Kanye West Samples King Crimson on Raging New Track "Power"

Kanye West has served up the surprise party jam for Memorial Day weekend as the rapper returned this morning with the explosive new track "Power." The song, reportedly the first single from his highly-anticipated fifth album Good Ass Job, reunites Kanye with Dwele, the soul singer who provided the hook to West's "Flashing Lights." Nah Right reports that Symbolyc One produced the cut, which carves an unexpected sample out of King Crimson's prog-rock classic "21st Century Schizoid Man." After taking a slight detour to drum machines and melancholy synths on 2008's 808s and Heartbreak, Kanye's latest finds the rapper returning to the sped-up samples and militaristic beats that helped his first three albums go platinum.

West has chosen to step out of the spotlight the past nine months after his infamous interruption of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Music Awards, with West pledging to get his act together and focus on creating music instead of making headlines for his behavior. The Swift incident was mocked by Saturday Night Live and on "Power" West responds to the skit with vitriol. "Fuck SNL and the whole cast," he spits. "Tell ‘em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass."

The release of "Power" comes days after reports that West debuted four Good Ass Job tracks at a New York City nightclub. While Kanye UniverseCity or Kanye West's new blog don't make mention of the song, the Kanye Live fan site reports that the track will hit iTunes on June 8th, which is also Kanye's birthday. That same day in Chicago, West is reportedly set to debut the track live during the Loop Dreams benefit concert. Good Ass Job is expected out this fall.

• 
  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

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter