Kanye West teases "Yeezus," disses commercial radio

Kanye West teases ‘Yeezus,’ disses commercial radio

Kanye West's new album, titled "Yeezus," is set to arrive June 18.

By Randall Roberts

June 10, 2013 10:18 AM PT

Los Angeles Times Pop Music Critic

As Earth awaits the newest missive from Kanye West, called “Yeezus,” the rapper from Chicago has been sharing some of his teachings. He delivered his latest sermon Sunday night at the Governors Ball Music Festival, where West, 36, offered new work amid nearly two dozen songs, and marked the evening with a cuss-filled monologue that conveyed the current Yeezus philosophy.

This landscape no longer seeks radio or album sales, but something bigger, said West. [Note: Because West’s teachings often contain vulgarities, we’ve replaced them Wes Anderson-style with the word “cuss.”]

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“With this album we ain’t drop no single to radio,” he explained. “We ain’t got no NBA campaign, nothing like that. Cuss, we ain’t even got no cover. We just made some real music. Like, back when I used to make albums and cuss -- a couple years ago -- we’d go away and work on the album for months or something. We’d always have to hold the album to like August or September, or till the perfect moment and cuss. Because it means that I think it would sell more if it get more audience and cuss. But, honestly, at this point when I listen to radio that ain’t where I want to be no more.”

Where does West want to be? “Honestly at this point, I could give a cuss about selling a million records as long as I put out an album for the summer that y’all can rock to for all cussin’ summer,” he explained. “At this point, I don’t really give a cuss about outside opinion.”

The forthcoming record arrives June 18, built up over months of strategic teasing that suggests he cares a little. Though the official track listing and production credits have yet to be unveiled, tweets, DJ sets and interviews have revealed that likely collaborators include Daft Punk, Skrillex, Hudson Mohawk, Odd Future, John Legend, The-Dream and Pusha T, among others.

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Follow Randall Roberts on Twitter: @liledit