My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

This is a very dark and brooding album that goes to the very heart of Kanye's dark psyche. It looks inward at all of the problems he faces, including fame, sex, and self-acceptance. What he finds is sometimes downright twisted, and if you've seen the actual album cover for this cover, that should be immediately apparent. I would not get this for anyone under 15, but with all the trash on the radio (Lady Gaga, Ke$ha) the majority of this is no worse than popular music; some of it has much more truth and good messages for those willing to listen. The only ridiculous aspect of the commonsense review of three stars. This is a downright BRILLIANT album (rolling stone gave it a rare 5/5 stars.) And it has often be proclaimed as the best rap record since Nas's Illmatic, as I saw HyperBully mentioned. So if you're an adult looking at this album or have a high schooler who's into music, this album is a must.

let me explain commonsense coud not be more wrong 3 it deserves 5 it's nealry perfect on every level i'm still enthralled by this amazing album it's striking beauty introspective rapping on top of some of the most memoralbe verse in ages such as nicki minaj on monster or jay-z on so appalled or rick ross on devil in a new dress everyone is at the top of their game plus it's topped of by some of the greatest instumentals of all time i mean the music is just as good as the rapping yeah it is explict but it's also amazing put it this way if you don't buy this album your missing one og the greatest albums of the last 20 30 years Grade A+ download these dark fantasy all of the lights lost in the world

In just a year, Kanye went from "YO TAYLOR, I'M REALLY HAPPY FOR YOU, AND I'MMA LET YOU FINISH..." to "You've been putting up with my s**t for way too long..." Despite the fact that he should NEVER be considered a role model, his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, should be considered his masterpiece. It not only culminates the indie-hip-hop sensibilities of The College Dropout and Late Registration with the egoism of Graduation and the raw emotion of 808s and Heartbreak, it goes well beyond that, and into the realm of commercial success (close to a Platinum in sales terms as of yet) and critical acclaim (average score of 93 on Metacritic, with notoriously harsh reviewers like Pitchfork and Rolling Stone giving it 5 stars). But it's not just Kanye that makes the album great; it's the massive list of guests, like a private party for both elite rappers and up-and-comers. From Nicki Minaj and Kid Cudi to Jay-Z, The RZA and Raekwon, this is an endearing blend of old and new - and that's why some have called MBDTF "the Sgt. Pepper of rap records" and "this generation's Illmatic". Kids shouldn't listen to this, however. Sex is a rampant topic of discussion. If you've seen the original cover of the album, which shows a naked man being straddled by an equally naked angel, you could probably guess so. Blame Game, the most explicit track, has a graphic (albeit hilarious) voiceover of Chris Rock as a new lover for Kanye's woman; I can't even put a single quote from that song here...Other, slightly less explicit references are quite frequent. Language is very raw; F-bombs and n-words fly fast and hit hard, while other, milder profanities can be heard in spades. There are some tracks that talk of pill-popping, but nothing too serious in the drug department. Overall, though at times explicit and very demanding, this album will be cherished for generations to come. I also highly recommend watching Kanye's short film Runaway, which uses music from the album in a brilliant way. It can be found on the 'net or on the Deluxe Edition of the album.

While it is an amazing album as far as art goes, is serious, and doesn't try to cater to what soulja boy and Lil Wayne call hip-hop (more aptly described as pop), it is FAR from being positive. I think the album is a very thoughtful—though not direct— examination on growing up in America and staying true to oneself. I also applaud this album because gives exposure to some other more traditional-sounding genres like Trip-hop, Soul, and Indie Rock. It separates itself from the bland pop music that really pollutes our society. If your kid is as much of an "old soul" as I was, they will enjoy this album and understand the deeper, more abstract ideas Kanye is trying to convey rather than focus on his profanity or hedonism. Don't underestimate their maturity otherwise you can really hold their development back (this is coming from a psychology major). Of course, in the same breath, don't overestimate it either. I think the most important message Kanye tries to convey is to grow up well but to not kill that which makes you young and naive because it is a necessary in adulthood. It's the same message Taylor Swift conveyed in her song "Innocent" about Kanye. Here's one more thing to think about: the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius was a moral genius and was a very good judge of character but was so jaded and painfully truthful because of his harsh childhood that he didn't live to see his work come to fruition. I will end with a famous quote from Picasso whose cubist philosophy influenced Kanye: "Good taste is the sworn enemy of creativity."