Is Kanye West the New Michael Jackson?
If you haven’t done so in a while, pull a Michael Jackson CD out of your collection. Doesn’t matter which one, Thriller, Dangerous, Off the Wall, any one of them. It’s a sure bet that on any one of those CDs, there’s at least four songs that you would rock to today. But if somebody were to ask you what makes Michael Jackson so hot, your answer would probably be a blank stare and the high pitched lyric, "People always told me, be careful what you do…"
It’s not his singing voice, there are kids on ‘American Idol’ that sound a lot better than Mike. Maybe it’s the dancing moves, but that doesn’t translate to why you like the music. It’s certainly not because he’s cute, so maybe it’s the music. Quincy Jones is bad mutha.
But is that really the stuff icons are made of? Is that really what makes Michael Jackson one of the most irresistible musical forces the world has ever known? Or was MJ’s career a once in a lifetime moment in music that changed everything? Could it be that the man who defined swagger for the better part of the 80’s is the product of impeccable timing and an overwhelming need for drastic musical innovation?
Yes.
Which brings us to Mr. Kanye West.
Kanye-to-the is on a path we’ve seen before. Three albums deep, and he’s redefined hip-hop production and appealing content within the genre. Just as Michael Jackson made baby mama drama, running from zombies and fear of monogamy all sound cool to do over pop beats, West is rapidly approaching the plateau of cross over appeal and topical diversity. While the Internets won’t let him or anyone else hit 100 million records sold, he is the download and youtube king, and it’s not because of his lyrical prowess, or because he’s the Captain Jack Sparrow of awards shows.
West has caught the rare wave of maximizing instrumental innovation and a new brand of charisma. They’ve both had their public moments that set their careers in motion. Mike had Motown 25, Kanye had his first Grammy win. They’ve had their down moments. Mike’s hair caught on fire, and Kanye’s mother recently passed away.
They’ve had their share of controversy, from Mike’s color changing, his marriages, and inappropriate relationships with children, to Kanye’s infamous temper tantrums, convoluted political stances, and controversial takes on his own talent.
Michael Jackson is the quintessential pop star. His musical legend is one that will never be duplicated. But Kanye West is a different kind of pop culture creature, with the benefits of 24/7 coverage, and the knowledge of how to manipulate this coverage to best expose his extraordinary talent.
And love them or hate, you aren’t going to stop rocking to either of them any time soon.
