After brands dump Kanye West, many people ask: What took so long?
We were all waiting to see who would take down Kanye West. He’s the most popular, most respected, and most profitable artist in the country right now — a one-man merchandising machine who is also widely regarded as one of the most talented artists in hip-hop. His debut album, The Life of Pablo, was a commercial smash, he’s at the top of his game, in a super-successful business, has a massive, rabid fan base, and has notched a major radio hit with his recent single, “Facts.” While you can’t say he’s not in the right place at the right time, I think the world has been surprised by his willingness to stick to his guns and do what he believes is best for him and his career. Kanye’s latest project, Cruel Winter, is in many ways his best album, and some critics say that he has finally turned a corner.
His decision to return to the studio to work on this album has been met with widespread skepticism. West has released a bunch of music in his time, and has been releasing music almost nonstop since The College Dropout released in 2007. But as of right now, he is on the same label that put out Kanye’s previous album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2013. While it’s easy to say that because the label is owned by music titan Dr. Luke, it’s really just a label run by Dr. Luke, I think it’s fair to say that Dr. Luke is the one man in the industry who West is very comfortable with. He has not backed away from any of his creative vision, and has put out projects like The Life of Pablo and Yeezus without any controversy. He’s put music out there that will be widely praised. So when I hear people say “Kanye is going to kill Dr. Luke,” what I hear are people’s fears that West may not be ready to go on the next phase of his career. They’re fearful that he’s not ready to take the step that the industry requires of its