The Life of Pablo
"Kanye West’s Sprawling Gospel Chaos"
"Kanye West’s Sprawling Gospel Chaos"
Released February 14 2016 via G.O.O.D. Music and Def Jam, Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo, an 18 track 66 minute gospel trap odyssey, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 94000 first week units per Billboard. By April 29 2025, it’s Platinum certified by the RIAA with 1.5 billion Spotify streams. A 2025 MSG stream and TikTok revival keep its orange glow alive.
The orange collage cover asks “Which one?”—mirroring The Life of Pablo’s sacred profane split. “Ultralight Beam” prays, “Famous” flexes, “Waves” seeks transcendence. It’s Kanye’s rawest diary, per TikTok in 2025.
Kanye West, Mike Dean, Rick Rubin, and Madlib craft orange hued chaos at No Name and Shangri-La studios. “Ultralight Beam” soars with gospel horns, “Fade” chops house, “Real Friends” hums lo-fi. Some tracks feel raw, per Pitchfork.
Chance the Rapper, Kid Cudi, The Weeknd, Rihanna, and Desiigner shine. Chance’s verse on “Ultralight Beam” and Rihanna’s hook on “Famous” steal the orange spotlight, per MusicRx in 2025.
“Famous” Its No. 34 Hot 100 hook with Rihanna and “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1”’s gospel trap at No. 37 draw casual fans, per Billboard.
“Ultralight Beam” Its Grammy nominated gospel and “Real Friends”’s lo-fi depth plunge into Kanye’s orange soul, per Spotify.
“Waves” Its transcendent melody and “Fade”’s house chops at No. 47 Hot 100 glow orange, per MusicRx.
“Ultralight Beam (Live)” Its MSG 2025 stream, viral on TikTok, reignites the orange prayer, per MusicRx in 2025.
The College Dropout (2004, No. 2), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010, No. 1), and Yeezus (2013, No. 1) with “Jesus Walks” (No. 11 Hot 100) built Kanye’s legacy. The Life of Pablo sparked Ye (2018, No. 1), per Billboard.
The Life of Pablo earned three 2017 Grammy nominations: Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song for “Ultralight Beam,” and Best Rap/Sung Performance. Its Platinum status by 2017 outshines awards, per Grammy and RIAA.
Pitchfork’s 9.0/10 lauded its ambition, Rolling Stone’s 3.5/5 noted sprawl in 2016. Platinum by April 29 2025 per RIAA, with 1.5 billion Spotify streams, a 2025 MSG stream, and TikTok revival, it shaped Chance the Rapper and Travis Scott, per MusicRx.
| Album | Highest Charting Song | Peak Position | Streams (as of 2025) | Certification | Units Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The College Dropout (2004) | “Jesus Walks” | 11 | 1.8B | 4x Platinum | 3.5M |
| My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) | “Runaway” | 12 | 2.0B | 3x Platinum | 2.5M |
| Yeezus (2013) | “Black Skinhead” | 69 | 1.2B | Platinum | 1.0M |
| The Life of Pablo (2016) | “Famous” | 34 | 1.5B | Platinum | 1.0M |
| Ye (2018) | “Yikes” | 55 | 1.0B | Platinum | 0.8M |
| Album | Certification | Units (Millions) |
|---|---|---|
| The College Dropout (2004) | 4x Platinum | 3.5 |
| My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) | 3x Platinum | 2.5 |
| Yeezus (2013) | Platinum | 1.0 |
| The Life of Pablo (2016) | Platinum | 1.0 |
| Ye (2018) | Platinum | 0.8 |
Data from Billboard, RIAA, Spotify, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and Grammy, verified as of April 29 2025.