Bound 2 - Love According to West

Rap music doesn't lend itself well to being in love. Most of the the time rap music is about struggle. The lack of control that comes with being in love doesn't work well in rap music. It's very rarely attempted and even more rarely executed well in a way that doesn't scream "I just needed a song for the ladies". Kanye West's music exemplifies this difficulty because of his abrasive personality. Last week's "Bound 2" video shows the disconnect.

"I know I got a bad reputation
Walking 'round, always-mad reputation
Leave-a-pretty-girl-sad reputation
Start a Fight Club, Brad reputation"

There's nothing in Kanye West's repertoire that would lead you to believe that he'd even have a song about being in love. In "Never Let Me Down" from College Dropout he promises to marry the girl he's with but it sounds more like obligation than love. "Slow  Jamz" and quite a few others discuss a potential future hookup. "Addiction" seeks a threesome in the most awkward way possible. "Flashing Lights" and "Touch the Sky" discuss him cheating. The entirety of the 808's and Heartbreak album discuss him feeling bad about a previous relationship. Kanye West is never in the happy vulnerable part of a relationship in song. Yeezy doesn't have crushes. Yeezus crushes... in a Big Pun "i'm not a player I just crush a lot" sense.

Hey, you remember where we first met?
Okay, I don't remember where we first met
But hey, admitting is the first step
And hey, you know ain't nobody perfect

When the video for Bound 2 was first announced there was excitement for two main reasons. The first one was " OMG, Kim Kardashian topless in Kanye West video" which has an appeal that speaks for itself. The second was that the song Bound 2 was universally beloved when Yeezus was first released. It has the classic Kanye West soul samples that his fans are used to and have grown to love. It has great self deprecating humor. But also it was a necessary softer song. It's the only rest period that the album has to offer with the heavy drums on Black Skinhead, themes of Blood on the Leaves and nihlism of Send It Up.

The actual video left many disappointed. It's really corny. Nature shots, Horses running in slow motion, Kanye West on a motorcycle in front of a green screen. Kim Kardashian posing on her own. Kim and Kanye West on a bike together. Hugging  and embracing on the bike. Zoom-ins of Kanye and Kim. Lastly there's an Arizona license plate that reads "Bound 2."

And hey, ayo, we made it: Thanksgiving
So hey, maybe we can make it to Christmas
She asked me what I wished for on my wishlist
Have you ever asked your bitch for other bitches?
Maybe we could still make it to the church steps
But first, you gon' remember how to forget
After all these long-ass verses
I'm tired, you tired, Jesus wept

The video fits the song for all of the same reasons why the video is corny. The song itself isn't a straightforward love song. This isn't "I need love" by LL Cool J. It's love according to Kanye West. The song is as vulnerable as the current incarnation of Kanye West can be. It's very unsure. The "sweetest" part of the song (if any thing in the song could rightfully be considered that way) is when he's saying maybe we can make it to the next milestone, throughout the second verse and it seems to drain him just to get there. But let's be honest here. The act of being in love is a series of corny events. If that makes the video look like a generic 90's video, then that's okay.