Kanye West's ye: The most Kanye album ever?
By 2018, Kanye West had already transcended music. He wasn't just a rapper or a producer - he was a cultural event, an internet phenomenon, a walking controversy machine. His Twitter rants could overshadow global news stories, and his every move inspired both admiration and exhaustion.
So when ye dropped with almost no promotion (aside from Kanye's very public spiral of erratic tweets and questionable political statements), it felt like yet another unpredictable chapter in his ongoing saga. At just 23 minutes, the album is more of a snapshot than a full statement - seven tracks that feel like a brief, unfiltered diary entry from one of music's most volatile minds. But is it good? Well, that's complicated.
I Thought About Killing You - Setting the tone (and the unease)
If there's one thing Kanye's always been great at, it's making an entrance. The opening track, I Thought About Killing You, starts with a spoken-word monologue that's unsettling, vulnerable, and strangely hypnotic. "I think about killing myself, and I love myself way more than I love you," he says, with a calmness that makes it even more chilling. The production is minimal - moody synths bubbling under his voice - until a beat finally drops about halfway through, turning the track into something almost anthemic.
It's one of the strongest moments on the album, but also a warning: this isn't the Kanye of Graduation or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. This is a man unraveling in real-time, grappling with his own mind and letting the world listen in.
Peaks and valleys (but mostly peaks)
Once ye gets going, it's clear that Kanye hasn't lost his touch when it comes to production. Tracks like Yikes and All Mine hit with that signature Yeezy energy - booming bass, eerie vocal samples, and an almost manic confidence.
Yikes is pure chaos, with Kanye addressing his bipolar diagnosis while flexing about fame and fear. "That's my bipolar shit, n***a what?" he raps, owning it with the same bravado he brings to fashion lines and sneaker sales. It's messy but exhilarating.
All Mine brings in a playful, off-kilter beat and a hook that's both ridiculous and infectious. It's the closest thing to a banger on the album, even if the lyrics ("Let me hit it raw like fuck the outcome") feel like peak toxic-Kanye.
But then there's Wouldn't Leave, a heartfelt ode to Kim Kardashian standing by him through his public meltdowns. It's the kind of track that makes you root for him again - until he throws in lines about slavery being a choice, reminding you that Kanye's greatest enemy has always been himself.
The emotional heart: Ghost Town
The real highlight of ye is Ghost Town, a stunning, almost gospel-like anthem that feels like a fleeting moment of clarity amid the chaos. It features one of the best vocal performances on the album - not from Kanye, but from 070 Shake, whose outro ("I put my hand on a stove to see if I still bleed") is raw, aching, and unforgettable.
If ye had more songs like this - songs that feel fully realized, emotionally rich, and musically ambitious - it might've been a masterpiece. Instead, it teeters between brilliance and unfinished ideas, like a sketchbook full of half-drawn masterpieces.
The problem with ye: it feels incomplete
For all its highs, ye is frustratingly short. At just seven tracks, it barely gives itself time to breathe before it's over. Some songs feel undercooked (No Mistakes is catchy but slight), while others feel like they're missing a second verse (Violent Crimes starts strong but fizzles out).
Kanye has always been a maximalist - whether it's the grandeur of Dark Fantasy or the chaotic experimentation of Yeezus. But ye feels like an album that wasn't fully finished, almost like Kanye made it in a rush just to prove he could. And maybe he did - he reportedly recorded much of it in Wyoming just weeks before its release.
Where does ye stand in Kanye's discography?
Kanye's albums tend to fall into two categories: Game-changers (The College Dropout, 808s & Heartbreak, Yeezus) and personal experiments (Late Registration, The Life of Pablo). ye belongs to the latter group. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it gives us a raw, intimate look into Kanye's mind - messy, brilliant, and deeply human.
Some fans love it for its vulnerability. Others see it as one of Kanye's weakest projects, a rushed collection of ideas rather than a fully realized vision. The truth is, it's both. And that's what makes it so fascinating.
Final verdict
ye is Kanye at his most unfiltered - for better and worse. It's got some incredible highs (Ghost Town is one of his best songs ever), but it also feels like a rough draft rather than a final product. If you're a die-hard Kanye fan, there's a lot to love. If you're a casual listener, you might find yourself wishing for something more complete.
But that's Kanye, isn't it? Always brilliant, always frustrating, always leaving you wanting more. And maybe that's exactly what he intended.
FINAL SCORE: 7.5/10