Kanye West unveiled the latest video from his massive album Donda on Monday night.
The Yeezy owner, 44, dropped a short film to accompany his song Heaven And Hell, which includes lyrics similar to words that were included in a birthday poem to his estranged wife Kim Kardashian.
Kanye wore a leather gimp mask at one stage during the new video and rapped on a cloud while surrounded by floating bodies, while rapping the lyrics to his single.
The title of the track – Heaven and Hell – was previously seen in a love poem he sent to his ex Kim, where he noteably refererred to her as his ‘heaven and hell’.
The poem read: ‘Late is better than never. You’re my devil, you’re my angel, you’re my angel, you’re my heaven, you’re my hell, you’re my forever, you’re my freedom, you’re my jail.
‘You’re my lies, you’re my truth, you’re my war, you’re my truce, you’re my questions, you’re my proof, you’re my stress and you’re my masseuse… Love 4ever, Yeezy.’
Spooky: Kanye Wets, 44, dropped a short film to accompany his song Heaven And Hell, which includes lyrics similar to words that were included in a birthday poem to his estranged wife Kim Kardashian
Masked up: Kanye wore a leather gimp mask at one stage during the new video and rapped on a cloud while surrounded by floating bodies, while rapping the lyrics to his single
‘Me and Kimmy’: The title of the track – Heaven and Hell – was previously seen in a love poem he sent to his ex Kim, where he noteably refererred to her as his ‘heaven and hell’
The poem previously inspired the lyrics for his song Lost In The World from his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and he appears to have drawn from the words once again for Heaven and Hell.
On the other side of the page, Kanye had sketched two stick people and written ‘Me and Kimmy’, Kim had been drawn with ‘little hand’ and was holding a Birken bag, while his caricature was wearing shades.
The caption read: ‘Happy 1- year anniversary to Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album. For those that don’t know the story behind Lose In The World. Kanye couldn’t come up with some of the lyrics.
‘But then he realised he had them in a poem he had written me that was my birthday card he gave me for my 30th birthday. He took the poem he wrote me and made it the song. I keep everything!’
Kanye’s Donda album was released on August 29, 2021 following his split from Kim, which was revealed earlier the same year.
The dark new video to accompany his track was premeired during the College Football National Championship Game, which was broadcast on ESPN.
The video did double duty as an advertisement for West’s new Yeezy Gap label, and it also coincided with the release of a new black hoodie, which most of the figures in the video appeared to be wearing.
My muse: The poem previously inspired the lyrics for his song Lost In The World from his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and he appears to have drawn from the words once again for Heaven and Hell
Eye catching: The Heaven And Hell video opens in an eerie city filmed in sepia-tinted black and white and shot in the old-fashioned Academy ratio, which creates a squarer image and leaves black bars on the sides, approximating the look of films from earlier in the 20th century
The Heaven And Hell video opens in an eerie city filmed in sepia-tinted black and white and shot in the old-fashioned Academy ratio, which creates a squarer image and leaves black bars on the sides, approximating the look of films from earlier in the 20th century.
The camera slowly dollies toward a metal railing as anonymous figures clad in the black hoodie pass by in slow motion.
As the camera passes over the railing, it tilts down to show more people walking below along the street, which doesn’t appear to have any cars.
The footage cuts to a bus stop, where more more people are seen sitting and standing around.
Intriguing: The camera slowly dollies toward a metal railing as anonymous figures clad in the black hoodie pass by in slow motion
Heaven and Hell
Children growing, women producing, Men go work and some go stealing, Everyone’s got to make a living
No more promos, no more photos, No more logos, no more chokeholds, We on Bezos, we get payrolls, Trips to Lagos, connect like LEGOs, Make this final, make this, my eyes closed
Burn false idols, Jesus’ disciples, I can feel your pain now, I done bled my vein out, New level the game now, simulation changed, No more problems, no more argue, No more askin’, “Who really are you?”
I know the real you, you know we feel you, You know He hears you, you know we with you, Straight from Beirut, Chicago, Beirut, You cray? We cray too, You pray? We pray too
Never too late for Him to save you, This your movie, ’cause no one can play you, Devil, lay down, Devil, lay down, This that level, make devils pray now (Heaven and Hell)
Hold up, no peace, hold up, police, Don’t call police, just stay focused (is on Earth), Pray for new life, pray for new breath, Hey, Lord, make sure it’s safe for who’s left (Heaven and Hell)
Know you can’t find a place to rest, Know the Lord my bulletproof vest (is on Earth), When we survive, know that we blessed
Save my people though the music
Let it grrat, let it grrat, grrat, Let it grrat, grrat, grrat, grrat, grrat Grrat, grrat, grrat Let it grrat, let it grrat, grrat Let it grrat, grrat, grrat, grrat, grrat Let it grrat
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Masked figures: As the camera passes over the railing, it tilts down to show more people walking below along the street, which doesn’t appear to have any cars. The footage cuts to a bus stop, where more more people are seen sitting and standing around
As West — who has legally changed his name to Ye — raps in rhythmic bursts, the video continues with a montage of various city scenes, all of which appear to take place at night.
The people in black are revealed to have sheer black masks that cover their faces completely, similar to enveloping designs that the hitmaker has worn himself in recent months.
To emphasize the surreality of the scene, one closeup shows a small child in a stroller who is also wearing the hoodie and mask combo.
Night scene: As West — who has legally changed his name to Ye — raps in rhythmic bursts, the video continues with a montage of various city scenes, all of which appear to take place at night
Somber: The people in black are revealed to have sheer black masks that cover their faces completely, similar to enveloping designs that the hitmaker has worn himself in recent months
Creepy: To emphasize the surreality of the scene, one closeup shows a small child in a stroller who is also wearing the hoodie and mask combo
The video is suddenly interrupted with what is seemingly the first glimpse of West, who is shown in closeup as he raps.
He appears to have on a black mask with a thick gold zipper running down the front of the mask.
It’s not clear if the Jesus Walks rapper could even see while filming the video, as the mask only has small slits for eyes, which appear to be sewn shut.
It’s unclear if the figure was actually West, or just an actor standing in for him, as his face is never glimpsed in the brief video.
Spectacular: He’s seen in more distanced shots as he raps in front of a burst of light behind him, while floating bodies — or souls — swirl around him in circles
Disturbing: Further cuts show the hordes of bodies flying through the crowds in disturbing slow motion, and it’s unclear if they’re intended to illustrate the heaven or the hell of the title
Leading the way: The Kanye figure can again be glimpse on a cloud bank as he waves his arms and appears to directing the floating souls
He’s seen in more distanced shots as he raps in front of a burst of light behind him, while floating bodies — or souls — swirl around him in circles.
Further cuts show the hordes of bodies flying through the crowds in disturbing slow motion, and it’s unclear if they’re intended to illustrate the heaven or the hell of the title.
The Kanye figure can again be glimpse on a cloud bank as he waves his arms and appears to directing the floating souls.
Stunning: Heaven And Hell concludes with an instrumental burst of electronic noise and the continued pulsating rhythms of the song, though West’s rapping falls silent
Epic: Accompanying the music is a set of still images. The tableaus, which appear to be from a large illustration, show tall building surrounded by clouds and hooded figures in what looks like battle
Battle: Another image shows one person with a bow and arrow, while another has a spear they’re ready to throw
Mysterious: No where in the video are any credits included, and it’s unclear who directed the short film or designed its striking visuals
Heaven And Hell concludes with an instrumental burst of electronic noise and the continued pulsating rhythms of the song, though West’s rapping falls silent.
Accompanying the music is a set of still images. The tableaus, which appear to be from a large illustration, show tall building surrounded by clouds and hooded figures in what looks like battle.
Another image shows one person with a bow and arrow, while another has a spear they’re ready to throw.
The final image is the painting in full, showing what looks like an ancient city under siege from water and land, and the YZY logo for Yeezy Gap is pictured in the center of the frame.
No where in the video are any credits included, and it’s unclear who directed the short film or designed its striking visuals.
Grand: The final image is the painting in full, showing what looks like an ancient city under siege from water and land, and the YZY logo for Yeezy Gap is pictured in the center of the frame
‘Mama we did it’: Following the release of the video, West took to his Instagram Stories to celebrate. He posted a clip showing his video playing on a wall-mounted television, captioning it, ‘our first yzy gap commercial’
Following the release of the video, West took to his Instagram Stories to celebrate.
He posted a clip showing his video playing on a wall-mounted television, captioning it, ‘our first yzy gap commercial.’
He added, ‘mama we did it [crying while smiling emoji].’
The Heaven And Hell video was released just days after the rapper announced a new collaboration with Gap and Balenciaga.
‘It is a vision come true to work with Gap and Demna, the creative director of Balenciaga, to make incredible product available to everyone at all times,’ the Flashing Lights hitmaker told Vogue after announcing the deal on Instagram.
The collaboration, titled Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga, is expected to drop in June release with a second set of releases coming later in 2022.
West’s Heaven And Hell video doesn’t appear to feature any references to his ongoing romance with Uncut Gems actress Julia Fox, whom he appeared to begin dating late last month as his divorce from Kim Kardashian marches on.
New project: The Heaven And Hell video was released just days after the rapper announced a new collaboration with Gap and Balenciaga. ‘It is a vision come true to work with Gap and Demna, the creative director of Balenciaga, to make incredible product available to everyone at all times,’ the Flashing Lights hitmaker told Vogue; seen January 5 in NYC
Coming soon: The collaboration, titled Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga, is expected to drop in June release with a second set of releases coming later in 2022
