West crosses genres with wilful and speedy abandon, taking the listener on an epic quest where the journey is just as enjoyable and unpredictable as the destination.
The night’s undoubted highlight is ‘Gold Digger’ which, combined with an apoplectic crowd and an eye-popping lighting display, reaches an apogee that maybe only Kanye can attain.
The current perceived wisdom on hip-hop is that (a) no-one makes decent albums anymore, (b) the gangster culture and it’s huge mainstream success has left it a joyless, soulless beast with no social conscience, and (c) it makes for a crap gigging experience.
The word on Kanye West is that he is the one who could change all that.
The stage is well set for the entrance of Kanye West, who seems to have made the transition from producer to star performer with few growing pains. Having crafted beats for the likes of Jay Z and Alicia Keys, the Chicago native’s debut album College Dropout has lead to his new role behind the mic becoming a very successful one indeed.
