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Who would have thought some Ray Charles lyrics could turn every club in the country upside down? All clubbers had to hear were four lines — "She took my mon-ey/ When I'm in need/ Yeah she's a triiiflin' friend indeed/ Oh she's a gold digger" — and they instinctually hit the dance floor. They didn't dare let the strident drums on Kanye's "Gold Digger" come through the speakers before being on their marks to dance.
This year saw Kanye dish up arguably the song of the year, along with records like "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" and "Heard 'Em Say," and deliver Late Registration, an album critics deemed pure genius. As a producer, Yeezee was already hovering near or surpassing some of today's greats, including Timbaland and Pharrell Williams. His sophomore release proved to be the sonic exception to virtually every rule in music. It's an LP that crossed boundaries and delivered sounds never heard before (Ray Charles meets hip-hop?).
As an MC, Kanye got even bigger. He's not as prolific as Jay-Z, Nas or Notorious B.I.G. — and he may never be — but West's voice is something everyone from the hip-hop community to the White House is apparently attuned to.
In 2005 Kanye was called courageous, obnoxious and profound. While many multiplatinum stars are afraid to discuss social issues and global problems, West spoke out against blood diamonds, President Bush, homophobia in hip-hop and even told the Grammy committee why they better make sure he continues taking home gold awards in 2006.
So what else does he have in store for us in 2006? You can bet he's going to continue to speak his mind and strive to make his trademark "crack music."
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Photo: Brian Appio |
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