Beck literally has more talent in his index finger than the other two combined. Let's get serious here. Beck doesn't need twenty different people to write his songs for him like those two do. That does matter (at least to me).
Kanye West is a brilliant producer. Kanye West is noteworthy because he's a brilliant producer: every album he's released has transformed the aesthetic of hip-hop, expanding it to incorporate new forms of music. It's 2015, musical talent is no longer defined by an ability to play instruments. The most important innovations in music over the past few decades have been advanced by DJs and producers.
I say this as a Beck fan.
Well, I say what I said as someone who enjoys a lot of rap music and some of what Kanye has done in the past.
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one though. There just will never be an equivalency to me between someone who has the ability to craft their own music from scratch: that is write a melody, write the chords, write the lyrics, etc. and someone who has largely made a career out of rapping/talking over other people's music and modifying it in some way.
That doesn't mean there isn't any room for sampling in music. Beck has used samples himself in the past of course. But really what else is there to Kanye? He's a one-trick pony.
And do we really know how involved Kanye is in the production of his records anyway? Seriously, is he ever truly involved in the real nuts and bolts production of a record or is he at best an idea man? My guess is he has real producers to do the heavy lifting.
Have you heard one Kanye West record from the other? He's anything but a one trick pony man. He's practically the opposite. He's one of the least "one trick pony" rappers ever. I mean, I can accept not liking Kanye West, both for his personality or even his music, but that is a ridiculous assertion.
"Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?" - Jay-Z
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