music review

Anthony Fantano Goes To War With Kanye West’s Fanbase After Calling “Vultures” An “Unreviewable” Album

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Anthony Fantano is easily one of the most famous music reviewers on the entire planet. However, he is also extremely controversial for this very reason. Giving your opinions can lead to a lot of pushback. Overall, this is especially true when you are reviewing albums from artists who have a cultish fanbase. Kanye West is certainly one of those artists. His diehard fans will do anything he says, and they will twist narratives to make it seem like everyone else is incorrect. They think they have the whole world figured out, but oftentimes, it is just 15-year-olds looking to be entirely too edgy.

Before Fantano even attempted to review Vultures, Ye’s fans ganged up on him and predicted a negative review. The YouTuber listened to the album on a livestream and clearly did not enjoy it. However, instead of giving one of his usual reviews, he dubbed the album “Unreviewable.” In the video below, he makes a compelling case for why this is true. Ultimately, it boils down to Ye’s fans diluting the discourse and being extremely toxic. Fantano knows whatever he says won’t be taken in good faith, so why even bother?

Read More: Anthony Fantano Reacts To “For All The Dogs”: “This Is A Top 10 Drake Song”: Watch

Anthony Fantano Makes A Compelling Case

As you can imagine, this conclusion set off a fury of anger amongst Kanye’s hivemind. Numerous fans posted Fantano’s reaction to the Playboi Carti verse on “Carnival” and dubbed it “disrespectful.” Others said Fantano was trying to be a good person by bringing up the political aspects of Ye’s work. Moreover, plenty of other Ye stans resorted to name-calling. For instance, some pounced on Fantano for being divorced. Ironically enough, so is Kanye West. Sure, Kanye has married again, but let’s be for real for a second.

Ye Fans React

The average Kanye west stan on Twitter is filled with delusion and hate. A Fantano review should never make you this mad. As he says at the end of all of his videos, it is just his opinion. If you can’t handle that, then maybe the internet just isn’t for you. You can see some of the tweets from Ye stans, down below.

Read More: Anthony Fantano Is A “Colonizer” & “Outsider,” According To Killer Mike

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The post Anthony Fantano Goes To War With Kanye West’s Fanbase After Calling “Vultures” An “Unreviewable” Album appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

21 Savage “American Dream” Review

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British-American rapper 21 Savage released his third solo studio album this week, titled American Dream. The album is his first solo venture in over five years and follows his chart-topping 2022 collaborative effort with Drake, Her Loss. The latest outing from the rapper is sure to please fans, featuring murderous lyrics, witty wordplay, and impeccable beat selection. Here’s a comprehensive guide to American Dream and a review of the material within.

The Album Connects To An Upcoming Film

American Dream isn’t just a musical outing. The album also serves as a companion piece to an upcoming feature film of the same name, starring Donald Glover and Caleb McLaughlin. The trailer for the film was released days before the album and doubles as a music video for the opening track “All of Me.” The film likely tackles 21’s early days as a street-wise youth facing criminal persecution in Atlanta. At this time, we have very little information about the film’s plot, and this is only speculation.

This is further illustrated in American Dream with narration from 21’s mother. This narration bookends the album’s intro and outro tracks with inspiring words about her dreams for her son’s success and happiness. Despite these inclusions, the album lacks a cohesive through-line that thematically ties the material back to the premise promised by the title and imagery.

Lyrical Structure & Themes

The overall aesthetic of American Dream may lead listeners to assume that the project is a meditation on the state of poverty or immigration in 21’s life. However, these concepts are rarely addressed and never fleshed out. Instead, the album serves as a loose assortment of tracks that cover topics such as gang activity, loyalty, romantic relationships, and flexing on apps with expensive possessions. 

The closing track, “dark days,” is best at synthesizing concise ideas about the experience of Black Americans facing poverty and gang violence. It features compelling lyrics such as, “You say you love your switch, but it don’t lovе you back. You can hug that block all night, it ain’t gon’ hug you back.” The track provides thought-provoking illustrations of 21’s American experience, shedding light on his growth as an artist.

Historically speaking, 21 Savage is at his best lyrically when addressing mindless topics like expensive cars and loaded weaponry. But as the artist continues to mature in his sound and reach for more serious topics, he frequently falls short of finding anything significant to say about them.

Though it is mildly disappointing to see no Childish Gambino inclusions on the record, American Dream touts an all-star list of guests who provide excellent contributions to the album’s overall sound. Doja Cat stuns with her trademark blend of melody and humor on the track “n.h.i.e..” There, we see her using the word “ad-lib” as an actual ad-lib. Further, Young Thug briefly but notably appears on the track “pop ur sh**.” Unfortunately, it underwent censorship due to the rapper’s ongoing RICO case. The case seeks to utilize his lyrical content as evidence of actual crimes.

Meanwhile, Travis Scott raps like his bills are due on the track “née nah,” offering a rare glimpse into his energetic lyrical capabilities in place of his usual vocal passages, which are often drowning in autotune. Similarly, Summer Walker delivers a heavenly vocal performance on the track “prove it.” Finally, Metro Boomin appears on a myriad of tracks to provide unparalleled cohesive production. This proves that Metro and 21 have some of the best collaborative chemistry in the game.

Conclusion

21 Savage may not win over any haters with his latest endeavor, but fans will surely have this LP on repeat all year long. The album features some of his most ambitious work yet, layered atop production that steals the show at every turn. Releasing the album at the top of the year was a bold choice, considering the American Dream film isn’t set to release until July. However, the timing may be a perfect way to ensure this record continues to get spins throughout Summer 2024 and beyond.

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