserves an applause”
[Outro]
So amazing, so amazing, so amazing
It’s amazing, so amazing, so amazing, so amazing (x4)
It’s amazing
In examining the textural representation in part 1 of the piece, the background information on West must be taken into account and built upon. Most notably, if you consider the track record of West and all of the acts of attention-grabbing behavior, you will see what could be considered a very classically insecure artist. Some may say that this song, through its extremely repetitive nature, could be West speaking to himself or thoughts within his own head. No literary works have been published of the lyrical significance of this particular song yet, leaving it up to the listener to decide what they think.
I propose that West, through his rejection at the Grammy's, VMA's, and other prestigious accolades which he strove so passionately to attain, West may have a bit of self-consciousness under that cocky attitude that everyone sees in the media. This song is his ode to himself; "I'm amazing," is what West truly needs to hear in order to feel fulfilled in his accomplishments, whether it comes from himself or a third party.
As far as the verses, they are fairly straightforward enough to understand. West, throughout the song, has realization after realization that, "YES there is something 'wrong'" which is a stark contrast to the positive outlook of the chorus. The ABAB structure of back and forth between self-conscious and empowered Kanye is clear: he is unsure of exactly what he is truly capable of, and because of this, he is aware that what he does produce will be a unique and powerful thing. The neurotic conversation he is having in his head throughout the song is typical of someone with a condition such as split personality disorder, and provides a comical view if looked at in a joking way but at the same time shows an artist clearly anguished by pangs of constant self-doubt. This is considerable for West especially given his previously extremely cocky and at times belligerent behavior that was regarded by many outsiders as extremely mature. In declaring "Never gave up, never gave in," West affirms that he was aware of the pressure to conformity from those around him, but remained vigalent in staying true to what he wanted to do.
While the verses seem to tell a story of sorts of the realizations, both positive and negative, that West has come to over time, his chorus serves as his moment to bathe in the "glory" of his accolades. He preaches to whoever is listening that "No matter what, you'll never take that from me," as though he is constantly at odds with others trying to replace him and become what he worked so hard to create; he is holding onto everything he has done, which is a truly impressive amount of things, as though that is all he has left. Nobody can take it away from him, it is permanent, unlike the relationship with his fiance and the physical presence of his mother.
After examining his text in this way, it is clear that his work is quite possibly all that West has left to hold onto in the first place.
In the development, West's peer, Young Jeezy, takes over with a slow narrative that also seeks to build up personal confidence through the listing of personal struggles dating as far back as his childhood where he proclaims “big family small house, no room … Look what he’s been through, he deserves an applause.” It’s interesting that Jeezy seems to go backwards in time, beginning with times when “we make history” that, presumably, reference his perception of his impact on hip hop to date.
In contrasting the two parts, it is interesting to note the lack of the chorus to break up the verse of Jeezy that appears three times in Kanye’s part. Along with the verse chord progression, we are set up to expect a recapitulation and hear the hook but it doesn’t come and leaves the audience on edge, significantly emphasizing the lyrical content of the second half of Jeezy’s verse:
I’m amazing born on a full moon
I was breed to get it in, no spoon
That’s why I’m so goon summer time no joke
Big family small house, no room
They like “Oh God, why he go so hard
Look what he’s been through, he deserves an applause”
Here, Jeezy exemplifies the stereotypical “rise from the streets” story of so many successful hip-hop artists today. His deliverance of these lyrics in a very relaxed but reassuring tone and rhythm helps to add to his self-proclaimed stature and adds to the overall referential message of the song as a reassuring means to tell people “I’m the shit and it doesn’t matter what you do or think.” Neither artist is rapping for anyone else’s reason besides their own.
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