Top 10 Realest Moments in Hip Hop

2013 was an undeniably real year for hip-hop. From the continued existence of Kanye West to the enduring excellence of Kanye West, this year was one of true dynamism in the rap game. As The Crimson’s resident expert on Western philosophy, I will guide you through the 10 truest moments in the genre.

10. “On Sight” - Kanye West

Especially when the surgically sharp synths of the verse and chorus fall away to an angelic chorus of children’s voices singing their willingness to accept the good news of Yeezus.

9. “Black Skinhead” - Kanye West

West’s aggression reaches new heights of intimacy as he gasps and pants over a hideously distorted bassline—a reminder that while he may be larger than life, he has never been more in your face.

8. “I Am A God” - Kanye West

It is in this moment that West establishes his divine mandate, as Christ himself casually calls out “What up, Yeezus?” to his friend and colleague.

7. “New Slaves” - Kanye West

If you ever encounter me in real life, remind me of this outro to see a grown man cry.

6. “Hold My Liquor” - Kanye West

The cracks in West’s flinty exterior begin to widen here, as he exposes some vulnerability and that same insecurity that made “808s and Heartbreak” such a heartbreakingly confessional affair.

5. “I’m In It” - Kanye West

Perhaps worried that divulgence is an unflattering color, West reassures us here that he is up to his usual tricks—namely, “eating Asian pussy, all I need was sweet and sour sauce.”

4. “Blood On The Leaves” - Kanye West

The otherworldly combination of West’s autotuned vocals, a grossly pitched-up sample of Nina Simone’s “Strange Fruit,” and a catastrophically heavy sample from TNGHT’s “R U Ready” creates a sonic experience so devastating in its originality that it seems unreal. So unreal that it is 2013’s fourth realest moment in hip-hop.

3. “Guilt Trip” - Kanye West

If there were nothing to Kanye West other than his bravado, then people would be right to criticize him. But that’s not true, and they are wrong. As Kid Cudi croons “If you loved me so much, then why’d you let me go?” it becomes clearer that West—and his work—deserve more than a chuckle and dismissal.

2. “Send It Up” - Kanye West

West’s strangely roundabout way of informing a girl that he will not get her friends into the club is one of the most compelling moments in hip-hop, if not all art.

1. “Bound 2” - Kanye West

This song is an expression of pure glee from that most famous of scowlers. This is a rare glimpse into the man that only a few people know, the one that pop culture has done its best to drive into hiding. This is West exalting in somebody else, a genuinely beautiful moment where his intensely creative self and inescapably emotional self coexist. This is West in love, this is West loved, and this is West’s love.

—Alexander Tang is the outgoing Film Executive and the incoming Kanye Executive. He is confident that your criticisms are wrong. He can be reached at alexander.tang@thecrimson.com.