Even Without Obama, Kanye West Reclaims Chicago and Lollapalooza

Rumors of Barack Obama being onhand to introduce Kanye West proved false. No matter. Aiming to permanently put the Bonnaroo debacle in the past, the local rapper came out not to just conquer the festival stage but to reclaim his hometown as his own. West's flashy light show lived up to promise. Yet despite all the popping strobes, panning spotlights and pastel illumination, the emcee remained the focus of attention. His energy and intensity backed up his cocky attitude and prodigious boasts. Examinations of conscious, conversations with god and motivational talks punctuated a non-stop beat-heavy blitz. West tackled "Heard 'Em Say," "Diamonds From the Sierra Leone" and "Can't Tell Me Nothing" with the kind of elevated drama and drive that fuels champion athletes. He inhabited the narrative of "Put On," pushing the song until it became an autobiographical statement and personal pledge. "This performance is for the lady that drove me to Chicago at the age of three," he stated during the track, before getting everyone to scream for his mother. Such candor and motivation are not only what make West a visionary; they are what make him human.

More Lollapalooza Coverage: Rock 'N' Roll Diary

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
• 
  TV 10 Shows to Watch This Summer
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter