Kanye West is considered one of the best rappers of all time. He evolves his sound with every new album release. His albums range from soulful College Dropout to autotune-full 808s and Heartbreak to masterpiece My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and finally the experimental Yeezus. Kanye recently revealed the name of his upcoming album. The Yeezus followup will be titled So Help Me God. The album cover is a diamond shape connected at the points by four lowercase m’s which is a 13th century monastic symbol for the Virgin Mary. He described his new album as a “fight to design” during an interview with BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe.
With Ye revealing his new album title, let’s look back at Kanye’s music catalog of greatest hits.
Heartless
Album: 808s and Heartbreak (2008)
“Heartless” peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 despite the negative criticisms on his use of autotune. The chorus is timeless but to the critics, how can you be so heartless?
Through the Wire
Album: College Dropout (2004)
Through the Wire is Kanye’s first single and it remains one of his best songs. This song was written and recorded by Kanye after a car accident in 2002 resulting in his jaw being wired shut. The song samples Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire”.
Runaway
Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
This song was released in 2010 and is said to be one of the most personal to Kanye. The lyrics describes the media’s hatred towards him and his failed relationships. The song was released not long after the controversy of Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech. It is said to be an apology to Taylor.
Gold Digger
Album: Late Registration (2005)
Featuring Jamie Foxx, “Gold Digger” was automatically a hit. This is one of Kanye’s most recognizable hits and it continues to get radio play. This song broke a record for the most digital downloads sold in a week at 80,000 and it was the fastest selling digital download of all time.
Blood on the Leaves
Album: Yeezus (2013)
“Blood on the Leaves” is a controversial song that samples Nina Simone’s song “Strange Fruit” about lynchings. Rolling Stone magazine ranked this song as Number 20 of the best songs in 2013.
Coldest Winter
Album: 808s and Heartbreak (2008)
Recorded shortly after Kanye lost his mother, “Coldest Winter” is a melancholy track. This track is a farewell to two important women in his life, losing his mother to cosmetic surgery and the end of a six year relationship with Alexis Phifer. His mother’s death and his work schedule laid his love life to rest.
Jesus Walks
Album: College Dropout (2004)
“Jesus Walks” is a midtempo track that warns of three modern wars: terrorism, racism and the battle against ourselves. There were three music videos released, each a different visual interpretation of the song. Kanye won a Grammy for Best Rap Song and “Jesus Walks” is listed as number 273 of the top 500 songs of all time. Kanye still loves to perform “Jesus Walks” live even though it came out more than ten years ago.
New Slaves
Album: Yeezus (2013)
This song is of Kanye ranting about racism, privacy, and culture wars. This is a minimalist track that isn’t focused on the beats but the lyrics. It gives you no choice but to listen to every word he’s rapping. Plus Frank Ocean is featured.
Flashing Lights
Album: Graduation (2007)
The song has one of the best opening lines, “She don’t believe in shooting stars, but she believes in shoes and cars.” Flashing Lights was a turning point in rap music in which gangster raps weren’t enough.
Lost in the World
Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
“Lost in the World” begins with the opening bars of “Woods” by Bon Iver. Kanye reinvents that song as a tribal banger about his inner demons.
Stronger
Album: Graduation (2007)
This is Kanye’s most mainstream song that can pump anyone up. He samples Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” which gives the song futuristic vibes.
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