Arguably the most controversial figure in hip hop of this generation, Kanye West, is back with a new release — this time, in cahoots with Consequence. The producer-rapper followed up with the song in the wake of conversations around his ‘retirement from professional music’, so whether that will happen post this release or at all, is a big question. For now, the track is out and you can cop a listen here!
The track has Kanye’s fingerprint all over it — the sample based boom bap track has hints of nostalgia and evokes feelings of upliftment, the kind fans experienced previously with releases like ‘Bound 2’. This, however, is more held back in its sonic approach, boasting minimalism carried largely by a syncopated groove. The lyrics revolve around being unapologetic in the trajectory of the artists’ career (although arguably, Kanye has enough to be apologetic about!) and emphasize that the artists had to do what they had to do to get paid in millions, as they are.
Ever since Kanye put out the remix for Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Like That’, things have seemed rather quiet on the hype front for the rapper. A lot of fans were unhappy with Kanye’s self insertion into the beef, and to be fair to Kanye, did not hold Kendrick to the same standard for responding on behalf of Pharrell as well.
Still, it is undeniable that anyone that came close to the Kendrick-Drake feud did not fare well (except for Kendrick himself). This is true especially for rappers Rick Ross and Kanye West, both of whom were instantly overshadowed by the sheer quality of releases from the main event. Could this be one of the reasons behind Kanye’s retirement sentiment? Is the new release fighting through to be able to now reshape the narrative? Only time will tell.
Listen to Cons and Kanye’s latest collab below.