This was a collaboration project for the 2007 Hip-Hop album, Graduation, by the highly-acclaimed controversial rapper before he became a "God," and Takashi Murakami, a well respected contemporary artist from Japan. "Good Morning" was the tune that kicked off the album, aided by Murakami's visual insight, the music video became something of an audiovisual tour-guided introduction for all those getting ready to plunge further in.
Through the use of cel-shaded animation, Murakami was able to bring the album cover and artwork of Graduation to life, with a visual rhythm and style that complemented the MC's lyrical drawl. It's simply Kanye being honest, delivering his spit-fire braggadocios lyrics and passive-aggressive proclamation as a rap icon, before he took a turn in his career in the later years, where he spiraled down into an endless cycle of narcissism. Sampling Elton John's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" and containing a stripped-down 808s beat, Kanye guides us through a short segment of his life as an anthropomorphic bear while highlighting every bar with his signature wordplay and catchy flow. Hip-Hop purists will surely enjoy the song if they haven't already tried it out.
Of course, Kanye isn't the 1st to collaborate with anime creators, Daft Punk's 2001 album, Discovery, was turned into a full-length film collaboration between Toei Animation and Leiji Matsumoto. If you're a fan of Daft Punk, I highly suggest checking that out as well. There's even an alternative music video for Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody that was animated with Japanese partnership.
Of course, music is highly subjective, and if you're not a fan of Hip-Hop, this might not register with you, but seeing that it's only 3-minutes in length, I think it's worth giving a listen... also it's Kanye "MUTHAFUCKIN" West, you OWE it to yourself to listen to our LORD and SAVIOR. Praise be to Yeezy!
