Is Kanye Entering the Third Stage?
November 26, 2008 | by Zach | Permalink
On Tuesday Kanye West dropped his new album “808s & Heartbreak”. It is a significant departure from his previous albums and there has been talk in the press as to how it will be accepted by his fans. I purchased the album yesterday and after listening to it, I’m not so sure he would care.
There is a drum beat, synthesized instrumental at the end of the first song that lasts for, I think, over 2 minutes. It’s painful to listen to. There is no way that a seasoned artist with the type of support Kanye has could deluded themselves into thinking that it sounds good or needs to be that long. I think the point of that first song is to set precedent. It’s a statement, by a man who’s last albums have largely catered to his audience, that he’s wondering if that’s really his job.
My point with all this… I like the album. There are points in where I am tempted to stop listening but I don’t because it’s Kanye. Maybe his job is to use credibility to challenge an audience in this way. There is definitely pressure for iconic artists to constantly release new and well-received albums. But how? Why do so many fail to reach that iconic status and an even greater number fail to get in the door?
As I thought about this I realized that in any individuals career they’re role drastically changes as they grow and failure to acknowledge this can quickly lead to a cease in progression.
When you are starting your career you’re essentially building report. You’re learning how to make a customer, coworker, an audience of some sort happy. This is the educational aspect that is so crucial in any pursuit. You can’t do the job if you don’t know the skills or vocabulary.
Next you have to demonstrate value. For most of us this is applying said skills, working extremely hard and showing we can do the job extremely well. In the case of a music icon this would be an album, which while respected, is largely a result of pop appeal. Nobody’s trying to challenge the status quo at this point, we’re just trying to build credibility and show we can do the job.
The last step is the hardest and one often overlooked. Once you learn the formula and build real credibility, you have to start challenging your consumer, employees or audience. With credibility comes the ability to make somebody think about something they would otherwise immediately regard as wrong, stupid, impossible, etc. You have to become a thought leader in your own right and start redefining the rules yourself. This is the last stage. The Beatles did it, Lee Iacocca did it and iconic successes will continue to do it.
There are ways to become great without experiencing all of these stages. But, I’m wondering if it’s possible to be iconic without the triple threat.
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