The 50 Best Kanye West Songs Ever

11. Black Skinhead

Release Date: June 19, 2013

Album: Yeezus

Writer(s): Kanye West, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Thomas Bangalter, Cydel Young, Malik Jones, Elon Rutberg, Wasalu Jaco, Sakiya Sandifer, Mike Dead, Derrick Watkins

Producer(s): West, Daft Punk, Gesaffelstein, Brodinski, Dean, Lupe Fiasco, No I.D., Jack Donaghue, Noah Goldstein

Notable Lyric:

“Four in the mornin’, and I’m zonin’

They say I’m possessed, it’s an omen

I keep it 300, like the Romans

300 b*tches, where the Trojans?”

Yeezus exists on the opposite end of the musical spectrum to 808s & Heartbreaks, and as such the two albums stand out as Kanye’s most unique.

One of the most jarring differences between the two albums is the level of production required to make both. While 808s & Heartbreak was minimalist — barely more than a simple backing beat at times — Yeezus is absolutely boiling over with sound.

And not just sound, but noise. The bassline distortion that drives through the heart of “Black Skinhead” might be in keeping with the lyrical content of the song — dark, twisted, ready to offend — but it sometimes completely overrides everything else, as if someone lost control of it.

The result is a challenging but great listen, one that sticks in the pit of your stomach long after the track is over.

Next: 10. All of the Lights