Watching The Throne: A Lyrical Analysis Of Kanye West

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. If you would like to support the show, visit our Patreon page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. If you would like to support the show, visit our Patreon page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. If you would like to support the show, visit our Patreon page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices