Feeling thirsty? Then drink some water. Wanna hear a great song that transitions Jesus is King from its combative, alienated first half into its embracing, communal second half? Then listen to Water. Look, we're not saying Water is better than water—but give Chris and Travis a chance to make their case. In this episode, they discuss Kanye's cleansing imagery, how the song serves as a baptism of the album's contentious energy up to that point, and what may in fact be Kanye's most mind-boggling (a...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 8
No need to go outside during these strange, quarantined times—everything we need is right in front of us! Today, Chris and Travis see Kanye grappling with that universal truth as they discuss Everything We Need. They cycle through different ways to interpret Kanye's verses, the song's sonic parallel with I Thought About Killing You, and how Everything We Need sets up the second half of Jesus is King. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Oh! Chris and Travis are feeling those old school College Dropout vibes today!! That's right: they are talking about God Is, the eighth track from Kanye West's Jesus is King. What seems like a straightforward gospel song is actually layered with meaning and biblical subtext that builds on the themes and ideas heavily featured in the album's first seven songs. They discuss 1 Corinthians, Psalm 150, and that pesky white knight from the Book of Revelation that keeps popping up. If you'd like to hea...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Who's hungry? Because we're heading to Chick-fil-A and we're blasting Closed on Sunday all the way there. That's right, Chris and Travis dissect Kanye's most quotable song from Jesus is King—and they once again go down a biblical rabbit hole as they piece all of its different parts together. From the gospel of Matthew to the prophecy from Isaiah, from Kim the mother to Jezabel the pagan, from Moses holding up his hands to Jesus writing in the sand...get ready for some intense intercontextuality....
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Oh look! A nice, easy, short song. This shouldn't take too long— JUST KIDDING. You knew the Watching the Throne boys would go extra on a short intro track. For their lyrical analysis of Every Hour, Chris and Travis break down what the song sets up for Jesus is King. They also take a deep dive into the song's Bible references and how they reveal Kanye's deeper intentions with the album. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KanyePodcast L...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 2
At the end of The Holy Mountain—one of Kanye West's favorite movies—the Alchemist says, "We shall break the illusion. This is Maya! Goodbye to the Holy Mountain. Real life awaits us." And now here, on the final song of ye, we find Kanye on the same journey. The colors are dripping off the dark fantasy set up on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and reality is settling in—and Kanye has discovered what that means for him as a father. On this season's penultimate episode, Chris, Travis, and Jordan ...
Feb 01, 2021•2 hr 46 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Here we are at the end again! Another album from Kanye West complete—every line, every bar, every note dissected to the very core. Today Chris and Travis wrap up their analysis of Jesus is King with the album's final track, "Jesus is Lord." They discuss a few key Bible verses, overview the entire album's religious journey, and fit Jesus is King into Kanye's discography narrative. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KanyePodcast Learn m...
Feb 01, 2021•54 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Chris and Travis have been super busy lately...but there's always time for Kanye West! And for this episode they found a few moments away from their chaotic existences to discuss the next song on Jesus is King: On God. They discuss the Book of Job, Busta Rhymes, King Nebuchadnezzar, A Tribe Called Quest, the Grammys, and—believe it or not this is the most important part—taxation in the Bible. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KanyePo...
Feb 01, 2021•2 hr 46 min•Season 3Ep. 6
No your eyes don't deceive you—they're back! After an extended break, Chris and Travis have finally returned to dissecting Kanye West's latest masterpiece, Jesus is King. And they're taking on what is undoubtedly the most popular song on the record: Follow God. What seems like a simple 2-minute rap song is actually stuffed to the brim with biblical references, mind-bending interpolations, and narrative flare. Join them as they explore Kanye's very non-Christ-like behavior. If you'd like to hear ...
Feb 01, 2021•2 hr 37 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Hallelujah! Let's talk about Selah! Hallelujah! Today, Chris and Travis discuss Ephesians, Timothy, John, and Revelations as they break down the second track on Kanye West's latest album. On this episode, they show how the first verse sets up the album narrative, analyze the holy interpolation of a chorus, and review the section of Revelations Kanye might be referencing. They also take a look at verse two, where Kanye sets up the spiritual warfare that makes up the first half of Jesus is King. I...
Feb 01, 2021•2 hr 42 min•Season 3Ep. 3
The new season is finally here! Chris and Travis are ready to start their song-by-song analysis of Kanye West's latest album, Jesus is King. Each week, they'll go line by line through each track and pick apart the album-long narrative Kanye is exploring. To kick things off, Chris and Travis take a macro look at the album and explore their initial theories of the album's structure and how it might fight into Kanye's discography. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patr...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Throughout KIDS SEE GHOSTS, we've seen Kid Cudi and Kanye West slowly overcome their demons—and it all culminates with Cudi Montage. As Chris and Travis recap the entirety of the album, they show how the Kids fell victim to the ghosts, learned to control their environment, and finally let God back into their lives to better themselves for the future. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KanyePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 16
On No Church in the Wild, Frank Ocean wondered, "What's a god to a non-believer?" Well, what's a god to a spirit? What's a god to the ghosts that populate KIDS SEE GHOSTS? Well, on the album's title track, we see Kanye and Kid Cudi finally overcoming their ghosts and accepting God into their lives in a way that the ghosts cannot. By doing that, as Yasiin Bey notes on the track, they build their own civilization. It's the final step before the journey wraps up on Cudi Montage. If you'd like to he...
Feb 01, 2021•2 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 14
On POWER, Kanye had treasures in his mind but couldn't open up his own vault. But on Ghost Town, Ye's childlike creativity, purity, and honesty is set free, allowing him to feel like a kid again. The masterful journey this song takes to achieve the catharsis of 070 Shake's outro cannot possibly be conveyed...yet here Chris and Travis are, trying to do one of Kanye West's greatest songs justice. They cover it all, from Shirley Ann Lee's gospel music to Kid Cudi's interpolation of Vanilla Fudge to...
Feb 01, 2021•2 hr 43 min•Season 1Ep. 13
There's a key moment in Reborn where Kid Cudi is sitting in a storm, wondering which way to go. And his (and Kanye's) will to move out of that storm represents a true turning point for this crazy, ghoulish journey the Kids have taken us on. Chris and Travis break down everything that has allowed Ye and Cudi to be at peace with themselves and become ready for whatever the next step may be. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KanyePodcas...
Feb 01, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Make no mistake, Kanye, we still love you! ...even though you make our brains hurt. Because even a seemingly simple song like No Mistakes is chock-full of meaning and sonic depth. Chris and Travis try their best to navigate those waters, covering everything from the Slick Rick and Edwin Hawkins Singers samples to the Drake Treaty to how it perfectly leads into what's explored Ghost Town. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KanyePodcast...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 11
What do Marcus Garvey, Black Star, Ty Dolla $ign, and Anthony Hamilton all have in common? They're all part of the formula on Freeee, the sequel to Ghost Town on ye and the song where Kanye and Cudi break free from the ghosts on KIDS SEE GHOSTS. Chris and Travis are here to cover how all of those combined elements represent a turning point for the kids. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KanyePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. ...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In Runaway, Kanye told her to run away—in Wouldn't Leave, he realizes she wants to stay. While The Life of Pablo encapsulates Kanye West's commitment to marriage and domesticity, ye is a spiritual journey where Kanye comes to peace with himself, and part of that includes the recognition that other people in his life—mainly his wife, Kim Kardashian—love him as much as he loves himself. Chris, Travis, Jordan break it all down, from the impact of the TMZ incident on Kanye's marriage to the song's c...
Feb 01, 2021•2 hr 40 min•Season 1Ep. 9
It's Christmas...in July! That's right, Santa's coming down the chimney—but is that a good thing? Have Kanye and Cudi been naughty or nice? Chris and Travis have the answer, which is mixed within what may be the most layered song on KIDS SEE GHOSTS, and perhaps the most complex song of Kanye's career. From thematically relevant samples to repurposed drum beats to laughing jesters, 4th Dimension is not a song that can be understood in the 2 minutes and 23 seconds it takes to listen to it. So stra...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Rub on the lamp, get the genie out the bottle...and what do you get? One chaotic, disillusioned life. On All Mine, the third track from ye, we find Kanye nearing a crossroads when he'll need to move away from infidelity and erratic behavior and commit to the one and only Kim Kardashian. Chris, Travis, and Jordan break down the slow unraveling of Kanye's Yeezusian behavior before he sees the light in Wouldn't Leave. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Throughout KIDS SEE GHOSTS, Cudi and Ye are up and down, welcoming and angry, hopeful and bitter—it's a beautiful madness. And on the album's second track, Fire, we see that those two are giving into their ghosts and dipping into Yeezus-like behavior. It's a similar journey Kanye experiences on ye, so Chris and Travis are going line by line through Fire to show how the spiritual journey of Kanye's last album lines up with the internal battle through which he and Cudi struggle on this track. If y...
Feb 01, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Kanye claims that being bi-polar is a superpower...in a song called Yikes? Yeah, sure. In the ye narrative where Kanye attempts to finally overcome his Yeezus persona, it seems all too fitting that he would put up this front—and the WTT crew is going to tear it apart. Chris, Travis, and Jordan go line by line through Yikes, noting the back-and-forth between the bombastic and mindful versions of Kanye and how it captures his chaotic headspace. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support ...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 5
As Chris and Travis continue their lyrical analysis from ye to KIDS SEE GHOSTS, they find themselves in much darker, scarier territory...which is why they'll be holding hands this entire season. For the Feel the Love dissection, the WTT gang gets into all kinds of murky territory where Kanye West and Kid Cudi are forced to confront their ghosts and resist the unhealthy urges that would form new ghosts in the future. Hopefully Cudi and Ye are holding hands too… If you'd like to hear the show ad-f...
Feb 01, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Today, our trek through ye—which could be Kanye West's most challenging album yet—begins. To help, Jordan teams up with Chris and Travis as they all try to decipher who the "you" in I Thought About Killing You is. They get into all kinds of topics, including how the song is largely a response to Kill Jay Z, how Kanye sonically explores his bipolar disorder, and how the song foreshadows a grand narrative and thematic journey that builds from Daytona to ye to Kids See Ghosts. If you'd like to hear...
Feb 01, 2021•2 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 3
You know how Kanye set release dates for Pusha's album, for his solo album, for KIDS SEE GHOSTS, for Nas' album, and for Teyana's debut? Well, we said we'd put out a Kids See Ghosts episode on the day it released, and dammit, we're following through. After a marathon texting session this morning as we listened through the album on repeat, and after a lengthy discussion as we went track by track, Chris and Travis are ready to give an overview of the storyline occurring on KIDS SEE GHOSTS—an album...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 2
It's only been three days, but Chris, Travis, and Jordan have been talking NON-STOP about Kanye West's new album, ye, since its release and feel ready to provide a general overview of the album's narrative and thematic journey before heading into the individual song analyses over the next seven weeks. In this episode, we discuss how the album provides insight into Kanye's recent behavior, how it plays into the narrative building on his discography, and what new directions it points for his forth...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 1
It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas...the Best Kanye West Song Tournament Death Match Extreme!!! In this 2021 version of the tournament, Chris and Travis sit down with their favorite recurring guest Jordan Johnson and vote on which Kanye song is the best. Will blood be shed? Yes. Is this episode way too long? Of course. Will you be infuriated? Undoubtedly. But will you be entertained? We think so. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 25, 2021•3 hr 45 min
We've reached the end of The College Dropout...and the end of an era on Watching the Throne. Chris and Travis have big plans for season 10 of the show, but for now, they're going to focus on what may be Kanye West's magnum opus: a 13-minute track that details how Kanye used arrogance as the steam to power his dreams. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KanyePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 21, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Season 2Ep. 15
All that glitters is not gold...but all that shines IS Kanye! OK, sorry, that was terrible, and doesn't do justice to Family Business. We'll make up for it by analyzing this fan-favorite track, which brings the story on The College Dropout to a poetic close. If you'd like to hear the show ad-free, then support us over on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/KanyePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Every superhero has their origin story. Often they are called upon for a greater mission, but must find the power to fight from within. And here on Through the Wire, Kanye finds himself in that exact situation as he looks to turn tragedy to triumph after a terrible car accident. Chris and Travis break down how Kanye does this with his energy and production, from his legendary Chaka Khan sample to his avant-garde storytelling techniques to his subtle nod to Gil Scott-Heron. If you'd like to hear ...
Dec 16, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 13
