Watching the Throne: A Lyrical Analysis of Kanye West

I don't know if you heard, but...Kanye invited us to Miami (kind of). And we showed up. So now what? We're not sure. But we're going to live it up and see the Donda 2 show while we're here. Oh, and we're going to answer your questions about our potential interview in this AMA!

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What a glorious day! The first part of the epic 4.5-hour documentary about Kanye West is finally here. And yes, it's just as incredible as we expected. In this episode, we talk about our favorite moments of "jeen-yuhs - act i: VISION."

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Did you hear the news? One half of the Watching the Throne team has now met Kanye!!! So what exactly happened? How did this fortuitous, wonderful event bless Chris Lambert? Travis learns all about it in this very special episode.

Plus, we discuss Kanye's Instagram storm this past weekend.

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In one week, the long-awaited documentary about Kanye West hits Netflix. And guess what?! The two directors of Jeen-Yuhs, Coodie & Chike, sat down with Chris for a short conversation about the filming experience and what they hope people take away from the film.

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It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas...the Best Kanye West Song Tournament Death Match Extreme!!! In this 2022 version of the tournament, Chris and Travis sit down with their favorite recurring guest Jordan Johnson and vote on which Kanye song is the best. Will blood be shed? Yes. Is this episode way too long? Of course. Will you be infuriated? Undoubtedly. But will you be entertained? We think so.

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Just when you thought it was over...

That's right. After a long, grueling journey of missed release dates, song changes, and Drake beef, Kanye West finally gave us Donda in 2021. And just a few months later...we're going through it all over again. So is Donda 2 really coming on Feb. 22? What do we know about the album so far? In this episode, we break it all down—and get our hopes up that Donda 2 might actually exist later this month.

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JEEN-YUHS has had its Sundance premier. And I got to see it! So here are my initial thoughts about part 1 and some broader thoughts on the trilogy as a whole. We'll get into Coodie, Chike, J Ivy, Ye, what years the documentary covers, when it comes out, other reactions, if fans will like it, and more. #Kanye #JeenYuhs #Genius #Reaction #React

NOTE: This episode was originally recorded for our YouTube channel.

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As Ye ramps up for Donda 2, he's giving us some great music in the meantime! This week it comes in the form of Eazy, a collaboration with The Game that features production from Mike Dean, Hit-Boy, and DJ Premier. We discuss this classic verse from Kanye, which features a number of great lines and could point towards the direction of his music moving forward.

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Donda released just over three months ago. And 27 episodes later...we're exhausted! In a good way :) That's right! It's the season finale of our Donda coverage. For this episode, we look back at our favorite moments and revelations from Kanye's latest masterpiece. And then we rank every single song on the album—which, as you can guess, took a while. Enjoy!

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After 22 long, grueling, enlightening song discussions...we've finally reached the end! Today we're breaking down the final song on Donda's main narrative: No Child Left Behind. We discuss how Kanye and Vory put a cap on the album's thematic threads with this spare, direct, uplifting experience.

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During the course of our season-long dissection of Donda, we've penciled in our thoughts. Well, now it's time to write 'em down in pen for our Come to Life episode—and for that, we'll need a little help. For this extra-sized episode, Cole Cuchna from the Dissect podcast joins us to break down what may be the most important song of Kanye's career.

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The truth is only what you get away with, huh? Well, we've got a truth for you: Pure Souls is an awesome song. And not just because the track is a bop—it's because Pure Souls pays off on so many narrative and thematic threads on Donda. In this episode, we break down why Kanye, Roddy Ricch, and Shenseea's pure soul status is such a climactic moment on this album.

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For years, Kanye sought stability in his life—and Kim brought that. But now, as they move on from each other, we see Kanye putting those years together into perspective. What happened? And what's next? Lord I Need You is a crucial song on an album where Kanye is at a spiritual crossroads. And we're going to break down every line of this tragic song.

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Ah, everybody's favorite song on Donda!! Just kidding—people seem to *hate* Tell the Vision. But we're here to prove why it's an essential track on an album where Kanye is discovering and fueling his spiritual purpose here on earth as Pop Smoke looks on from beyond the grave.

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What Kanye lyricize...we'll analyze! That's right, today we're dissecting New Again—the track that leads us into the final movement of Donda where Kanye, indeed, seeks to be made new again after a trying time in his life. We also discuss the mysterious woman in the lyrics, The Weeknd's possible influence on the song, and a host of other topics that are most definitely (not at all) related to Kanye.

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One episode? Not enough for this masterpiece. Based on the hours of discussion we've already had about Donda this season, Jesus Lord has proven to be the most important song on the album. Kanye's verse (which we discussed in Part 1) brought all of the album's major themes to the forefront, and now Jay Electronica will build on those ideas with his lyrical homily and Larry Hoover Jr. will close things out with his plea for social justice.

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Just when you thought you had everything figured out...Kanye throws a wrench into EVERYTHING!!! Yesterday we got the "Deluxe" version of Donda, which includes some new songs, changes to old songs, and a complete reworking of the track order. So what do we make of all this? We go through all those changes in this episode and discuss how we feel about the project as a whole.

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Chris takes your questions about Ye's second appearance on Drink Champs and everything that happened during and after that interview.

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You really thought we could do this in one episode? Nah. Jesus Lord is an epic track. It's the Runaway of Donda—the Sun around which all of the other planets revolve. Jesus Lord gathers all of the album's themes and motifs in a grand setting where Kanye, Jay Electronica, and Larry Hoover Jr. can speak on grief, on spirituality, on achieving social justice in an unfair world. In this episode, we break down Ye's legendary verse.

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Keep My Spirit Alive is a song that's absolutely chock-full of underlying meaning and introspection. The self-awareness of Westside Gunn's verse, Conway the Machine's determination to move on from a near-death experience, Kanye and his mother's ode to KRS-One—it's all there, and it's all beautiful. And in this episode, we break it all down.

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A classic Kanye interview—it's what we hope and pray for each day. And today...we have one! That's right, Ye went on Drink Champs and talked about a number of topics, from his beef with Drake (and other people he apparently has beef with) to his relationship with Kim to a host of other social and political topics. And yes, he answered every question in the most Ye way possible. On this episode, we take questions from listeners and run through the best parts of the interview.

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In October 2007, Donda West gave an incredible speech where she discussed social justice in the context of both hip hop and her family. And, obviously, that meant talking about her son: Kanye West. Fourteen years later, Ye sampled that speech for the song Donda in the most epic way possible. On this episode, we break down this climactic track and how it kickstarts the final act of the album.

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The song Heaven and Hell Is on Earth by 20th Century Steel Band has been sampled dozens of times by the biggest artists in hip hop and R&B—and we can now add Ye to that list. And in classic Kanye fashion, this reference is crucial to understanding both the song Heaven and Hell and the album narrative on Donda. We break it all down in this supersized episode.

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How can I get through? It's a question many of us face when confronted with grief, with longing, with a desire to move forward—which is why so many people relate to the song Moon. As one of the standout tracks on Donda, Moon represents an important, heavy shift for the album's narrative, as Kanye tries to push beyond dark thoughts and move towards something more positive. Kid Cudi and Don Toliver jump in on this track to help move along that journey with their astoundingly beautiful vocals.

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Glib...no. Globgobob...no. Globglo...gabgalab? Yes! That's it. That's the bulbous creature we hear at the end of Remote Control. So who exactly is the Globglogabgalab? And why the heck did he replace Kid Cudi on what is perhaps the most divisive track on Donda? Remote Control features some great lyrical wordplay from both Kanye and Young Thug, and continues an important turning point in the album's narrative—and we're going to break it all down on today's episode.

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So far on Donda, there's been an overwhelming sense of fear, of antagonism, of disorientation. But 24 is our very first moment of respite—and what a beautiful relief it is. This spare gospel track represents a turning point for Kanye on his latest album, as it signals the spiritual ascension that will soon follow. We go line by line through the song to show how it relates to Kobe Bryant and Kanye's ability to keep moving forward.

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Sunny melodies. Pop culture references. Lauryn Hill samples. Is this...Old Kanye we hear??? Believe What I Say certainly feels that way after so many dark, grim tracks on Donda. But there are plenty of New Kanye tricks on this song that elevate it to higher levels. On this episode, we get into Kanye's refreshing take on the Kimye divorce and how he felt as his marriage with Kim came to an end.

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Jonah has a Drake diss. Ok Ok has a Drake diss. And now Junya...has a Drake diss. Hmm. We're starting to see a pattern. So why is Kanye so obsessed with Drake on this section of the Donda? On this episode, we theorize why the album makes such an antagonistic shift by picking apart the lyrics of what might be Kanye's most perplexing song to date.

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"Kanye vs. Drake." That standoff has been brewing for quite some time, and it finally reached a head these past few months with the release of Donda and Certified Lover Boy. Of course Drake has thrown his lyrical shots during that period—but Kanye has as well. And Ok Ok is the most direct Kanye has ever been about the feud. On this episode, we discuss the poetry of Kanye's diss, as well as Lil Yachty's dark, disturbing verse and Rooga's passionate cry to move on from such negativity.

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Who's here when you need a podcast to lean on? We are! And today, we're dissecting one of the heaviest songs of Kanye's career. Jonah navigates a minefield of depression, pain, anger, and suffering—with a possible Drake diss thrown in as well? From the ambient-heavy production to the piercing lyrics, we unpack what might be the most underrated track on Donda.

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Decades ago, Gwendolyn Brooks wrote a poem that would become part of a legendary speech from Donda West in 2007—and would later become a guiding light for Kanye West when making music in 2021. Praise God wouldn't exist without Brooks, a famous Black poet from Chicago whose words spoke to Kanye at an incredibly difficult time in his life. And by dissecting the lines in this song and her poem, we can gain crucial insight into the Donda narrative.

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Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm! We have been waiting for this episode since the very beginning. Hurricane—which very well could be the best song on Donda—is jam-packed with beautiful production, intense imagery, and narrative-building lyricism. In addition to all of that, we discuss the conception of the song and how it's changed over the years, Peter walking on water in the Bible, and a possible reference to R.E.M.

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Could it possibly get than Fivio's gargantuan guest verse? Why yes. Yes it can. Because Kanye West has a few things to say. On this episode, we unpack Ye's legendary closer on Off the Grid and theorize about how it previews several themes we'll continue to see play out on Donda.

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If you know Watching the Throne, then you know that we LOVE long episodes. So when we decide to split an episode into two parts...we do it for a reason. There was simply too much to unpack in Off the Grid, so for Part 1 we're strictly going to focus on Playboi Carti and Fivio's verses. Notoriety, materialism, power struggles, projection, pressure—there's a host of topics to get into before we pick apart Kanye's legendary verse. So let's do this.

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So you think God Breathed is a long, pointless, and boring song? Well, do we have a treat for you! In this extra-long episode, we shed light on what is actually a deeply layered and sonically complex song that's incredibly important in setting up the Donda narrative. Kanye West would be proud of this episode.

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Guess who's explaining Jail tonight? We are! Moving on from Donda Chant into the first official song on Donda, we find Kanye and JAY-Z trapped in a symbolic jail they must work their way out of. In this episode, we discuss what that jail means for both Kanye and Jay, who have both suffered from rocky marriages, and how that lays the foundation for the album narrative moving forward.

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Welcoming to Watching the Throne. Throoone. Throoooone. Throne. Where we analyze Kanye West. And this season, we're dissecting his newest album, Donda. And what better place to start than with Donda Chant! If you can believe it, we spend over an hour talking about this very meaningful and very important and very meditative opener. #Kanye #Donda

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Pop the champagne, because we just got a new Kanye album...which also means it's time for another season of Watching the Throne! Season 7 will be entirely dedicated to what we already consider to be Kanye's magnum opus: Donda. Throughout the season, we are going to run through every single line on every single song and piece together the themes and narratives at hand. In this initial episode, we hypothesize what they think the album is doing—all before we rank every single song on Donda.

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It's finally here! Kanye's latest album, Donda, dropped in the early hours of Sunday morning. And for the past day-and-a-half, Chris and Travis have been listening and trying to process their feelings about what could be Kanye's magnum opus. On this episode, they talk through their first impressions of Donda and preview the podcast's upcoming season.

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We just got back from the Kanye's DONDA listening party in Chicago and...we've got some mixed emotions. And we're ready to talk about it. Join us! #Kanye #KanyeWest #DONDA

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Third time's the charm! We're going to get yet another listening party for DONDA in Chicago—and yes, Chris and Travis will be there!!! In this episode, we review everything that's been going on with Kanye over the past few weeks and what we can expect from the Chicago listening party this Thursday.

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On his most critically appraised album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, we see Kanye West escape into a fantasy world. But before he enters that hellish realm, the character first needs to be introduced—which is where Dark Fantasy comes in. In this episode, we pick apart Kanye's epic opening track to show how he uses a collage of samples and references to provide foundation for the album's narrative.

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Ah, the magnum opus. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is, by and large, considered to be Kanye West's greatest work of art. And, yeah...its greatness is pretty hard to deny. But is there more to this album than meets the eye? On this season of Watching the Throne, we set out to find even more meaning and nuance to this story as Kanye plunges further into the lonely hellscape of celebrity. 

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July 23...came and went. And then August 6...came and went. And now...now......well. We wait. We have no idea when we're going to hear Kanye West's tenth album, DONDA. But there has been lots of speculation and clues since last week's listening party in Atlanta. In this episode, we run through everything you need to know.

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WE TOLD YOU IT WOULD BE WORTH THE WAIT. It appears as though Kanye's latest album DONDA is jussssst about finished and we will hopefully be getting the album today! But until then, we recount our experience of watching Kanye's second livestream of the album—WHICH SOUNDED FREAKIN AMAZING. We talk about the differences from the first Atlanta experience and highlight our favorite moments from the show.

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Another day, another dollar...another album! Our line-by-line analysis of 808s & Heartbreak really broke the album wide open and revealed lots of nuance we had yet to discover. And now it's time to reflect on that experience. In this episode, we talk about our favorite discoveries and rank every single song from Kanye's classic album.

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Pinocchio Story may just seem like a live freestyle that doesn't fit into the narrative of 808s & Heartbreak. But it's actually a perfect ending for the album's themes and commentary—and an indicator of what Kanye West would do with his music moving forward. In this episode, we unpack what may in fact be the most important song of Kanye's career.

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Not a single song on 808s & Heartbreak appears to be about Kanye's mother. So...why does Coldest Winter feel so heavily focused on her? The key to answering this question is to unlock the album narrative of 808s & Heartbreak. In this episode, we cycle back through the album and go line by line through its final track to make sense of Kanye's art-pop achievement.

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It's been a week since the DONDA listening party in Atlanta...and we still don't have an album. But we might have one soon? Wait...what's the status of this thing again? In this episode, we review everything we know about DONDA and when we can expect Kanye's new album.

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Brrrr. It's getting cold in here! And dark. And...scary. And that's probably because we're ready to discuss one of the songs that many Kanye fans seem to hate: See You In My Nightmares. Well, Chris and Travis hope that will change after today. In this lyrical breakdown, we show how the nightmarish landscape of the production, how Lil Wayne's sinister verse, how the evolving narrative of 808s & Heartbreak all make See You In My Nightmares one of the most realized songs of Kanye's career.

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Bad News. That's a song where a woman cheats on Kanye. Right? Or...wait. No. That can't be right. BECAUSE KANYE HIMSELF said the song was from a female's perspective. So how do we read and understand this song??? Luckily, Chris and Travis are here to help. We break down the track line by line and do some research on the sample in order to break this one wide open.

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We were in Atlanta for the DONDA listening party!!! And it was...interesting? Transcendent? Confusing? Profound? Basically, it was a whirlwind of an evening. We got to meet lots of great Kanye fans and heard some awesome Kanye music—and we're ready to talk about it.

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Well, it's been a whirlwind of a week. But DONDA is FINALLY coming on Friday, and there's a listening party on Thursday—and you can bet your bottom dollar that Chris and Travis will be there. We get hyped for the new album in this episode as we review what has been possibly the most exciting week to ever be a Kanye West fan.

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We spend a lot of time on this show talking about Kanye songs that are years old. But every once in a blue moon, we get that precious, fresh Kanye verse...even if it is only 22 words long? Which, yes, is disappointing. But the song is awesome, and there's still plenty of material for two rabid Kanye fans to discuss. That's exactly what Chris and Travis do in this episode as they give their first impressions of the song and Kanye's (very short) verse.

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Several of Kanye's songs are catchy. Others are aggressive. Many are anthems. But some Kanye songs are just...special. And Street Lights definitely fits into that final category. Kanye's melancholic poem about loneliness is full of philosophical ponderings and haunting imagery, and it's backed by some of his most breathtaking production to date. In this episode, Chris and Travis reflect on how the song has affected them over the years, the role of Buddhism in Kanye's lyrics, and how Street Lights elevates 808s & Heartbreak to a new level.

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"Dead or alive, you're coming with me." That's the way RoboCop treats criminals. It's also how Kanye thinks he's being treated by his woman on the song RoboCop...but is that true? Or is it the other way around? Of course nuance and complexity abounds on 808s & Heartbreak, and Chris and Travis are here to pick apart every detail. In this episode, they deconstruct Kanye's clever wordplay, dig into the deeply layered production, and excitedly discuss what is probably Kanye's coolest sample on the album yet.

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New Order, Depeche Mode, Talking Heads...Kanye West? There are lots of great new wave artists out there, and Kanye became the most unlikely of additions back in 2008 with Paranoid. But, as it turns out, one of his most upbeat tracks is filled with tragic irony. In this episode, Chris and Travis break down the song to show how its counterfeit exterior fits into the sad storyline of 808s & Heartbreak.

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Kanye has several classics on 808s & Heartbreak. But this song—the first single on the album—seemed to be the one he really wanted you to hear. Love Lockdown is a beloved Kanye track that's stuffed to the brim with incredible lyrics and layered production. And Chris and Travis can't wait to talk all about it in their line-by-line deconstruction of this masterpiece.

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Kanye says that he's "amazing" like 50 times on the song Amazing. But...does anyone ever once believe him? Chris and Travis sure don't. There's duality to Kanye's bravado on the fourth track of 808s & Heartbreak, and we're going to break it down as we dissect the song line by line.

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Have you heard the coldest story ever told? You probably have. Because Heartless is one of Kanye's biggest hits. But...do you know the actual meaning behind the song? And how the lyrics and production signal the birth of Yeezus?? Yup, we're going there. Chris and Travis have some theories about Heartless and how it fits into the 808s & Heartbreak narrative—so strap in.

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Where did everything go wrong? Kanye had a pretty tumultuous year leading up to the release of 808s & Heartbreak, and Welcome to Heartbreak is the first track where we see him actively asking that question. In this episode, Chris and Travis break down the genius of the song, from Kanye's secret sample to the beauty of the minimalist production to Kid Cudi's sad-but-catchy hook.

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Is it possible to spend 102 minutes talking about a song that barely has any lyrics? It is when Cole Cuchna shows up. The host of the Dissect podcast joins Chris and Travis to talk about one of Kanye West's most polarizing tracks ever: Say You Will. Kanye shocked the world when he opened 808s & Heartbreak with this spare, minimalist art-pop tune—and we love him for it. In this episode, Chris and Travis deconstruct the hypnotic lyrics of Say You Will while Cole breaks down the song's haunting production.

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As always, Chris and Travis are excited to embark upon yet another Kanye album. But there's a heavy sense of dread that hangs over Season 6, because going line by line through 808s & Heartbreak is no easy task. Pain, loss, heartache, loneliness...none of it can be avoided, and it's going to take 14 episodes to get through it all. In this initial episode, we overview the album narrative and what to expect from our season-long breakdown.

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From Good Morning...to good night. After spending approximately 20 hours going line by line through Kanye West's third album, Graduation, Chris and Travis are wrapping up another season by reflecting on the past 13 episodes. During this discussion, they reflect on their biggest revelations from the season and rank every single Graduation song in order.

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Kanye might have been an only child...but he had a brother. A big brother. The story between Kanye and JAY-Z is a rollercoaster ride that's had lots of ups and downs over the years, and the song Big Brother marked the first potentially tumultuous time for the two biggest names in hip hop. On this episode, Chris and Travis run through the lyrics of Kanye's apology to his Jay. The song both serves as a conclusion to the Graduation narrative and points in a new direction for Kanye's musical career.

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Sometimes you can't go back home. And Kanye found that out the hard way at the end of Graduation with his epic penultimate track: Homecoming. Chris and Travis take this classic song apart line by line to show how Kanye had been building to this moment for the entirety of the Graduation narrative.

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Secretly, Chris and Travis only have one true goal this season: TO MAKE YOU LOVE THE GLORY. Seriously. This is one of Kanye's best songs. The playful ego, the infectious flow, the meaning behind the production and samples, its place in the Graduation narrative—The Glory is an EPIC. So just sit back and listen to us gush about it for about two hours.

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All Common had to do was pass on a beat...and a Kanye classic was born. To this day, Everything I Am remains a lyrical highlight in Kanye West's discography, and a cathartic moment for his growth as a man, as an artist. Chris and Travis unpack this downtrodden track on today's episode and show how it leads into the final act of Graduation's narrative.

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Man, isn't being a celebrity awesome? Trips to Florida, weather so breezy, getting flashed by the paparazzi—oh wait a minute. This life can be tough. And Kanye fully expresses how strenuous this lifestyle can be on one of his most beautiful songs: Flashing Lights. Chris and Travis go line-by-line through the track to expose how the heavy irony on display calls back to an earlier section in the album's narrative.

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We can't agree on everything, but there is one thing we all believe: DRUNK AND HOT GIRLS IS THE WORST KANYE WEST SONG!!! Right?! Right? Right...? Except Chris and Travis don't believe that. In fact, they want to show you the beauty beneath the ugliness of what might be Kanye's most underrated song. From the hypnotic use of a Can sample to Mos Def's poetic musings to Kanye's tragic irony—we unpack it all.

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This is what you all been waiting for, ain't it? Well here's another episode...Barry Bonds! That's right. Today, Chris and Travis have the honor of discussing one of Kanye West's most hated songs—and, of course, they're here to tell you why it's actually an awesome track. They go through every line to show you just how clever Kanye's wordplay is and how the song fits into the Graduation narrative.

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Let the champagne splash. Let that man get cash. Let these men get past—because they've got a song to discuss. And today, Chris and Travis have a doozy on their hands: Can't Tell Me Nothing. This legendary Kanye track is absolutely packed with meaning and nuance that the Watching the Throne team will break down in full detail.

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Welcome to the good life! Where everything is wonderful and there's no irony to be had whatsoever!! Today, Chris and Travis tackle the fifth track on Graduation, which feels uplifting when you first hear it...but then takes on a whole new meaning in the context of the album narrative. 50 Cent, Michael Jackson, Dr. Dre, Gylan Kain, and John Legend join us for this epic breakdown of Good Life.

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Do you know what it means to find your dreams come true? Kanye West sure does. But back in 2007, it came at a cost for Ye—and it all started with I Wonder. On this episode, Chris and Travis break down this beautiful-yet-tragic track that serves as a huge turning point on the narrative of Graduation.

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What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? Well, that is unless you're making an album that details the life-draining adventure of stardom—which is exactly what Kanye did with Graduation. Yes, Stronger is a banger. But the song also captures Kanye at a crossroads as he becomes a worldwide celebrity. Chris and Travis cover the track's deeper intentions as they go line by line through the song.

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Nobody can stop Kanye West when he has his sights set on something. And perhaps no song better exemplifies that fact than the second track from Graduation: Champion. Ye is running at top speed in this fan-favorite, and Chris and Travis are there to break down every second of it. They discuss the song's epic sample, the poetic interpolations being used, and how the song continues to introduce Kanye's character on the album.

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The rulers are back! And no, we're not talking about Ye and Jay—we're talking about the dynamic duo, Chris and Travis. Today, they go deep on one of Kanye's most beloved songs: Good Morning. In this episode, they break down every line from Graduation's opening track. From how the song sets up the narrative on Graduation to the soaring Elton John sample to the ghost of Jay Z that looms over it all.

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Chris talks with Kanye's cousin and frequent collaborator The World Famous Tony Williams about Tony's newest song, Everybody Knows. Learn all about Tony's newest re-lease, co-starring Wale, and the music that's going to release in 2021.

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Many people believe The College Dropout and Late Registration to be the greatest one-two-punch start ever to a musical career. But Chris and Travis are here to argue that Kanye's third album, Graduation, has just as much to offer. In this episode, the Watching the Throne duo discusses what they're most excited about for their upcoming season on Graduation.

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Today, Chris and Travis complete their second journey through Kanye's sophomore album, Late Registration. In this episode, they reflect on what they've learned and how the album fits into Kanye's grand narrative. Then they rank every single song from the album to close out the season.

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Late Registration 2.0 is coming to a close for the Watching the Throne crew. And, fittingly, it all ends with Gone. Chris and Travis take on this mammoth song in this mammoth episode, in which they break down a multitude of samples and interpolations—and reflect on the long, arduous journey Kanye West went on with his second album.

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Every day is a celebration when you're dissecting Kanye lyrics! At least that's how Chris and Travis feel. Today, they're discussing the penultimate track on Late Registration, which rounds out Kanye's journey into stardom before the epic finale that is Gone.

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For Season 8 of Dissect, Cole Cuchna is returning to Kanye West with a brand new album: Yeezus. And guess what? Chris and Travis helped write the entire season! In this episode, they talk everything Yeezus with Cole—from early memories of the album to the process of writing Season 8 to what Yeezus represents in the wake of Kimye's divorce.

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Can Chris and Travis possibly do justice to one of Kanye's most beloved songs? Well, they can certainly try! Today they break down the lyrics of Hey Mama, from the meaning of the beautiful looping sample from Donal Leace to how the lessons Kanye learned from Donda West are infused into the DNA of Late Registration.

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One of Kanye's longest songs deserves one of our longest episodes! Today, Chris and Travis pick apart the epic track We Major—from Nas's ambitious guest verse to Really Doe's wacky chorus to Kanye's epic outro—and how the song plays into the Late Registration narrative.

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First they covered the OG, and now it's time for the Remix. Today, Chris and Travis talk about the version of Diamonds From Sierra Leone with both Kanye and his big brother, Jay Z. They get into everything, from Kanye's disillusion about the music industry to what Jay and Roc-A-Fella represent to the entire Black community. Also, looking forward to conversations about Robin Williams and Pink Floyd and Chris's last will and testament.

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When Complex ranked Kanye West's best verses, they had a surprising take for their #1 slot: the second verse of Diamonds of Sierra Leone. And no, not the remix—the OG mix. And Chris and Travis see why. On today's episode, they dissect the original mix of Diamonds, and how the song served as the foundation for the remixed version that exists on Late Registration.

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What's your addiction? Is it Chris? Is it Travis? Is it Ye? Well, guess what? We've got a cure for not one, not two, but all three! And the cure is our lyrical breakdown of Kanye West's fantastic song Addiction. In this episode, the WTT team dissects Kanye's dark ode to addiction—yes, his addiction to money, sex and alcohol, but mostly his addiction to celebrity and stardom.

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If we were to make a list of Kanye's most underrated songs, then Bring Me Down would be near the top of the list. This slight-yet-bombastic track adds even more emotional tenacity to Late Registration, as Kanye goes after the people he hates the most—the people who hold him back. Chris and Travis break down all of the sonic and lyrical nuance at play in this episode.

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Roses is one of the most cherished Kanye West songs—it's also one of the more complicated tracks from Late Registration. It's a song that feels optimistic and uplifting and downtrodden and dour all at the same time. On today's episode, Chris and Travis try to navigate those troubling waters as they break down the song's key samples and interpolations and fit Roses into the album's larger narrative.

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Up to this point in Kanye's discography, there probably wasn't a song more frustrated and bitter than Crack Music—there also wasn't a song more determined. On this epic banger, Kanye traces decades of drug abuse back to the government's desire to limit the Black community. It's an important step for Kanye as an artist trying to make a difference in the world on Late Registration.

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Feeling lost? Chris and Travis will point you in the right direction...with their analysis of My Way Home. This short interlude-ish track on Late Registration is actually pretty deep and packed full of meaning that builds on the major themes of Kanye's sophomore album. The Watching the Throne crew gets into it all on this episode, from the Gil Scott-Heron sample to Common's poetic lyricism to what chain restaurants Chris and Travis think are the shittiest.

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There's been a lot of talk lately about Kim and Kanye's divorce, and there's probably enough material to keep the gossip mags talking for months. But...what about Kanye's music career? What does this mean for the man who is arguably the greatest artist of the 21st century? Obviously, we have no idea—but we can speculate. So today, Chris and Travis are taking a look back at Ye's career to make some educated guesses about where his music could go from here.

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Turn those hazard lights off, because we're not slowing down! Chris and Travis are barrelling through Late Registration one song at a time, and the next track up is Drive Slow. They get into everything on this episode, from Kanye's hypnotic beat to Paul Wall's disco-ball mouth to GLC's un-fuck-with-able verse. Chris and Travis tie the entire symbolic song to Kanye's imminent entry into the music industry.

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As Chris and Travis continue on their Late Registration journey, they face what is probably Kanye's most complicated song narrative for any of his singles up to that point: Gold Digger. They discuss the song's commentary on gender roles, how stardom drives people to ugly lengths, and what the song's "twist" said about Kanye's view of materialism and classism at that point in his career.

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Chris and Travis continue their lyrical dissection of Late Registration with the track Touch The Sky. On this episode, they discuss how the classic single plays off of Heard Em Say to build the album's intentions, show how the samples and interpolations exhibit Kanye's quest for fame, and then try to make sense of Lupe Fiasco's wild and wacky guest verse.

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And they back! Chris and Travis are itching to do some lyrical analysis once again, and this time around they've decided to take on Kanye's sophomore album: Late Registration. Today, they start with the opening track, Heard Em Say, which introduces several of the themes and narrative threads that will populate the album.

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It's finally time for Chris and Travis to start a new season! As part of their rebuild, they're going back through and re-analyzing each Kanye album. And since they already covered The College Dropout, that means it's time for Ye's sophomore album: Late Registration. In this first episode, Chris and Travis discuss their relationship with the album over the years, their theories about the album's narrative, and what they expect to take away from the album over the course of the new season.

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Cut out all the lights...then turn em back, because we need to have a discussion about what might very well be Kanye West's most somber song ever: Hands On. As Chris and Travis near the end of Jesus is King, the song becomes a crucial component of Kanye's long, arduous road back to God. In this episode they discuss Fred Hammond's crucial input into the song, Ephesians and 1 Corinthians (again), and the hypocrisy of the Christian community's response to Kanye West.

And at no point do Chris and Travis talk about the Joker movie. Because why would they?

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Another day, another dollar, another Kanye West album. That's right: today Chris and Travis close out Jesus is King by analyzing the album's final full track, Use This Gospel. A Clipse reunion? References to seven different Bible verses? Kenny G's sax solo? Yeah, this one's packed full of goodies.

And don't worry! Chris and Travis will be back next week to cover Jesus is Lord and review the entire album. They'll also talk about the future of the show and how the structure of Watching the Throne will be shifting.

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No need to go outside during these strange, quarantined times—everything we need is right in front of us! Today, Chris and Travis see Kanye grappling with that universal truth as they discuss Everything We Need. They cycle through different ways to interpret Kanye's verses, the song's sonic parallel with I Thought About Killing You, and how Everything We Need sets up the second half of Jesus is King.

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Oh! Chris and Travis are feeling those old school College Dropout vibes today!! That's right: they are talking about God Is, the eighth track from Kanye West's Jesus is King. What seems like a straightforward gospel song is actually layered with meaning and biblical subtext that builds on the themes and ideas heavily featured in the album's first seven songs. They discuss 1 Corinthians, Psalm 150, and that pesky white knight from the Book of Revelation that keeps popping up.

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Feeling thirsty? Then drink some water.

Wanna hear a great song that transitions Jesus is King from its combative, alienated first half into its embracing, communal second half? Then listen to Water.

Look, we're not saying Water is better than water—but give Chris and Travis a chance to make their case. In this episode, they discuss Kanye's cleansing imagery, how the song serves as a baptism of the album's contentious energy up to that point, and what may in fact be Kanye's most mind-boggling (and brilliant) sample yet.

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Who's hungry? Because we're heading to Chick-fil-A and we're blasting Closed on Sunday all the way there. That's right, Chris and Travis dissect Kanye's most quotable song from Jesus is King—and they once again go down a biblical rabbit hole as they piece all of its different parts together. From the gospel of Matthew to the prophecy from Isaiah, from Kim the mother to Jezabel the pagan, from Moses holding up his hands to Jesus writing in the sand...get ready for some intense intercontextuality.

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Oh look! A nice, easy, short song. This shouldn't take too long—

JUST KIDDING. You knew the Watching the Throne boys would go extra on a short intro track. For their lyrical analysis of Every Hour, Chris and Travis break down what the song sets up for Jesus is King. They also take a deep dive into the song's Bible references and how they reveal Kanye's deeper intentions with the album.

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At the end of The Holy Mountain—one of Kanye West's favorite movies—the Alchemist says, "We shall break the illusion. This is Maya! Goodbye to the Holy Mountain. Real life awaits us." And now here, on the final song of ye, we find Kanye on the same journey. The colors are dripping off the dark fantasy set up on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and reality is settling in—and Kanye has discovered what that means for him as a father. On this season's penultimate episode, Chris, Travis, and Jordan break down Violent Crimes line by line and discuss just how Kanye has gotten to this point.

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Here we are at the end again! Another album from Kanye West complete—every line, every bar, every note dissected to the very core. Today Chris and Travis wrap up their analysis of Jesus is King with the album's final track, "Jesus is Lord." They discuss a few key Bible verses, overview the entire album's religious journey, and fit Jesus is King into Kanye's discography narrative.

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Chris and Travis have been super busy lately...but there's always time for Kanye West! And for this episode they found a few moments away from their chaotic existences to discuss the next song on Jesus is King: On God. They discuss the Book of Job, Busta Rhymes, King Nebuchadnezzar, A Tribe Called Quest, the Grammys, and—believe it or not this is the most important part—taxation in the Bible.

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No your eyes don't deceive you—they're back! After an extended break, Chris and Travis have finally returned to dissecting Kanye West's latest masterpiece, Jesus is King. And they're taking on what is undoubtedly the most popular song on the record: Follow God. What seems like a simple 2-minute rap song is actually stuffed to the brim with biblical references, mind-bending interpolations, and narrative flare. Join them as they explore Kanye's very non-Christ-like behavior.

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Hallelujah! Let's talk about Selah! Hallelujah! Today, Chris and Travis discuss Ephesians, Timothy, John, and Revelations as they break down the second track on Kanye West's latest album. On this episode, they show how the first verse sets up the album narrative, analyze the holy interpolation of a chorus, and review the section of Revelations Kanye might be referencing. They also take a look at verse two, where Kanye sets up the spiritual warfare that makes up the first half of Jesus is King.

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The new season is finally here! Chris and Travis are ready to start their song-by-song analysis of Kanye West's latest album, Jesus is King. Each week, they'll go line by line through each track and pick apart the album-long narrative Kanye is exploring. To kick things off, Chris and Travis take a macro look at the album and explore their initial theories of the album's structure and how it might fight into Kanye's discography.

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Throughout KIDS SEE GHOSTS, we've seen Kid Cudi and Kanye West slowly overcome their demons—and it all culminates with Cudi Montage. As Chris and Travis recap the entirety of the album, they show how the Kids fell victim to the ghosts, learned to control their environment, and finally let God back into their lives to better themselves for the future.

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On No Church in the Wild, Frank Ocean wondered, "What's a god to a non-believer?" Well, what's a god to a spirit? What's a god to the ghosts that populate KIDS SEE GHOSTS? Well, on the album's title track, we see Kanye and Kid Cudi finally overcoming their ghosts and accepting God into their lives in a way that the ghosts cannot. By doing that, as Yasiin Bey notes on the track, they build their own civilization. It's the final step before the journey wraps up on Cudi Montage.

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On POWER, Kanye had treasures in his mind but couldn't open up his own vault. But on Ghost Town, Ye's childlike creativity, purity, and honesty is set free, allowing him to feel like a kid again. The masterful journey this song takes to achieve the catharsis of 070 Shake's outro cannot possibly be conveyed...yet here Chris and Travis are, trying to do one of Kanye West's greatest songs justice. They cover it all, from Shirley Ann Lee's gospel music to Kid Cudi's interpolation of Vanilla Fudge to what is possibly the most vulnerable verse of Kanye's career.

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There's a key moment in Reborn where Kid Cudi is sitting in a storm, wondering which way to go. And his (and Kanye's) will to move out of that storm represents a true turning point for this crazy, ghoulish journey the Kids have taken us on. Chris and Travis break down everything that has allowed Ye and Cudi to be at peace with themselves and become ready for whatever the next step may be.

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Make no mistake, Kanye, we still love you! 

...even though you make our brains hurt. Because even a seemingly simple song like No Mistakes is chock-full of meaning and sonic depth. Chris and Travis try their best to navigate those waters, covering everything from the Slick Rick and Edwin Hawkins Singers samples to the Drake Treaty to how it perfectly leads into what's explored Ghost Town.

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What do Marcus Garvey, Black Star, Ty Dolla $ign, and Anthony Hamilton all have in common? They're all part of the formula on Freeee, the sequel to Ghost Town on ye and the song where Kanye and Cudi break free from the ghosts on KIDS SEE GHOSTS. Chris and Travis are here to cover how all of those combined elements represent a turning point for the kids.

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In Runaway, Kanye told her to run away—in Wouldn't Leave, he realizes she wants to stay. While The Life of Pablo encapsulates Kanye West's commitment to marriage and domesticity, ye is a spiritual journey where Kanye comes to peace with himself, and part of that includes the recognition that other people in his life—mainly his wife, Kim Kardashian—love him as much as he loves himself. Chris, Travis, Jordan break it all down, from the impact of the TMZ incident on Kanye's marriage to the song's connection with Teyana Taylor's album to the sonic fusion of Kanye's various personalities.

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It's Christmas...in July! That's right, Santa's coming down the chimney—but is that a good thing? Have Kanye and Cudi been naughty or nice? Chris and Travis have the answer, which is mixed within what may be the most layered song on KIDS SEE GHOSTS, and perhaps the most complex song of Kanye's career. From thematically relevant samples to repurposed drum beats to laughing jesters, 4th Dimension is not a song that can be understood in the 2 minutes and 23 seconds it takes to listen to it. So strap in, because this is one crazy episode.

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Rub on the lamp, get the genie out the bottle...and what do you get? One chaotic, disillusioned life. On All Mine, the third track from ye, we find Kanye nearing a crossroads when he'll need to move away from infidelity and erratic behavior and commit to the one and only Kim Kardashian. Chris, Travis, and Jordan break down the slow unraveling of Kanye's Yeezusian behavior before he sees the light in Wouldn't Leave.

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Throughout KIDS SEE GHOSTS, Cudi and Ye are up and down, welcoming and angry, hopeful and bitter—it's a beautiful madness. And on the album's second track, Fire, we see that those two are giving into their ghosts and dipping into Yeezus-like behavior. It's a similar journey Kanye experiences on ye, so Chris and Travis are going line by line through Fire to show how the spiritual journey of Kanye's last album lines up with the internal battle through which he and Cudi struggle on this track.

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Kanye claims that being bi-polar is a superpower...in a song called Yikes? Yeah, sure. In the ye narrative where Kanye attempts to finally overcome his Yeezus persona, it seems all too fitting that he would put up this front—and the WTT crew is going to tear it apart. Chris, Travis, and Jordan go line by line through Yikes, noting the back-and-forth between the bombastic and mindful versions of Kanye and how it captures his chaotic headspace.

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As Chris and Travis continue their lyrical analysis from ye to KIDS SEE GHOSTS, they find themselves in much darker, scarier territory...which is why they'll be holding hands this entire season. For the Feel the Love dissection, the WTT gang gets into all kinds of murky territory where Kanye West and Kid Cudi are forced to confront their ghosts and resist the unhealthy urges that would form new ghosts in the future. Hopefully Cudi and Ye are holding hands too…

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Today, our trek through ye—which could be Kanye West's most challenging album yet—begins. To help, Jordan teams up with Chris and Travis as they all try to decipher who the "you" in I Thought About Killing You is. They get into all kinds of topics, including how the song is largely a response to Kill Jay Z, how Kanye sonically explores his bipolar disorder, and how the song foreshadows a grand narrative and thematic journey that builds from Daytona to ye to Kids See Ghosts.

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You know how Kanye set release dates for Pusha's album, for his solo album, for KIDS SEE GHOSTS, for Nas' album, and for Teyana's debut? Well, we said we'd put out a Kids See Ghosts episode on the day it released, and dammit, we're following through. After a marathon texting session this morning as we listened through the album on repeat, and after a lengthy discussion as we went track by track, Chris and Travis are ready to give an overview of the storyline occurring on KIDS SEE GHOSTS—an album that takes mental illness and suicide head on, and acknowledges that if you want to get better, you have to confront (and overcome) your past demons, your ghosts.

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It's only been three days, but Chris, Travis, and Jordan have been talking NON-STOP about Kanye West's new album, ye, since its release and feel ready to provide a general overview of the album's narrative and thematic journey before heading into the individual song analyses over the next seven weeks. In this episode, we discuss how the album provides insight into Kanye's recent behavior, how it plays into the narrative building on his discography, and what new directions it points for his forthcoming projects (including Kids See Ghosts).

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It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas...the Best Kanye West Song Tournament Death Match Extreme!!! In this 2021 version of the tournament, Chris and Travis sit down with their favorite recurring guest Jordan Johnson and vote on which Kanye song is the best. Will blood be shed? Yes. Is this episode way too long? Of course. Will you be infuriated? Undoubtedly. But will you be entertained? We think so.

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We've reached the end of The College Dropout...and the end of an era on Watching the Throne. Chris and Travis have big plans for season 10 of the show, but for now, they're going to focus on what may be Kanye West's magnum opus: a 13-minute track that details how Kanye used arrogance as the steam to power his dreams.

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All that glitters is not gold...but all that shines IS Kanye! OK, sorry, that was terrible, and doesn't do justice to Family Business. We'll make up for it by analyzing this fan-favorite track, which brings the story on The College Dropout to a poetic close.

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Every superhero has their origin story. Often they are called upon for a greater mission, but must find the power to fight from within. And here on Through the Wire, Kanye finds himself in that exact situation as he looks to turn tragedy to triumph after a terrible car accident. Chris and Travis break down how Kanye does this with his energy and production, from his legendary Chaka Khan sample to his avant-garde storytelling techniques to his subtle nod to Gil Scott-Heron.

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Moving away from "bullshit ice rap", Kanye enters the final phase of The College Dropout with Two Words—an epic tribute to his idols and a promise to make music that change the world for good. Jay Z, Mos Def, Beanie Sigel, Freeway, 5th Dimension and Mandrill all contribute to what is perhaps Old Kanye's most layered track, and Chris and Travis are going to break it all down.

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At one time, Chris and Travis considered School Spirit to be Kanye's worst track—today, they make amends. Not only is there so much going on within the song itself (don't get us started on that Aretha Franklin sample), but how School Spirit and the skits play into the College Dropout narrative is next level. We're here to break it all down.

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Alright everyone, we know what you're thinking: "Why even bother with Breathe In Breathe Out? It's the worst song in Kanye's discography!" Well, we're here to help you appreciate it a little more. Despite its problems, Kanye actually pulls off one of the most impressive feats of his career by interpolating one of Black Star's most famous songs, Respiration. We'll show how Kanye's ironic twist on this classic track signals a turning point in The College Dropout's narrative.

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Jamie Foxx sang the chorus as a lark—but little did he know that "Slow Jamz" would become Kanye West's first No. 1 single. There's so much to unpack when it comes to this legendary track. And Chris and Travis are ready to break it all down, from how "Slow Jamz" fits into the "College Dropout" narrative to Kanye's beautiful twist on Luther Vandross's "A House is Not a Home."

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For about two-thirds of this episode, Chris and Travis wondered, "Did Kanye have any deeper intentions with 'The New Workout Plan?'" And then suddenly, amidst the chaos of their what is considered by many to be one of Kanye West's worst songs...they happen upon something. Go through this journey with them, as they try to fit this song into the "College Dropout" narrative and find out how it captures a young Kanye trying to find his place in the music industry.

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Today, Chris and Travis discuss how they felt about Joe Rogan's interview with Kanye West. The topics include how Kanye has opened up about his potential policies, Kanye's "symphony" style of speaking, what kind of leader Kanye would be.

Note: This is just Part 1 of Chris and Travis's breakdown of the interview. If you'd like to hear the full breakdown, then support the show over at Patreon.com/KanyePodcast.

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We've got another extensive breakdown of a Kanye West song, this time for the legendary Get Em High. Chris and Travis cover it all, from Kanye's first instance of conflating romance with fame, to Talib Kweli's disguised advice to a young Kanye, to Common's gargantuan (and slightly confusing (and purposely off-rhythm???)) verse. Take a puff, because episode is gonna get you high AF.

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The first seven tracks of The College Dropout build and build and build, starting from an oppressed position on "We Don't Care" before breaking through the stratosphere on "Never Let Me Down." On this episode, Chris and Travis dissect every important component of this epic-and-inspiring Kanye track, from its critical place in the album narrative to the importance Jay Z's serves to both the black and hip hop community to how J. Ivy channels the energy and spirit of God to better himself.

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If you know Kanye West, then you know it all started here. "Jesus Walks" was everything to the young rapper/producer/storyteller/future president back in 2004, which means Chris and Travis can't screw up and give this song a subpar analysis! So they're going to be extra thorough for this line-by-line deconstruction, which is chock-full samples and interpolations and stories and meaning and oh god this is gonna be a long one isn't it.

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Time for a redo! About 5 years ago during one of their earliest episodes, Chris and Travis analyzed the fantastic Kanye West song "Spaceship"—and did a terrible job. Now they're back to do this classic "College Dropout" track justice, from the beautiful chipmunk-ed Marvin Gaye sample to legendary guest verses from GLC and Consequence to Kanye's impeccable storytelling skills. Strap in, everybody, cause we're 'bout to take off in this spaceship.

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It's time for Round 2! Chris and Travis tried analyzing All Falls Down a couple years ago when they were noobs—but they are now ready to give it a more legit dissection in 2018. All Falls Down is a great example of Kanye's early storytelling and sampling powers, using Lauryn Hill and Biggie songs to encapsulate the power consumerism holds over the Black community. Of course, Chris and Travis get into all of that, along with Showgirls, Single White Female, Fight Club, and then eventually Showgirls again.

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Oh yeah, we've got a perfect podcast for the fans to hear! It's called Watching the Throne, and today hosts Chris and Travis are starting down a new path as they tackle Kanye's debut album "The College Dropout." On this episode, they discuss the themes of materialism, education, youth, hardship, rebellion, and artistry permeating throughout the song. They also try to put the song into Kanye's perspective as an artist and a new rapper representing Chicago.

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The first time Chris and Travis cycled through every song on Kanye West's first album, The College Dropout, they weren't up to the task. Armed with shoddy equipment and amateur analytical skills, they didn't do one of the greatest debut albums in the history of music proper justice—but now's the time to fix that. That's why Chris and Travis are cycling back through every song on The College Dropout. In this episode, they preview the album's narrative and discuss what they're most excited about this season.

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This past week has been one of the most trying times ever for Kanye fans—and Kanye himself, seemingly. Chris and Travis run through everything in this episode, from DONDA being delayed to Kanye's Twitter rants to how our conversation about mental illness desperately needs a change.

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"This was extremely good, this was extremely bad. I’m out." Those were the words spoken by Kanye West as he exited his first presidential campaign rally. And those words...well, they pretty much exactly describe how everyone felt. Chris and Travis talk about the best and the worst parts of the event.

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Kanye West announced a new album!!! An album called DONDA!!!! An album that is....definitely coming out.......right? Right???

OK, realistically? The album might not come out this Friday. But in this episode Chris and Travis are going to pretend it is definitely positively 100% is coming out this Friday and wildly speculate about it.

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Chris and Travis continue their discussion of Kanye's interview with Forbes. They finish going through Kanye's actual platform in this episode as they go quote by quote through the entire article.

If you'd like to support the show, then join our Patreon page. There you'll gain access to over 120 of our song analyses and two weekly bonus episodes.

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Chris and Travis continue their discussion of Kanye's interview with Forbes. They get into Kanye's actual platform in this episode as they go quote by quote through the entire article.

If you'd like to support the show, then join our Patreon page. There you'll gain access to over 120 of our song analyses and two weekly bonus episodes.

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More than any day in history, today is probably the weirdest day ever to be a Kanye West fan. Ye conducted an interview with Forbes in which he laid out his 2020 presidential platform, and the results are...well, interesting puts it mildly enough. Chris and Travis have a lot of feelings to work through regarding the interview, and they expel all of those conflicting emotions in this three-part evaluation of Kanye's words.

In this first part, Chris and Travis discuss their history as Kanye fans and their perspective heading into reading the Forbes interview. They then navigate the opening paragraphs and bullet points that summarize the article.

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Man, it's a good time to host a Kanye West podcast. The Louis Vuitton Don himself has officially decided to run for president in 2020—and that's amazing! But...what does it mean? Can he technically still run? And what would his platform look like? Chris and Travis discuss it all and take questions from listeners in this episode.

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Another day, another Kanye song! This time he's featured on Ty Dolla $ign's new song Ego Death—which was long rumored to be part of Yandhi. In this episode, Chris and Travis discuss the philosophy of an "ego death" and how Ty, Ye, and FKA Twigs are exploring that concept in this song.

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What a glorious day! It's been a minute since we got a new Kanye song ahead of an album, but today we've been blessed with Ye's first single since Jesus is King: "Wash Us in the Blood." In this emergency episode, Chris and Travis discuss their initial reactions to the song and the music video and what they think it signals about Kanye's forthcoming album God's Country.

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Yeezy partners with Gap? Dr. Dre + Jesus is King? A music video for Wash Us in the Blood? A KIDS SEE GHOSTS animated series?!?! Wow, this really is the #WESTDAYEVER. On today's very special emergency episode, Chris and Travis dig into every bit of Kanye West news we got today—and there's A LOT.

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Today’s episode comes from our Patreon page. Twice a week, we post bonus mini-episodes of the show. These mini-eps are a lot of fun to record and we want everyone to enjoy them. So we decided to post this episode on the public feed for everyone to enjoy.

If you’d like to access every mini-episode, as well as our entire podcast catalog where we break down 120 different Kanye West songs, then subscribe to our Patreon page at patreon.com/KanyePodcast. For $5 a month, you’ll not only get all of those episodes, but you’ll also help us decide on themes for future seasons of the show.

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Chris speaks with Malik, an Austin artist who has won a Grammy, is being mentored by No ID, and is releasing his first project, “Spectrum,” bi-weekly over the course of the 2020 summer.

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Meet Christina Binkley: the writer behind the recent Wall Street Journal article "The Creation and the Myth of Kanye West." In this very special episode, she sits down with Travis to discuss how the article came together, Kanye's fascinating immersion into the fashion world, and how her perception of Kanye changed during her time with him.

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For Black History Month, The Word Famous Tony Williams—now known as WRLDFMS—is releasing his new single, "Skin I’m In." On today's very special episode, he joins Chris and Travis to premiere the track and discuss what he hopes people take away from the song.

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Every year we get Christmas, we get Halloween, we get the 4th of July.

Oh, and we get the Best Kanye West Song Tournament Death Match Extreme.

In the 2020 edition of Watching the Throne's annual event, Chris, Travis, and Jordan sit down for a grueling three-hour session to decide on what Kanye's best song is. It's long, it's arduous, it's cutthroat—and hell, it's fun.

Will Jordan avenge Lift Off's epic defeat in last year's tournament? Will Travis find new ways of sneaking his favorite songs through? Will Chris make a Knight's Tale reference? Tune in to find out!

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Kanye West only follows 264 people on Twitter. You've got Kim Kardashian, Kid Cudi, Donald Trump, the Watching the Throne bros—oh yeah, and some guy named Alex Johnson (@alexmjjohnson). One of the most vocal Kanye fans on Twitter sat down with Travis to discuss how he became a Ye fan and how Kanye inspires him as an aspiring audio engineer.

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Harry Edohoukwa is a huge Kanye fan, and his new album, “Fire on the Mountain,” draws a lot of inspiration from Kanye. Chris talks with Harry about his relationship with Kanye’s music, the making of the new album, and other insights into being an artist in the 21st Century.

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Rob Haze is a comedian. Kanye fans may also know him as the co-host of the Book of Ye podcast. Join Chris in discovering Rob’s StorYe, from his beginnings of becoming a Kanye fan, to what happened to Book of Ye, to the history between Watching the Throne and Book of Ye.

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Jackson is the voice behind the infamous “DidYandhiDrop” Twitter account. He spent almost a year making commenting on the long awaited and oft delayed Kanye project. He speaks with Chris about the origin story of the account and the experience of running it through the highs and the lows of the journey to Kanye’s 9th solo album.

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The World Famous Tony Williams sings on "Spaceship" and 25 other Kanye West tracks. He co-wrote "Street Lights" and 10 other Kanye West tracks. He's a Grammy winner. He's Kanye West's cousin. In this special interview, Chris talks with Tony about his career, his newest album (To Gain the World), and much much more. It's a rare insight into one of Kanye's most important collaborators. 

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OUR BOY IS BACK!!! Chris is home from his honeymoon and ready to talk some Ye—specifically, he's ready to give us his first impressions of Jesus is King. In this episode, Chris sits down with Travis and recounts his first listening experience and how he's been feeling about the album over the past week. Then Chris and Travis discuss their general theories on the album's narrative. It all serves as a preview to their song-by-song, line-by-line dissection of Jesus is King...which starts next week!

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In the week leading up to Chris's return from his honeymoon, Travis is hosting some of Watching the Throne's favorite guests to hear their reactions to Kanye West's new album, Jesus is King. Today, Travis speaks to the creator of The Most Unruly YouTube channel, Don.

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In the week leading up to Chris's return from his honeymoon, Travis is hosting some of Watching the Throne's favorite guests to hear their reactions to Kanye West's new album, Jesus is King. Today, Travis speaks to series regular and resident troll Jordan Johnson.

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In the week leading up to Chris's return from his honeymoon, Travis is hosting some of Watching the Throne's favorite guests to hear their reactions to Kanye West's new album, Jesus is King. Today, Travis speaks to an old friend of the show, Anna Zeck.

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In the week leading up to Chris's return from his honeymoon, we're hosting some of Watching the Throne's favorite guests to hear their reactions to Kanye West's new album, Jesus is King. Today, Travis speaks with Martin Connor, co-writer of The Yeezus Book and founder of Rap Analysis.

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In the week leading up to Chris's return from his honeymoon, we're hosting some of Watching the Throne's favorite guests to hear their reactions to Kanye West's new album, Jesus is King. Today, Travis speaks with Cole Cuchna, the host of the Dissect podcast.

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OMG JESUS IS KING IS HERE!!! To celebrate, while Chris is on his honeymoon, Travis is going to host a line-up of several episodes where some special guests discuss their first reactions to the album. Today Travis kicks things off by himself, going through his thought process during his first few listens of Jesus is King.

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In the lead-up to the release of Jesus is King, Kanye West has hosted a handful of live listening sessions—and Travis attended the Chicago party. In this episode he sits down with Chris to recount the evening.

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour.

Check out our merchandise line.

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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Chris speaks with Benjamin Hudson McIldowie — aka Mr Hudson. The English Electropop musician talks about collaborating with Kanye West on 808s & Heartbreaks and how it's guided his musical career ahead of his new album, When the Machine Stops.

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour.

Check out our merchandise line.

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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Chris speaks with Don, the creator of The Most Unruly YouTube channel. The Most Unruly has done extensive work covering Kanye’s artistry and discography, but has, for the time being, reached the end of Kanye content. So Don talks about Kanye, the journey of The Most Unruly, and what’s next for him.

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour.

Check out our merchandise line.

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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On this episode, Chris talks with Bink! The Humble Monsta. Kanye fans may know him as the original producer of Devil in a New Dress. But his history with Kanye dates much further. Hear directly from Bink about his career, his relationship with Kanye, his thoughts on Devil in a New Dress, and more!

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour.

Check out our merchandise line.

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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Zack O’Malley Greenburg, senior editor for Forbes, got spend a day with Kanye for a Forbes cover story. Hear, first hand, what the experience was like—from Zack’s initial call with Kanye, to their midnight hike through the Calabasas hills.

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour.

Check out our merchandise line.

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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Every year we get Christmas, we get a birthday, we get the Best Kanye West Song Tournament Death Match Extreme. In this year's 3000 edition, deals are struck, alliances are formed, upsets are given, and friendships are shattered into oblivion. What song will Chris, Travis, and Jordan decide is Kanye West's greatest achievement? In what is surely the greatest episode of any podcast ever—let's find out.

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Matt Kessler creates the Too Many Records YouTube channel. His StorYe involves vinyl and a personal encounter with Kanye out in the wild!

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour—on June 18.

Check out our two Kanye West shirts currently on the market (we have a Runaway and a Hold My Liquor shirt).

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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It's the night before Travis' wedding. It's the night before YANDHI. And what are the Watching the Throne hosts to do? How about answer some questions! And try to break their record for longest episode ever!

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour—on June 18.

Check out our two Kanye West shirts currently on the market (we have a Runaway and a Hold My Liquor shirt).

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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Chris Mench is the news editor at Genius, and just so happens to be a big Kanye fan. Hear how his StorYe got started and the journey he’s gone on in one of those rare and wondrous times where a Chris interviews a Chris.

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour—on June 18.

Check out our two Kanye West shirts currently on the market (we have a Runaway and a Hold My Liquor shirt).

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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Jacobi IV is an artist on a mission. Hear how Kanye has helped shape his approach as a solo artist and empower him to make the music he’s passionate about.

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour—on June 18.

Check out our two Kanye West shirts currently on the market (we have a Runaway and a Hold My Liquor shirt).

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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Meet Caleb Smidt and his daughter Clementine. Hear how and why they’ve bonded over Kanye West’s music and what they’ve learned through the journey.

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour—on June 18.

Check out our two Kanye West shirts currently on the market (we have a Runaway and a Hold My Liquor shirt).

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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It was the four seconds heard around the world—the moment Kanye West couldn't answer a question about Donald Trump.

Well...couldn't immediately answer. Which in retrospect seems kinda normal. Which makes you wonder why everyone is so mad about it. Which makes you wish someone would talk sensibly about Kanye's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel.

Oh, hi! Chris and Travis are here to do just that. They discuss the ins and outs of what is now a classic Kanye West interview. From Trump to bipolarism to Pornhub, it's all here, and it's all wavy af.

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour—on June 18.

Check out our two Kanye West shirts currently on the market (we have a Runaway and a Hold My Liquor shirt).

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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Director, actor, podcast host, and all-around go-getter Chase Crawford dishes on his relationship with Kanye's music over the years. 

Check out his podcast: According to the Internet

Follow him on twitter: @chsecrwfrd

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour—on June 18.

Check out our two Kanye West shirts currently on the market (we have a Runaway and a Hold My Liquor shirt).

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

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Listen in awe as Justin Hunte brings to bear his prodigious knowledge on rap history and culture to speak on his highs and lows with Kanye.

Justin Hunte is Head of Video Production & Development for Ambrosia For Heads. A former Editor-in-Chief of HipHopDX and creator of DX's popular series The Breakdown and #DXLive, Hunte has debated at the prestigious Oxford Union and is featured on Shade45's "All Out Show w/ Rude Jude," as well as Revolt TV’s “Revolt Live” Billboard magazine, digital campaigns for Lexus, Honda, Brisk, and Simple Mobile. Prior to joining HipHopDX, Hunte spent 5 years working in investment banking at Banc Of America/Merrill Lynch and has covered music, politics, and culture for numerous publications. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California. 

If you'd like to support the show, please rate us on iTunes, or help us out on Patreon.

You can buy The Yeezus Book—a scholarly, visual-heavy coffee table book that breaks down Yeezus in its entirety, from the album's narrative to the production to the tour—on June 18.

Check out our two Kanye West shirts currently on the market (we have a Runaway and a Hold My Liquor shirt).

Follow us on Twitter if you also like to constantly talk about how awesome Kanye is (we'll undoubtedly respond to you).

And please, as always, stay loopy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donna-Claire discusses her relationship with Kanye's music, music in general, and writing about Ye's Wyoming projects. Listen for some insight and compassion. 

Donna-Claire Chesman is an East Coast-based music writer, who loves Big L and The Fugees as much as jazz and her pet parrot. She is a senior writer for DJBooth and content strategist for Audiomack. Her past bylines include: Pigeons and Planes, Mass Appeal, XXL, Vinyl Me, Please, and others. Find her on Twitter, if you're so inclined.

https://djbooth.net/author/donna-claire-chesman

https://djbooth.net

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Leon Laing is a Jamaican-American and founder of Vigor Online, an award-winning website that posts online stories about urban music, culture, and the arts in mainly the Harrisburg and Philadelphia areas. 

Chris and Leon discuss Leon’s journey with Kanye’s music and Leon’s collection of Kanye magazine interviews.

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Before Chris and Travis dive headfirst into dissecting every nook and cranny of Kanye West's new album, ye, they're here to give some knee-jerk reactions to the days leading up to the album, their expectations, the live stream, and how they generally feel about the album about 12 hours in.

On Tuesday, they'll start their full-on track-by-track analysis.

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Yeezy Super-stan Robin Petering dishes on her experience with Kanye West concerts and more in this week's StorYe!

Robin is a community inclusive researcher who specializes in homelessness advocacy. She runs a research consulting firm called Lens (the name for which was inspired by Frank Ocean).

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Artist LaTosha Maddox shares how Kanye helped fuel her creative journey. 

She is a 23 year old African American Visual Artist who takes strong influence in Pro Black themes and Pop Culture. After beginning her Art Education at The Delaplaine Visual Arts Center and Academy of Arts in Frederick Maryland she pursued a Fine Arts Degree at Louisiana State University. Currently residing in the DMV area, taking time off to focus on an array of creative pursuits. Visit contact for any personal inquiries or requests. 

https://www.tinytosha.com

You can commission works or buy her Kanye-inspired prints through her website!

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Poopy-di scoop

Scoop-diddy-whoop

Whoop-di-scoop-di-poop

Poop-di-scoopty

Scoopty-whoop

Whoopity-scoop, whoop-poop

Poop-diddy, whoop-scoop

Poop, poop

Scoop-diddy-whoop

Whoop-diddy-scoop

Whoop-diddy-scoop, poop

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Spencer Wolff, aka @Snowcone965 on Twitter, is the man who helped popularize the theory that Ye’s recent controversies—Candace Owens, Trump, TMZ—are part of a larger performance art. Dive further into the concept with this discussion!

If you want to read more about the theory to have some context heading into the episode, check out these two posts:

https://twitter.com/Snowcone965/status/991695769714479104

https://pigeonsandplanes.com/in-depth/2018/05/kanye-west-prestige-theory 

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A true lover of hip-hop, Daniel Pultz shares with us the reasons why he’s been a fan of Kanye since day 1.

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Deezie Brown’s album “Judith” is the closest thing Chris has felt to listening to Kanye. It makes sense that Deezie drew incredible inspiration from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Enjoy the perspective an artist brings to talking about Kanye as Deezie shares his StorYe.

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Watching the Throne is happy to host a conversation between DeMario Jackson and friends Amaron and Nate about the most dramatic week in Kanye history. Real people, real fans, real reactions. These are the real conversations Kanye is creating.

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For the first time, Chris and Travis have a Kanye West song that exists outside any album narrative. However, Ye vs. the People fits PERFECTLY into the Kanye West narrative on a broader scale, as he's now once again controlling the conversation, challenging conventional thought and shifting the zeitgeist. But is that good or bad? Is there a danger and naïveté to Kanye's rhetoric? Or should we think more constructively about Kanye's core message and reconsider how we talk about politics?

Only time will tell. But for now, we've got Ye vs. the People.

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Carrington Harrison is known for being a radio host on 610Sports in Kansas City. More relevant to Kanye fans, Carrington and his friends are the ones behind the Kanye Madness bracket challenge that swept the nation this March. On this episode you can find out more about how Kanye Madness got started and Carrington's own Kanye fandom. 

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Zack specializes in the intersection of hip-hop and business (evidenced by his new book, 3 Kings: Diddy, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z and Hip-Hop’s Multibillion-Dollar Rise). This gives him quite the unique perspective on Kanye. Be prepared for what is one of our most fascinating StorYe’s to date! 

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Purchase 3 Kings: https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Diddy-Jay-Z-Hip-Hops-Multibillion-Dollar/dp/0316316539

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Zack O'Malley Greenburg is the senior editor of media & entertainment at Forbes and author of three books: 3 Kings: Diddy, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z and Hip-Hop's Multibillion-Dollar Rise (Little, Brown, 2018); Michael Jackson, Inc. (Simon & Schuster / Atria, 2014) and the Jay-Z biography Empire State of Mind (Penguin / Portfolio, 2011). In a decade at Forbes, Zack has investigated topics from pension fund scandals to Katy Perry's touring business to the Wu-Tang Clan's secret album. His work has also appeared in the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, Billboard, Complex, Vibe and McSweeney's; he's served as an expert source for BBC, NPR, MTV, NY Times and 60 Minutes, and as a speaker at SXSW, TEDx, CES, Georgetown and Harvard. Zack graduated from Yale in 2007 with a degree in American Studies. A recovering child actor, he played the title role in film Lorenzo's Oil (1992). He lives in New York with his wife and cats

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Robert Ruggerio is you. He's me. He's all of us who have followed Kanye since Through the Wire and had Ye not only be a soundtrack for life (from those teenage years, to the early twenties, now into the thirties), but this ethereal friend who has been there through the best and worst times. This is his/our StorYe. 

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Miranda Feneberger dishes on her history with Kanye's music, developing a love and understanding of hip hop, and more things Kanye West. 

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Miranda's work has been published or is forthcoming on sites such as HelloGiggles, NYLON, HuffPo, Rookie, BuzzFeed, Bustle, Thought Catalog, andPaste Magazine. She has also been published in print in Shiny People Zine, and on indie sites like The Inkport and Vinyl Mag.

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Timothy Anne Burnside brings her expert opinion on African American history and culture to bear on Kanye as a musician, his influences, and his legacy. 

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Timothy Anne Burnside works closely with object donors and museum colleagues to build collections and develop exhibitions and programs that offer complex representations of history and cultural expression. Her background includes curatorial research and collecting, archival work, collections management, and program production. Timothy began her career with the Smithsonian at the National Museum of American History in 2003, where she worked in the Archives Center and Division of Cultural History, then launched that museum’s hip-hop collecting initiative in 2006. She has since worked on many Smithsonian exhibitions and projects, including the NMAAHC’s preview exhibition about the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York that toured the country in 2010-2012. Timothy most recently contributed to multiple NMAAHC inaugural exhibitions, including Musical Crossroads, Sports: Leveling the Playing Field, Taking the Stage, and The Power of Place. She regularly presents at conferences across the country, speaks with college and graduate students about opportunities in the museum field, and serves on the Executive Committee of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. Timothy received her B.A. in History, English, and Music Performance from Lawrence University, and M.A. in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

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"The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. It was established by Act of Congress in 2003, following decades of efforts to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans. To date, the Museum has collected more than 36,000 artifacts and nearly 100,000 individuals have become members. The Museum opened to the public on September 24, 2016, as the 19th and newest museum of the Smithsonian Institution."

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https://timothyanne.com/writing/f/finding-kanye-wests-influences-in-our-collection

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We were live on the SXSW and TuneIn Podcast Stage. Chris and Travis, a room full of Kanye fans, delicious breakfast tacos from Tacodeli—could we get much higher?

You'll hear some Kanye-themed games (Family Feud/Kanye or Jay-Z/and Wait, Kanye, What?) and some truly wavy conversation about Mr. West.

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Joe Perez is a freelance creative director and graphic artist who worked as the lead art director at Kanye West’s design studio DONDA from 2011-2016. His most notable work was on the Cruel Summer, & Yeezus album covers. In this episode he sits down with Chris to discuss his career and work with Kanye.

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Kish is currently based in Melbourne, Australia. Her recent bylines have been in Sydney Morning Herald, Noisey, Acclaim Magazine and VICE Magazine.

She's a writer, DJ and podcaster.

Follow her on Twitter: @kish_lal

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Brent Lewis is the Senior Photo Editor for ESPN's "The Undefeated" and co-founder of the Diversify Photo Initiative. Self-proclaimed lover of all things Chicago. You can follow Brent at @BLewisPhoto.

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Nia Renee Hill is a actor, writer, producer, and director. You can occasionally hear her on the Monday Morning Podcast with her husband Bill Burr. She recently guest starred on an episode of HBO's "Crashing". Oh, and she's a huge Kanye fan!

Find her on Twitter and Instagram under the handle @niasalterego.

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Just when Jordan thought it was over...it wasn't. It totally wasn't.

Like, not even close.

We got through the first 64 matchups of the 2018 Best Kanye West Song Tournament Death Match Extreme 2000, and there are SIXTY-THREE LEFT. Chris, Travis, and Jordan started with 128 songs, but there can only be one indisputable best Kanye West song ever. Will Hold My Liquor two-peat? Will Ultralight Beam ride that beam to #1? Will Breathe In Breathe Out somehow sneak back into the tournament and capture our hearts?

IDK. But here we go.

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Once again, Chris and Travis have kidnapped Jordan from his humble abode and forced him to participate something no human being should be forced to endure: Sitting in a room for 3 hours with Chris and Travis, talking about Kanye.

But this isn't just any episode of Watching the Throne: This is the 2018 Best Kanye West Song Tournament Death Match Extreme 2000.

This year, they've stretched the bracket out to 128 Kanye West songs going head to head. Over the course of the first round, friendships are tested, shade is thrown, and Send It Ups are Sent On Downs. Will Chris, Jordan and Travis come out best friends...or sworn enemies?

Only one way to find out.

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This StorYe is with the man behind one of the fastest growing Kanye-fan accounts on Twitter, @Kanye_Bars. Find out the origins behind the account and, of course, a lot of feelings about Kanye West.

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Tyler Barstow is the co-founder of the record of the month club "Vinyl Me Please." More importantly, he's a mega Kanye fan. 

http://www.vinylmeplease.com

The 2017 releases were pretty awesome, including vinyls of Biggie, Gorillaz, and Miles Davis. 

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This is why we can't have nice things, Taylor! Because you go and and make an album like "Reputation," which we then have to completely tear apart, track by track. Chris is out this week, but Anna joined Travis to discuss Taylor Swift's latest album and how it relates to and addresses Kanye West.

In all honesty, they tried to be fair?

"Tried" is the key word, here.

If you would like to support the show, visit our Patreon page.

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Ron Parida is the mind behind RPV Creative, a social media gency and production company. This is the group behind the wild and wonderful @kanye_isms Instagram page where they turn Kanye sound bytes into entertaining adventures.

In this StorYe, Ron shares the approach to kanye_isms and his views on Kanye as a musician and creative.

Check out Ron's work at https://www.instagram.com/kanye_isms/ 

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Corbin Reiff is the Deputy Music Editor at Uproxx. He's first book, "Lighters in the Sky: The All-Time Greatest Concerts, 1960-2016" just came out and features not one but two Kanye performances. In this episode, you get to hear all about Corbin's StorYe, his views on Kanye's music and concerts. Check out his book here: http://amzn.to/2ytA0pk

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You may know DeMario Jackson from season 13 of The Bachelorette. What's apparent is how charismatic, charming, and fun DeMario is. What may not have been apparent is just how much he loves Kanye. In his StorYe, DeMario takes us through his Ye fandom from the day Through the Wire dropped into 2017, revealing what Ye's music has meant to him and how it's saved his life twice. This is, by far, our most epic StorYe yet. You can find more from DeMario at https://demariojackson.com/bio/. Following him on Instagram as @demariojackson and on Twitter as @demariojackson_

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Noisy Images is one of the best YouTube channels for hip hop related content. Perhaps the best part of the channel is how Kanye-centric it is. In this episode, Chris talks with Noisy Images creator Don about Don's love of Kanye. Warning, a lot of talk about life as well, because, at the end of the day, Kanye is life. You can check out Noisy Images by clicking here.

If you would like to support the show, visit our Patreon page.

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Taylor, look what you made us do! We have an obligation to defend Kanye in any and all scenarios, that goes double when it involves Taylor Swift, who released "Look What You Made Me Do" yesterday—and we're not wasting ANY time (tearing it apart). Anna joins Travis and Chris to analyze the death of "Old Taylor" and how it fits into the never-ending Kanye-Taylor feud. Then we discuss the other person who has beef with Kanye: Jay Z, who recently called out Kanye in both an interview and his new album.

If you would like to support the show, visit our Patreon page.

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Martin Connor analyzes production in hip hop music living on his website, Rap Analysis. In his StorYe, he discusses the evolution of Kanye's production from soul-sample-heavy to weird-as-shit.

Kanye’s soul samples have become the orientations through which all of his stories are experienced, even as they begin to occupy ever more fragmented parts of his structures, keys, or mixes. It seems, then, that soul samples for Kanye have always had a significance that is purely cultural, having come from a genre that was mostly nurtured and developed by Black artists themselves. It is just that, in his most recent albums, Kanye has brought this role of theirs fully to the forefront.

If you would like to support the show, visit our Patreon page.

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Today we're talking to Cole Cuchna, creator and host of the Dissect Podcast. He performs musical analysis (just like us!) by going track-by-track through albums, breaking the format into short, easily digestible episodes (not just like us!). 

The first season featured Cole going through Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly, and the second will continue with Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Chris and Travis sit down with Cole to get his StorYe: When he first heard Kanye West, how his relationship has evolved since then, and what it was like to intricately dissect one of the most important hip hop albums of all time.

If you would like to support the show, visit our Patreon page.

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Caitlin White is the managing editor of Uproxx's music section. She also happens to be wavy as hell because she's a firm believer of the one and only Yeezy. In her StorYe she discusses the impact Kanye West has had on her life and career, why 808s & Heartbreak is her favorite album of all time, and a ton more.

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Watching the Throne is finally taking the time to celebrate the greatest national holiday that's ever been blessed upon this great nation of ours: Kanye West's birthday (aka Christmas in June). And Chris and Travis appropriately go overboard by naming their 40 favorite things about the one and only Yeezus. From music videos to tweets to legendary quotes, they attempt to do the tiniest bit of justice for the best 40-year-old 10-year-old the music business.

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Bill and Melinda Gates. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII. Jay Z and Beyonce. Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. 

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

Come on—we all know why we're here. While countless power couples have graced the earth with their presences over the years, only one couple has given us an AT&T Park engagement, a Florence wedding, those ziplining photos where Kanye is happier than anyone has ever been, the cat Mercy, the Bound 2 video, and the two cutest kids on the entire goddamn world. Anna and Travis are here to celebrate and cherish Kim and Kanye on their third wedding anniversary by detailing their shared story and highlighting our favorite moments of their relationship.

This episode is brought to you by Framed Tweets.

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Middle America packed in, came to see...Watching the Throne? At SXSW 2017?! Better believe it! Chris and Travis somehow sweet-talked their way onto the SXSW Podcast Stage (presented by TuneIn), and they're using the opportunity to educate the world on the masterpiece that is Yeezus. They break down the album's main motifs of ego, race, and romance, detailing the moments that make up the hyperbolized version of Kanye, aka "Yeezus" himself. Fun is, of course, had all around.

This episode is brought to you by The Daily Dot.

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It's StorYe time! We've got superfan Alex Dellbridge on the show, and he's to tell us if other countries like Kanye West as much as the U.S. of A. In addition, Alex joins Chris and Travis to cover Kanye West news, which includes the new Zebra Yeezys, a glimpse into the genesis of Kimye, a minor lawsuit Kanye escaped, and a very strange segment of the Kanye Bounce House (is there any other kind?).

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Travis is off doing the things a Travis does. So Chris brings in a special guest: r/Kanye moderator and graphic designer/photographer from Quebec, Justin Leduc! Justin shares his thoughts on the Kanye sub-Reddit, on the birth and growth of his Kanye fandom, and also delivers some of the best J Cole news in our podcast's history. We discuss a bunch of Kanye news, as well. Drake's thoughts on Kanye. The spoken-word poem that's been attributed to an ex of Kanye. The "false idol" Kanye statue that street artist Plastic Jesus made. Kanye releasing a line of DONDA make-up. And Judd Apatow telling an all-time classic Kanye story about Kanye's time on the Anchorman 2 set. 

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What are Chris and Travis to do when they have a slow Kanye news week...START A NEW TRADITION.

That's right, they kidnapped Jordan and forced him to participate in the first ever Best Kanye West Song Tournament Death Match Extreme 2000, where they took r/kanye's recent Best Kanye Song Tournament and formed their own bracket. They go through every (and I mean EVERY) round and discuss why they voted the way they did. The result is sometimes insightful, most of the time contentious, and always...long.

Oh my god it's so long.

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It's been a minute since we had some fresh blood on Watching the Throne, but this week that all changes. Kevin sits down with Chris for a marathon interview about the ups and downs of being a Kanye megafan.

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With all the negativity weighing everyone down in recent weeks, it's time to celebrate one truly magnificent woman—the one, the only, Kim Noel Kardashian West. Chris and Travis (and Anna!) cover their favorite Kim moments, from her Snapchatting to her foray into club music to Kimojis to her absurd crying faces to her just goddamn killing it as a mother.

🙌 All hail one half of the bad-ass-est couple on the planet 🙌

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Shhhhhhh try not to wake up mom...

That's right, it's STORYE TIME (dude shut up!) and Janie Contreras Johnson (guess who she's married to!) is joining Chris and Travis's latest WTT slumber party to tell them about her journey with Kanye West. From the Hurricane Katrina relief special (cringe-worthy!) to her feminist beliefs regarding Kanye (and Bukowski!) to her top five Ye tracks (with a surprise No. 1!), Janie is proving she's more than just a woman—she's her husband's wife (ok—it's Jordan!).

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Kids, grab your sleeping bags, gather 'round, and turn on your flashlights...because it's storYe time! That's right, artist Robyn O'Neil sits down with Chris and Travis to talk about Kanye West because everyone else is annoyed when she talks about Kanye West and she.needs.to.talk.about.KANYE.WEST. We go deep into this stan's insane obsession (that the WTT Crew can relate to a little bit too well) with Mr. West, how her opinion of him and his music has changed over time, how his lyrics have helped her through some rough moments, and why she is now a full-blown Keeping Up With the Kardashians addict.

Check out Robyn's podcast! It's called "Me Reading Stuff" and you can find it on iTunes.

Also check out http://robynoneil.com for some of her awesome artwork!

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Chris, Travis, and Anna spend close to two hours detailing the history of Kanye West and Taylor Swift, from when Kanye stormed the VMA stage in 2009 to Kim Kardashian’s Snapchat revelation that Taylor approved the Famous line, just days ago. The crew covers key points in Kanye and Taylor's shared history that many people have forgotten about, the collateral damage that's resulted from the feud, and where each party could go from here. This is the most absolutely comprehensive analysis you will find of Kanye and Taylor on the Internet, with some terribly unfunny banter to boot. What's not to love? 

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To quote the legendary rock band Staind: It's been awhiiiiile. That's right, it's time for another StorYe! And this week Chris and Travis are interviewing friend-of-the-show/Throner/Keeping Up-dater Anna Zeck, who, as a huge Kimye fan who's seen every episode of every Kardashian spin-off ever, brings a unique perspective to the show. They cover her relationship with Kanye—from his music to his fashion to his relationship with Kim—and, of course, count down her favorite Kanye West songs. That shit cray.

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The WTT crew is taking a week off from analyzing Kanye West songs to hear from one of his biggest fans: Lauren Kelly has gone from passive Kanye listener to insatiable aficionado in just a few short years, and she's ready to tell the world her StorYe. Lauren also counts down her favorite songs, her favorite and least favorite lines, and even has some Jay Z news, because who doesn't these days.

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You'll have to wait one more episode for The New Workout Plan—Chris and Travis have another StorYe to explore, this time with Joshua Chaplinsky, author of Kanye West Reanimator, a reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft's classic sci-fi novella with Kanye West as the main character. They discuss Joshua's inspiration for the story, whether or not he's gained an appreciation for Kanye by researching for the book, and what the hell is going on with Mr. West's fashion line.

You can follow Joshua on Twitter at @JaceyCockrobin, visit his website at www.joshuachaplinsky.com, and order "Kanye West Reanimator" on Amazon.

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The gang is back—but this time, they're not dissecting a song by Kanye West. Instead, they're kicking off the first official entry into the "My StorYe" interview series, where they discuss somebody's journey with Kanye West. Today we have a KanVert, and his name is Jordan C. Johnson. He discusses how Kanye's music changed not only the way he listened to music, but changed his life as well. In addition, the gang discusses hip hop and pop music in a broader sense, the VMAs, and breaks down Yeezus about two years ahead of the Watching the Throne schedule. Oh, and Jordan has a Jay-Z update? Crazy.

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