Reel Scene

Kanye West X Spike Jonze - Fairytale Turns Nightmare in Short Film

Recently a video was posted on Kanye West's blog (kanyeuniversecity.com) which is written and directed by Spike Jonze, whose film "Where the Wild Things Are" is in theaters now. The short film, which is about ten minutes in length, depicts Kanye as himself, in a drunken state at a club. Judging by the film's artistic look, especially its use of light and dark as well as colors, it would be safe to assume that Mr. West had a great deal of influence on the project's vision and production. Anyone who truly knows Kanye and has followed his career understands that his fascination with art, fashion and any other forum for visual expression shines through in his work. His "Glow in the Dark" tour and almost every photo shoot he has done for magazines over the years are proof of this fact.
The film entitled "We Were Once a Fairytale" has drawn a lot of controversy and speculation as to its true intended message. Some opinions I have heard include that there is a fairytale living in all of us as we grow up, but once we reach adulthood all of these wonders are drowned by real world responsibilities and temptations. Also, because some of today's biggest artists are rumored to be associated and controlled by secretive groups such as "Illuminati" and "The Free Masons", I even heard comments that the film was a commentary on giving up your soul in order to make it in the music industry. Personally, I don't believe in these far off and incredibly sketchy theories. My intepretation of this film is that it's an exhibition of Kanye's inner revelations as a person and an artist at this present stage in his life. He is notorious for his ego and has spoken out of line on several occassions putting him in a negative spotlight in the media. His "George Bush hates black people" outburst during a televised Katrina fundraiser is a strong example of this behavior."
The film follows Kanye as he acts out different flaws in his character, i.e. alcoholism, arrogance and lust being the most obviously displayed. Part of what the viewer can take away from watching Kanye's antics in the film is that for all his wealth and accolades he seems to be alone in his world and seeking the love of others. This loneliness may stem from the loss of both his mother and break-up with his fiance which both took place over a year ago. These are clearly the catalysts for his latest album "808's & Heartbreak." His desire for acknowledgement and praise is seen when he's shouting "Do you guys like this song?...This is My Song. I wrote all the chords," as if today's generation wouldn't know a Kanye track in the club when they heard one.
I wouldn't describe the film as an amazing work but it is definitely intriguing and can be greatly appreciated from an artistic point of view. Although the material used to represent West's vomit and guts in the dramatic final scene may look cheesy and fake to some, it's very appealing to the eye and we should assume that it was intended to be that way instead of presenting gore and blood. The creature which he discovers can be seen as a symbol of the superstar's demons, and yet appears to be harmless and even likeable. In my eyes this creature is the embodiment of the Louis Vuitton Don's vices, the things that he must do away with in order to live life along a righteous path.
Even though you can tell by Kanye's appearance that this project was filmed quite some time before the recent MTV awards where he stormed on stage and ruined Taylor Swift's moment, the message coincides with the rapper's sentiments after the incident took place. He realized that he needed time out of the public eye in order to re-evaluate himself and figure out how he could be a better person and behave in the spotlight. Both his statements after the MTV incident and this film's message tell us that he is remorseful for things that have happened during his career and it's possible that he has now grown to the point where he realizes the error of his ways. This could be the beginning of a rebirth for the truly talented Mr. West. We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime enjoy the film which is posted below, and share your thoughts on it.

"We Were Once a Fairytale" Directed by Spike Jonze and starring Kanye West:

Music Notes

Fader’s September Issue Gets Successful With Drake

The audience transcending Fader magazine recently dropped its September issue featuring none other than the man in today's rap spotlight "Drizzy Drake". In the cover story writer Edwin "Stats" Houghton breaks down Mr. Graham's career from the moment Lil Wayne spit Drake quotables at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. That one verse which Weezy borrowed from his Memphis born protege, ushered in a new name into the ears of the masses.

The Bi-racial MC's bio, as described in the article, vastly differs from that of his Cash Money mentor. With a drummer for a father and uncles that have co-written for the likes of Al Green, there's no doubt as to where his musical roots come from. "Stats" points out that unlike Wayne, Drizzy's emotions often come in the form of some captivating crooning. At 22, the Young Money frontman has gone from Degrassi fame to being compared to Wayne, Kanye and Jay-Z, showing different elements of each in his own art. He even boasts a bit of Slim Shady in the fact that he's quick to point out his flaws on wax before anyone else.

Coming from a very ethnically diverse city with minimal poverty such as Toronto, some may question what struggles does the young artist bring to the table. By Drake's demeanor during the course of the Fader piece it can be seen that he doesn't try to hide who he is, be it upbringing, family, or personality. The fact is all the bits and pieces that make the man and his music have only brought him more attention. He's relateable to many rap fans out there. This is a big part of why he has the largest buzz HipHop's seen since 50. A bidding war and $1 million plus contract to Aspire (with distribution via Universal Republic) is proof enough. (Note: Drake reps Young Money out of the love and gratitude he has for his mentor, but has no contractual obligation to the label).

The multi-talented entertainer and his October's Very Own entourage have worked tirelessly to get to this point. Drake already seems to have his game plan in mind, stating that he wants to establish something Kanye, Pharrell and other producers can envision instead of relying on them for creative direction. The rapper has the ethic of doing things his own way and setting himself apart from the pack of the genre's new comer's. With a drive like that he's bound to go from "So Far Gone" to so far ahead of the competition.

Middz Note: "Stats" interview with Drake takes place over the course of the July 4th weekend. The article states that Drake's debut album is slated to be available at the end of the year, with appearances to include Rihanna and Pharrell among others. However it's no surprise that just like every other album you can't wait for it's been pushed back. The new target drop date is set for feb. 2010. For now Drake has released his "So Far Gone" EP, a collection of 6 tracks from the mixtape of the same name, plus a new unreleased track called "Fear" produced by DJ Khalil. You can also hear him on the new Birdman single "Money to Blow" alongside Lil' Wayne.

Photo (Above): Props to Johnathan Mannion for some truly dope photos of Hip-Hop's next big phenomenon. On the style tip the featured artist don's a Hermes blanket for the piece's opening visual.