Opinion: I’m Still Stuck on DONDA
Kanye West bows his head in prayer during his album roll-out tour for DONDA. (photo: Billboard)
By Kahlil Haywood
I know the Kanye conversation has moved along to his alleged appearance at the Met Gala, but I’m still stuck on DONDA.
Before we go any further, let me say that I greatly appreciate Kanye West’s musical contributions. I know we’re quick to cancel people these days, and that’s not something I fancy doing to Yeezy, even with his ignorance and arrogance. However, sometimes our worst characteristics are our best characteristics. How these things manifest makes all of the difference.
But, let’s talk about DONDA.- the anticipated latest full-length release from Kanye West dropped two weeks ago, packing a whopping twenty-seven songs!
Full disclosure, I didn’t listen to one track off of Jesus is King, so this latest effort from Yeezy is my first foray into his newest music since his Wyoming days. I like the album. I would have preferred some profanity on it, but I won’t split hairs. Even though DONDA was a strong effort and concept in its totality, it falls short in certain areas. I guess it wouldn’t be Kanye if we didn’t have yang to the album’s yin.
In my opinion, Kanye tends to overgeneralize his beliefs to fit the narrative of being a free thinker. However, in that same breath, we as the Black public tend to agree with the majority and do away with folks who align with the consensus. Whether we agree en mass or remain faithful to a once hailed genius, I see both scenarios as unproductive and herein lies my need to write this piece.
DONDA, upon first listen, seemed to be a reintroduction to Kanye. Hearing Jay -Z on a track sort of quelled the waters. I think many people thought since Hov co-signed the album, that meant all previous shenanigans were forgiven. Unfortunately, that isn’t quite the case. Although Jay alluded to “no more red cap,” it still doesn’t seem like Kanye grasps why we didn’t dig the cap in the first place. Later in the album, West alludes to always being “judged,” which makes it seem like we can’t be critical of ignorance.
Let’s discuss the Kanye red cap debacle briefly…
Kahlil Haywood is a writer, editor, and content creator from Brooklyn, NY. Kahlil’s content chronicles the experiences of a millennial, Afro Latino man. His work discusses politics, dating, and contemporary culture. Find him on Twitter and Instagram
