Loves this track since the first time I heard it. A good reason to like Beats, Rhymes, & Life, a really cool album with interesting production, often overlooked, but not seen as a disappointment like The Love Movement. One of the best directions they took was adopting Consequence onto this LP. He works well with the Tribe, staying strong on the tracks. This is also when The Ummah was formed, and the late and great J-Dilla joined the Tribe with production. This track is simply a nice vibe, with a bit more boastful lyrics than we might have seen on People's. However, you come to recognize style differences through their discography, but only you can decide to experience that, so we'll get to the track.
Now for anyone who read my very first posts, which would be concerning Late Registration, a lot of qualities I stressed where Kanye's emotions and tones he used to add more to the music. Well in this song you see Consequence very effectively changing his pitch which just makes his verses so much more powerful than ever. His voice is just such a unique tool, and when you are considering the vocals of the Tribe you know how original this track will sound. The reason I love this track is mostly because of Consequence. He basically steals the show with his rhymes and brings the energy to the track! With great wordplay as well!
You will notice the production is much different from other albums. It leans a bit more away from the jazz and rawer sounds, they keep it fresh with some funky sounds, and amp things up with some less natural sounds. You hear that gentle flow of the keyboard in the background. And I don't know much about drums specifically, however in the wise words of Waju, "but I'm trying to learn!". My point being, J Dilla is a god of a producer, but I really don't know how hard that stuff is. All I know is the drums sounds great, never heard bad drums really. The cutting on the track is mad ill, along with that small taste of guitar riff! As you can see, while their style has changed, the Tribe has definitely not fallen back. Go for a taste of Beats, Rhymes, & Life. It is a damn good album!
Gone is a track that I feel showed true progression in the story of Late Registration. I will be exploring that story in the future. Therefore I don't want to get into too much detail. The skit that ties in with this piece helps to explain a lot.
It helps to show the maturation and progression of Kanye West as an artist. That really explains a lot when looking at his work. He is leaving his roots, but he still wants to be with them and use those talents, but ultimately has larger ideas he wants to get out. Very much the case with further albums, while he can still make similar music he is trying new things, and to me it is all beautiful work. He stays true to his work, making good music, and keeping his style real and interesting, always changing. I feel no artist can remain the same once they become famous, and now that he had the resource to make what he wanted, he most certainly did. Thus the change is ultimately witnessed in this album. Very different from The College Dropout, more elaborate production, progressing his music in new ways. To bring it all together, I looked at the Gone skit as a metaphor to his career. leaving Broke Phi Broke[style of his early material] because he has changed, and while he still wanted to be a part of the fraternity life, he ultimately left taking what he knew with him and moving on.
Then the song jumps in. Kanye's verse fits right in from the skit. It as if he has just made greater success after leaving Broke Phi Broke. His rhymes are a lot of fun, and he throws some clever lines in there. Rhymes that boast his success, and some that show he's still who he is and those roots are still attached:
Says she want diamonds, I took her to Ruby Tuesdays
What you rappers could get is a job from me
Maybe you could be my intern, and in turn
I'll show you how I cook up summer, in the win-turr
This fits right along with the beat, and very light playflu lyrics. All the references are just positive. Something that makes you happy. When you picture these things in your head you may think of the movies, being a kid and the baby-sitters, and perhaps Ruby Tuesday's. Great feel to it.
Then Cam'ron goes in for his verse. Basically giving his own twist on his success. How he plans to defend it and also how he knows, "you wanna see my demise". Also making a reference that he, "gave Weezy a piece of pie". Having no knowledge of him, that line may mean that Cam'ron helped a lot in Weezy's early career.
Now Consequence's verse is certainly very interesting. He uses the first third of verse only rhyming words with gone. Which certainly puts alot of "Wooaahhh!" when hearing his verse. Also putting the word gone into every line of his verse definitely taking some serious skill. He then proceeds to give us what we need. A nice story, and it is only proper that it also traces the whole theme of this song, and leaving behind your personal Broke Phi Broke, whatever it is that may be. Consequence tells of a good friend of his, and how they've passed away, and he resorted to drinking.Then a little dispute occurs when he discovers his friend stole his cash. Leading to a fight where he apparently, "went too far". This story reflects the theme of "Gone" and the "Gone Skit" very well. As the tone of the verse goes from a positive story to something negative. Which may go the opposite for other people. The production is very strong. While normally Kanye West and Jon Brion produce together. Kanye West produced this by himself. Which is a great achievement considering he got the beat to change with each verse. Of course, John Brion does conduct the orchestra! The beat is drums, and the strings steal the show. However, before we get into those you can't forget Otis Redding's "It's Too Late". Where we get our beautiful vocals from and the quick tempo of the piano. Now the beat changes once Cam'ron goes and the strings play slower instead of quick notes in Kanye's verse. Then once again transitioning into Consequence's verse changing pitch. However, while the emotion stays the same, all changes once Kanye transitions the beat into his 2nd verse(4th verse in "Gone"). The drums maintain there pace and the strings play slower. Then Ye starts his verse. The beat them turns into something sinister. The triangle plays in the background, and the strings hit darker notes. As for the complete verse, it is fire. I could give you a list of my favorite lines but they are all so cohesive in the rap and blended so beautifully I couldn't decide. This incredible transition shows once again the versatility and the change in beat can help project Kanye's emotion. Although this one line is very important:
They claim you never know what you got till its gone
I know I got it I don't know what y'all on
A beautiful lyric, while there is some powerful feeling and intensity in his voice, it says a lot about how Ye feels of his status as an artist at this point. Afterwards, the song stops and their is silence for about 20 seconds, great point made taking the song lyrically. Letting you soak in the song before the final track on the album (Not Diamonds as that is a remix).
.
The skit and "Gone" itself create something beautiful. Showing progression, and how we find happiness once we move on, and how things change. Adding another beautiful track to this masterpiece, contributing the emotion of joy(1st 2 verse), despondency(Consequence's story), and annoyance(the last verse).
