Blood on the Leaves: Kanye West as a Contemporary “Jazz” Composer

“Blood on the Leaves” by Kanye West – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9os5qNv_RI

Kanye “Yeezy” West’s polarizing album “Yeezus” is a defining moment in the history of hip-hop. Kanye’s confrontational lyrics coupled with brash production work perfectly captures a sense of urgency. The urgency to redefine music as well as critically examine the world around us. With political undertones combined with the playfulness of hip-hop, Kanye’s frustration is captured as he weaves his way through the album. One of the stand-out tracks of this album is “Blood on the Leaves,” which juxtaposes varying ideas of slavery and explores what it means to be “enslaved.”
Because the production of hip hop music is primarily created with the use of electronic musical instruments like Akai’s Music Production Controller (MPC), it is easier to “sample” music. Sampling music is based around the idea of taking certain sections of songs or sound recordings and reusing it to create a new song entirely. The sampling of primarily funk, soul, and jazz music in hip-hop is the direct result of the music lineage of African Americans in the twentieth century and therefore shares certain commonalities. The many overlaps between the genres in terms of style and lyrical content allows for these samples to coexist harmoniously in hip-hop tracks. Sampling is derived from the idea that referencing another artist will add to the potency of one’s music. By using a sample to evoke a message that resonates with the audience, Kanye is also linking the generational gap by showcasing the timeless nature of music. In the opening of “Blood on the Leaves,” Kanye West samples Nina Simone’s cover of “Strange Fruit.” This song was most notably covered by Billie Holiday and was written by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish school teacher from the Bronx. This