Kanye West's Most Revolutionary Songs

December 11, 2013 - 7:43 pm by Clover Hope

By now everyone’s seen Kanye West’s epic interview on Power 105’s The Breakfast Club morning show. During the sit-down, the opinionated Charlamagne Tha God—known for his direct questioning—said he once viewed West as a revolutionary but that lately the icon has been using his voice to talk more about money and material things.

“Real revolutionaries didn’t need money to change the world,” said Charlamagne. “Malcolm X wasn’t rich. MLK wasn’t rich.” While Ye’s on a mission to fill the void of Steve Jobs and become a worldwide creative force (one who's “never won a Grammy against a white artist”), not everyone agrees with his latest methods.

Has the college drop-out really switched up his tune? As fans remain divided on how to view Yeezus, VIBE looks back at a few of the rap superstar's most revolutionary songs. —Darryl Robertson

Photo Credit: Getty Images

we dont care kanye west most revolutionary songs

“We Don’t Care” (2004)Nearly a decade ago, Jay Z, Young Jeezy and 50 Cent controlled radio with commercial tales of drug sales. It almost made one ashamed to work a simple 9-to-5. But then a novice Chi-Town MC was able to link college boy swag, dope boy mentality and minimum-wage hustle to bring us “We Don’t Care,” off his debut album, The College Dropout. West showed the struggle of working at Gap and told us we were all hustlers if we worked for our money. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed] Photo Credit: Getty Images

all falls down kanye west most revolutionary songs

“All Falls Down” (2004)Ego and braggadocio over a catchy beat almost guarantee radio spins. At the time, it was rare to hear a rapper addressing blue collar problems. A gangsta in a pink button-up, Ye showed the world that god-like figures, too, have insecurities by rapping about spending $400 on a throwback jersey to impress peers and dropping 25-thou on jewels before he purchased a house. We all self-conscious. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed] Photo Credit: Getty Images

jesus walks kanye west most revolutionary songs

“Jesus Walks” (2004)Mr. West was tired of songs filled with sex, lies and guns getting airplay. So he convinced radio stations that his single “Jesus Walks” was important to the culture. He told welfare recipients that Jesus was with them in the projects. He was on the corner with drug dealers and in the strip club with strippers. Gangstas across the world were singing a catchy hook about Jesus. And Kanye found a commercial platform for important issues that was missing from radio. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed] Photo Credit: Getty Images

spaceship kanye west most revolutionary songs

“Spaceship” (2004)Here, Kanye and fellow Chicagoans GLC and Consequence expressed their frustrations about minimum wage jobs: “If my manager insults me again, I’ma be assaulting him,” Ye rapped through gritted teeth. To supplement his small income from The Gap Kanye stole from the company. Listening to “Spaceship” made it easier for the common man to clock in at a job he/she hated. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed] Photo Credit: Getty Images

diamonds from sierra leone kanye west most revolutionary songs

“Diamonds from Sierra Leone” (2005)The United Nations exposed images of women, children and elderly being used as slaves to extract diamonds from the mud and gravel. These diamonds also financed a civil war in Sierra Leone. Once again, Kanye exposed himself by admitting the futileness of trying to impress his peers when he rapped, “I thought my Jesus piece was so harmless/That’s until I seen the picture of a shorty armless…” [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed] Photo Credit: Getty Images

crack music kanye west most revolutionary songs

“Crack Music” (2005)Kanye’s frustrations with crack sales, drug addiction and the obliteration of the Black Panther Party is let out in this song. “Crack Music” is a reminder to blacks that we have the talent and endurance to turn negative situations into positive. Hip-hop is the result of crack sales, drug addiction and other crime. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed] Photo Credit: Getty Images

who will survive in america kanye west most revolutionary songs

“Who Will Survive In America” (2010)Kanye borrows fellow Chicagoan and “godfather of rap” Gil Scott Heron. Over a Kanye beat the soulful poetic Heron berates America as “the illegitimate daughter of the mother country,” for attempting to hide scandals, “programming youngsters” to be fuck ups and having one believe that Paul Revere is a hero. This track encourages one to invest in history books and learn this country's hidden secrets. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed] Photo Credit: Getty Images

new slaves kanye west most revolutionary songs

“New Slaves” (2013)On this controversial Yeezus single, Ye finds himself ranting at corporations for treating rich blacks like slaves, claiming “racism is still alive” on every level. While some fans screamed hypocrite, the message of capital enslavement certainly got the people going. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed] Photo Credit: Getty Images

black skinheads kanye west most revolutionary songs

"Black Skinheads" (2013)Any slight allusion to the KKK stirs anger, so Kanye knew what we he was doing here. Over intensive drums, he rants about social perception: “They see a black man with a white woman/At the top floor they gone come to kill King Kong." Hate or love his message, Yeezy's got the power to move the people. [videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed] Photo Credit: Getty Images

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