Kanye West has had his fair share of commercial hits over the years. Yet, some of his music deserves more credit and attention than it gets.
Here’s a curated list of the top 10 most underrated Kanye West songs:
Through this song, Kanye explores the monotonous and repetitive nature of life. Kanye is known for his raps on dark topics, but it is unlikely to see him doubting the purpose and nature of his very existence. Street Lights is one of the most powerful and emotionally impactful songs of his career.
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It is a known fact that Kanye and Otis Redding make for a magical duo, and Gone is proof of that. With simple yet playful beats, this song is one of the very best in Kanye’s career. There’s an entire string section composed of ten violins, four violas, and four cellos. It breaks conventional hip hop production standards and it’ll blow you away, we promise!
The timing of the album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, is key. It was his comeback after the Taylor Swift incident at the VMAs. He was also mourning his mother’s passing and yearning for Kim Kardashian, while he clearly was in a relationship with Amber Rose. Lost in the World most certainly represents his state of mind at the time.
Source: Genius
This song explores Kanye in his rawest form and is quite a contrast to the dark theme followed throughout his album, The Life of Pablo. Kanye covers a wide range of subjects in his raps, which makes us love this instrumental even more.
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With perfectly aligned vocals and solid production, Hold My Liquor is the OG song to vibe to. Keef chief and Justin Vernon wonderfully complement the instrumental as well as Kanye’s verse. The increasing intensity of the bass and awesome beats is what really stands out for us!
Source: Genius
Murder to Excellence comes through more than any other song on Watch the Throne as it explores real-world issues. The song talks about the situation of the African-American communities in America – the violence, as well as black excellence and ownership. Knowing the story behind the music will give you chills every time you listen to it.
Amidst the glory of the entire album, the charm of Blame Game is often lost. It is one of Kanye’s realest songs as it dives into the relationship between his fame and personal life. Adding to his honesty, Chris Rock’s monologue marks this song as one of Kanye’s biggest achievements.
Source: Genius
This song has always deserved more credit than it gets. Did you know that the music video for Spaceship was never officially released? A leaked version exists on YouTube, though. Kanye officially released the music video for this track on June 27, 2020 – 16 years after the scheduled launch – as a part of the #WESTDAYEVER rollout with Gap.
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Out of all the songs on Yeezus album, Guilt Trip is one that often gets ignored the most. This is undoubtedly Kanye’s most forward-looking and experimental track, and any hate that it gets is completely undeserved. The whole song is just perfection, trust us.
This song serves as a testament to Kanye West’s zeal, creativity, and brilliance. Kanye pretty much sums up his whole life with splendid imagery and detail through this track. Know anyone else who could do that?