After much anticipation and plenty of build-up, Kanye West’s Donda is finally here, and Breakfast Club host Charlamagne tha God isn’t impressed with it.
On Monday morning, Breakfast Club hosts Charlamagne, DJ Envy, and Angela Yee offered their thoughts on the new record. Envy admitted that he hadn’t listened to it, nor does he plan to because of the way Kanye has been acting as of late—he even went as far as to call Kanye a “clown”—but Charlamagne gave his input and said he liked some of the tracks but it didn’t entirely click with him.
“Upon first listen, it was lackluster for me,” said Charlamagne after he agreed with Yee that “Jesus Lord, Pt. 2” with Jay Electrionica and the Lox was the best song on the album. “But it’s an hour and 48 minutes long, so like Kanye West it can be very exhausting. I like the joint with Westside and Kanye, I like ‘Jesus Lord’ with the LOX and Jay Electronica… I think if he just scaled the project down, to like 12-13 records, it could be a great album. But 28 songs with all the part twos, an hour and 48 minutes, it’s too long and it drags to me. And the music sounds kinda dated, man.”
Envy chimed in and asked who his co-hosts think wrote the album, and they agreed it was probably a “by committee” effort from him and his collaborators. “I’m sure Consequence, Jay Electronica… I don’t know,” added Charlamagne.
It’s not just Charlamagne who seems disappointed with the divisive album, though, as both Chris Brown and Soulja Boy have publicly criticized ‘Ye for removing their respective verses from the supposedly finished product. It is worth pointing out, though, that Kanye has shifted around and changed the album a lot since the first listening event he held in Atlanta. Many verses, including one notable appearance from Kid Cudi, previewed at the second listening event didn’t make it to the final version, either.
Listen to what Charlamagne had to say about the record up top.
