The Life of Pablo-named after Pablo Picasso or Paul the Apostle, depending on whom you believe-lives up to this outsized hype in its own sprawling, scattershot way. And it's why you'll remember where you were the first time you heard that choir kick in on "Ultralight Beam."
It's why 20,000 fans will pack into Madison Square Garden to hear him press play on a laptop containing an unmastered album stream. Kanye West doesn't release albums these days so much as he manufactures massive cultural moments. It's the reason many of us put up with West in the first place-the misogyny, the puzzling tweetstorms, the abandoned album titles and endless delays. The song, in all its expansive generosity, is the direct inverse of "On Sight," the bracing Yeezus opener that drew the reluctant admiration of Lou Reed. In one of the album's most rousing verses, 22-year-old Chance the Rapper hops from Arthur (the '90s PBS cartoon) to "This Little Light of Mine," the civil rights–era anthem inspired by biblical passages. West's voice is relatively unadorned-no distortion, no 808s & Heartbreak manipulations-while the surrounding track is a pause-and-release cavalcade of gospel voices, silky trumpet figures and snippets of prayer (the final of which is delivered by legendary gospel artist Kirk Franklin). "Deliver us serenity / Deliver us peace," he sings on "Ultralight Beam," an opening cut so remarkable that it's striking to think it wasn't initially intended to appear on the album. It’s just Gildan t-shirts.Kanye West, who rose to fame 12 years ago on the strength of a church-inspired gospel march called "Jesus Walks," is trying to keep his faith. “We waited six hours yesterday and an hour and a half today.
Both of them have the Pablo writing on them.” It was like everything I was waiting for was finally in front of me. I got everything I wanted, which is good.” I was here for five hours yesterday and then about two-and-a-half hours today. I’ve got all his albums and thought that this would be a one-in-a-lifetime thing so I may as well do it. “I’m from Newcastle, here visiting family. Yesterday, people were coming out with boxes of stuff and then selling things down the line for double the price, and it was selling, because people were so desperate to get out of the line.” I find it very cool, and it’s very limited, so I think it’s good to have it.”īellissimo: “I got the bomber jacket for my brother and then the Pablo shirt and the white long-sleeve shirt. I bought a cap, an orange t-shirt and a crewneck. “I’m from Germany, on vacation in Toronto. I went to the Bieber pop-up and I lined up for Drake’s Views shirt, so I’m just really about the experience.” I pretty much wanted to buy everything but I had a budget so I kept it to a long sleeve shirt, the I Feel Like Pablo shirt and a sweater. and waited until 10 a.m., so altogether I waited six hours. They told me to leave and gave me a wristband for today. “I was actually here yesterday from 2 p.m. “I got the black bomber and the white long sleeve. We checked in on Saturday with some of the lucky ones who were able to get their hands on Yeezy’s limited-edition merch.Īli: “Both of us bought a crewneck and a t-shirt. Hundreds of fashion and music fans alike lined up down Ossington in the (ultralight) beaming sun to try their luck at purchasing the gear, all designed by West and artist Cali Thornhill DeWitt. The Toronto shop was the only Canadian location of 21 Pablo-themed stores that popped up around the world over the weekend. transformed into a Kanye West-themed, three-day temporary store, selling t-shirts, jackets and hats in support of West’s latest album, The Life of Pablo.