Where’s the Old Kanye?

The transformation of Kanye West from a soulful, relentless black man to a seemingly loss individual who proudly wears the MAGA hat and networks with people such as Donald Trump has been confusing and provocative for many people. During the prime years of his career, Kanye West deeply connected with many people by rapping about relatable subjects such as family and love. He amassed a large following of fans by attracting people who enjoyed rap music, but could not truly connect with the music genre’s dominant theme of gang culture.

Despite the prominence of street rap in the 2000s-decade led by iconic artists such as Jay Z and 50 Cent, Kanye West created a lane for rappers to be themselves without glorifying the gangster lifestyle, while still being unequivocally black. He revolutionized hip hop when he released his classic album, “The College Dropout.” Memorable tracks such as “Slow Jamz”, “Jesus Walks”, and “Through The Wire” helped the artist build a strong fanbase. Throughout the whole project, Kanye West melodically rapped with supreme confidence and a strong sense of purpose.

With his next album, “Late Registration”, Kanye West continues to deliver soulful black music. My favorite tracks from the album are “We Major”, “Celebration”, and “Heard ’Em Say”. What I admired about old Kanye West music was how he valiantly rapped about overcoming adversity and staying true to…