Kanye West isn’t living the ideas he’s rapping on ‘New Slaves’

Last Friday night, Kanye West took performance art to a global level, with the video for “New
Slaves” premiering on a total of 66 buildings from London to Sydney to Paris to Berlin to
New York to Chicago.
According to Vibe, the “Wizard of Oz-like projections” were scheduled to show up on the
side of Wrigley Field, at the Field of Museum of Natural History and at 505 N. Michigan,
among other locales.
One YouTube video by Gowhere Hip Hop shows the video playing on the Crown Fountain
wall at Millennium Park, while fans chat in the background. Another YouTube video, which
already had more than 16,000 views as of Sunday afternoon, captures the projection at
Wrigley Field, with Kanye’s image barely visible against a giant banner showcasing Cubs
players such as Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Matt Garza.
Thirty years past the days when MTV would make a huge deal out of “World Premiere
Videos,” this worldwide wall-projection approach was a clever way of generating street talk
and viral buzz. I’m just wondering if the Ricketts family knew about this or saw the lyrics
for “New Slaves” before someone signed off on the outside surface of Wrigley Field serving
as a theater screen for Chicago’s own Kanye West rapping lyrics such as:
F--- you and your corporation, y’all niggas can’t control me ...
Meanwhile, the DEA teamed up with the CCA
They tryna lock niggas up, they tryna make new slaves
See that’s that private-owned prison, get your piece today
They prolly all in the Hamptons, braggin’ about they maid …
It’s not exactly, “Go Cubs Go,” you know what I’m saying?
Super-wealthy underdogs
West also performed “New Slaves” on “Saturday Night Live,” in a riveting, intense
performance in which he stood still in front of a series of Warhol-esque images advertising
sales and bargain deals. It must take a lot of energy to keep that angry-pout look going all
the time.
In “New Slaves,” West continues to complain about his fate as a gifted, influential, world-
famous, fabulously wealthy artist with an adoring fan base. And so he says, “F--- you and
your Hampton house,” and goes on to describe in pornographic detail what he’s going to do
to your Hampton spouse. There’s also the obligatory reference to the paparazzi: “So go and
grab the reporters, so I can smash their recorders.”
West does make a salient point about “broke nigga racism, that’s that ‘don’t touch anything
in the store,’ ” as opposed to, “rich nigga racism, that’s that ‘come in and buy more.’ ”
Only a section of the undeniably catchy chorus of “New Slaves” can be referenced here.
Suffice to say Kanye’s telling us there are leaders and followers, and he’d rather be the
former.
Not that Kanye is the first wildly successful pop artist to continue playing the part of the
underdog. Many of the leading protest bands of the 1960s and 1970s were raking in the
dough while singing about revolution. Bruce Springsteen was still writing songs from the
viewpoint of a blue-collar, working-class underdog while living in mansions larger than the
first clubs he played. You don’t have to turn in your poetic license once you hit it big.
But if you take “New Slaves” literally, it’s hard not to call B.S. on Kanye and his “problems”
and complaints.
Sure, the paparazzi are leeches — but come on, buddy, you’re with Kim Kardashian, whose
family practically sends out holiday cards to the jackals and hacks that “hound” them every
moment. She’s in love with the paparazzi. So stop bitching.
And who embraces the nouveau riche lifestyle more than West and his insanely superficial
girlfriend? West reportedly purchased a $91,000 Hermes T-shirt, no joke. (Well.)
Just a couple of months ago, Kardashian posted an Instagram pic of her wrist adorned with
multiple gold bracelets worth more than $65,000 — a little gift from the boyfriend. Of course,
that’s nothing compared to the $750,000 Lamborghini Kim bought for Kanye, or even the
$200,000 Bentley Kanye bought for Kim’s mom.
Not to mention the $11 million house in Bel-Air recently purchased by Kim and Kanye. And
the multi-million-dollar properties they’re reportedly scouting in Miami, Paris and London.
Hey, it’s their money and they can do what they want with it.
But nobody embraces capitalism, consumerism and crass commercialism more than Kim and
Kanye.
Makes it sound just a little hollow when Angry Kanye stands on that “SNL” stage and rails,
“F--- you and your corporation.”