One does not get to the level of Kanye West by neglecting to put in one’s ten thousand hours. And while many have grown slightly weary of Kanye’s larger-than-life declarations and unapologetic nature, it’s impossible to deny that the man’s impeccable catalog of beats is one of hip-hop’s greatest. Yet as longtime Yeezy collaborator Cyhi The Prynce explains, his production craft was well-honed, complete with self-appointed homework assignments.
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During an extensive interview with Adam 22 on No Jumper, CyHi marveled at Kanye’s meticulous training regimen. “Even when he’s doing beats, he’s going through every sample,” explained The Prynce. “I heard every album that came out from ’91 to like ’99, he redid every beat on every Hip Hop album ever. He would get the whole Nas album and do every Nas song one through sixteen — every beat to a T. Nas album, Biggie album, DMX album. Everybody who came out before him.”
“He redid their album just to teach himself how to make beats,” he continues. “If he gon’ be that studious with beats, he’s going to be that way with everything. And that’s how I learned you really make sure you win, you have every option on the table.” It’s certainly an interesting revelation, which reveals something even more impressive about Yeezy’s process. Despite having gone the extra mile to recreate the classic rap canon, he still managed to bring his own original style to the table when he finally introduced himself as a producer.
Check out the complete interview below, and sound off if you think Kanye deserves more credit as a beatmaker.