Why do people label Kanye West as a "Musical Genius"?

[LilRip]

Kanye West's not primarily a rapper. i think people should remind themselves of that. If we're talking purely about rap, then i think Eminem and Jay-Z are the best of all time. I put Em over Jay mainly because i'm able to relate to his music more, but it could go either way.



- LilRip

[KCattheStripe]

If Kanye's a genius then Lupe is Omniscient.

[MattG12]

If Kanye's a genius then Lupe is Omniscient.

I would agree that Lupe is better than Kanye lyrically and only lyrically. Lupe is better than everybody lyrically. Kanye is better than Lupe in everything else. Lupe needs to figure out the business side of hip hop. The guy has like 2 or 3 albums completed but can't seem to get them released.

[boom]

If Kanye's a genius then Lupe is Omniscient.

I would agree that Lupe is better than Kanye lyrically and only lyrically. Lupe is better than everybody lyrically. Kanye is better than Lupe in everything else. Lupe needs to figure out the business side of hip hop. The guy has like 2 or 3 albums completed but can't seem to get them released.

That's semi-Lupe's fault though for throwing temper tantrums and not providing music to the fans after promising it. What happened to lupEND? EotS:ALS mixtape was sick, but still I want The Cool part 2 [dang]it!

It's also semi-Atlantic Records fault for not releasing his new album after he already submitted it and it's complete.

Regardless, to say Lupe is greater than all is quite a statement. He's top notch no doubt, but you're forgetting about greats like Talib, Mos Def, Common, and Nas who are all lyrical giants when it comes to word play. Joe Budden as well, but people love to hate on him (which I dont really get, but whatever).

[MattG12]

If Kanye's a genius then Lupe is Omniscient.

I would agree that Lupe is better than Kanye lyrically and only lyrically. Lupe is better than everybody lyrically. Kanye is better than Lupe in everything else. Lupe needs to figure out the business side of hip hop. The guy has like 2 or 3 albums completed but can't seem to get them released.

That's semi-Lupe's fault though for throwing temper tantrums and not providing music to the fans after promising it. What happened to lupEND? EotS:ALS mixtape was sick, but still I want The Cool part 2 [dang]it!

It's also semi-Atlantic Records fault for not releasing his new album after he already submitted it and it's complete.

Regardless, to say Lupe is greater than all is quite a statement. He's top notch no doubt, but you're forgetting about greats like Talib, Mos Def, Common, and Nas who are all lyrical giants when it comes to word play. Joe Budden as well, but people love to hate on him (which I dont really get, but whatever).

I honestly think Talib and Mos Def are overrated. When I think of my favorite emcees I rank them by everything overall.

I don't really know how to explain it but Talib and Mos are missing something. They don't do anything that makes me want to listen to their music. I would throw Joe Budden in to the same conversation. I can't listen to Mos Def and Talib. I don't follow their music at all. I have to force myself to sit down and listen to them and when I do I find them to be good lyrically but I don't connect and don't want to re-listen, because they don't have anything else to them IMO of course. They don't have this certain aura about them. Lupe for me, has it, but he doesn't have a lot of it. Kanye has it, Jay-Z has it, and Eminem has it. Common and Nas are great lyricists but, I prefer Lupe. Lupe's lyrics are the best IMO, extremely visual, deep, smart, etc.

Eminem is my favorite. He has angry songs, he has sad songs, he has happy songs. Some of his songs have deep meaning, some do not. His beats are average - above average. His group D12 is an above average hip hop group. He has underground hits, he has radio hits. He speaks to just about everybody in the country. He's a business man, he has his own clothing line, label, etc. He has a movie with an accompanying soundtrack that has Nas, Jay-Z, Freeway, Rakim, 50 Cent, Gangstarr, Obie Trice & Xzibit on it. Clearly he is well respected in the hip hop community. He was the number 1 selling artist of the decade.

[indeedproceed]

I honestly think Talib and Mos Def are overrated. When I think of my favorite emcees I rank them by everything overall.

I don't really know how to explain it but Talib and Mos are missing something. They don't do anything that makes me want to listen to their music. I would throw Joe Budden in to the same conversation. I can't listen to Mos Def and Talib. I don't follow their music at all.

Ah, a self-professed critic that doesn't like Mighty Mos? Oh, the humanity! I guess there is no accounting for taste.

Mos Def's album "Black On Both Sides" is one of my top 5 rap albums of all time. Talib is the better rapper, but Mos Def is the better entertainer.

[MattG12]

I honestly think Talib and Mos Def are overrated. When I think of my favorite emcees I rank them by everything overall.

I don't really know how to explain it but Talib and Mos are missing something. They don't do anything that makes me want to listen to their music. I would throw Joe Budden in to the same conversation. I can't listen to Mos Def and Talib. I don't follow their music at all.

Ah, a self-professed critic that doesn't like Mighty Mos? Oh, the humanity! I guess there is no accounting for taste.

Mos Def's album "Black On Both Sides" is one of my top 5 rap albums of all time. Talib is the better rapper, but Mos Def is the better entertainer.

I can definitely appreciated their lyricism. Clearly I'm the outlier, because most people like them. I just don't for some reason.

[indeedproceed]

I honestly think Talib and Mos Def are overrated. When I think of my favorite emcees I rank them by everything overall.

I don't really know how to explain it but Talib and Mos are missing something. They don't do anything that makes me want to listen to their music. I would throw Joe Budden in to the same conversation. I can't listen to Mos Def and Talib. I don't follow their music at all.

Ah, a self-professed critic that doesn't like Mighty Mos? Oh, the humanity! I guess there is no accounting for taste.

Mos Def's album "Black On Both Sides" is one of my top 5 rap albums of all time. Talib is the better rapper, but Mos Def is the better entertainer.

I can definitely appreciated their lyricism. Clearly I'm the outlier, because most people like them. I just don't for some reason.

I hate Kid Cudi. I kinda like that Day and Night song, but in general I hate Kid Cudi.

Everyone else says Kid Cudi is one of the most innovative entertainers today. Taste is taste...if we all agreed it would be very boring to discuss.

[MattG12]

I honestly think Talib and Mos Def are overrated. When I think of my favorite emcees I rank them by everything overall.

I don't really know how to explain it but Talib and Mos are missing something. They don't do anything that makes me want to listen to their music. I would throw Joe Budden in to the same conversation. I can't listen to Mos Def and Talib. I don't follow their music at all.

Ah, a self-professed critic that doesn't like Mighty Mos? Oh, the humanity! I guess there is no accounting for taste.

Mos Def's album "Black On Both Sides" is one of my top 5 rap albums of all time. Talib is the better rapper, but Mos Def is the better entertainer.

I can definitely appreciated their lyricism. Clearly I'm the outlier, because most people like them. I just don't for some reason.

I hate Kid Cudi. I kinda like that Day and Night song, but in general I hate Kid Cudi.

Everyone else says Kid Cudi is one of the most innovative entertainers today. Taste is taste...if we all agreed it would be very boring to discuss.

I really didn't like Kid Cudi when he first came out. I thought he talked way too much about drugs (I'm straight-edge). I did like Day N Night, Pursuit of Happiness, and Make Her Say, though... so I purchased his CD (Yes I still purchase compact discs).

I fell in love with CD. Each song progresses into the next perfectly. The album contains poetic narration from Common scattered throughout. The beats overall are just different they sound like something from another planet, and the CD is basically in the form of a play. I'm really glad I gave Cudi a chance. His lyrics aren't amazing... but I don't listen to him for his lyrical prowess. I listen to Kid Cudi "the musician" rather than Kid Cudi "the rapper". Also, I got over the drug references. Clearly Cudi had a difficult upbringing and relied on different drugs to get him through. I don't believe in drug use but I can understand why he talks about it so much. So you never know, you could end up liking him.

I can definitely understand why someone wouldn't though.

[indeedproceed]

I honestly think Talib and Mos Def are overrated. When I think of my favorite emcees I rank them by everything overall.

I don't really know how to explain it but Talib and Mos are missing something. They don't do anything that makes me want to listen to their music. I would throw Joe Budden in to the same conversation. I can't listen to Mos Def and Talib. I don't follow their music at all.

Ah, a self-professed critic that doesn't like Mighty Mos? Oh, the humanity! I guess there is no accounting for taste.

Mos Def's album "Black On Both Sides" is one of my top 5 rap albums of all time. Talib is the better rapper, but Mos Def is the better entertainer.

I can definitely appreciated their lyricism. Clearly I'm the outlier, because most people like them. I just don't for some reason.

I hate Kid Cudi. I kinda like that Day and Night song, but in general I hate Kid Cudi.

Everyone else says Kid Cudi is one of the most innovative entertainers today. Taste is taste...if we all agreed it would be very boring to discuss.

I really didn't like Kid Cudi when he first came out. I thought he talked way too much about drugs (I'm straight-edge). I did like Day N Night, Pursuit of Happiness, and Make Her Say, though... so I purchased his CD (Yes I still purchase compact discs).

I fell in love with CD. Each song progresses into the next perfectly. The album contains poetic narration from Common scattered throughout. The beats overall are just different they sound like something from another planet, and the CD is basically in the form of a play. I'm really glad I gave Cudi a chance. His lyrics aren't amazing... but I don't listen to him for his lyrical prowess. I listen to Kid Cudi "the musician" rather than Kid Cudi "the rapper". Also, I got over the drug references. Clearly Cudi had a difficult upbringing and relied on different drugs to get him through. I don't believe in drug use but I can understand why he talks about it so much. So you never know, you could end up liking him.

I can definitely understand why someone wouldn't though.

He's like the TV show 'Breaking Bad' for me; I appreciate he's good, but I don't dig him.

I get why people like him (the song progression and the idea of having a disc in "acts" is pretty cool and while not original, its a throwback to an earlier time), and I get that he's talented and worth a second look, but I've looked twice and I find his auto-tuned melancholy weaksauce MC skills to be lacking.

[MattG12]

I honestly think Talib and Mos Def are overrated. When I think of my favorite emcees I rank them by everything overall.

I don't really know how to explain it but Talib and Mos are missing something. They don't do anything that makes me want to listen to their music. I would throw Joe Budden in to the same conversation. I can't listen to Mos Def and Talib. I don't follow their music at all.

Ah, a self-professed critic that doesn't like Mighty Mos? Oh, the humanity! I guess there is no accounting for taste.

Mos Def's album "Black On Both Sides" is one of my top 5 rap albums of all time. Talib is the better rapper, but Mos Def is the better entertainer.

I can definitely appreciated their lyricism. Clearly I'm the outlier, because most people like them. I just don't for some reason.

I hate Kid Cudi. I kinda like that Day and Night song, but in general I hate Kid Cudi.

Everyone else says Kid Cudi is one of the most innovative entertainers today. Taste is taste...if we all agreed it would be very boring to discuss.

I really didn't like Kid Cudi when he first came out. I thought he talked way too much about drugs (I'm straight-edge). I did like Day N Night, Pursuit of Happiness, and Make Her Say, though... so I purchased his CD (Yes I still purchase compact discs).

I fell in love with CD. Each song progresses into the next perfectly. The album contains poetic narration from Common scattered throughout. The beats overall are just different they sound like something from another planet, and the CD is basically in the form of a play. I'm really glad I gave Cudi a chance. His lyrics aren't amazing... but I don't listen to him for his lyrical prowess. I listen to Kid Cudi "the musician" rather than Kid Cudi "the rapper". Also, I got over the drug references. Clearly Cudi had a difficult upbringing and relied on different drugs to get him through. I don't believe in drug use but I can understand why he talks about it so much. So you never know, you could end up liking him.

I can definitely understand why someone wouldn't though.

He's like the TV show 'Breaking Bad' for me. I get why people like him (the song progression and the idea of having a disc in "acts" is pretty cool and while not original, its a throwback to an earlier time), and I get that he's talented and worth a second look, but I've looked twice and I find his auto-tuned melancholy weaksauce MC skills to be lacking.

Yeah he's definitely lacking in the lyricism department.

I'm a fan of music, not a fan of rap. So I have a really wide variety of things I'll listen to. I don't like autotuned rap like Lil' Wayne's garbage... but I can appreciate emotional autotuned singing like Kanye on 808s. It reminds me of...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4OLQB7ON9w

Weird: yes, Girly: Probably, pleasant to listen to: definitely. (IMO of course)

Cudi is like a mix between autotuned emotion and straight hip hop... I'm not trying to sell you on him though.

I don't like plenty of artists that people love (Lil' Wayne, Mos Def, Talib). Definitely a taste thing... there's no right/wrong answers.