Concerts
Rap and Hip Hop
Fan Footage Used to Recreate Kanye West Yeezus Tour
December 02, 2014
by Alyssa
Concert Videos
Back in the summer of 2013, Kanye West impressed rap music fans around the globe with Yeezus, his first solo project in nearly three years. The No. 1 album—West’s sixth straight chart-topper—went on to be named Best Album of 2013 by Spin and The A.V. Club and also earned high marks from Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR, and countless other critics.
The minimalist industrial rap album also spawned the controversial Yeezus Tour, which drew even more media attention than his album did, thanks to its outside-the-box stage design, elaborate masks, and, in typical Kanye fashion, mid-concert rants. In February, it was revealed that a full-length Yeezus Tour film to be directed by Hype Williams was in the works. (The award-winning videographer previously directed West’s videos for “Gold Digger” and “Heartless,” and more recently worked with Beyoncé and Jay Z on the “Drunk in Love” music video.)
While the full-length professional film hasn’t made it to theaters yet, one Kanye West superfan has combed through hours of footage to create his own Yeezus Tour movie that works its way through the show’s full set list. The fan film, available in full on YouTube, opens with footage of Yeezus Tour opener Kendrick Lamar, and then transitions into a montage of media coverage of the controversial rapper before spotlighting concert footage.
Personally, I’m a big Kanye West fan, and was able to catch his Yeezus Tour in Chicago last December. The homecoming performance was mesmerizing from start to finish, and whatever your opinions on West’s personality are, the live show - and the audience’s rave reviews- prove that this unapologetic artist knows how to command and entertain an arena in new, innovative ways.
For his two concerts at Chicago’s United Center, West also added a special song to the set list that wasn’t featured in the fan-made Yeezus Tour film. “Homecoming,” his homage to the Windy City from 2007’s Graduation, was one of the biggest highlights of the evening for hometown fans (second only to West’s mid-concert speech that “we should’ve never ever let Michael Jordan play for the Wizards”).
Fans are still waiting for the follow-up to Yeezus, which was initially rumored to drop in late 2014. So far, the release date is unconfirmed, but West’s protégé Theophilus London said the new album was previewed at a listening party at Paris Fashion Week in September. London, who released his sophomore album, Vibes, in November, also said that he’ll be featured on the lead single of Kanye West's new album.
