year: 2016
tones of: anthony hamilton, cody chestnutt, the roots, bruno mars (on heart don't stand a chance), d'angelo, james brown (come down)
genre samples: r&b, jazz, hip hop, soul, psychedelic rock
music: playful, artistic, rhythmic, bouncy, spacey, atmospheric, live, instrumental
lyrics: straightforward, story-telling, autobiographical, simple, realistic
vocals: smooth, crooning, raspy, emotional, earnest
favs: the season i carry me, the bird, put me through, the waters, heart don't stand a chance, without you, come down, silicon valley, the dreamer
score: 8/10
note: in addition to being a singer and rapper, .Paak is also a talented producer - he actually produced six tracks on dr. dre's latest album.
year: 2016
tones of: old kanye, new kanye, derivative kanyes - you get the point
genre samples: hip hop, gospel, electronica, trap rap
music: industrial, warm, transcendent, jarring, demanding, haunting, comforting, spiritual, cascading
lyrics: honest, vulnerable, egotistical, frank, misogynistic, bombastic, meta, intelligent, hilarious
favs: fml, ultralight beam, real friends, i love kanye (insane brilliance on so many levels), feedback, famous, highlights, 30 hours
guest stars: chance raps out of his mind on "ultralight beam". frank ocean both softens and haunts "wolves". the weeknd is perfectly cast on "fml". ty dolla $ign is weird like always on "real friends". it's almost like kanye made these songs for them.
score: 8.5/10
note: meticulous production per usual. brilliant cubist in song change ups. stellar guest features. multilevel lyricism (back to pre yeezus levels). somewhat scattered but excellent, like a great playlist or shuffle session. kanye has still never made a bad album. impressive.
