Kanye West – Cruel Summer

It’s hard to believe it has been close to two years since Kanye West released Watch the Throne (his collaboration with Jay-Z), and that it’s already time for a new album from the prolific self-proclaimed genius. Not strictly a Kanye West album, Cruel Summer is a compilation featuring artists on Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint.

Cruel Summer is due to land on 4^th September and details are still sketchy, but the rumoured roster of collaborators includes Kid Cudi, Frank Ocean, Common, John Legend, Mos-Def, Malik Yusuf and D’Banj, to name a few.

Kanye recently debuted a few new songs from the album at a New York club including Perfect Bitch, a song he later confirmed was indeed about his girlfriend Kim Kardashian, demonstrating what happens when a lyrical genius is also a true romantic. 

Presumably conceived to tie-in with the short film Cruel Summer, which Kanye directed and debuted at Cannes, the album’s lead single Mercy which features Kanye, Big Sean and Pusha-T, is already at the top of the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop chart. Aside from the cover art, which Kanye recently tweeted, exactly what else the album holds in store remains to be seen.

Standout track: Mercy

Craig Elliott

Cruel Summer is released on 4^th September 2012.

Watch the video for Mercy here: