Acclaimed American rapper and record producer Kanye West, now known as Ye, has had a colourful timeline since dropping his Grammy-nominated album, Donda, in 2021. From losing endorsement deals due to anti-Semitic comments (to gain some back) to falling off the billionaire list, this has been a period blighted with controversy. Yet, with all that, he has continued to make music and recently had two of his songs certified diamond: ‘Stronger’ and ‘N*ggas in Paris’ alongside Jay-Z.
As all roads lead to his forthcoming album already rumoured to have been previewed at a private listening session in Italy, Ye has let loose the Travis Scott-assisted ‘Can U Be’, the sought-after single that has been an internet legend in the music space for years.
Sonically, ‘Can U Be‘ is yet another futuristic take on hip-hop with a tincture of club-friendly music. It’s not a sprawling hybrid wonderkid that ‘Stronger‘ was (and remains to this day as one of his best-selling songs), but it’s a reinvention of what the genre might look like years in the future. The song features a thumping bass overlapping with infectious electronic piano strings and distorted vocals that slip in and out of earshot depending on the intensity of the phase of the production. The elements work in tandem to engender an atmosphere of triumph and sprightly hope.
Lyrically, ‘Can U Be‘ sees Ye assume his usual braggadocious aura, waxing lyrical about themes of lavish living (“Just got off the flight from Budapest”), his trademark god complex (“Don’t need Khaled to say “you the best!”), and his unpredictable lifestyle (“Just found out my father-in-law unisex”), among other subject matters. His guest Travis has a mere two-line contribution on the bridge, a cameo so brief that it can hardly be called a feature.
‘Can U Be’ showcases Ye as still being at the peak of his creative command as a soundsmith, and his pen game, though still not as tight, still possesses the signature zing West has been known for post-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. With sights set on his next album, the song is a palatable appetiser strong enough to hold back the hunger for a new body of work.
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