The back story of Kanye West's 2016 release, The Life of Pablo, is nearly impossible to put in a nutshell, but it involves an ever-changing album title, including one that offended Wiz Khalifa so much that a twitter war ensued.
Then there was a "Bill Cosby is innocent" tweet, and a consensus among producers and insiders that this was the culmination of his career.
There was the Season 3 release of West's fashion line, a coinciding event that seemed just as important to Yeezy as dropping this LP.
More important, maybe, since the runway models all made their cues while The Life of Pablo missed its release date, and while the idea that this is Kanye's career in one album can be loosely applied, it's more an angelic-themed LP in the vein of 808s & Heartbreak, with another vicious, trite, spiteful, parasitic release nibbling at its host.
The opening masterpiece, "Ultralight Beam," represents the angelic side, offering a complicated emotional ride with the Gospel of Kirk Franklin fueling the song's jaw-dropping climax.
Then, on a smaller scale, there's "No More Parties in L.A." with Kendrick Lamar and Madlib as co-producer, plus samples of Junie Morrison and Larry Graham, all supporting a smooth, rolling soul song they never could've imagined -- one about dropping your own shoe line -- plus "sheets still orange from your spray tan." Add the gorgeous "FML" ("I will die for those I love/God, I'm willing to make this my mission"), which comes with the Weeknd, and a marvelous sample of post-punkers Section 25, and the vibrant The Life of Pablo circles the wagons around family and soul mates in a manner that makes this the most holy of endeavors.
And yet, when "Real Friends" explores the flipside, the emotions are tweet-sized and click bait, because paying a cousin a quarter million just to get a laptop back, just because of ex-girlfriend nudes, seems like G-Unit bragging or yesterday's bossip.
There's the much talked about Taylor Swift diss in "Famous," which is not only callous, trite, and illogical but sits on a sub-Yeezy beat, and yet "Waves" (sounds like Kraftwerk remixing Chris Brown), "Highlights" (Young Thug and Yeezy connect supremely, like Drake and Future), and "Low Lights" (nothing but bass and a woman testifying for pure perfection) are all captivating, and make Pablo a soul-filling, gospel-fueled alternative to West's vicious, industrial-powered LP Yeezus.
The bleached anuses that ruin expensive t-shirts in "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt.
1" just don't seem as interesting in this context, but the other way to look at the erratic Pablo is as an "instant" LP, one that was mastered at the last minute and debuted via streaming.
On that count, it's a fascinating, magazine-like experience with plenty of reasons to give it a free play, and with "Feedback" adding "name one genius that ain't crazy" to the mix, Pablo excuses itself from the usual criticisms, although it could have been tighter.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FamousLuis Bacalov, Sergio Bardotti, Chancelor Bennett, Ross Birchard, Ernest Brown, Andrew Dawson, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Kejuan Muchita, Patrick Reynolds, Winston Riley, Giampiero Scalamogna, Enzo Vita, Jimmy Webb, Kanye West, Cydel Young | Kanye West | Play | 03:14 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | FeedbackChancelor Bennett, Ernest Brown, Marcus Byrd, Manouchehr Cheshmazar, Noah Goldstein, Darius Jenkins, K. Rachel Mills, Ardalan Sarfaraz, Kanye West, Cydel Young | Kanye West | Play | 02:35 | 5 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | Low LightsMike Dean, Sam Griesemer, Jerome Potter, Sandy Rivera, Kanye West | Kanye West | Play | 02:11 | 5 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | HighlightsTyler Bryant, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Joshua Luellen, Terius Nash, Greg Phillinganes, Patrick Reynolds, Kanye West, Jeffery Williams, Cydel Young | Kanye West | Play | 03:19 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | I Love KanyeKanye West | Kanye West | Play | 00:44 | 1 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | WavesChancelor Bennett, Ross Birchard, Fred Bratwaithe, Chris Brown, Ernest Brown, Mike Dean, Robin Diggs, Kevin Ferguson, Theodore Livingston, Darryl Mason, Scott Mescudi, Elon Rutberg, Derek Watkins, Leland Wayne, Kanye West, James Whipper, Tony Williams, Cydel Young | Kanye West | Play | 03:01 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | FMLRoss Birchard, Christian Boggs, Ernest Brown, Marcus Byrd, Larry Cassidy, Lawrence Cassidy, Vincent Cassidy, Andrew Dawson, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Darius Jenkins, K. Rachel Mills, Abel Tesfaye, Leland Wayne, Jacques Webster, Kanye West, Paul Wiggin, Cydel Young | Kanye West | Play | 03:56 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | Real FriendsMike Dean, Adam Feeney, Noah Goldstein, Tyrone Griffin, Jalil Hutchins, Rupert Thomas, Jr., Darren King, Kejuan Muchita, Glenda Proby, Matthew Samuels, Lawrence Smith, Kanye West, Cydel Young | Kanye West | Play | 04:11 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | WolvesChristopher Breaux, Alan Brinsmead, Mike Dean, Sia Furler, Noah Goldstein, Magnus August Høiberg, Ryan McDermott, Victor Mensah, Lincoln Minott, Elon Rutberg, Kanye West | Kanye West | Play | 03:58 | 9 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | 30 HoursCharles L. Brown, Mike Dean, Jason Epperson, Aubrey Graham, Isaac Hayes, Cornell Haynes, Charles Arthur Russell Jr., Karriem Riggins, Arthur Russell, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams | Kanye West | Play | 05:25 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 11 | No More Parties in LARonald Bean, Dennis Coles, Highleigh Crizoe, Sam Dees, Kendrick Duckworth, Larry Graham, Tina Graham, Otis Jackson, Jr., Junie Morrison, Herbert Rooney, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Kanye West | Kanye West | Play | 06:14 | 14 MB | 0 MB |
| 12 | Facts [Charlie Heat Version]Ernest Brown, Noah Goldstein, Aubrey Graham, Joshua Luellen, Bryan Simmons, Nick Smith, Sonny Corey Uwaezuoke, Leland Wayne, Kanye West, Nayvadius Wilburn, Jeffery Williams, Cydel Young | Kanye West | Play | 03:19 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 13 | FadeBenji Benstead, Ronald Carroll, Mike Dean, Stephen Garrett, Noah Goldstein, Cornelius Grant, Sam Griesemer, Tyrone Griffin, Larry Heard, Eddie Holland, Anthony Kilhoffer, Harold Matthews, Robert Owens, Austin Post, Jerome Potter, Eric Seats, Rapture Stewart, Barbara Tucker, Little Louie Vega, Ryan Vojtesak, Kanye West, Norman Whitfield | Kanye West | Play | 03:13 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 14 | Ultra Light Beams | Kanye West, Chance The Rapper, The-Dream, Mary J. Blige | Play | 05:20 | 12 MB | 0 MB |
| 15 | Father Stretch My Hands (Part 1) | Kanye West, Kid Cudi | Play | 02:15 | 5 MB | 0 MB |
| 16 | Father Stretch My Hands (Part 2) | Kanye West, Desiigner | Play | 02:09 | 4 MB | 0 MB |
| 17 | Freestyle 4 | Kanye West, Desiigner | Play | 02:02 | 4 MB | 0 MB |
| 18 | Silver Surfer Intermission | Kanye West | Play | 00:56 | 2 MB | 0 MB |
| 58 mins | 133 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Bacalov | Composer |
| 2 | Sergio Bardotti | Composer |
| 3 | Pastor T.L. Barrett | Composer |
| 4 | Ronald Bean | Composer |
| 5 | Chancelor Bennett | Composer |
| 6 | Benji Benstead | Composer |
| 7 | Ross Birchard | Composer |
| 8 | Christian Boggs | Composer |
| 9 | Fred Bratwaithe | Composer |
| 10 | Christopher Breaux | Composer |
| 11 | Alan Brinsmead | Composer |
| 12 | Charles L. Brown | Composer |
| 13 | Chris Brown | Composer |
| 14 | Ernest Brown | Composer |
| 15 | Tyler Bryant | Composer |
| 16 | Marcus Byrd | Composer |
| 17 | Ronald Carroll | Composer |
| 18 | Larry Cassidy | Composer |
| 19 | Lawrence Cassidy | Composer |
| 20 | Vincent Cassidy | Composer |
| 21 | Manouchehr Cheshmazar | Composer |
| 22 | Dennis Coles | Composer |
| 23 | Highleigh Crizoe | Composer |
| 24 | Andrew Dawson | Composer |
| 25 | Kasseem Dean | Composer |
| 26 | Mike Dean | Composer |
| 27 | Sam Dees | Composer |
| 28 | Robin Diggs | Composer |
| 29 | Kendrick Duckworth | Composer |
| 30 | Jason Epperson | Composer |
| 31 | Adam Feeney | Composer |
| 32 | Kevin Ferguson | Composer |
| 33 | Kirk Franklin | Composer |
| 34 | Sia Furler | Composer |
| 35 | Stephen Garrett | Composer |
| 36 | Alison Goldfrapp | Composer |
| 37 | Noah Goldstein | Composer |
| 38 | Aubrey Graham | Composer |
| 39 | Larry Graham | Composer |
| 40 | Tina Graham | Composer |
| 41 | Cornelius Grant | Composer |
| 42 | William Gregory | Composer |
| 43 | Sam Griesemer | Composer |
| 44 | Tyrone Griffin | Composer |
| 45 | Trevor Gureckis | Composer |
| 46 | Isaac Hayes | Composer |
| 47 | Cornell Haynes | Composer |
| 48 | Larry Heard | Composer |
| 49 | Eddie Holland | Composer |
| 50 | Jalil Hutchins | Composer |
| 51 | Magnus August Høiberg | Composer |
| 52 | Otis Jackson, Jr. | Composer |
| 53 | Darius Jenkins | Composer |
| 54 | Adnan Khan | Composer |
| 55 | Karim Kharbouch | Composer |
| 56 | Anthony Kilhoffer | Composer |
| 57 | Darren King | Composer |
| 58 | Theodore Livingston | Composer |
| 59 | Robert Locke | Composer |
| 60 | Joshua Luellen | Composer |
| 61 | Darryl Mason | Composer |
| 62 | Harold Matthews | Composer |
| 63 | Ryan McDermott | Composer |
| 64 | Victor Mensah | Composer |
| 65 | Scott Mescudi | Composer |
| 66 | K. Rachel Mills | Composer |
| 67 | Lincoln Minott | Composer |
| 68 | Junie Morrison | Composer |
| 69 | Kejuan Muchita | Composer |
| 70 | Terius Nash | Composer |
| 71 | Tim Norfolk | Composer |
| 72 | Robert Owens | Composer |
| 73 | Greg Phillinganes | Composer |
| 74 | Austin Post | Composer |
| 75 | Jerome Potter | Composer |
| 76 | Kelly Price | Composer |
| 77 | Glenda Proby | Composer |
| 78 | Patrick Reynolds | Composer |
| 79 | Karriem Riggins | Composer |
| 80 | Winston Riley | Composer |
| 81 | Allen Ritter | Composer |
| 82 | Sandy Rivera | Composer |
| 83 | Herbert Rooney | Composer |
| 84 | Rick Rubin | Composer |
| 85 | Arthur Russell | Composer |
| 86 | Charles Arthur Russell Jr. | Composer |
| 87 | Elon Rutberg | Composer |
| 88 | Matthew Samuels | Composer |
| 89 | Ardalan Sarfaraz | Composer |
| 90 | Giampiero Scalamogna | Composer |
| 91 | Eric Seats | Composer |
| 92 | Nico Segal | Composer |
| 93 | Sidney Selby III | Composer |
| 94 | Caroline Shaw | Composer |
| 95 | Bryan Simmons | Composer |
| 96 | Lawrence Smith | Composer |
| 97 | Nick Smith | Composer |
| 98 | Rapture Stewart | Composer |
| 99 | Abel Tesfaye | Composer |
| 100 | Rupert Thomas, Jr. | Composer |
| 101 | Barbara Tucker | Composer |
| 102 | Sonny Corey Uwaezuoke | Composer |
| 103 | Little Louie Vega | Composer |
| 104 | Enzo Vita | Composer |
| 105 | Ryan Vojtesak | Composer |
| 106 | Derek Watkins | Composer |
| 107 | Johnny "Guitar" Watson | Composer |
| 108 | Leland Wayne | Composer |
| 109 | Jimmy Webb | Composer |
| 110 | Jacques Webster | Composer |
| 111 | Kanye West | Composer, Primary Artist |
| 112 | James Whipper | Composer |
| 113 | Norman Whitfield | Composer |
| 114 | Paul Wiggin | Composer |
| 115 | Nayvadius Wilburn | Composer |
| 116 | Jeffery Williams | Composer |
| 117 | Pharrell Williams | Composer |
| 118 | Tony Williams | Composer |
| 119 | Charly Wingate | Composer |
| 120 | Cydel Young | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |