Artistry often seems to have this strange proclivity towards being cryptic and sometimes even mysterious. However, art is a form of expression, so I do suppose this makes sense considering each individual has their own unique way of expression which might not be obvious to all observers initially. There are many artists I admire but few I understand in the truest sense. One of these artists who I think I actually understand is Kanye West. 

This realization came to me when I was listening to his song Famous from the album "The Life of Pablo" (2016). I noticed he added a hidden vocal layer that's barely audible after the beat drop at the 1:50 mark. I will go on in more detail as we progress through this blog post.

As the song starts, you hear Rihanna (uncredited) sing the lyrics from the 1968 classic Do What You Gotta Do by Nina Simone. The lyrics go as:

This is a song from a woman hesitantly granting freedom to her man who has apparently grown distant from her. She is accepting that he would be better off on his own in search of liberty than to be felt forced into a relationship with her that would prevent the fruitful attainment of his full potential. From the way Simone sings these words, one can identify her sense of regret, disfavor, and anguish that has caused her to say them. It's almost as if she is does not want to say these words but is doing so after prolonged mournful thought on the matter. 

After the end of the intro, the song then transitions into its first verse which introduces a macabre vibe to the track with the inclusion of a sample from Rovescio della Medaglia’s 1973 piece Mi sono svegliato e… ho chiuso gli occhi from the album Contaminazione di alcune idee de certi preludi e fughe del Clavicembalo ben temperato di J. S. Bach. Translated from Italian, it means "Contamination of some ideas of certain preludes and fugues of the well-tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach." This album explores pieces from Bach through a more modern perspective.

During this verse, we are acquainted with the infamous egotistical side of Kanye. The lyrics serve to suggest, rather vainly I might add, how Kanye is responsible behind some of his associates gaining fame. This is Kanye being Kanye, this was how he expressed his art before 2019. He does not fear to speak his mind. 

Let us jump to what fascinates me most about this track. There is a layer of audio placed in the song which is Kanye singing the verse to Nina Simone's Do What You Gotta Do instead of Rihana. This audio layer is placed so that it is eclipsed by the beat drop at 1:50:

Kanye West - Famous, TLOP (2016) [1:50 onwards]

You can hear Kanye's voice faintly underneath the sample of the song Bam Bam by Sister Nancy (1982).

Sister Nancy - Bam Bam, One, Two (1982) [0:34 onwards]

As you may have been able to observe that in Kanye's track, he transforms Bam Bam to match the chord progression used by Simone's Do What You Gotta Do.  Kanye's voice only becomes fully audible at 2:53.

Kanye West - Famous, TLOP (2016) [2:53 onwards]

I respect how Kanye sticks to his fundamental principle of the human voice being the ultimate instrument.. I find this to be a beautiful metaphor how the human voice is used as the instrument that carries the song along its most lively part: the beat drop. Here it is again for your listening pleasure:

Kanye West - Famous, TLOP (2016) [1:50 onwards]

This is one of the things I like in Kanye's songs, how he masks his voice underneath music, sometimes even shouting, to say what he really means. This is showcased in some other songs of his as well. My favorite one is from Runaway from "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" (2010). I am unwilling to share a timestamp as this song is a masterpiece in its whole self and I would like to advise you to experience it on your own. Another song that comes to mind is New Slaves from "Yeezus" (2013). Here is the sample in the song that starts at 2:51 I am referring to:

Kanye West - New Slaves, Yeezus (2013) [2:51 onwards]

Famous is an amalgamation of several timeless pieces of musical art throughout the decades. When thought about, the diversity of the pieces used is astounding, we have late 60’s jazz, we have 18th century Bach brought back to life in the 1970’s, and we have reggae all tied up by modern hip hop to produce this 3 minute and 16 second piece of audio.

It is sad that such pieces of art are overlooked because of the superficial controversy surrounding them. Maybe it was intended to be so, even when observing the album cover, one might ask who would take seriously an album when it advertises a woman’s fake posterior so explicitly? Who would take seriously a song when the lyrics start off with the singer stating the sexual possibilities with another artist in the most unsophisticated and falsely incentivized way possible?

I suppose we are used to turning our heads away when faced with the undesirable side of an artist to appreciate the side that is relevant to us.