West alters lifestyle, ‘in service to Jesus Christ’

Kanye West is one of the most polarizing figures of our generation. You may admire him for his art and contribution to culture, or criticize him for his brash lifestyle decisions. When you think of his name, you may think singer, rapper, designer, producer, filmmaker, architect, or CEO, but with the release of his long-awaited album Jesus Is King, another title comes quickly to mind: Christian.

Personally, I couldn’t have been more excited for this album. I have followed West very close for years, and enjoy most of his work. Whether it’s music, shoes, or clothing, West has inspired me and many others to pursue their dreams, regardless of what people say. Now West is pursuing a different dream, one inspired by Jesus Christ.

After weeks of postponed release dates and song leaks, the Louis Vuitton Don released Jesus Is King, Oct. 25.

The album begins on a grand note with a piece by the Sunday Service Choir. This is the only song that does not feature Kanye’s vocals.

West began Sunday Service in early 2019 as an invite-only gathering, behind closed doors. Close friends and family enjoyed reworks of previous songs, now with a gospel choir. Since then, it has evolved and changed to be more Christ-centered and features pastoral teachings.

“We were really light on even giving it a name,” West said. “It was just the idea that we had to open up our hearts, and make music that was as pure and as positive as possible. Just do it for an hour, every Sunday, and have something where people can come together and just feel good with their families.”

West’s voice is first introduced in the tune Selah. The word Selah comes from the Bible, and is seen 71 times in the book of Psalms, a book of songs. Theologians believe Selah means “to lift up, exalt” while others think it means to reflect. West uses this song to praise God, especially in the chorus. The choir lifts up a mighty hallelujah, creating the grandest moment of the album.

The next track Follow God flips the pace. We hear a classic West sample over a hip-hop beat. This song proves itself to be the “banger” of the album, and is emerging as the most popular.

When I first heard Closed On Sunday, I thought the Chick-fil-A lyric was extremely corny. However, upon reflection, some of the best lyrics on the album are entwined in the melodies of this song. He uses the lyrics to profess that he is rebelling against culture, protecting his family above all and rejecting “Jezebel”. Jezebel’s sexual promiscuity in the book of 1 Kings led her to become the biblical stereotype of a wicked woman. I believe West is referring to his pornography addiction, something that has haunted him his whole life.

Ty Dolla $ign and Ant Clemons are spotlighted in Everything We Need. The song was originally intended to appear on Yandhi, an unreleased album by West, and featured a guest verse from the late XXXTENTACION. The verse was cut due to its vulgarity and explicit lyrics, something that Jesus Is King does not promote. This song comes in at just under two minutes and I feel it could definitely have been longer.

Ant Clemons primarily leads Water until a spoken verse is heard by West. The song is extremely minimalistic, but Clemons’ melodies, backed by the choir, compensate for the simplicity. West’s verse seems rough and half-baked. This could be him just vomiting his thoughts and struggling to communicate a prayer.

In the following tweet, West discusses his triumph over addiction in an interview with Beats 1.

“With God, I’ve been able to beat things that had a full control of me.”@kanyewest x @zanelowe
Listen back, only on @AppleMusic.https://t.co/opCOo8EZwA pic.twitter.com/kCuaF1qxsg

— Beats 1 (@Beats1) October 25, 2019

God Is strikes me as the most genuine piece of the album. I think anyone that questions West’s motives should consult this song. The man’s change of heart is evident in all the lyrics of this album, especially in this song.

Artists are known to go to extremes when recording in the studio. When West recorded My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010, he had strict social media rules and even a ban on “hipster hats” for all involved in the project. This time around, West had different rules concerning their lifestyles outside of the studio.

“There were times where I was asking people not to have premarital sex while they were working on the album,” West tells Zane Lowe. “There were times where I went to people that were working on other projects and said, can you just work and focus on this? I thought if we could all focus and fast – families who pray together stay together.”

West’s transition to Christianity has not been entirely smooth and has received backlash from many. On Hands On, West says that the most judgement he has received is from fellow Christians. This is probably due to Christians questioning his heart due to his previous catalogue of sexually explicit music and radical behaviors. The song features the most experimental vocals on the album, contributed by Fred Hammond.

I had originally heard Use This Gospel from a leak a day before the album dropped and it had me ecstatic for the album. The vocal production and melodies on the chorus are very catchy. I later realized this song appeared on the leaked version of Yandhi as a song titled The Law of Attraction. West reworked all the lyrics and even added three unexpected guests to the track.

Use This Gospel reunites Clipse, the rap duo consisting of Pusha T and No Malice, as well as an outro performed by the unexpected Kenny G. I think No Malice was an appropriate person to feature because he lived a life similar to West’s before leaving hip-hop and becoming a Christian. As unexpected as Kenny G’s saxophone may be, him and West have shared a long career of collaboration.

The album concludes with the 49 second Jesus Is Lord. This song has incredible potential and definitely should have been extended to its full length, as heard in the credits of the IMAX film, Jesus Is King.

Overall, I am pleased with the outcome of this album. Although it may not be his best album production, that’s completely fine with me. I think this album serves a greater purpose, one beyond him. It cannot compare musically to his previous wok, but this is a totally new world for him.

As West’s career evolves and unfolds under a new calling, I cannot wait to see what he will cook up for us next.

For more music reviews, see Twenty Twenty and Golden Hour. For more articles, read EDITORIAL: Modern day slavery impacts people of all ages, races, genders, backgrounds or ID requirements change, Americans apply for REAL ID.

Logan Lewis can be contacted via Instagram, Twitter, and email.

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