"Tryin' to Make You Love Me" - Ranking the Wyoming Sessions

All of the "albums" Kanye West recorded in Jackson Hole are polarizing. More than anything, these five releases are indicative of what we are and are not willing to overlook in the Kanye narrative. Can we accept his 2018 behavior in fitting with his artistic independence? For most, it seems like he has crossed at least one line with quite a few people. And yet, his music is readily consumed by us listeners who are content with music that satisfies instead of stimulates. 

Since listening to his recent efforts, I don't think that Kanye will ever quite reach the same heights he set with past releases unless his life and public persona is truly all publicity stunts. That being said, there is a lot of interesting stuff here, and I am intrigued enough by them to talk a little about each one. This is my final list, best to worst, of those five albums, and as per usual I am interested what everyone else thinks about it. Particularly, I'm curious where ye fits in others' lists, as this is probably the most polarizing of them all.

1. KIDS SEE GHOSTS - KIDS SEE GHOSTS

West and Kid Cudi have worked briefly on songs in the past, but this whole album is perhaps the most seamless and cohesive rap collaboration since Black Star in 1998 (except for Run the Jewels, maybe). Every track has a thrilling, innovative energy that was only hinted at on ye. KIDS SEE GHOSTS is sharper and brighter, and with that much more listenable. The two rappers are on their A-game, effortlessly alternating through each track amidst a stellar overall production. Kid Cudi strikes me as the one holding the set together, with both men trying to bring out the strength in each other. The duo's confidence is a much-needed shift from the uncertainty of ye.

At 23 minutes it is criminally short but fits with the seven-song limit of the other albums. Like the following entry on the list, the album leaves you too soon wanting more, in a good way. 

2. DAYTONA - Pusha T

DAYTONA, like KIDS SEE GHOSTS, stands up strongly against its artist's other releases. Pusha T is off the hook on this one, with a lyrical focus that is unmatched on any of the other Wyoming session albums. His trademark swagger and advanced rapping abilities are both on display, with rigid and knotty beats fully bringing forth his hardcore style.

A much-needed pairing after the thrilling "Runaway" collaboration, DAYTONA is brilliant in its hazy claustrophobia; the collision of Pusha's street-smart persona and West's high-life excess could not have been better. Considering the 21-minute runtime, the album feels unusually complete and fully formed. Its strength lies all on Pusha T, guaranteeing that the album is unmistakably rap in form. Almost all melody is stripped down, leaving each song with a clear rhyme mastery. DAYTONA is one of the few Kanye releases that feels less like an experiment and more like an album.

3. K.T.S.E. - Teyana Taylor

I liked this album a lot the first time I listened to it, but less so since reading all the divisive criticism about it. I do agree that all of these releases feel a little premature - a longer creative process for this group would have suited every album better, but it shows most on Teyana Taylor's output. Without a doubt, her debut full-length is better, just being a more fun experience. 

What keeps this album thrilling is her strong, commanding voice, which at least gives every song a necessary lift from drifting to compelling. Her voice (and music) resembles a good blend of old-fashioned R&B with some fresh modern twists from the Kanye samples and production. I do enjoy the effort, but with a few more songs to round things out and some more time for everything to come together, I am sure it could have been a wonderful album. 

4. NASIR - Nas

I was really tempted to put this one at the bottom, but in sum, it comes out just a little ahead for me. Nasir has just enough compelling moments to keep you interested, with Nas playing to his strengths and clearly working well with West. Granted, there are amounts of aimless filler, and he ends up alternating between inspired vocal delivery and rambling statements. At least the continued relevance of "Cops Shot the Kid" resonates over the heavy grime of West's production.

I think "inspired" is just about the best way to describe Nas' music nowadays. He simply does not have the same hold on audiences as he did in his heyday. Ultimately, Nasir does not hold up against other recent rap releases, despite its creator's wealth of experience. A half-good/half-mediocre album under 30 minutes will not stand up to much scrutiny, and critics have understandably ripped it apart. 

5. ye - Kanye West

Especially with the hindsight of the other four albums, it is clear to me that ye is the worst of the bunch, and likely the worst Kanye album to date (at least tied with 808s & Heartbreak). ye is off in every way that KIDS SEE GHOSTS is on: it is not highly original or creative, dark in a way that dulls the listener, and frankly quite boring for the most part. The shift in quality from the thrilling "Yikes" and the shimmering "Ghost Town" to the strangely half-baked "I Thought About Killing You" and the flaccid "Violent Crimes" is astounding to me. The album is messy, but not in the ambitious way of The Life of Pablo. Now, the messiness is just confusing; the obvious messages Kanye seeks to lay out against his recent PR disasters are muddied by his excessive overindulgence (West somehow surpasses himself once again here). 

Through all of these releases, we get a beautifully fractured insight into Kanye West's state of mind. He wants to make his listeners confront how we deal with inner demons, but from the perspective of someone barely holding themselves together. West seems at an unusually vulnerable place in his career, a place where he desperately needs to rely on the aid of his fellow performers, as well other collaborators like Mike Dean. The results are understandably varied in quality, but the empire-esque status of West's legacy essentially means he can do whatever he wants, even if he shouldn't. This flood-the-market experiment can be considered a failure or success depending on your point of view, but one thing is for certain: I hope he is content with just another album in the future, or soon we'll be losing the most iconic 2000s rapper as he spirals down his own rabbit hole.