Ok ok ok, man you just wanna argue with me about everything these days bro! And you haven't even replied to my pm's or my question about "She's so heavy" ... You got beef son?

TLOP?

The love of Pussy?

... Take Licks of Popsicle?

Looks too much like Flop for my tastes.

Ugh. This is frustrating. Kanye has always picked pretty bizarre album names. The College Dropout is iconic now so it's hard to remember how basic a phrase that is. Graduation is also super commonplace, but works for such an epic album.

Late Registration was weird, but perfect. 808's & Heartbreak was weird, perfect, a bit meta, and now it's like scripture. Same with MBDTF. I think So Help Me God would have been ok, but like that Rolling Stone article stated Kanye should probably do what he can to avoid fading into the crowd, and anyone could call an alum that.

TLOP... God fucking dammit now this is going to be all I can think about at work. Thanks louder you career destroyer!!

Kevin Gates ISLAH debuts at #2 on Billboard Top 100 http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2016/02/k...lah-billboard/

DUDES!!! This is happening! The day after tomorrow, we're getting our first new piece of Ye in damn near Three years! Fuck, man!

Who is arguing? You're pretty jumpy Severian

112,000! That's insane. Not even far off from Rihanna.

I think Kevin Gates' birthday was the other day. one of the stations in Houston played like a 6 song block of his tunes.

Hey is that my buddy Mick Taylor from Wolf Creek?

And no I'm not jumpy, I was just fucking 'round.

I would appreciate it if you at least acknowledged the fact that I've asked you 300 times what you think of "I want you (she's so heavy)" ... ???

I listened to some tracks from that Kevin Gates album, and I dont' feel like I'm hearing what you guys are hearing. Nothing's really grabbing me. I don't know. "Hard For" and "2 Phones" seemed alright. Kind of catchy. But a lot of it... I can't say his flow is particularly great or his lyrics all that interesting. Beats were pretty good. I just... this is getting a lot of hype and I'm not quite sure why. (Yet?)

Checked out some of that new Young Thug as well. Also not really grabbing me.

I'll probably keep both in my Spotify library for now and see if keeping them shuffled in w/ other stuff grabs my attention anymore. But I don't know.

If y'all are interested, this is what I have in rotation right now...

Anderson Paak - Malibu
Bill Frisell - When You Wish Upon A Star
David Bowie - Black Star
DIIV - Is The Is Are
Dr. Lonnie Smith - Evolution
Elliott Smith - Heaven Adores You Soundtrack
GoGo Penguin - Man Made Object
Kevin Gates - Islah
Rihanna - Anti
Tortoise - The Catastrophist
Wiz Khalifa - Khalifa
Young Thug - I'm Up

...my Spotify library gets treated like Survivor each year. I add stuff of interest and slowly stuff gets cut from the list as I find myself urging to skip tracks when the album shows up on shuffle.

I got Catastrophist. Gave it a spin, but didn't really connect with it immediately.

Anyway, NR: I kinda get what you're saying about Kevin Gates. I don't think te album is as good as it's being made out to be either. I mean, it's good. Better than a lot of stuff. But it's not brilliant. I just enjoy how it kinda mixes things up a bit, going for more wild and unconventional vocal styles, which reminds me of Wayne back when Wayne was Wayne. It's a strong record, certainly, but it's not mind blowing.

word. I don't think it's bad by any means. But I can't imagine it having a lasting impression on me. I can't see me still listening to it in June... nevermind December.

The Tortoise album is decent. But unremarkable.

I'm noticing a theme here so far haha.

With Gates I am more stuck on songs of his than the full album.

Agreed that the Gates album is good, not amazing.

The KING and Anderson Paak albums are my top 2 so far.

NEW KANYE TOMORROW!!!

Something about it came in at the entertainment desk at work today, but I was not the one putting those pages out, so I only heard about it second hand.

It was terrible man. This new girl, fresh out of college opened the email and said "something about a new Kanye West album came in," and my fucking dumbass editor was like "just delete it... unsubscribe" and they proceeded to giggle about how "some people" just can't get enough of themselves.

I'm sitting there listening to this shit, trying not to scream, "DONT YOU DARE DELETE THAT EMAIL UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT IT SAYS. And fuck you anyway!!!" It was like holding in an explosive bowl movement... in public.

Yeah, "some people" are SOOO into themselves that they, like, have record companies that have media brokers who, like, ANNOUNCE things... Like when the artist of the century is dropping a new album. Insane right, it's almost like "some people" think we're, like, a NEWSPAPER or some shit.

Fucking shit heads.

So the final title is "The Life of Pablo"

And No More Parties in LA isn't on it anymore

At least The Life of Pablo is legit. He just tweeted about it.

That's ok with me actually. Love the song but it's not an all out work of absolute genius like "Real Friends." The song's out there, we can hear it....

Plus, look at that note... It says "which one" .... We might still be totally in the dark about everything. For all we know, he could drop Good Ass Job tomorrow and it could be filled with McCartney collabs.

Whatever, tomorrow is Ye day. I'm stoked.

Why is there a colon after "Ultra Light Beams" ...?

That would be an ok album title. I guess. Whatever bros, 'Ye's coming!!!

yeezy does it.

don't really care for that album title.

It's original, which makes it a-ok by me. Everything else felt a little forced.
Also, remember how stupid "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" sounded at first? Maybe you don't agree, but I remember when I read the story announcing that title. I face-palmed. Seemed SOOO self indulgent and stupid. But now it feels like the only title that could have possibly worked for that thing.

I did some digging around on the hiphopheads Reddit after the announcement was made, and some folks said the same thing. The music makes the album. The music makes the album title.

Reddit folks are discussing whether Pablo is a reference to Pablo Escobar or Pablo Picasso (who Kanye has identified as an idol ... weird choice... specifically in one of those college talks he did for the graduating class of whatever-the-fuck university).... One person suggested that perhaps "Pablo" is Dropout Bear's name. Funny... I thought his name was Dropout Bear! Hah. Anyway, it's generating a lot of talk and it's an imaginative title. I'm good with it. Even though I think he might change the fucker again.

Been thinking: if he JUST chose a title, there's almost no way cover art and packaging are going to be ready. This album is probably not going to get a physical release tomorrow. But if it comes out at all, in any way, I'll have a baller day, week, month and year.

Someone actually did guess the name of the album. Wondering if they're going to get their Yeezy season tickets or whatever the fuck.

My guesses were:

The Lights of Paris
The Long Overdue Promise (haha, but seriously... Took long enough)
The Lord of Pink

And I tried really hard to make an education themed guess, just for fun, but all I could think of involved the word "PhD," so I probably don't have to tell you it was stupid.

Take Lots of Pills entered my mind, but only because I was trying to think like someone who would name their album Swish.

I wonder why it never occurred to him to name the record WOLVES. I mean, that sounds like it could be a Kanye album title, and there's a song to go with it. If he was gonna pussy out about Waves, Wolves would have been close, made more sense in the context, and just plain sounded more badass, because.... Well, everyone knows wolves are cooler than waves.

Wolves > waves is what my grandfather always used to say. Wolves beat waves every time.

I think I'm getting an oxygen depletion high from the excitement of this. I'm definitely talking a lot and hyperventilating a little.... Not gonna lie, I'm vibrating a bit.

Oh hey louder, I think "Freestyle 4" might be "No More Parties in LA" ...

I like mbdt title right away. Reminded me of downward spiral.

Maybe pablo neruda?

I liked So Help Me God the best. By a long shot.

Swish and Waves were... whatever. They were fine. One word titles. Fine.

This one is... eh.

Have faith man.

Here, look, I spent a SHIT ton of time putting this list together to commemorate the new album's release! I said fuck it after ... longer than I'd like to admit... and stopped numbering shit.

My top 10 Kanye West songs... all 25 of them... -_-

1. Runaway (feat. Pusha T)
2. Good Morning
3. Gorgeous (feat. Kid Cudi & Raekwon)
4. Hold My Liquor (feat. Chief Keef & Justin Vernon)
5. Can't Tell Me Nothing
6. Bound 2 (feat. Charlie Wilson)
7. Everything I Am (feat. DJ Premiere)
8. RoboCop
9. Power
10. So Appalled (feat. Swizz Beats, Jay Z, Pusha T, Cyhi the Prince & RZA)

- Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy)
- Late
- To the World (feat. R Kelly)
- Drive Slow (feat. Paul Wall & GLC)
- Real Friends (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
- Blood on the Leaves
- Jesus Walks
- Heard 'Em Say (feat. Adam Levine)
- Hey Mama
- Breathe In Breathe Out (feat. Ludacris)
- Only One (feat. Paul McCartney)
- Never Let Me Down (feat. Jay Z & J. Ivy)
- No Church In The Wild (with Jay Z & Frank Ocean)
- Lift Off (with Jay Z & Beyoncé)
- The One (feat. Big Sean, 2 Chainz & Marsha Ambrosius)

Ok, it's 2-11... No sign of the album on iTunes or Amazon or Spotify, no zip/rar files, no leaks...

I'd really like to buy my album now. At least place a fucking order.

How exactly is this going to work you guys?

I signed up to Tidal so I can watch the live stream of the "YEEZY SEASON 3" or whatever event where he's supposed to play the entire album.. you get a 30 day free trial, I'll cancel my membrship right after that. It starts today at 4PM EST.

http://www.tidal.com/

I guess he'll drop the album right after or a few hours later. Might be a digital only release for the first week.

Nice list by the way, Sev.

Can't really say much more at the moment because I'm nervous. Give me a while.

I kind of figured that even though today was the release date, we won't see it hit until very close to tomorrow. Friday's are new release days now right?

And yeah, I also assumed that we'd see it digital only for at least a week - I mean, it seems like he didn't even know the title or tracklist until a day or two ago. SO how could they have pressed and distributed it physically?

Working on my shoes = Picasso
See me on the news = Escobar

Hmm..

Dammit I'll be at work at 4 pm EST what the hell kind of time for a Tidal event is that?! Shit, man

I just subscribed to Tidal, goddammit, because that's how much I'm tweaking.

I have literally never worked so hard to track down an album in my life. Spent much of the night perusing all the usual places (iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Apple Music) and the... ahem... *other* places (Google searches including the phrase "leak," "rar," "zip," "torrent" ...) but obviously I got nothing.

For the record, I have NEVER actually managed to cancel a subscription before the end of the free trial. Never. I continue to pay for Amazon prime, Spotify premium, Apple Music and god knows how many per services just because, y'know, I'm too busy to pay attention and just say "fuck it, I'll do it later" whenever I do remember, which is of course exactly what these companies all count on. But screw it.

Thanks bro. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to put that shit together. I basically spent my entire evening on it, going through the albums one by one while doing some work from home.

I thought I had a pretty solid idea of what my ABSOLUTE favorite 'Ye tracks were. I mean, I've been addicted to Runaway since I got serious and became a fan. I thought it would be easy, but no. I forget about the fact that when I'm listening to the albums, every song sounds perfect and pretty much becomes a favorite when I'm listening to it. Runaway is definitely #1, and I've listened to "Good Morning" literally every. single. day. For the past three years because I use it as my alarm in the am. The fact that I still sing along with it and play it at other points in the day after more than 1,095 consecutive days of hearing it says a lot. And "Gorgeous" has just kind of pushed itself into my DNA. I think it's probably Kanye's best lyrical performance from a "flow" standpoint.

But everything else is pretty much impossible. I had to take off "Don't Stop" and "We Major" and "The Glory" and so many other tracks just because I was losing my mind, and had to force some cuts.

The only other artists that would be that hard for me to list are probably Sonic Youth, Ths Beatles and The Flaming Lips. Only Sonic Youth would truly cause this much turmoil. I guess that means Kanye is my favorite currently active artist in the world.

I know.... big news. You guys totally care about all this. ;)

HEY! Louder, NR, p green... Anyone...

Distract me by posting YOUR favorite Kanye songs. See if you can do a top 10 that you feel confident about. If not, go to 25 if you have to.

I need to keep talking about this shit right now.

Amazing
Power
Mercy
Can't Tell Me Nothing
Drive Slow
Stronger
Clique
Good Morning
Everything I Am
Two Words

hmm... as much as I love Yeezus, I feel like these 10 edge that record out. :0

Runaway
Family Business
Good Morning
All Falls Down
Hell of a Life
Gorgeous
Touch the Sky
Robocop
Paranoid
Black Skinhead

Just listened to Yeezus yesterday, and I felt a little apprehensive about it before hand, thinking it wouldn't feel consistent. I haven't listened to the first half of the album in a while. But it sounded more cohesive and awesome than ever. Pretty much all of the songs are highlights, but Hold My Liquor is epic as hell, and Bound 2 is one of his best singles. It's a tad emotionally draining ... But so is the second half of MBDTF.

No idea how I'd rank the albums at this point.