Album Review :
Kanye West - Jesus Is King
By Graham Wall in Reviews | 6 Comments
“Damn” is the only curse word you’ll hear on Kanye West’s latest album.* Jesus Is King is gospel rap, and not only in the usual sense. With the help of the Sunday Service Choir and Fred Hammond, the gospel influence is potent; although rhymes and beats are present, the latter are especially minimal. Opening track, “Every Hour,” includes no rapping at all and reminds me a little bit of Tonéx. Lyrically, the album is forthright in its expressions of Christian faith. Bible verses are referenced in “Selah” in such a way that would make even Goliath dizzy, while “Water” mentions Jesus’ name 16 times. The best song, “Use this Gospel,” also finds Kanye stating truths about spiritual warfare: “Our demons are tremblin’ / Holy angels defendin’ / In the Father, we put our faith.” If the demons needed any more convincing, the euphoric synth arpeggio in “On God” might just take them out. To my surprise, Jesus Is King sounds more “Christian” than the Christian hip-hop I usually listen to.
* In the new version of “God Is,” the line “this ain’t ‘bout a damn religion” has been altered to “this ain’t ’bout a dead religion.”
This was a release that really caught me off guard. I don’t really follow Kanye but he is a fascinating icon of todays culture. I had no idea he had any tie to religion, much less a brand new gospel release.
But even though it’s a short and to the point review, the closing line summed up most of my thoughts on it. I’m curious to see if his release sends a surge of popularity for other gospel rappers out there
Hey MrM, thanks for checking the review out! I think your last sentence is very interesting. A similar question I have: if this wasn’t a Kanye album, would it be “too Christian” or “too gospel” for the mainstream? I’m not trying to make that sound condescending or anything like that. I suppose the reviews have been “average” according to Metacritic … but it just makes me wonder how much Mr. West’s past image affects how this album is understood and received?
Super short review. Would love to see some more depth. There are so many articles and discussions surrounding this album. Would have been good to touch on any of that and some depth to why or why not get/stream this.
Hey Lee, thanks for weighing in. While I have written both short and long reviews, short has become my preference. For me, it’s a practice in making every word count and to condense complicated thoughts – a practice in aesthetics. My success on that front is debatable, and while I personally enjoy reading short reviews, I can understand why not everyone might feel that way. I also try not to look at other reviews before I publish mine, so that I don’t have to worry about plagiarism. 🙂
Tell me more about the effect synth arpeggios have on demons…
Well in all honesty, they pale in comparison to the effect a puppy dog has on allah’s angels