Kanye West. What can you actually say about the guy that hasn't already been said? He'due south one of the most prolific, egotistical, innovative, influential and well known artists currently working. He has quite literally done it all and in his short yet very accomplished career, he however hasn't failed to surprise u.s.. His long anticipated fifth studio album, 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' has finally striking store shelves. While the bulk of the tracks have already been released or leaked, nosotros now have the full album. Does Yeezy continue to print with 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy', or is this fifth studio anthology the first chink in this larger than life rapper's chain?

As stated above, most of the tracks take already been released so those who continue up on their music, should already be familiar with the vast majority of the anthology. Subsequently, if you've heard most of the album already, you know that this is Kanye's strongest album still, and quite possibly, one of the best rap albums of 2010.

Rolling Stones writer Rob Sheffield points out, in the song Runaway, when Yeezy raps about "jerk-offs that'll never take work off", he's referring to himself. Kanye is going big with this album, he's breaking all the rules and showing us that he truly is the a strength to be reckoned with. Information technology's a wildly ambitious and dangerously daring album just it's some damn impressive piece of work. I hateful what other album features both Elton John and Chris Rock?

Boot off the album is Dark Fantasy, a runway produced past RZA and No I.D., which should be plenty to make it worth a listen. After the haunting and cute intro we hear Ye'due south voice, which is surprising. No autotune, no effects, nothing. Last album, 808's and Heartbreaks, Yeezy's voice was tricked out hardcore with a variety of effects. Now he kicks off 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' with simplicity. His voice and a mic, that's it. It takes the listener by surprise but it'due south nice to hear.

Dropping lines like "The programme was to drinkable it till the pain over/Merely what's worse, the hurting or the hangover?" Yeezy is clearly looking for relief, he hammers his bulletin home in the side by side track Gorgeous when he says "This week has been a bad massage, I need a happy catastrophe."

West is hurting, in Power he talks about suicide, in Delinquent he acknowledges his faults and apologizes for them equally he says "yous've been putting up with my sh*t for way too long" and in All Of The Lights, he talks about a man who has driven away his family. West is looking for redemption here, it's a theme seen throughout the entire album and Dark Fantasy is a fantastic rails to kick things off.

Next upward is Gorgeous. Perchance one of the best tracks on the album, with help from Kid Cudi and Raekwon, Yeezy puts together a catchy and addictive vocal with some height notch lyrics. The best part of the song is the poke at South Park. For those who call back, last year, S Park aired an episode revolving around Kanye Due west, making fun of him. Now it's Yeezy's turn to strike back  as he talks most choking a South Park writer with a fish stick. If you've seen the episode, yous'll get information technology. Yeezy doesn't stop at that place, he also throws another goggle box evidence reference out, this time it's to 30 Rock.

There are some other clever lyrics from Kanye equally he raps, "I care for the cash the way the government treats AIDS, I won't be satisfied til all my due north-ggas go it, get it?" and when Raekwon comes in, he takes the track to a whole new level. He blesses the track with lines like "go along it real or proceed information technology moving, continue grinding/go on shining, to every immature homo, this is a programme/learn from others like your brothers Rae and Kanye."

Cudi's hook is unbelievably catchy, and it almost feels equally if it's his song at points due to the laid back tone it carries. The appealing guitar riff makes it even easier on the ears and overall, this is a superb runway.

Following Gorgeous is Power, arguably the most well known vocal on the album since information technology was the first unmarried released, it's 1 hell of a rail. While the Jay-Z remix is arguably amend, this version is still i of the strongest songs on the album. Sampling 21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson, Kanye delivers a lyrical masterpiece. He tells off the haters and explains to use where he has been, mentally and physically over the past year.

The lyrics are powerful as we listen to Kanye get through an emotional tale, telling united states of america how he longs for a 'beautiful death', with allusions to suicide that are all to creepy. The rapper sings "Now this would be a beautiful decease – I'k jumping out the window, I'm letting everything get." Dwele lends Yeezy a hand and the two come together to make one of Yeezy's best songs in contempo retentiveness.

Power is a smart, catchy and quotable vocal, more importantly though, it represents Yeezy's return to what he does best. It'south arguably the best song on the anthology and the remix featuring Jay-Z is even better. Kanye has a winner with this one.

The All Of The Lights interlude is short simply offers some nice violin music. When we come up to All Of The Lights, what nosotros have is a track that is nil brusque of epic. Featuring eleven different artists (Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Fergie, John Fable, The-Dream, Tony Williams, Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson, Ryan Leslie, and La Roux's Elly Jackson), this is definitely one of Yeezy's about ambitious songs. We get a piano solo from Elton John, some tremendous piece of work from Rihanna, a surprising verse from Fergie and much much more. The product on this song is truly fantastic.

Monster, one of the Good Fri songs, follows All Of The Lights. Featuring the likes of Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver and Rick Ross, one should expect keen things from this song. Minaj is great hither equally she rips through her verse with such unpredictability, she easily steals the song. No one else really does much though. Ross and Bon Iver are useless, and Ye has washed much meliorate.

Aside from Minaj, Jay-Z is the just other i who gives us something good. He spits one particularly memorable poesy where he says "Everybody wanna know what my Achilles heel is/Beloved – I dont go enough of it/All I become is these vampires and claret suckers/All I go is these rappers I made millionaires, milling virtually, spilling their feelings in the air." Makes you wonder who he's taking aim at. Monster isn't a bad track, merely it didn't practice much for me.

The slow burning rails So Appalled comes after Monster and it was also released as a Skilful Friday rails, so for those of you keeping upward with GOOD Fridays, you'll exist right at home when y'all hear this ballsy seven minute song. West drafts Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz, RZA, Pusha T and Cyhi Da Prync for help and despite the length, it'due south a very enjoyable track.

Jay-Z has a especially strong verse as he asks us would you rather be paid or overrated?  He spews lines like "How should I begin this?/ I'thou but then offended/ How am I even mentioned by these f—in' beginners?/ I'm so appalled/ I might buy the mall/ Just to evidence n—equally how much more than I have in shop." The vocal also features the famous MC Hammer diss where Jay raps, "I lost 30 manufacturing plant and so I spent another thirty cuz unlike hammer 30 mill tin't hurt me."

I love how the song gave adequate fourth dimension to each rapper, the 7 minute runtime isn't a problem at all and past the time it's over, there volition be a number of lines that will be repeating in your head. Information technology's also quite relevant to Ye'south life as it echoes the line "Life can be sometimes ridiculous."

The next song, Devil In A New Dress, is the only one I really don't like. The falsetto backing vocals are kind of annoying and it's way too slow for me. Yeezy drops a few good lines ("I ordered the jerk/She said 'you are what you lot swallow/" or "Hood phenomenon, the LeBron of rhyme/Hard to be humble when you're stuntin' on a Jumbotron"), simply those falsetto vocals really got to me. I just tin can't get into this song, no matter how many times I've listened to it, it feels then repetitive. The song has a very quondam school vibe to information technology and it seems as if it would fit in more on an anthology like 'Tardily Registration', one of West'south more soulful albums. Devil In A New Dress is probably my least favorite track on the album.

When nosotros get to Runaway, the next track, we know we're listening to greatness. Stemming from the Taylor Swift incident, this nine minute track is Kanye at his all-time. Information technology's an anthem and Kanye puts it all out in that location in this song. Pusha-T accompanies Due west and the two craft one hell of a track. Featuring a three minute vocal solo, the song has Kanye talking virtually his mistakes, realizing his wrongs and asking united states to forgive him. He asks us to have a toast for the douchebags and the assholes, conspicuously referring to himself and his actions during the Taylor Swift incident. Ye is essentially telling us that he knows he fucked up and he realizes he was incorrect. Pusha-T delivers a slap-up verse and with the interesting vocal solo, haunting orchestral strings and stirring lyrics, this turns out to be i of West's most interesting songs in a while.

With Hell Of A Life, Yeezy mimics Blackness Sabbath's song, Ironman. Information technology has a very funky riff to it and Ye spouts some pretty witty lyrics every bit he asks us "Have yous lost your mind? Tell me where you think we crossed the line". Hell Of A Life doesn't really audio like a Kanye song but I did enjoy it. Information technology's sinister and loud and a nice alter of step for Mr. Due west.

John Legend hops on the adjacent rail, Blame Game, to care for us to his soulful vocalism and we get a very soft and gentle song, it'southward quite different from anything else on the anthology but information technology's very well done. As an added bonus, Chris Stone gives us a very funny outro which comes out of left field merely is nonetheless welcome. The track is melancholic and graceful and a overnice break from some of the more menacing tracks like Monster and Hell Of A Life.

Lost In The World, which uses pieces from Bon Iver's song Woods, is some other one of the new songs that has quickly go i of my favorite Kanye songs. What starts off slow with a Bon Iver opening, builds upwardly to a symphony of autotuned voices with a stirring beat provided past tribal drums and compelling groundwork vocals propelling it. As he examines the polarities of love, Due west raps, "You're my devil yous're my angel / you're my heaven, you're my hell / You're my at present, you're my forever / You're my freedom, yous're my jail / You're my lies, you lot're my truth / You're my questions, yous're my proof / Yous're my stress and you're my masseuse".

As information technology builds upward, the song pulls y'all in. You'll no doubt notice yourself singing along to this one. Some strange and questionable voice effects muddle upwards the catastrophe a bit merely it'south all expert because equally nosotros come to Who Volition Survive In America (which is technically part of Lost In The World) everything is back to normal. Backed by a strong drum beat we are asked the elementary question of 'who volition survive in America?'. There's no singing here, only talking as it samples Gil Scott-Heron's Annotate #i, it'southward compelling stuff and a smart way to stop the album.

We were asked back in the first track, Nighttime Fantasy, "Can we become much higher?", I retrieve the respond is yes. Kanye has given us his best album even so and despite how popular he already is, I remember he's only going to keep growing.

'My Cute Dark Twisted Fantasy' combines elements from all of Kanye's previous albums and culminates in Mr. W'due south well-nigh compelling and complete album to engagement. This is more than than just some other hip-hop anthology, this is not only the anthology of the year, but it'due south one of the most important hip-hop albums of the decade, it's a landmark and Mr. West should be damn proud of himself.

Be sure to cheque out our other review on the album, done by Vince.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was released on November 22th, 2010