First thoughts on Kanye West's Late Registration and Blackalicious' The Craft
(to be expanded upon in an essay for The Other Journal in September)

-- Best mispronunciation of Mrs. Butterworth since Wesley Willis called her “Mrs. Butterwerps” goes to Lupe Fiasco and “Mrs. Butterwurf” on West's "Touch the Sky".

--The main difference between these records is that, while West’s is musically more varied and interesting, it is weighed down by self-centeredness and screwing around. Gift of Gab is not, he makes clear, messing around. He is serious. And although West is extremely talented, it seems all he really wants to do is mess around now that he can afford it.

--I understand that bragging is an essential part of the rapper’s art, with its roots in battle MCing and other oral traditions, and The Craft is not devoid of such posturing. But I am less enthusiastic about spending seventy minutes of my life listening to Kanye West spit about how awesome Kanye West and his colleagues are, no matter how good his beats and Jon Brion’s string arrangements are.

-- Isn't "Ego War Drums" racist, or am I missing something? Can someone explain why they are using this embarrassing Indian/tomahawk/scalping imagery?