Courtesy of Yahoo News
From building his way up to the top of the rap game to creating a multi-million-dollar clothing company, Kanye West has done it all. But now, he has transitioned from one creative outlet to another by taking a more religious approach and pursuing preaching.
West started his rapping career in the mid-1990s, skyrocketing through the rap game. He has been nominated for several awards such as Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album, Producer of the Year, Best Male Hip-Hop Artist and many more, slowly building a name for himself: Yeezus. The name stuck with him after his 2013 album release of the same title.
Starting in January of 2019, West began preaching. His first church service was publicized on Twitter by his wife of five years, Kim Kardashian West. The tweet stated, “Our new Sunday Service is starting. Go checkout the rehearsals in my Instagram stories.” The services are weekly church services, led by West himself, that heavily emphasize music. Videos of the services posted by attendees have surfaced, showcasing how exclusive it is to listen to West speak. At a different location each week, the service consists of a guest speaker, a choir, A-list celebrity attendees like singer/songwriter Sia, musical guests and gospel versions of his hit songs like “Ghost Town.”
These weekly services reflect the religious overtones of his new album, “Jesus is King.”
Before the album dropped, Kim Kardashian West posted a photo on Twitter on Wednesday, Sept. 25, of a single page which had the title of West’s long-awaited album and a list of what many presumed to be song titles. The morning of Friday, Sept. 27, all Yeezus followers looked at their phones to check if the anticipated album was ready to be heard on streaming platforms, but they were disappointed. It was later announced that the album will have a new release date of Friday, Oct. 25, just under a month after the original release date.
West did in fact release his newest, and perhaps his most unique, album on the 25th, fulfilling all of our hopes and dreams. With songs different from the original teased release, the 11-song, 27-minute album incorporates the art of gospel and rap.
Easily one of the most unique songs in his highly anticipated album is “Closed on Sunday.” This song talks about how Sunday is a day for family, to “put the gram away” and “get your family.” He brings up the famous chicken franchise Chick-Fil-A, saying how because Chick-Fil-A is closed on Sundays, his family is his personal Chick-Fil-A. Strange metaphor to use, but hey, it works! The other tracks on the album are called, “Every Hour,” “Selah,” “Follow God,” “On God,” “Everything We Need,” “Water,” “God Is,” “Hands On,” “Use This Gospel” and “Jesus Is Lord.”
The highly anticipated album is everything that Yeezus followers have wished for. With a mixture of the old Kanye and the new Kanye, the collision of gospel and rap has hit the music world through this new album. With some curiosity as to what to expect, West has once again changed our perception of music. Incorporating his religious beliefs into his lyrics, West’s newest album has been one of the best yet.
So, Kanye, when’s the next album coming?
