In a post shared on his Instagram, Kanye West has released a poem entitled “DEAD” just days after he shared a similar poem titled “Divorce.”
Ye’s latest is just as stark as its predecessor, but this time he shared some comments elaborating on his intention behind the piece. "I feel already compromised that I have to justify my expression after over 20 years of art that I’ve contributed to the planet but I also see the need to make sure we as a species are allowed to still feel anything,” he wrote alongside the poem in the caption. “Men not allowed to cry celebrities not allowed to cry I will not explain this new piece for the explanation destroys the mystery and magic of true love and puts it in a box that can be counted.”
The post continued, expanding upon recent thoughts he shared in which he said “art is therapy” in response to criticism of his “Eazy” video. “Art is subjective Art only works when it is the artist absolute truth Someone’s truth can be another persons lie,” West wrote. “We don’t all have to feel the same because we are not the same With out further ado I present to you my latest creation it is called DEAD."
The poem itself sees Kanye focus on the subject of death. “No one wanted to tell me I was DEAD,” it opens. “And only people that would talk to me were in my head/No one wanted to tell me I was DEAD/Only people who loved me would visit in their dreams instead/They would come to my grave and sprinkle some bread/So on my tombstone the birds would be fed/I would give new requests nothing was said/Cause no one wanted to tell me/That I was DEAD.”
The poem includes a reference to West and Kim Kardashian’s kids, followed by a nod to his duo with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghosts. “My kids would dance for me in a home I once led/But kids see ghosts and didn’t know I was DEAD/I found out one day at the newsstand in pergatory [sic]there was a front page article of my murderers story/I was so surprised at what it is said/This info is for the living/And surprise…You’re DEAD.”
Kanye has directly referenced his divorce from Kim Kardashian extensively on his social media and in his music. His album Donda 2 saw him rap “lost my best man, and I lost my spouse” on the track “First Time in a Long Time,” referring to the death of Virgil Abloh and his divorce. Kim was made legally single last week after a judge granted her request amid their divorce.
On the same day he shared the “DEAD” poem, Kanye released the video for “Hurricane” featuring Lil Baby and The Weeknd off his 2021 album Donda.
