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Thread: I think Kanye West is a horrible producer

  1. #1
    'The Fourhorsemen' TSA's Avatar
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    Default I think Kanye West is a horrible producer

    I used to think he was good, until I realized I was just assuming he was good. Nobody, not even Kanye fans, go back to Kanye's music after 1 year. Nobody. They'll claim they do but the don't. Which is really fucking bizarre for music as a whole, but an accepted staple in modern hip hop.

    His production gets in the way. Once he started all his kanyeness and wasn't just a Rza+Trackmasters+Pharrell knock off, he started making 'creative' beats that just get in the fucking way of the song. It doesn't matter what anyone is saying on his songs because the beat and over production is always some gimmick.

    He's trying to be Pharrell, only Pharrell knows how to make songs and Kanye doesn't. Pharrell is left field, always comes up with new sounds and is extremely polished when he wants to be but the chorus and lyrics of the songs he does play equal part on the fucking song. He's also good at tailoring sounds to artists. This makes you want to listen to his songs over and over for years.

    Kanye on the other hand tries way too hard. He just throws in a bunch of stuff that great producers do so that you assume he's a great producer to by default of sound association. Then next year, you can revisit the song because it's people rapping over a sound effect.

  2. #2
    The ABBOTT noel411's Avatar
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    I heard his first 2 albums back in the day and they had a small handful of notable tracks. Nothing more. Nothing to make me return more than maybe once before those albums were completely forgotten and erased from my memory.

    I have no idea y he gets so much attention, beyond being an astronomical twat. But the same could b said of any popstar, I guess.

  3. #3
    The ABBOTT
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    Agree somewhat. I listened to his most recent collabs and agree. But I would say his first three albums and production credits during that era were solid. When he linked up with Common on Be and Finding Forever was some good music.

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    Gehoxagogen ShaDynasty's Avatar
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    I disagree, but I can't be bothered to write about that. I swear you made this same exact thread like a month ago.

    I will disagree that Pharrell comes up with new sounds all the time. The Neptunes had the same exact synths in every track for close to a decade, and Pharrell by himself just riffs on Roy Ayers stuff. Recently hes incorporated trap into his sound but thats hardly a marker of originality. I like Pharrell and The Neptunes though.

  5. #5
    anglophone rainbow's Avatar
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    kanye makes good beats, but over time they've become muddled and bloated due to him combining too many influences/having too many producers involved or his obsession with vocal sampling.

    his beats are as schizophrenic as the man. hip hop production is pretty simplistic at it's core; the best producers perfect the small things and let the rapper shine. but then again, i've never really liked the grand, overwrought style he goes for (reminds me of just blaze...).

    the best current day producer, Daringer, makes fairly simple, soulful beats that are perfect for rapping over. he focuses on a couple of good samples and dusty but impactful drums. a formula that many great producers (alchemist, madlib) have come to eschew. while i enjoy experimental music across genre's, i think it very rarely works well in hip hop.



    i think what you said about pharrell is true aside from the fact that as sha noted, he's not really "left field" in the scheme of things. his production choices are pretty unusual for mainstream hip hop though. the neptunes do know how to compliment lyricist with their music, unlike kanye and many others.



  6. #6
    Prince of the Non Ignorant weirdos
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    Love College Dropout, I am not familiar with anything else he has done though. I have always considered Bronze Nazareth's Great Migration as Wu Tang's answer to College Dropout.

  7. #7
    God's Replica Mumm Ra's Avatar
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    agree with initial post 100%, never understood the hype even in his supposed 'good' years which I would also best describe as a knockoff of other hot producers at the time (using Pete Rock's drums, high pitched samples like RZA did)


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    RaizaBlade Durag's Avatar
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    I loved his production on Common's Be and Talib Qweli's Quality album but was never too bothered about the production on his first few albums but half of that was I found them unlistenable coz of how terrible of a 'rapper' he is. There was nothing groundbreaking on those Common or Talib albums, just well crafted dope beats.

    I really liked my beautiful dark twisted fantasy as well but considering all the producers he has helping him, who the fuck knows what he was actually responsible for. Plus, it is the samples that make those tracks. Blame Game would be useless without that Avril 14th sample. I knew someone who adored that song and thought it was all an original until I played Aphex Twin and now his appreciation for Blame Game has gone down to such a point now that he only listens to Avril 14th.

    Daytona was dope though, probably some of my favourite Kanye beats, but again, how knows how much he actually had to do with the beats on there.

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