Kanye West's Yeezus has been a very hot topic around the hip hop watercooler these days, especially given the fact that an unofficial leak is being passed around. Word on the street is that none other than Lupe Fiasco has a writing credit on "Black Skinhead." Unhappy with early mixes of the album, Kanye made the last minute decision to employ legendary producer Rick Rubin as "executive producer." In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Rubin said:
"He wanted the music to take a stripped-down minimal direction. He was always examining what we could take out instead of put in. A good example would be the song that became “Bound.” When he first played it for me, it was a more middle of the road R&B song, done in an adult contemporary style. Kanye had the idea of combining that track with a cool sample he had found and liked – I removed all of the R&B elements leaving only a single note baseline in the hook which we processed to have a punk edge in the Suicide tradition."
He also spoke on Kanye's method of minimal traditional promotion:
"He is pure in his art and in a form where so many choices artists make are often the result of business consideration. Kanye chooses to let his art lead. He didn’t want a premeditated commercial (single) for his album as he looks at it as a body of work. I like it anytime an artist follows his own vision of a project and doesn’t use the cookie cutter template expected of most artists. Kanye proceeds on the road less traveled and I applaud him for it."
Check the tracklist of the leaked album below and read the full interview as you prepare yourself for the summer of Yeezus.
Yeezus Updated Tracklist:
01. On Sight (Produced by Daft Punk) [Malik Yusef, Rhymefest]
02. Black Skinhead (Produced by Daft Punk) [CyHi The Prynce, Lupe Fiasco, Malik Yusef]
03. I Am A God (Featuring God) (Produced by Daft Punk) [Hudson Mohawke, Justin Vernon, Malik Yusef, Rhymefest]
04. New Slaves (Featuring Frank Ocean) (Malik Yusef, Rhymefest)
05. Hold My Liquor (Feat. Chief Keef & Justin Vernon) [Alejandro Ghersi, Malik Yusef, Rhymefest]
06. I’m In It (Feat. Travis Scott) [Justin Vernon, Malik Yusef]
07. Blood On The Leaves [Hudson Mohawke, Tony Williams]
08. Guilt Trip (Feat. Kid Cudi) (Produced by S1)
09. Send It Up (Feat. King L) [Alejandro Ghersi, Daft Punk, Gesaffelstein]
10. Bound 2 (Feat. Charlie Wilson) [John Legend]
