Kanye West Book on ‘Cultural Impact’ to Be Published in 2014
Kanye West is certainly one of the most polarizing figures in hip-hop. Some have tried to analyze what’s going on inside his head, but just like Sway, they don’t seem to have the answers. Well, one author is editing a book to help explain the method to Yeezy’s madness.
A new tome compiled and edited by writer-educator Julius Bailey titled ‘The Cultural Impact of Kanye West‘ is being published in early 2014.
This is not an unauthorized biography, but rather an academic text book offering scholarly writings on all-things Kanye West.
According to Consequence of Sound, the book is a 300-plus page examination of the mercurial rapper-producer. The book’s synopsis, in part, reads:
“This book offers an in-depth reading of the works and cultural impact of Kanye West. Looking at the moral and social implications of West’s words, images, and music in the broader context of Western civilization’s preconceived ideas, the contributors consider how West both challenges religious and moral norms and propagates them.”
Bailey is not a new jack at writing academic books on hip-hop. He also edited a collection of essays on Jay-Z and is considered an authority for scholary hip-hop.
For the Kanye West book, he plans to go deeper into his music and how it culturally impacts society. So if you’re looking for gossip or why Yeezy decided to make Kim Kardashian his girl, this book may not be for you.
Guest author Mark Anthony Neal is among the writers contributing to the book. His chapter, “Now I Ain’t Saying He’s a ‘Crate Digger': Kanye West and the Soul Archive,” will most likely explore West’s usage in sampling classic soul songs.
Among the other chapters in the book include: “When Apollo and Dionysus Clash: A Nietzschean perspective on the work of Kanye West” and “The God of the New Slaves or Slave to a Religion and a God?”
So yeah, this is going to be some heady material.
‘The Cultural Impact of Kanye West’ will arrive in stores March 6. You can pre-order it at Amazon for $80. Yes, the book is pricey, but it’s an academic textbook after all.