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 form 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 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.”
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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’ve demanded justice, rather than offering a one off prayer at the end of the video.
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 of his materialistic pleasures of the flesh while he also proclaims 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. This is, “calm-Ye,” in the words of the man himself.
To be honest, it feels like a veiled attempt at the sort of radical musical advocacy we saw when Ye dropped Yeezus — “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.
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Stream the full video for “Wash Us In The Blood” above.
Old Kanye Verdict: Yeezus.
