Jesus Is King Dissection

In an interview last week, Kanye West said that he is “unquestionably, undoubtedly, the greatest human artist of all time”.

After multiple delays, Kanye West released his ninth studio album entitled Jesus is King (JIK) and we ask ourselves, was it worth it?

The album's running time of 27 minutes features 11 tracks and features artists like Ty Dolla $ign, Fred Hammond, Kenny G and more.

The opening track Every Hour featuring his personal Sunday Service Choir puts you in this euphoric state of happiness and the urge to follow how important the Lord is in every waking moment of believers' everyday lives turning atheists into believers of Christ.

The second track Selah further establishes the biblical theme Kanye was pushing as “Selah” (סֶלָה) is a common Hebrew word found in the Book of Psalms. During the Jesus Is King: A Kanye West Experience listening session on September 28 in Chicago, Kanye stated that ‘Selah’ means “to look back and reflect upon.” He further interpolates verses from the bible continuing the theme of God and what it means to Kanye personally.

Follow God, the next track on the album revisits the spiritual themes of his February 2016 track, “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1". On the fervent track, Kanye flips a sample of Whole Truth’s 1974 track, “Can You Lose By Following God”. On this track Kanye speaks on the struggles of living a religious life and how to follow God's direction whilst facing difficulties that God presents. This track also seems to be the albums favourite for many people, including me.

Track number four, Closed on Sunday, feels like a letdown on the album. The production in itself is dark and eerie, which makes it quite enticing. However, majority of people believe the lyrics can be quite a let down; the major one being "Closed on Sunday, you're my Chick-fil-A". Though, what Kanye means by this is that Chick-fil-A is an American-based fast food restaurant which is closed on Sundays. This policy was enforced by the founder, Truett Cathy, since the company’s creation. The policy originally stems from Cathy’s religious beliefs, specifically the fourth commandment found in Exodus 20:8-11:

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work […] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The fifth track, On God, is an uptempo track produced by Pi'erre Bourne, the third collaboration between the two, following Travis Scott’s May 2018 track, “Watch” and Kanye’s June 2018 track, “Yikes”. The track continues the spiritual themes of the album and features Kanye preaching the message of the Bible. In particular, Kanye addresses his controversial comments on the thirteenth amendment and calls out the Grammys' system, while also name dropping Chief Keef. The title is also a nod to the expression “on god” – a common phrase in hip hop – which means something like “believe me” or “swear on my life.”

Everything We Need, previously known as The Storm, takes listeners on a metaphorical journey of discovery and perseverance in the face of hardships. Kanye’s career has been marred in controversies and this track is a rebirth for the rapper, as he takes a new direction towards faith.

The seventh track titled Water, also another fan favourite, enlists the help of frequent collaborator Ant Clemons to discuss themes of purity, using water as a metaphor. In Judeo-Christian faiths, water plays a vital role in the ritual of Baptism, a rite that is symbolic of rebirth.

Hands On continues the spiritual themes seen all over Jesus Is King, and features Kanye speaking on God being “hands-on” in Kanye’s life. The track features gospel singer Fred Hammond. The lyrics suggest Kanye isn't letting anything stop him and he will push through the hardship.

Track 10, Use This Gospel is a spiritual track from Kanye West and rap group Clipse; a former duo that was comprised of Pusha T and No Malice, which is centered around asking God for forgiveness and showing gratitude for his many blessings. The track also features a 40 second saxophone solo by Kenny G, which puts you in a cinematic state of harmony which warms your heart and really brings joy to the listener.

Kanye concludes the album with the track Jesus is Lord, an ode to the Christian Messiah. The title is acquired from Philippians 2:10-11:

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Kanye West who is now a devout Christian, is hoping the album will help spread the word of God which he now considers to be his main purpose in life.

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