Chick-fil-A and Yeezy Boosts: what we learned from Kanye West's Jesus Is King
After many, many delays, Kanye West released his ninth studio album on Friday morning. Jesus is King marks a move to curse-word-free, God-focused music for the rap superstar, who has spoken frequently this year about embracing religion.
The 26-minute record departs from the shock-value lyrics of West’s last solo record, Ye (which included the chillingly titled I Thought About Killing You). However, West does provide listeners with an intimate portrait of his changed values, the legacy he hopes to leave his kids, and his continuing struggle with mental illness. The rapper also brings gospel music into exciting new territory – deftly mixing electronic, hiphop, and choral sounds.
The album comes at an interesting time for West. He continues to test his fans’ (more specifically, his black fans’) allegiance with his enthusiastic support of Donald Trump and his Maga followers. He has also claimed slavery was “a choice” and boasted that the Republican party ended slavery, without providing the necessary historical context.
For many, Jesus is King is a chance to find out where West’s values really lie.
Here’s everything we learned:
He loves Chick-fil-A
West provides a passionate, catchyas-hell ode to the fast food chain Chickfil-A in his song Closed on Sunday. “Closed on Sunday/ You my Chick-FilA,” he raps in the chorus. Then he says: “You’re my number one, with the lemonade.”
As anyone who has craved a chicken sandwich on Sunday knows, the fast-food chain is closed on “the day of rest”, in keeping with the Christian faith. Here, West uses the metaphor as a way of addressing his and his family’s much-needed breaks from the spotlight.The reference might also be a giant troll from West. Like the rapper, Chick-fil-A has attracted its fair share of controversy and criticism. The company has faced widespread criticism over its ties to anti-LGBT Christian groups. Despite all the bad press, Chick-fil-A continues to be successful – it was recently ranked as a top brand among Gen-Zers. Perhaps West is pointing out how he also remains insanely popular despite all his blunders.
He’s well aware Yeezy is expensive
Since its inception in 2015, fans have complained about the high costs of West’s hyped fashion brand Yeezy. Not everyone has $300 to spend on Yeezy Boosts, his popular line of footwear.
West has expressed the desire to makes Yeezy Boosts more affordable and accessible – but that day has yet to come.
West defends the high cost of Yeezys by placing the blame on the IRS. “The IRS want they fifty plus our tithe / Man, that’s over half of the pie,” he raps. “That’s why I charge the prices that I charge/ I can’t be out here dancin’ with the stars.” (Which is some seriously stealth shade to over 321 celebrities, including West’s wife, Kim Kardashian
West.)
He regrets career decisions
Kanye spends a significant portion of the album talking about temptation and the devil.
“Told the devil that I’m going on a strike … I’ve been working for you my whole life,” he raps in the song Hands On. He also says in the song On God: “The devil had my soul, I can’t lie … I bleached my hair for every time I could’ve died.”
The lyrics suggest the rapper regrets the secular music he’s built his fame on. In fact, West’s personal pastor recently revealed he had to convince the rapper not to quit rap music and that the star called the genre “devil’s music”.
This disavowal of secular music gives fans some insight into why the much-hyped Yandhi was never released. As West raps: “Everybody wanted Yandhi, then Jesus did the laundry.”
He still wants to repeal the 13th amendment, apparently
West references the 13th amendment – which abolishes slavery, but leaves a provision for imprisonment – in two songs on Jesus Is King. First, he touches on the mass incarnation of black men in Hands Up, rapping: “And all my brothers locked up on the yard / You can still be anything you wanna be / Went from one in four to one in three / 13th amendment, gotta end it, that’s on me.”
Then in On God, West raps: “Wonder if they’re gonna read your rights / 13th amendment, three strikes / Made a left when I should’ve made a right.”
West previously drew criticism in 2018 when he first voiced his disapproval of the 13th amendment and his desire to see America repeal it. “The 13th amendment is slavery in disguise, meaning it never ended. We are the solution that heals,” he tweeted.
He says God helped him break his porn addiction
This tidbit comes from the slew of candid interviews West is doing around the album. He revealed to the DJ Zane Lowe that finding one of his father’s Playboy copies was a “gateway to a fullon pornography addiction”.
He said: “It has impacted every choice I have made in my life from age five to now, having to kick the habit.”