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As Charlamagne tha God said, “I don’t think there’s anybody in the history of hip hop who has the culture in the palm of their hands like Kanye West.”

“Donda” is Kanye West’s 10th solo studio album and it did not disappoint one bit. From the first listening party at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta this past July to the albums release in late August, everyone was waiting on Kanye’s next move. This man sold out two NFL stadiums, three times in a row (Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Soldier Field). Now it’s not like Ye needed to prove anything with this release anyway, he’s already certified his legend status in music. However, he did need to show a certain group of people that he still can come and change the course of the music industry with an album drop. After he dropped Jesus Is King in 2019, some people started to forget how good he really is. And with the announcement of the lost album, “Yandhi” (which never dropped), some fans just started to believe that he didn’t even have an album ready. This album is not only special to Kanye himself, but to his fans. This is his 10th solo album, and arguably his most important yet because of the title alone. After repeatedly delaying the album after the three listening parties, “Donda” finally dropped. On Sunday August 29th, 2021. Almost three years after he originally announced “Yandhi” in September 2018.

The album, like anything Kanye does at this point, broke the internet. Fans, including myself, just started to accept the reality that we might not ever get the project in the first place. I was asleep when it dropped at around 8 a.m. and the face I made when I woke up and checked my phone was utter confusion and excitement. As for the music, you know Kanye wasn’t going to put his late mother’s name on an album if it wasn’t a piece of art. The features list was stacked with people like The Weeknd, Lil Baby, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, and even old friend JAY-Z. Kanye’s delivery, production, and versatility was insane on this project. His ability to switch from singing his heart out on a song like “24” to then rapping on a drill beat like “Off The Grid” was incredible to see. As of right now, “Donda” has taken the #1 spot for my album of the year. Shout out to Dreamchasers member Vory, who me and my friend Walter have been listening to for a long time now, getting the recognition he deserves with three features on the album. You all need to tune in to his next release.

The album was a massive commercial success, debuting at the #1 spot with 309K units sold. He sold that much while missing two full days of streaming, with him dropping on a Sunday. However, five days later Drake dropped his long-awaited album “Certified Lover Boy“. Naturally, due to the beef between the two, comparisons were flying out on every social media platform. As a fan of both artists I just sit back and appreciate the music. What is the point of comparing so much? You’re going to spoil the true art. Just like Ye said, “we gonna be ok.” Enjoy the music, forget the madness, and keep it pushing.

Favorite Songs

1. Come to Life
2. Jonah ft. Vory & Lil Durk
3. 24 ft. Sunday Service Choir
4. Moon ft. Don Toliver & Kid Cudi
5. God Breathed ft. Vory
6. No Child Left Behind ft. Vory & Sunday Service Choir
7. Off The Grid ft. Fivio Foreign & Playboi Carti
8. Hurricane ft. Lil Baby & The Weeknd
9. Pure Souls ft. Roddy Ricch & Shenseea
10. Heaven and Hell
11. Donda
12. Jail ft. JAY-Z
13. Praise God ft. Travis Scott & Baby Keem
14. Believe What I Say
15. Junya ft. Playboi Carti
16. Lord I Need You ft. Sunday Service Choir
17. Ok Ok ft. Fivio Foreign, Lil Yachty, & Rooga
18. New Again ft. Chris Brown
19. Remote Control ft. Young Thug
20. Jesus Lord ft. Jay Electronica
21. Keep My Spirit Alive ft. KayCyy, Westside Gunn, & Conway the Machine
22. Donda Chant
23. Tell The Vision ft. Pop Smoke

Rating: 9.4/10

There you have ladies and gentlemen, the official YSN review of Kanye West’s 10th solo album “Donda”. I didn’t rank the “Pt.2” tracks because they were just extra verses on the same exact song, although I did love Shenseea’s verse on “Ok Ok Pt. 2”. Those top three songs that I put were almost impossible to rank. You guys don’t understand how much I love Vory’s features on the album. 2021 has turned out to be a great year for music, with more possibly on the way. And yes, my “Certified Lover Boy” review article will be done soon. I just need to listen more to the album as much as I did for “Donda”. Y’all know the drill…

This is YSN, until next time, signing out.