The Life of Pablo

The Life of Pablo
Studio album by Kanye West
Released	February 14, 2016
Recorded	2010, 2013–16
Genre	Hip hop
Length	58:02
Label	GOOD Def Jam
Producer	Various Kanye West (also exec.) Boi-1da Cashmere Cat DJ Dodger Stadium Frank Dukes Noah Goldstein Charlie Handsome Havoc Sinjin Hawke Charlie Heat Anthony Kilhoffer Madlib Post Malone Metro Boomin Menace Hudson Mohawke Plain Pat Karriem Riggins Rick Rubin Shaw Southside Mitus Swizz Beatz Derek Watkins
Kanye West chronology
Yeezus (2013) The Life of Pablo (2016)

The Life of Pablo is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Kanye West. It was released by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings on February 14, 2016. The album was initially available exclusively through the streaming service Tidal, following a lengthy series of delays in its recording and finalization. Recording of the album dated back to recording sessions for West's fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and took place in various locations.

Background

West began working on his seventh solo album in November 2013.^[1][2] The album was originally titled So Help Me God and slated for a 2014 release.^[3] This version of the album, which never materialized, included several tracks which were released such as "God Level" (released as part of an Adidas World Cup promo),^[4] "Tell Your Friends" (later given to The Weeknd), "3500" (given to Travis Scott),^[5] "All Day" and "Only One". In February 2015, the only tracks from this version appearing to make the final cut for The Life of Pablo were "Famous" (formerly titled "Nina Chop") and "Wolves", which West performed on Saturday Night Live's 40th anniversary episode, with American recording artists Sia and Vic Mensa.^[6][7]

In May 2015, West renamed the album SWISH but clarified that it still could be subject to change. On January 26, 2016, West posted the finalized track-listing on his Twitter account,^[8] along with another tentative title for the album, Waves.^[9][10] On February 4, West confirmed on Big Boy's Neighborhood radio show, that he still did not have a final album title.^[11] On February 9, West tweeted that the acronym of the album title was T.L.O.P. It was revealed the next day via Twitter that the album was titledThe Life of Pablo.^[12] West tweeted the album cover on February 11, 2016.^[13] West also debuted a portion of the album during his Yeezy Season 3 event on the same day, the planned release day.^[14]

West revised the track-list on multiple occasions, ultimately modifying it on the scheduled day of release from ten tracks to seventeen. However, the release was delayed in order to include one final track, "Waves", which was initially removed from the original track-list.^[15]

Recording and production

Ty Dolla Sign is featured on "Fade" and "Real Friends".

The majority of The Life of Pablo was recorded between 2013 and 2016, with recording for the track "No More Parties in LA" starting in 2010, during the sessions for West's fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.^[16][17] Reports stated the album was written and recorded in several locations, including Los Angeles, Mexico, the Isle of Wight and Florence, Italy. West's recording in Los Angeles was rumored to be at Shangri-La Studios, which is the home base of Yeezus executive producer Rick Rubin. American singer Ty Dolla Sign reported his recording experience with West and Paul McCartney, saying they were

"...in Mexico, at this big house. The back of the house had no walls and no doors; it was just open [and facing] the ocean. You would think he would want the mic enclosed and all that but we just had the doors open, and it came out perfect."^[18]

The production in Mexico, occurred with McCartney and frequent collaborator Rihanna.^[19] American rappers Pusha T and Consequence confirmed that they had ended their feud, in order to work with West on his seventh album, with Consequence saying in an interview: "Pusha and I deaded everything and we creatively vibed with Kanye for this new LP."^[20]

In a April 2014 interview with Self-Titled, GOOD Music's producer Evian Christ, was quoted as saying, "Kanye wants something that sounds a bit like Otis Redding, a bit like Mobb Deep.” Christ explained while that West isn’t always musically clear, he just seems "...interested in pushing aesthetic boundaries as far into the Avant as possible. Kanye is the one dude who’s like, ‘This is not experimental enough. This is too poppy. Make something else.’ The other guys are like, ‘We don’t get it.'" Christ, admitted that Kanye’s "a dream to work with", adding that "...no one else gives you that level of creative freedom. When he wants you to work to a blueprint, the blueprint is: ‘Don’t make a rap beat. Anything but a rap beat.'"^[21]

In a May 2014 interview with Billboard, James Fauntleroy of Cocaine 80s, spoke of his recording sessions with West and said, "I went in there and did some stuff on that shit. I sang shit on there and left. We'll see how it turns out, when I went in it was early, [during] the early stages. I know there will be a lot more other people, a lot of interjections." Also in May 2014, Atlanta-based producer Mike Will Made It, has been quoted as saying "Kanye has been trying new ideas and has been reaching out to me for new ideas, Whether or not it's the "Black Skinhead Remix", we don't know, but it's definitely dope what we have so far, [We’re] just working, period. It depends on where the music is lands, but hopefully we do something on his next album."^[22]

Post Malone produced and is featured on the track "Fade".

In a March 2015 interview with MTV, Big Sean spoke about the multiple recording locations involved this album, whilst promoting his own third studio album, Dark Sky Paradise: "...We done did a couple, to like Mexico, like how we did Hawaii before and stuff like that. We work as unit for sure, that’s all I’m gonna say I’m not gonna drop nothing else."^[23] In a October 2015 interview with The Fader, Post Malone, who (along with Ty Dolla Sign) is featured on the track "Fade", discussed his experiences with West:

I met Kanye at Kylie Jenner's party and Kanye was like, 'Let's make something.' So I went over to Ye's and we just started working and then we just started talking. And we just kept on going. I went in the studio with Kanye and we just recorded the scratch vocals and then I wrote over it… He was just a normal guy, like me, and super cool. He was wearing all camo, just all camo. He was very quiet and he was very, very humble.^[24]

On January 27, 2016, West revealed an update of the final track listing on his official Twitter account, which has the album's opening track, titled "Nina Chop" replacing by the new song, titled "Famous". This updated track listing also revealed a number of potential collaborators, which includes Earl Sweatshirt, Chance the Rapper, brandUn DeShay, The-Dream, Tyler, The Creator, OFWGK†Δ, The World Famous Tony Williams, Diddy, A$AP Rocky, Kid Cudi and French Montana, as well as a returning of his previous production collaborators such as Mike Dean, Hudson Mohawke and Noah Goldstein, as well as new production collaborators with Plain Pat and Vicious.^[25][26][27] In February 2015, while West was continuing to work on the album, he confirmed that the album was at about 80% completion. He went on to say:

I'm trying to get it finished. I'm trying to get it to the people… Release dates is played out. So the surprise is going to be a surprise. There go the surprise... [It's] cookout music that just feels good. My last album was protest music. I was like, 'I'm going to take my ball and go home.'^[28]

On February 14, West announced that he would be making adjustments to the song "Wolves". The song features guest vocals from Frank Ocean and Caroline Shaw, although the song originally featured guest vocals from both Vic Mensa and Sia Furler, though both were removed from the final track. ^[29]

Release and promotion

On December 31, 2014, West released a single titled "Only One", a collaboration with English musician Paul McCartney, who also handled the song's production, alongside Mike Dean. The track's music video, featuring West and his daughter, with direction by Spike Jonze, was released on January 21, 2015.^[30] Also in January, West released "FourFiveSeconds", a collaboration with Paul McCartney and Barbadian singer Rihanna.^[31][32] In March 2015, West officially released a single titled "All Day", which had originally leaked online in un-mastered form, in August 2014.^[33] The song was later remixed, featuring a new guest verse from fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar.^[34]

On February 12, 2015, during the Adidas Yeezy 'Season 1' fashion show event held in New York City, West premiered a new track titled "Wolves". The track, which featured guest vocals from American rapper Vic Mensa and Australian singer-songwriter Sia, was produced by Cashmere Cat and Sinjin Hawke.^[35] On February 15, 2015, West performed a medley of "Jesus Walks", "Only One" and "Wolves", on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special.^[36]

Later that month, on February 25, West performed a live rendition of the previously leaked song "All Day", during his appearance at the 2015's Brit Awards.^[37] On September 16 of the same year, during the Adidas Yeezy 'Season 2' fashion show event, West premiered another song to be included on the album, titled "Fade". The song features guest vocals from American recording artists Post Malone and Ty Dolla $ign.^[38]

On January 8, 2016, West's wife Kim Kardashian, announced via Twitter the release of "Real Friends", which initiated the return of West's GOOD Fridays.^[39] West had previously done a weekly free music giveaway leading up to the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. "Real Friends" was released the day it was announced via SoundCloud, simultaneously with the album's (then titled SWISH) release date and a snippet of the forthcoming GOOD Friday release, titled "No More Parties in LA", which features guest vocals from Kendrick Lamar.^[40][41] "No More Parties in L.A." had its proper release the following week, also via West's Soundcloud account. The song, which was produced by Madlib and West, contains a sample of "Suzie Thundertussy", as performed by Walter Morrison.^[42]

On February 12, 2016, after premiering The Life of Pablo during his Adidas Yeezy 'Season 3' fashion show event, West released a new track titled "30 Hours", for his GOOD Fridays series.^[43] On February 14, West performed "Highlights" and "Ultralight Beam" on Saturday Night Live. The Life of Pablo was later released exclusively through the streaming service Tidal, the same day.^[44] West announced that the album would be available outside of Tidal a week later,^[45] however, on the following day, West claimed that he would never release the album outside of Tidal, encouraging his fans to sign up for the service.^[46]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	74/100[47]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Chicago Tribune	[48]
The Daily Telegraph	[49]
The Guardian	[50]
Newsday	A[51]
Pitchfork Media	9.0/10[52]

The Life of Pablo has received positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, the album holds a 74/100 average, based on six reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".^[47] Writing for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis described the album as "at turns, rambling, chaotic, deeply underwhelming, impressively audacious, and completely infuriating," suggesting that "[i]t appears to have had ideas thrown at it until it feels messy and incoherent" despite concluding that "when The Life of Pablo is good, it’s very good indeed."^[50] The Daily Telegraph's Neil McCormick wrote, "The Life of Pablo is certainly rich in musical scope, chock a block with inspired ideas," but also felt the work to be "so self-involved it crosses over into self-delusion, marked by such a tangible absence of perspective and objectivity it is as if [West] has actually lost sight of the elemental basics of his art."^[49] Reviewing for The New York Times, Jon Caramanica stated, "West [...] has perfected the art of aesthetic and intellectual bricolage, shape-shifting in real time and counting on listeners to keep up [...] this is Tumblr-as-album, the piecing together of divergent fragments to make a cohesive whole."^[53] In a positive review, Jayson Greene of Pitchfork wrote that "a madcap sense of humor animates all [West's] best work, and The Life of Pablo has a freewheeling energy that is infectious and unique to his discography," finding that "somehow, it comes off as both his most labored-over and unfinished album, full of asterisks and corrections and footnotes."^[52]

Track listing

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies an additional producer.
• "Ultralight Beam" features additional vocals by Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin, The-Dream, Kelly Price, Natalie Green and Samoria Green.
• "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1" features additional vocals by Kid Cudi.
• "Pt. 2" features additional vocals by Desiigner and Caroline Shaw.
• "Famous" features additional vocals by Rihanna and Swizz Beatz.
• "Highlights" features additional vocals by Young Thug, El DeBarge and The-Dream.
• "Freestyle 4" features additional vocals by Desiigner.
• "Waves" features additional vocals by Chris Brown and Kid Cudi.
• "FML" features additional vocals by The Weeknd.
• "Real Friends" features additional vocals by Ty Dolla $ign.
• "Wolves" features additional vocals by Frank Ocean and Caroline Shaw.
• "Silver Surfer Intermission" features vocals by Max B and French Montana.
• "30 Hours" features background vocals by André 3000.
• "No More Parties in LA" features additional vocals by Kendrick Lamar.
• "Fade" features additional vocals by Post Malone and Ty Dolla $ign.

Sample credits ^[54]

• "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2" contain samples of "Father I Stretch My Hands", written and performed by Pastor T.L. Barrett.
• "Pt. 2" contains samples of "Panda", written by Sidney Selby III and Adnan Khan, and performed by Desiigner.
• "Famous" contains samples of "Do What You Gotta Do", written by Jimmy Webb and performed by Nina Simone; samples of "Bam Bam", written by Winston Riley and performed by Sister Nancy; and samples of "Mi Sono Svegliato E... Ho Chiuso Gli Occhi", written by Luis Bacalov, Sergio Bardotti, Giampiero Scalamogna, and Enzo Vita, and performed by Il Rovescio della Medaglia.
• "Feedback" contains samples of "Talagh", performed by Googoosh.
• "Low Lights" contains samples of "So Alive (Acapella)", written and performed by Kings of Tomorrow.
• "Freestyle 4" contains samples of "Human", written by Alison Goldfrapp, William Gregory, Robert Locke, and Timothy Norfolk, and performed by Goldfrapp.
• "FML" contains samples of "Hit", written by Lawrence Cassidy, Vincent Cassidy, and Paul Wiggin, and performed by Section 25.
• "Real Friends" contains elements of "Friends", written by Jalil Hutchins and Lawrence Smith, and performed by Whodini.
• "Wolves" contains a sample of "Walking Dub", written and performed by Sugar Minott.
• "30 Hours" contains samples of "Answers Me", written and performed by Arthur Russell; and elements of "E.I.", written by Jason Epperson and Cornell Haynes, and performed by Nelly.
• "No More Parties in L.A." contains samples of "Suzie Thundertussy", written and performed by Walter "Junie" Morrison; samples of "Give Me My Love", written and performed by Johnny "Guitar" Watson; samples of "Stand Up and Shout About Love", written by Sam Dees, Larry Graham, and Tina Graham, and performed by Larry Graham; and samples of "Mighty Healthy", written by Dennis Coles, Ronald Bean, Highleigh Crizoe, and Herbert Rooney, and performed by Ghostface Killah.
• "Facts" contains samples of "Dirt and Grime", performed by Father's Children. It also contains elements of Street Fighter 2.
• "Fade" contains samples of "(I Know) I'm Losing You", written by Eddie Holland, Norman Whitfield, and Cornelius Grant, and performed by Rare Earth; samples of "Mystery of Love", written by Larry Heard and Robert Owens, and performed by Fingers, Inc.; and samples of "I Get Lifted", written by Barbara Tucker, Ronald Carroll, Harold Matthews, and Louie Vega, and performed by Barbara Tucker.

Release history

References