GNARCOTIC - KANYE WEST IS NEVER SHY OF CONTROVERSY CARTER V - REVIEW
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
GNARCOTIC
Issue 1 | November 2018 | Lil Wayne Finally Drops Carter V
CARTER V - REVIEW
KANYE WEST IS
NEVER SHY OF
CONTROVERSY
I
n this article I am going to accurate and precise with their art.
be analysing the album cover This was important as since ‘the
for Kanye West’s album first art academy in Florence in
‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted 1563 up to the twentieth century,
Fantasy’ that was released in 2010, art has been understood primarily
this was inarguably Kanye’s best in terms of the three so-called arts
album. This album was released of design: painting sculpture and
with five official album covers architecture’. (K.W. Woods 2016
however only one was used in pg.14). However, trends in art have
stores, unsurprisingly this was the changed over the years with many
most controversial. ‘Images convey artists challenging the conventions
information, afford pleasure of what can actually be defined as
and displeasure, influence style, ‘art’ and trialling new techniques.
determine consumption and Condo has trialled with a variety
mediate power relations.’ (Mirzoeff of these original techniques such
2002 pg.25). Kanye was definitely as painting and sculpting and he is
covering all of these factors with his most-recognised for his painting of
official album cover as he was trying with Kanye West.
to convey himself as an individual,
who is not shy of controversy. The The cover that was chosen for
cover acts as a preview of what is stores was pixelized by Walmart
to expect in the album which was and Apple iTunes Music as it
very explicit and an exploration in was considered sexually explicit,
to the mind of the superstar. This consequently limiting its audience.
image will be significant in terms of Kanye’s official album cover depicts
his legacy and how he is interpreted the rapper nude, straddled by a
culturally. Kanye has influenced naked sphinx/phoenix type female
many styles in music and fashion character. It can be suggested
C
and has even described himself as that he is engaging in a sexual act
‘The best living recording artist.’ with a white woman however this harles S. Pierce phoenix-type creature, not Kanye through socio-cultural ideologies
character has wings, leg fur, no semiotics theory West. The connotations in the and visual culture is just one of the
All five of the covers were paintings arms and a demonic face. This is suggests that we can painting are suggesting that this social institutions that contributes.
by American artist George Condo. seen as a normality now, interracial make a systematic is the rapper based on personal (Mirzoeff 2002). It can be argued
Condo’s art is extremely unique relationships were once frowned observation of an image to identify experiences and his image that is that Kanye is contradicting this
and has been recognised for upon and deemed unacceptable its qualities in terms of what it socio-culturally gained, however system with his album artwork.
‘drawing together elements of Old by society. This is why the effect is portraying to us. However, the actual painting is depicting a He is clearly breaking out of the
Master portraiture with allusions of an image can be dependent on some of the observations are fantasy reality. George Condo also social norms and expressing
to contemporary American culture’ when it comes out. The painting based on hypothesis, and the stated ‘The superimposition of himself in a way that is deemed
simonleegallery.com. Painters used is surrounded by red on the cover interpretation of an image can people’s perceptions on a cartoon ‘too sexually explicit’ for society
to be focused on photo-realistic which according to colormatters. depend on personal experiences. is shocking, what’s happening in and therefore has to be restricted.
paintings which aimed to capture com is ‘the colour of passionate This hypothesis may be affirmed their minds should be banned. The idea that this is too explicit
reality. The camera obscura was love, seduction, violence, danger, or rejected, but ‘In semiotic terms, Not the painting.’ Vulture.com. is an ideology that may seem as
invented in 1685 which was an anger and adventure.’ This is a the object is a manifestation of The fact that Condo said this in a norm in society however this
optical device which channelled perfect visual gateway into the potentiality.’ (M.M. Thellefsen a jokingly manner suggests that has been politically and socially
light through a hole to project album as it perfectly conveys what 2018). This is suggesting that he may be joining in with the fun constructed over time. This
an impression of the outside is inside. images are ambiguous and open to of the controversy to promote the album cover was designed to be
environment. This allowed painters interpretation and can have endless image, or is everybody else just provocative and raise questions
to take more time and be more possibilities of a hypothesis. dirty minded? in order to help album promotion
Kanye’s album cover has been and portray the rapper’s image.
perceived to be portraying the Louis Althusser suggests that each Kanye is portraying himself as an
rapper but how do we know this person is not as individual as they individual who doesn’t conform
is him? The art is portraying to us think and that we are constructed to social conventions, through
a black individual with demonic by the ideologies that surround this art.
facial features straddled by a us. Self-identity is constructed
GNARCOTIC | NOVEMBER | ISSUE 1
CARTER V REVIEW
L
il Wayne originally Lil Wayne kicks off the album disappoint with his feature on
announced that the Carter with a heartfelt track that has ‘Mona Lisa’, in which he plays
V was finished in 2014, an emotional feature on the the victim of a character who has
however this is definitely not chorus from ‘XXXTentacion’. been set up by a chick, set on to
the same album that the rapper Wayne is rapping about his life him by Lil Wayne. This verse from
recently released on his 36th and mortality and perfectly Kendrick sounds like his ‘To Pimp
birthday. The first week numbers plays tribute to X with the bar ‘If a Butterfly’ era due to his flow, his
for the album can be described as heaven is as good as advertised vocal injection and his dedication
no less than a successful comeback I want a triple extension on to play the role of this character in
for Wayne. It’s been three years my motherf*ckin’ afterlife, rest the song.
since his last album but that didn’t in paradise’. This could be a
stop the album from reaching No.1 misleading introduction to the There a lot of high quality tracks
on the Billboard 200 Albums chart album as the vibe switches on this album although it feels
and earning 480,000 equivalent on Dedicate, on which Wayne like these are combined with some
album units in the week ending is sounding charismatic and mediocre and underwhelming
October 4th, according to energised over a funky, trap tracks. ‘Meaning is made through
Nielsen Music. The album cover instrumental. This track features an interaction of music, the spoken
is a picture from Lil Wayne’s sharp and witty bars and is voice, sound effects, language
childhood of him and his mother. suggesting that the culture needs and pictures.’ (P.Duncum 2004).
This paints a preview of what to pay homage to Wayne, as he Lil Wayne has left a meaningful
lies within the album as there are altered it and set many of the message with this album in which
moments that are sentimental currently popular trends including he dwells on his own experiences
to the rapper with appearances face tattoos. to emotionally connect with
from his mother and his daughter. fans, using hip hop as a medium.
The lyrics on the album can give This project did not disappoint The picture has a very personal
some fans a deeper dwell in to the with features, with the likes of meaning which the fans may
rappers experience in comparison Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj and relate with more, once they have
to the cover as R.Barthes (2009) Kendrick Lamar making an listened to the album. Wayne is
suggests that ‘there are those appearance. Wayne and Travis building a relationship with his
that think the image is an complement each other’s styles on fanbase through his music and
extremely rudimentary system ‘Let It Fly’ as Travis’ sound which imagery. Overall this was a good
in comparison with language’ has been described as ‘psychedelic comeback for the Carter series
pg.33. In contrast to this, Mirzoeff trap’ intertwines perfectly with with a lot of hits, although it was
(2002) suggests that ‘visual culture Wayne’s melody and flow. You a very long album and had its
opens up an entire world of never know what to expect from inconsistencies.
intertextuality’ (pg.24) so this is Kendrick Lamar as he is so diverse
an opportunity for the rapper to and so widely talented that he
connect with his fans through his has a collection of unique flows
artwork. and sounds. The rapper did not
Magazine References
Colour Matters, Red [Internet] Available from https://www.colormatters.com/the-
meanings-of-colors/red [Accessed 6th December]
K.W.Woods, Art & visual culture, 1100-1600: Medieval to Renaissance, London, Tate
Publishing.
Festival 2019
M.M.Thellefsen, T.Thellefsen, B.Sorensen (2018) Information as Signs: A Semiotic
Analysis of the Information Concept, Determining its Ontological and epistemological
foundations, Vol 74, Issue 2. Pp.373-382
N.Mirzoeff, 2002, The Visual Culture Reader 2nd Edition, New York, Routledge.
NME, Lil Wayne – Carter V Review [Internet] Available from https://www.nme.com/
reviews/album/lil-wayne-tha-carter-v-review [Accessed 23rd November]
Houston, TX
P.Duncum, Visual Culture isn’t Just Visual: Multiliteracy, Multimodality and Meaning,
Studies in Art Education, 45:3, 252-264.
Pitchfork, Lil Wayne – Carter V Review [Internet] Available from https://pitchfork.com/
November 2019
reviews/albums/lil-wayne-tha-carter-v/ [Accessed 23rd November]
Quora, What is the image on MBDTF? [Internet] Available from https://www.quora.com/
NRG Park
What-is-the-image-on-the-cover-of-Kanye-Wests-My-Beautiful-Dark-Twisted-Fantasy
[Accessed 1st December 2018]
Sign up for presale:
R.Barthes,1977, Image, Music, Text, New York, Hill and Wang.
Rolling Stone, Lil Wayne – Carter V Review [Internet] Available from https://www.
rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/lil-wayne-carter-v-review-731936/
astroworldfest.com
[Accessed 23rd November]
Simon Lee Gallery, George Condo Profile [Internet] Available from https://www.
simonleegallery.com/artists/george-condo/ [Accessed 30th November 2018]
Vulture, George Condo Painting [Internet] Available from https://www.vulture.
com/2010/11/kanye_george_condo/slideshow/3/ [Accessed 6th December 2018]
@Astroworld Astroworld @Astroworld
You can also read
