On Donda: A Self-Proclaimed Yeezy Stan’s Point of View
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TheThirdWorld.
Donda, Donda, Donda, Donda, Donda. The chants kicked off what was to be an adventure, an experience years in the making. Kanye West (or simply “ye”, since he’s planning to legally change his name) released his much-awaited 10th LP Donda, named after his late mother, August 29th to the excitement of fans and haters everywhere. It was welcomed with record-breaking acceptance as it broke numerous streaming records, including most-streams within the first 24 hours of release and by reaching No. 1 in 152 countries. With a running time of almost 2 hours, it was met with plenty of acclaim and its fair share of criticisms, as with everything Yeezy touches.
Turbo Grafx 16, Good Ass Job, Yandhi. These are just a few of West’s announced projects that never saw the light of day. And even the most optimistic of Kanye fans had feared that Donda, might be the latest addition to this infamous list. Fortunately, a sigh of relief was let out by everyone when Kanye’s manager, Bu Thiam (@__bu on Instagram) announced on Sunday the 29th of August, that Donda was to be released in all streaming services in about half an hour. Three listening parties, a ton of online leaks and snippets and a billion rumors after, it was FINALLY here.
Since we’re on the topic of listening parties, the rollout for the album was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Kanye did listening parties for his last three LPs (Ye, Kids See Ghosts and Jesus Is King), but his parties for Donda were on a whole other level. July 22, 2021, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, was the first and we all listened for the first time on what was to become of Donda. He stayed for weeks, living inside the stadium, polishing and supposedly finishing the album which was slated for an early August release. The next listening party happened August 5th, same stadium but this time, new variations of songs from the first listening party were heard, as well as completely new songs which sparked more excitement from the music world. But in the end, still no release. Fans questions, “Is it even done? Will it even release?” The longer it would stay unreleased, the stronger the chances of it not being released at all. Finally, the last listening party took place in his hometown of Chicago, inside Soldier Field Stadium on August 26th. He recreated the childhood home he shared with his mother inside the stadium as we heard more versions of songs played from the previous parties. As expected, many notable artists were seen and featured in all three parties. The Kardashians, hip-hop’s best and brightest (Travis, Yachty, Lil Baby) and even a few weird ones (Marilyn Manson and DaBaby, let’s goooo) were all heard and seen sharing the spotlight with Kanye. The listening parties were far from just a typical concert; it was performance art if I were to say so myself. I had seen a fan theory saying that these three parties symbolized Kanye’s journey from hell (1st party, with his all-red outfit) to purgatory (2nd party, jail-like and somber) to heaven (he ascended at the end of his second party) as he went back to his hometown and childhood home with Donda. He even set the house and himself on fire, only to walk out and reunite with a wedding dress-wearing Kim Kardashian out of the stadium. It’s like Jesus (or Yeezus) had risen from the dead to save us.
Listening to it for almost a week now (yup, continuously), I love how Donda has something for everyone who enjoys Kanye’s music. If you are familiar with the GOAT’s discography, this LP was not the soulful The College Dropout, not as sonically-experimental as Yeezus, not as Gospel-centric as Jesus Is King, but it was like a collection, an amalgamation of all these eras in one long-ass but magnificently-produced album. It was an adventure, like watching a movie with twists and turns, seeing the different parts of the protagonist’s life, past and present, through the music. Miss the old Kanye, chop-up-the-soul Kanye? Listen to the Lauryn Hill-sampled Believe What I Say. Kanye rapping his ass off? Go for Off The Grid featuring arguably the best guest verse by Fivio Foreign. We might even see the return of The Throne in Jail. Want to feel the vibe of MBDTF’s Runaway? Listen to Hurricane or Come to Life and you’ll float to the ceiling like Spongebob with the earphones. Ranking it in his whole discography is too early, but if you ask me right now? This might be his best work since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Side fact: MBDTF is the greatest album of all time).
The timing of its release could not be any more fitting with the emotions the album is trying to convey. As we hear Kanye pouring his soul with his recent divorce from Kim while longing for his deceased mother, the emotions of the album reflect the same sentiments everyone has during this pandemic. Feelings of loss brought about by our situation, as we are all stuck and thoughts of hopelessness kick in. A family member, a spouse, a friend, a job or a career, the album hits harder for everyone who’s going through something, for everyone who has lost someone. Personally, listening to the album last week while I was going through some personal problems struck a chord with me in a significant way. I felt lost that day and the album’s release could not have been more perfect. It was like the album helps not only Kanye release his inner self, but also everyone who may have feelings inside them they’re struggling with.
Lastly, how does this LP impact the legacy of Kanye West? As he said in Come To Life, “gotta make my mark ‘fore I’m gone.” And a mark he truly did. This album shows that even through all the craziness, especially in the last few years (MAGA hat fiasco, becoming a billionaire through YEEZY, his 2021 Presidential run, a messy divorce, the on-and-off-again Drake beef, amongst many others), there is still a part of Kanye as a musical artist that can produce and release music that is both critically and commercially successful.
The GOAT has still got it.