2016 Rap-Up: Kanye West's 5 Most-Read Stories
Yeezus ruled 2016.
Although it featured some “Low Lights,” Kanye West’s year also had many “Highlights,” with the release of a new album, an innovative tour, and more. With that in mind, we’re sharing some of the biggest, most-read Yeezy stories of the year, according to Rap-Up readers.
The most popular ‘Ye story of 2016 came with his seventh solo album The Life of Pablo, which arrived in extravagant fashion in February. First premiered at the Yeezy Season 3 show at Madison Square Garden, the “living” album featured an all-star lineup that included Rihanna, Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, and more. He dubbed it “one of the greatest albums” ever and it would later be deemed one of the year’s best by Rap-Up and its readers.
The Life of Pablo’s videos also made headlines. Its “Famous” clip was the second-most popular Yeezy story of the year. Featuring 12 nude celebrity wax figures of Taylor Swift, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Bill Cosby, Caitlyn Jenner, Donald Trump, and more laying in bed, the NSFW clip turned out to be one of the most artful and controversial visuals of 2016. It would later become an art exhibit and it exacerbated the longstanding rivalry between the Louis Vuitton Don and Taylor Swift.
“Famous” wasn’t the only popular video from Pablo. In fact, the third-most popular Yeezy story of the year was the “Fade” visual, featuring Teyana Taylor in all her finely-sculpted glory. Drenched in sweat, the new mom showed off her toned physique while dancing to the hypnotic TLOP cut in little to no clothing. Joined by her NBA champ husband Iman Shumpert, their daughter Junie, and a bunch of sheep, the clip became one of the most talked-about moments of the MTV Video Music Awards, where it premiered in August.
But Kanye made headlines outside of music too. In January, he nearly broke Twitter with a long, angry rant against Wiz Khalifa over his since-scrapped Waves album title and a misunderstanding about what “kk” meant. The rant included vicious jabs about Khalifa and Amber Rose’s son Sebastian. “You let a stripper trap you,” West tweeted. “I know you mad every time you look at your child that this girl got you for 18 years…You wouldn’t have a child if it wasn’t for me. You own waves??? I own your child!” West would later apologize, but the #Wizwearscoolpants Twitter rant remains one of the year’s most infamous.
Still, music reigned supreme with Yeezy. While offstage antics may have diverted some attention away from his work, the fifth most-read story of 2016 was ‘Ye’s star-studded performance on “Saturday Night Live” in February. Joined by Young Thug, El DeBarge, Kelly Price, The-Dream, A$AP Bari, Kirk Franklin, and Chance the Rapper, Yeezy made his “SNL” showing a memorable, gospel-tinged, spectacle. It was a show-stopping set following the release of The Life of Pablo.
Kanye West’s 5 Most-Read Stories of 2016
1. Stream Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo
2. Video: Kanye West – “Famous”
3. Teyana Taylor Stars in Kanye West’s “Fade” Video
4. Kanye West Blasts Wiz Khalifa in Epic Twitter Rant
5. Kanye West Performs on “SNL”
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