EDITORIAL – To the naked and somewhat unassuming eye, Kanye West’s Travis Scott-assisted shock value prayer banger “Wash Us In The Blood” appears to be a return to from for the Jesus Is King rapper. However, it’s more of a mutation of Ye, which we’ve seen in many forms in recent years — and it feels like it’s a step in the direction of his faith rather than a retrospective one.
Arriving enshrouded in a series of tweets, ranging from the announcement of the YZY Gap clothing brand partnership to the Yeezy foam runner release, and more, Ye dropped the visual for “Wash Us In The Blood” along with details about the upcoming project he’s working on.
“KANYE WEST ARTHUR JAFFA,” he started the unpunctuated message in capital letters.
”PROJECT 02 WASH US IN THE BLOOD FROM THE FOURTHCOMING ALBUM GOD’S COUNTRY STILL #WESTDAYEVER.”
KANYE WEST
ARTHUR JAFA
PROJECT 02
WASH US IN THE BLOOD
FROM THE FORTHCOMING ALBUM GOD'S COUNTRYTODAY
STILL #WESTDAYEVER pic.twitter.com/QgjqDQjQdS
— ye (@kanyewest) June 29, 2020
Though the mere existence of a collaboration between West and Jaffa, an African American Cinematographer and video artist, is dope, the true message isn’t really clear. On one hand, it’s great to see him working with people in the Black community, but old Ye would have demanded justice, rather than offering a one-off prayer to conclude the presentation.
We can’t be the only one’s gunning for the type of unapologetic tenacity he embodies on tracks like “Blood On The Leaves” in-which he somehow utilized the infamous Nina Simone “Strange Fruit” sample to tell the tale his materialistic pleasures of the flesh while also proclaim his allegiance with the culture as he raps, “Fuck them other niggas ’cause I’m down with my niggas/Fuck them other niggas ’cause I’m down with my niggas/Fuck them other niggas ’cause I’m down with my niggas/I ride with my niggas, I’d die for my…” We yearn for both the literal and figurative resistance art Kanye produces.
Kanye West Reportedly Almost Named ‘Yeezus’ Album ‘Thank God For Drugs’
The veiled attempt of validating radical musical advocacy is reminiscent of what we witnessed when Ye dropped Yeezus in 2013. “Wash Us In The Blood” is kind of like a watered-down “BLKKK SKKKN HEAD.”
But at this point, at least “Wash Us In The Blood” Kanye has progressed from, “slavery is a choice,” Ye.
Or at least, he does a good job of masking it.
Old Kanye Verdict: Yeezus Kanye
Stream the full video for “Wash Us In The Blood” above.