Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" was the best album of 2010. That's good, fantastic. Why it's the best album is not my concern; there's more than enough coverage offering generally the same reason: He's a mad scientist. What hasn't received attention, however, is why the 14-time Grammy winner has a fish stick for early 19th century literature.
Among the numerous pop culture icons culled from Kanye's cortex and laced within Fantasy's neurotic narrative: Alec Baldwin, South Park, Family Matters, American Apparel and President Obama. Of all the references, however, only one is mentioned twice.
In Pitchfork's review, the popular music site keyed in on Kanye's allusions to Michael Jackson over the years, pointing out references in "Slow Jamz," post-Today Show tweets, and Fantasy's fourth song, "All of the Lights." Despite Pitchfork's ambitious review, however, West's latent penchant for a Washington Irving story mentioned in both the titular track and later by Rick Ross in "Runaway" (as well as in "Livin' in a Movie," a track kept off Late Registration) is never addressed.
Perhaps there are reasons why outlets haven't given this much consideration. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, and there is no significance. After all, on both occasions, the nods to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" appear to contribute nothing more than re-establishing bravado, a perception generally understood about Kanye well before the album's release.
Nonetheless, I can't capitulate to coincidence.
I can't because that's the way the College of Liberal Arts has wired my brain to think, and it seems too important to ignore. Its inclusion means "Sleepy Hollow" is in his immediate cultural lexicon and possibly contributes to the album's concept.
Fantasy is such an integral album that I can't imagine 'ye lacking the cleverness, or the effort, to allow two references if they didn't add anything beyond bravado. In fact, after a closer reading of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," numerous connections between Irving's short story and West are noticeable.
For instance, hypergamy is central in both "Sleepy Hollow" and West's repertoire. From his Twitter battle with Lily Allen, to "Gold Digger," to his philosophy on phoniness in "Devil in a New Dress," West has been preoccupied over the years with the same financial outlook Crane approaches Katrina Van Tassel with. Also, both West and Crane use music cathartically.
When Crane hears the "dreary hooting of the screech-owl, or the sudden rustling in the thicket of birds frightened from their roots" during his walk home, Crane's "only resource is to sing psalm tunes, the good people of Sleepy Hollow … filled with awe at hearing his melody." Similarly, West uses his music to reflect on his mother's death, his ugly breakups and the ongoing battle between his ego and self-loathing.
Lastly, the town of Sleepy Hollow and Fantasy's theme share a gothic tone. In Irving's opening paragraphs, Sleepy Hollow is described as a town that values telling ghost stories, and as having a "drowsy, dreamy influence … pervad[ing] the very atmosphere."
Nicki Minaj sets a similar tone with her opening verse on the album's lead-off track, "Dark Fantasy," a reworked Roald Dahl poem that revisits "Cinderella." Moreover, Irving constructs Sleepy Hollow as a storyteller's escape: "If ever I should wish for a retreat, whither I might steal from the world and its distractions … I know of none more promising than this little valley."
After Kanye's gaffe at the MTV Music Awards, he absconded to Hawaii to record Fantasy, only to reappear months later in Silicon Valley. Coincidentally, though never explained, the reader is led to believe that like West, Crane arrived to Sleepy Hollow after leaving Connecticut under questionable circumstances.
Whether these arguments hold any weight, I'm still unsure. Nonetheless, I can only speculate and hope West will explain his lit' love soon.
http://www.kansan.com/news/2011/mar/18/marsaglia-kanye/?opinion
Interesting read imo
Shows how many different perspectives you can pull from the album
Among the numerous pop culture icons culled from Kanye's cortex and laced within Fantasy's neurotic narrative: Alec Baldwin, South Park, Family Matters, American Apparel and President Obama. Of all the references, however, only one is mentioned twice.
In Pitchfork's review, the popular music site keyed in on Kanye's allusions to Michael Jackson over the years, pointing out references in "Slow Jamz," post-Today Show tweets, and Fantasy's fourth song, "All of the Lights." Despite Pitchfork's ambitious review, however, West's latent penchant for a Washington Irving story mentioned in both the titular track and later by Rick Ross in "Runaway" (as well as in "Livin' in a Movie," a track kept off Late Registration) is never addressed.
Perhaps there are reasons why outlets haven't given this much consideration. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, and there is no significance. After all, on both occasions, the nods to "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" appear to contribute nothing more than re-establishing bravado, a perception generally understood about Kanye well before the album's release.
Nonetheless, I can't capitulate to coincidence.
I can't because that's the way the College of Liberal Arts has wired my brain to think, and it seems too important to ignore. Its inclusion means "Sleepy Hollow" is in his immediate cultural lexicon and possibly contributes to the album's concept.
Fantasy is such an integral album that I can't imagine 'ye lacking the cleverness, or the effort, to allow two references if they didn't add anything beyond bravado. In fact, after a closer reading of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," numerous connections between Irving's short story and West are noticeable.
For instance, hypergamy is central in both "Sleepy Hollow" and West's repertoire. From his Twitter battle with Lily Allen, to "Gold Digger," to his philosophy on phoniness in "Devil in a New Dress," West has been preoccupied over the years with the same financial outlook Crane approaches Katrina Van Tassel with. Also, both West and Crane use music cathartically.
When Crane hears the "dreary hooting of the screech-owl, or the sudden rustling in the thicket of birds frightened from their roots" during his walk home, Crane's "only resource is to sing psalm tunes, the good people of Sleepy Hollow … filled with awe at hearing his melody." Similarly, West uses his music to reflect on his mother's death, his ugly breakups and the ongoing battle between his ego and self-loathing.
Lastly, the town of Sleepy Hollow and Fantasy's theme share a gothic tone. In Irving's opening paragraphs, Sleepy Hollow is described as a town that values telling ghost stories, and as having a "drowsy, dreamy influence … pervad[ing] the very atmosphere."
Nicki Minaj sets a similar tone with her opening verse on the album's lead-off track, "Dark Fantasy," a reworked Roald Dahl poem that revisits "Cinderella." Moreover, Irving constructs Sleepy Hollow as a storyteller's escape: "If ever I should wish for a retreat, whither I might steal from the world and its distractions … I know of none more promising than this little valley."
After Kanye's gaffe at the MTV Music Awards, he absconded to Hawaii to record Fantasy, only to reappear months later in Silicon Valley. Coincidentally, though never explained, the reader is led to believe that like West, Crane arrived to Sleepy Hollow after leaving Connecticut under questionable circumstances.
Whether these arguments hold any weight, I'm still unsure. Nonetheless, I can only speculate and hope West will explain his lit' love soon.
http://www.kansan.com/news/2011/mar/18/marsaglia-kanye/?opinion
Interesting read imo
Shows how many different perspectives you can pull from the album
