Kanye West releases new surprise track which he calls “a prolific musical collaboration between these two legendary artists”.
With the recent arrest of Bobby Shmurda and emotional Azealia Banks interview that inflamed her rift with T.I. and his culture-appropriating protege Iggy, the hip-hop zeitgeist has been lacking in positivity of late. But as midnight struck on New Year’s Eve and we were hoping that 2015 would bring better vibes, Yeezus acknowledged our prayers by releasing “Only One,” a simple yet stirring ballad featuring the keyboard-playing talents of Paul McCartney.
The lyrics are written from the perspective of Kanye’s late mother, Donda, who died from cosmetic surgery complication in 2007. With its solemn, gospel hymn-like melody, the song conjures a mood that is reminiscent of 808s and Heartbreak.
Remember how I’d say one day
You’ll be the man you always knew you would be
And if you knew how proud I was
You’d never shed a tear
Have a fear
No you wouldn’t do that
When describing the inspiration behind the song, Kanye says, “My mom was singing to me, and through me to my daughter,” and also noted that the name “Kanye” means “Only One.”
Paul McCartney’s instrumental feature on the track is not a complete surprise; the two musicians were linked at least as far back as 2013, when McCartney was asked which were the last albums he bought, he stated, “The last albums I bought were by Kanye West, the National, the Civil Wars and Jay-Z.”
West’s “Only One” is just the first “publicly available recording from what has become a prolific musical collaboration between these two legendary artists,” says a representative for the rapper.
The song “Only One,” was born from “a simple brainstorming session between the two, with McCartney improvising on the keyboards and Kanye vocally sketching and shaping ideas in a stream-of-consciousness riff.” What the release says happened as a result seems otherworldly:
“Kanye sat there with his family, holding his daughter North on his lap, and listened to his vocals, singing, “Hello, my only one . . . ” And in that moment, not only could he not recall having sung those words, but he realized that perhaps the words had never really come from him.
The process of artistic creation is one that does not involve thinking, but often channeling. And he understood in that moment that his late mother, Dr. Donda West, who was also his mentor, confidante, and best friend, had spoken through him that day.”
Kim Kardashian hinted at the song in tweets yesterday before announcing its release on her social media accounts.
Syed Mikhail Hussain is fan of all things NYC and Hip Hop. Winner of the sperm race back in ’89. He does a weekly basketball podcast. Follow him on Instagram or Twitter at @swishthis.