Three 65, Day 25
Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Kanye West is, alongside Jay-Z, the face of modern hip-hop. (That both are about to be upstaged by a group of skate kids from Los Angeles is the topic for another blog post.) He's had his hand in nearly everything since the turn of the century, either as producer, remixer, or guest star, and every single one of his albums has been excellent. But My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the home run to his great game, the knock-it-out-of-the-park masterpiece that will define his career for decades to come.

Question: Is it a concept album? I don't know, but it stems from the world that produces concept albums, that's for sure. It's definitely more than just hip-hop; it's got elements of art rock and prog hardwired into its DNA. Just check out the first single, "Power," which features a prominent King Crimson sample (see Day 14) amidst its hand-clap percussion and noodly guitar line. Or "Gorgeous," which manipulates a bluesy guitar lick for its own ends. Or even "Runaway," a multi-faceted, ever-shifting odyssey of styles in the grandest classic rock tradition.

No discussion of Fantasy would be complete without mentioning its standout track (and there are so many, but this is the best one): "Monster," with its Bon Iver (!) intro and echoing beats. Jay-Z and Rick Ross stop by to trade raps with West, but all of them are upstaged by a vital new talent in Nicki Minaj, whose voice goes from baby-doll coo to salacious growl in the space of a heartbeat. If Fantasy was the album of 2010, "Monster" was that year's best single.

Where can West go from here? Only time will tell. Perhaps he'll simplify his approach and embrace minimalism on future albums. But I don't think so. The man's ambition knows no bounds, and his reach really is the equal of his grasp.