I can't even believe you are serious. Her music was all over the radio, she was all over magazines and she was winning awards and selling our concerts before Kanye did what he did. Sure he exposed her to a new audience, the people who exclusively listen to his type of music. Nobody is buying her music now thanks to Kanye.
I don't see how anyone can deny that Kanye West makes good music. It reminds of people who dislike basketball players because of their personalities and off-court actions even though they perform well on the court. I can't wait to listen to this album.
Look, I'm not defending what he did, or even saying it was okay. What I am saying is that he did expose her to a new group of people who would've never known who she was. Ever heard the phrase: Any publicity is good publicity. It still stands true in this situation. Beyond that, I really think this song, Power, goes back to the type of music that made him famous, real hip-hop. He had some good albums in Late Registration, College Dropout, and Graduation. I think Good Ass Job will do the same.
Sorry Kanye's fell off, The College Dropout up to Graduation were great albums. But if you want real hip hop listen to: <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sTpSwJMiUZw&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sTpSwJMiUZw&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cs9hp4ubU1k&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cs9hp4ubU1k&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
Kanye is NOT Hip-Hop... <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TxPm0TZcqHU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TxPm0TZcqHU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> Straight from the master...
NO, If you want REAL Hip hop, listen to: <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jyl_j0g9AwU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jyl_j0g9AwU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YFbLRZCExBk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YFbLRZCExBk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
You know it really bothers me that people are out there saying Hip-Hop isn't about Versace or what you wear etc etc. That's crap. You need to look at the music in a vacuum, and what Kanye does is Hip-Hop. You look at this song by West which actually has KRS One on it and produces by DJ Premier and it's hard to say it isn't hip hop. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UDCDrcZK4NE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UDCDrcZK4NE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> Also, when looking at his next album, guys like DJ Premier who are legendary producers in the hip-hop industry are giving West credit for this album like here:http://www.sohh.com/2010/04/dj_premier_calls_kanye_wests_new_album_h.html
Legendary hip-hop producer is quoted as saying "He's definitely hip-hop, his roots, I was testing him on joints...He takes it to another level which is dope." (http://celebrifi.com/gossip/Pete-Ro...Confirms-Working-W-Him-In-Hawaii-3840599.html) It's one thing to not like Kanye, it's another to say that it is not hip hop that he's making.
And that particular song "Classic", was very out of the box for Kanye. Rightfully so... All you have to do is listen to Rakim, KRS and Nas, compared to his verse on that track, to see the huge talent dropoff. His big productions, his limited talent as an MC and as a writer, is not what hip hop is about, in my opinion. As a pop artist that sells a ton of albums, sure his music is fine, but his is not a progression of hip hop, because it is not hip hop... Hip Hop does not come to mind when I hear "Good Life" or "Stronger" on the mainstream radio.
Then what does it make you think? And even then, those are just two songs off of Graduation. When you give Barry Bonds a listen, Big Brother, or even Bittersweet Poetry, to me personally that is hip-hop. Just like KRS One said in that interview it's not all about "Old-School" and I feel like Kanye did change hip-hop and you can see that from all his albums, minus 808.
*"Kanye says that his latest sound is no longer Hip Hop--it's "Pop Art."" *So I created a new genre of music and Itunes can chose to use it or not but this is called "Pop Art"--and that's what I want it to say in Itunes.."Pop Art" he continued." It makes me think...... "POP ART"...