Episodes
Published 11/22/22
Published 11/15/22
If you know Chris and Travis, then you know there's no way they're getting through a masterpiece like Power in just one episode. If you'd like to support the show (and hear this episode ad-free), then join our Patreon community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 11/08/22
Ain't no question if we want it—the world needs this lyrical breakdown of Gorgeous. And being a song the entire Ye community adores, Chris and Travis have decided to bring their A game. Together they unpack this mammoth examination of American culture and how Ye fits into it. If you'd like to support the show (and hear this episode ad-free), then join our Patreon community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 11/01/22
It's time to get higher—much, much higher. High into the clouds where we dissect the music of Ye. And in this particular cloud, we pick apart every single line, sample, and interpolation on the epic opening track Dark Fantasy. There are more lyrical tidbits here than food at Thanksgiving dinner. If you'd like to support the show (and hear this episode ad-free), then join our Patreon community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 10/25/22
Published 10/21/22
In a moment where Ye is in the middle of about 15 different controversies...we just wanna focus on the music. So that's what we're going to do with Season 8 of Watching the Throne, which will be entirely dedicated to Kanye's masterpiece My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. In this first episode, we overview the album and what we expect to learn on this journey. Also, we rank every song on the album. If you'd like to support the show (and hear this episode ad-free), then join our Patreon...
Published 10/18/22
Published 10/11/22
Shout out to YellowKing for putting together this huge list of every movie reference Ye has ever made in his music. There are a lot of them. And we read every single one because there's nothing else happening right now. So sit back and enjoy Step Brothers, Star Wars, Scarface, Elm Street, and other references. You can also watch this podcast in video form over on our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 04/01/22
The Grammys cancelled a performance by Kanye West at the 2022 award show. And it's not sitting well with everyone. J Prince wrote a long Twitter thread about it. Dame Dash expressed his frustrations. It's just the latest in a long history of suspect behavior by the Recording Academy when it comes to their treatment of Black artists. We dive into what the legendary executives had to say on the matter as well as spend nearly an hour hearing what artists like Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, The Weeknd,...
Published 03/29/22
Why do you hate this Kanye song, again? In this video, Travis goes through a list of ten over-hated Kanye songs and repeatedly asks that question until he's blue in the face. You can also watch this podcast in video form over on our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 03/18/22
Someone yoinked Denis Forkas's art for one of the key images in the Hurricane music video. We compare the video to the painting, look at Denis's other work, and discuss Kanye's use of reference and allusion in other videos (like Famous) and how that differs from this situation. If you'd like to watch this in video form, then check out our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 03/17/22
Instagram decided to suspend Kanye for 24 hours after posts he made about Pete, Dave Sirus, Trevor Noah, and DL Hughley. Wild. We look at some of the posts that got him in trouble, reflect on the necessity of the Oxford comma, and some of the reactions from The Game, French Montana, and Fivio Foreign. If you'd like to watch this in video form, then check out our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 03/17/22
Kanye went after Trevor Noah on Instagram. And before long, the Daily Show host responded. Let's take a look. If you'd like to watch this in video form, then check out our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 03/17/22
Pete Davidson had Dave Sirus post to instagram a text message conversation between Pete and Kanye. And it is outrageous. Pete goes from standing up for himself to lecturing Kanye to offering mental health help to calling out Ye as a man. It's a smorgasbord of energy, all of which probably just complicates matters. Maybe things have to get messy before they get better? But I don't think any of this really accomplishes anything. If you'd like to support the show and hear this episode ad-free,...
Published 03/14/22
People may not know that Chris is primarily a film critic. So here he flexes some of his film critic muscles in an analysis of the EAZY music video and a discussion of everything with Ye and Pete Davidson. If you'd like to support the show and hear this episode ad-free, then join our Patreon community. You can also watch this podcast in video form over on our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 03/10/22
Better late than never! Today we discuss the incredible, deeply layered collaboration between Fivio, Kanye West, and Alicia Keys: City of Gods. We cover Fivio and Kanye's verses and how they balance each other, the deeper sonic intentions of the song, and the optimistic yearning of Alicia Keys's anthemic chorus. If you'd like to support the show and hear this episode ad-free, then join our Patreon community. You can also watch this podcast in video form over on our YouTube channel. Learn more...
Published 03/07/22
People may not know that Chris is primarily a film critic. So today he's going to flex some of his film critic muscles in an analysis of the EAZY music video and discuss everything with Ye and Pete Davidson. Check out our film writing here: www.filmcolossus.com If you'd like to support the show and hear this episode ad-free, then join our Patreon community. You can also watch this podcast in video form over on our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 03/04/22
Why the heck not? Today, Travis is going to list five indie bands Kanye West should work with. Ye worked with Beach House and Bon Iver, so why stop there? NOTE: If you have suggestions for other lists I can cover, hit me up on Twitter @tl_bean If you'd like to support the show and hear this episode ad-free, then join our Patreon community. You can also watch this podcast in video form over on our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 03/04/22
The entire Jeen-Yuhs docuseries is finally out! And, of course, it's awesome. And, of course...the movie critics largely missed the point. So what did they get wrong? And what can we truly take away from the entire film? Travis digs into how he watched the movie. If you'd like to support the show and hear this episode ad-free, then join our Patreon community. You can also watch this podcast in video form over on our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 03/04/22
Part 1 of Jeen-Yuhs was securing the record deal. Part 2 was actually getting the record done. And Part 3 was...well. Everything else. And we mean EVERYTHING! Part 3 of Coodie and Chike's documentary about Kanye West is wildly ambitious and enthralling. But what is it truly about? What can we take away from the 4.5 hour experience? In this episode, we work through our thoughts (and have a few existential crises along the way). If you'd like to support the show (and hear this episode ad-free),...
Published 03/03/22
A hitmaker across four decades, as a solo artist, featured artist, writer, and advisor, Consequence has had a legendary career. On this episode of Watching the Throne, he details his journey from A Tribe Called Quest to his own work to his work with Kanye West. Specifically, we hear stories about the making of the beat for Slow Jamz, as well as some thoughts on Jeen-Yuhs, and conversation about working on ye in Wyoming and what it meant to return to A Tribe Called Quest for 2016's "We Got It...
Published 03/01/22
OK. So we all heard/saw the Donda 2 show in Miami. But now...we've got finished tracks!!! Sixteen tracks, in fact, were uploaded to the Stem Player website. So what do we think? In this episode, we run through every single song and give our first impressions. If you'd like to support the show (and hear this episode ad-free), then join our Patreon community. You can also watch this podcast in video form over on our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Published 02/25/22