Kanye did not win 260 awards, including a record-smashing 21 Grammys, by being a great rapper. And then he topped it off by directing a full-length film for the album. He recruited young visionaries who would become famous upon its release. He brought in an array of proven talents to help him build this opus. Kanye enlisted the help of other top producers. Soon, they spent thousands of hours in that studio. Kanye required the men to wear suits at all times in the studio. But Kanye wasn’t trying to make HIS best album this time he was trying to make THE best album ever. He sentenced himself to a “self-imposed” exile in Hawaii, where he spent a lot of time thinking about his mistakes. The entire trajectory of Kanye’s career-and his life-changed. This was coupled with the fact that Kanye’s mother, whom he was extremely close to, passed away. His crazy moment, understandably, led to a lot of backlash. After Kanye (who has bipolar disorder) crashed the VMA’s and ruined Taylor Swift’s night, he slipped into a dark time. But before we dive into this masterpiece, let me tell you a story. No album embodies the word “great” more than My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Kanye west dark fantasy live