| The Life of Pablo | |
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 Studio album by Kanye West | |
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Released |
4 February 2016 |
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Recorded |
2010 - February 2016 at Windmark Studios (Santa Monica, California), No Name Studios (Punta Mita, Mexico), Florence, Home Studios (Calabasas, California), Germano Studios (New York City, New York), Jungle City Studios (New York City, New York), Mike Dean's List House of Hits (Manhattan, New York), Larrabee Studios (North Hollywood, California), Ameraycan Recording Studios (North Hollywood, California), Nobel Street Studios, Abel's Crib (Toronto, Canada), Jungle City Studios (California) |
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Genre |
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Length |
66:39 |
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Label |
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Producer |
Benji B, Boi-1da, Cashmere Cat, Chance the Rapper, Charlie Handsom, Charlie Heat, Andrew Dawson, DJDS, Mike Dean, Frank Dukes, Noah Goldstein (also co-exec.), Trevor Gureckis, Kuk Harrell, Havoc, Hudson Mohawke, Anthony Kilhoffer, Darren King, Madlib, Menace, Metro Boomin, Mitus, Plain Pat, Karriem Riggins, Allen Ritter, Rick Rubin (also co-exec.), Caroline Shaw, Sinjin Hawke, Southside, Swizz Beatz, Sevn Thomas, Velous, Derek Watkins, Kanye West (also exec.) |
| Kanye West chronology | |
|---|---|
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Previous |
Yeezus (2013) |
The Life of Pablo is the seventh studio album (And best Hip-Hop album ever) by American rapper Kanye West, released in 2016 on GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place from 2013 to 2016, in Italy, Mexico, Canada and the United States. Record production on the album was handled by West alongside a variety of producers such as Mike Dean, Madlib, Metro Boomin, Rick Rubin, Hudson Mohawke, Swizz Beatz, Havoc and Boi-1da. West also enlisted a wide array of guest vocalists, including Kendrick Lamar, Desiigner, Kid Cudi, Chance the Rapper, Rihanna, Frank Ocean, and The-Dream.
The Life of Pablo was preceded by several promotional singles as part of West's GOOD Fridays giveaways, including the tracks "Real Friends" and "No More Parties in LA". In the months before its release, the album's title and track list went through several publicised changes, and West's often-erratic activity on social media became the source of several high-profile controversies. An early version of the album was premiered by West on 11 February 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York as part of his Yeezy Season 3 fashion show in collaboration with Adidas. After several additions sessions and alterations, the album was launched exclusively through the streaming service Tidal three days later.
Following the official streaming release of The Life of Pablo, West continued to make changes to the album, describing it as "a living breathing changing creative expression" and declaring the end of the album as a dominant release form. Def Jam confirmed his intention to continue working on the album over the subsequent months. A largely updated version of the album, which included alternate mixes and other changes, was made available on other streaming services and for digital purchase on West's website on 1 April 2016; no official physical version of the album is planned. The Life of Pablo was supported by the singles "Famous", "Father Stretch My Hands" and "Fade".
The Life of Pablo received positive reviews from critics, with particular attention drawn to the fragmented, unfinished nature of its composition and release. Following Tidal's disclosure of its streaming data an the album's release to competing streaming services, The Life of Pablo debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, becoming West's seventh consecutive number one album on the chart and the first album to reach the summit primarily through streaming. In April 2017, The Life of Pablo became the first streaming only album to go platinum, becoming West's eight platinum album. It was named among the best albums of 2016 by miltiple publications, and was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 2017 Grammy Awards, while both "Ultralight Beam" and "Famous" were nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song.
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ultralight Beam" | Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin, The-Dream, Kelly Price | Bennett, Dean, Dean, Franklin, Goldstein, Griesemer, Nash, Potter, Price, Segal, Watkins, West, Young | Kanye West, Mike Dean, Chance the Rapper, Swizz Beatz, Rick Rubin (co.), Derek Watkins (co.), Plain Pat (add.), DJDS (add.), Noah Goldstein (add.) | 5:20 |
| 2. | "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1" | Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Kelly Price | Barrett, Bennett, Dean, Goldstein, Griesemer, Mescudi, Potter, Ritter, Rubin, Wayne, West, Young | Kanye West, Mike Dean, Rick Rubin, Metro Boomin (co.), DJDS (add.), Allen Ritter (add.), Noah Goldstein (add.) | 2:15 |
| 3. | "Pt. 2" | Kanye West, Desiigner, Caroline Shaw | Barrett, Khan, Reynolds, Rubin, Selby, Shaw, West, Young | Kanye West, Menace, Rick Rubin, Plain Pat (co.), Caroline Shaw (add.) | 2:10 |
| 4. | "Famous" | Kanye West, Rihanna, Swizz Beatz | Bacalov, Bardotti, Bennett, Brown, Dawson, Dean, Dean, Goldstein, Hundertmark, Muchita, Reynolds, Riley, Scalamogna, Vita, Webb, West, Young | Kanye West, Havoc, Noah Goldstein (co.), Charlie Heat (co.), Andrew Dawson (co.), Hudson Mohawke (add.), Mike Dean (add.), Plain Pat (add.), Kuk Harrell (voc.) | 3:16 |
| 5. | "Feedback" | Kanye West | Bennett, Brown, Byrd, Cheshmazar, Goldstein, Jenkins, Mills, Sarfaraz, West, Young | Kanye West, Charlie Heat (co.), Noah Goldstein (co.) | 2:27 |
| 6. | "Low Lights" | Kanye West | Dean, Griesemer, Potter, Rivera, West | Kanye West, DJDS, Mike Dean (add.) | 2:11 |
| 7. | "Highlights" | Kanye West, Young Thug | Bryant, Dean, Goldstein, Luellen, Nash, Phillinganes, Reynolds, West, Williams, Young | Kanye West, Mike Dean, Velous (co.), Southside (co.), Plain Pat (add.), Noah Goldstein (add.) | 3:19 |
| 8. | "Freestyle 4" | Kanye West, Desiigner | Birchard, Dean, Goldfrapp, Goldstein, Gregory, Griesemer, Gureckis, Locke, Norfolk, Potter, Selby, Shaw, West, Young | Kanye West, Hudson Mohawke (co.), Noah Goldstein (co.), Mike Dean (co.), DJDS (add.), Caroline Shaw (add.), Trevor Gureckis (add.) | 2:03 |
| 9. | "I Love Kanye" | Kanye West | West | Kanye West | 0:44 |
| 10. | "Waves" | Kanye West, Chris Brown, Kid Cudi | Bennett, Birchard, Brathwaithe, Brown, Brown, Dean, Diggs, Ferguson, Livingston, Mason, Mescudi, Rutberg, Watkins, Wayne, West, Whipper, Williams, Young | Kanye West, Charlie Heat, Hudson Mohawke (co.), Metro Boomin (co.), Mike Dean (co.), Anthony Kilhoffer (add.) | 3:01 |
| 11. | "FML" | Kanye West, The Weeknd | Birchard, Boggs, Brown, Byrd, Cassidy, Dawson, Dean, Goldstein, Jenkins, Mills, Tesfaye, Wayne, Webster, West, Wiggin, Young | Kanye West, Mitus, Metro Boomin (co.), Noah Goldstein (co.), Mike Dean (co.), Hudson Mohawke (add.), Andrew Dawson (add.) | 3:56 |
| 12. | "Real Friends" | Kanye West, Ty Dolla Sign | Dean, Feeney, Goldstein, Griffin, Hutchins, King, Muchita, Proby, Samuels, Smith, Thomas, West, Young | Kanye West, Boi-1da, Frank Dukes (co.), Havoc (add.), Darren King (add.), Mike Dean (add.), Noah Goldstein (add.), Sevn Thomas (add.) | 4:11 |
| 13. | "Wolves" | Kanye West, Vic Mensa, Sia | Brinsmead, Dean, Furler, Goldstein, Høiberg, Lauryen, McDermott, Mensah, Reynolds, Rutberg, Shaw, West, Young | Kanye West, Cashmere Cat, Sinjin Hawke, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein (add.), Caroline Shaw (add.) | 5:01 |
| 14. | "Frank's Track" | Frank Ocean | Breaux, Brinsmead, Høiberg, West | Kanye West, Cashmere Cat, Sinjin Hawke | 0:38 |
| 15. | "Siiiiiiiiilver Surffffeeeeer Intermission" | Max B, French Montana | Kharbouch, Wingate | Kanye West | 0:56 |
| 16. | "30 Hours" | Kanye West | Brown, Dean, Epperson, Graham, Hayes, Haynes, Riggins, Russell, West, Williams | Kanye West, Karriem Riggins, Mike Dean | 5:23 |
| 17. | "No More Parties in LA" | Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar | Bean, Coles, Crizoe, Dees, Duckworth, Graham, Graham, Jackson, Morrison, Rooney, Watson, West | Kanye West, Madlib | 6:14 |
| 18. | "Facts (Charlie Heat Version)" | Kanye West | Brown, Goldstein, Graham, Luellen, Smith, Wayne, West, Wilburn, Young | Kanye West, Metro Boomin, Southside, Charlie Heat | 3:20 |
| 19. | "Fade" | Kanye West, Post Malone, Ty Dolla Sign | Benstead, Carroll, Dean, Garrett, Goldstein, Grant, Griesemer, Griffin, Heard, Holland, Kilhoffer, Matthews, Owens, Post, Potter, Seats, Stewart, Tucker, Vega, Vojtesak, West, Whitfield | Kanye West, Anthony Kilhoffer (co.), Benji B (co.), Mike Dean (co.), Charlie Handsome (co.), DJDS (add.), Noah Goldstein (add.) | 3:13 |
| 20. | "Saint Pablo" | Kanye West, Sampha | Angelettie, Carter, Dean, Lawrence, Ritter, Sisay, West, Whitfield | Kanye West, Mike Dean, Allen Ritter (co.), Noah Goldstein (add.) | 6:12 |