“I miss the old Kanye

Straight from the go Kanye

Chop up the soul Kanye

Set on his goals Kanye

I hate the new Kanye

The bad mood Kanye

The always rude Kanye

Spaz in the news Kanye

I miss the sweet Kanye

Chop up the beats Kanye

I gotta say, at that time I’d like to meet Kanye.”

These opening lyrics to “I Miss the Old Kanye,” a popular song by Kanye West (also staged as Ye) show Kanye himself is not oblivious to the sentiment that his fans miss the old version of himself, both as an artist and as a person. From Discords to Twitter, now X, blog and Reddit threads, to articles and podcasts, there are endless comments of fans sharing wishes that their favorite artists would return to the sounds that initially attracted them and brought them in. Kanye West is a perfect example of an artist with a massive following but a split base in opinions of the progression and ultimate shift in character and sound in his music career; as his “career evolved so did his persona” (CasetteAI 2025). We can see this as well by his other stage names that he goes by and acquired over the years: Yeezy, Yeezus, Ye.

Kanye has not steered clear from criticism nor does he deserve to be free from it. He has been the face of frequent backlash in response to moments of antisemitism and lewd promotion. Considering his track record, can we separate the art from the artist?More specifically, we ask questions like, “Can you still appreciate art if the artist has done harmful things or is considered a bad person?” This is a very interesting topic, but it’s not exactly the one I am exploring in this case. My focus is more about the actual artistic direction and the evolution of one’s music.

The expectation that a music artist continues to churn out the style and sound that captivated audiences and sprung the artist into fame is fairly similar to expectations consumers have with their favorite brands. Using clothing as an analogy, we notice a similar theme of people loving vintage clothes by brands but being drawn to the newer products with a vintage appeal. The implication leads to a ripple effect where brands try to recreate a vintage look or feel or sound, but nothing really hits the same. Is this just nostalgia being experienced by consumers? Are we accepting and supportive of our own evolution as individuals while failing to grant brands and artists the same privilege of evolution and growth? Maybe it’s just nostalgia or maybe it was just a better product; but if we are ever-changing as consumers, maybe it was just a better product THEN, creating a lasting impact, something we yearn for. If these products or outputs were released now, would they truly have the same appeal and impact, or did it really have to do with the surrounding landscape and where we were and where the artists were in our respective lives at the time of the releases? Kanye West revolutionized hip hop sound with his incredible use of sampling, utilizing soulful and cinematically rich sounds that resonated with fans, winning him countless awards and fandom of the masses. Even with the desperate cries from fans on recreating what made him such a massive public icon, he still makes hits and is one of the most prominent and influential artists of the present day, maintaining relevance in his long career.

Rapid stardom comes at a cost. Once in the public eye, people nitpick every comment, appearance, and creation, old and new. One cannot simply establish oneself in the present sense without old versions of themselves resurfacing. The same is true with music, as these reference points serve as indicators of an artist’s perceived true self. The newer music, when resoundingly different from the past, can create a feeling of detachment between the artist and “Day-One” fans. In relation to the chapter on Expressive Coherence in Erving Goffman’s 1959 writing, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, we see that when inconsistencies arise, like when words contradict their nonverbal cues, the actor’s performance appears to be false or discredited. Although Goffman discusses consistency within a single, bounded situational performance, I believe audiences also pay attention to endured consistency. When an artist’s output is deemed inconsistent, they can pay the price of being deemed inauthentic, losing credibility and hence damaging their social identity. Goffman even goes as far as to mention the inconsistency in one’s conveyed impression can lead the audience to view the actor as insincere. Fans often expect consistency in product, both quality and in its sonic branding, so when artists like Kanye evolve, new music will always receive some sort of backlash. The expectation of artists sticking to their original sound to maintain their authenticity is paradoxical; doing so would be inauthentic to themselves. We see a competition between two ideals of authenticity: consistency over time and artistic vision and freedom. Fans want the original sounds at the expense of true originality and artistic vision and inspiration, which they seem to ignore as the reason for the initial success of the artist. As time elapses, even if an artist tries to recreate something prior, the difference will be felt, heard, and probably critiqued, making original feelings something that cannot be perfectly reproduced.

In an artist’s case, this mindset reduces the creative integrity and exploratory nature of artistry, but the accessibility of artists through social media can further create the expectation for consistency. When contradictory sounds, styles, or personalities exist within a given social media timeline, the claims for inauthenticity increase vastly. Some people try to combat the blend of their old and new self on social media by retroactively scouring through their pages and selectively keeping certain posts while deleting others, or deleting anything that does not fit into their new idealized self. Selectivity or the reduction to only new posts can be a marketing strategy for artists, but more tabs and archives are kept for celebrities, which can reduce the effectiveness of selective posting. At the crossroads of new and old, artists’ portrayal of themselves as existing within a given timeline is determined authentic not by themselves, but by their audience. The old Kanye is compared against the new, even though that just means he is compared against himself, in the eyes of onlookers that believe they have a say in the matter.

One can be obsessed with the old Kanye West and still find enjoyment in his new music. As avid music listeners, we often reach for a feeling that music can bring them and if that feeling isn’t met, we aren’t satisfied. Beyond satiation, we want to listen to music that makes us move or dream or take us elsewhere. The same applies to the creators of music; artists create from a feeling or to inspire a feeling. They express themselves at the moment with all the emotions and inspirations of the time, sometimes foreshadowing the future and sometimes referencing the past, even past feelings.

We have very high expectations of artists we come to love even when it’s not realistic for the artist to remain the same. We are more realistic in the expectations of athletes as their bodies decline over the years during their careers. We understand they change and so will their performance and the ways in which they achieve optimal results, which look different over time. Musicians deserve the same treatment, yet we feel more ownership over their artistic integrity, as mere consumers. Our contributions come in the form of purchasing the music, artwork, tours merch, concerts, and, more recently, streams. Considering listening to an artist’s music is a contribution towards the artist, are we granted the privilege to really have a say in their music direction? If yes, who is the artist really making it for, and if the answer is for the fan, then will the artist really resemble themself?

Kanye is no stranger to replying to hecklers or “fans” that nag about reverting to his old style. In a screenshot exchange from an Instagram Story by a fan, he replied, “This is my art. If you don’t like what [I’m] currently putting out, unfollow [me]. Go listen to the older stuff I did when I felt like making that. This is what I feel like doing now” (Rap Up 2024). Fair enough, or is it? Does he really owe us something? I think not. Listen to the old catalog like he said. Stick around and check out the new music if you want. You can dislike the new music, that’s okay, Kanye West will survive, so will you.

The rise of social media gave fans at least the perception of increased accessibility to an artist. They can follow their idols, comment and like their posts, and directly message them, even if it never reaches the artist. The thought that they have access to the artists is sometimes enough. As mentioned by Jia Tolentino, “the internet was dramatically increasing our ability to know about things, while our ability to change things stayed the same, or possibly shrank right in front of us” (2019). We get insightinto the lives of people that we idolize, but that’s really the extent of it. I do believe that part of fame is dealing with backlash and fairly constant discourse from fans and the public, and maybe that is the price one pays for stardom. I do find it ironic, however, that fans think their opinions are sometimes more important than the opinions of the stars they idolize. If I want to pursue a new job or move to a new place, I will likely have the support of my supporters; but if artists want to try something new, they are often met with resistance, shock, and disappointment, to name a few reactions. What an interesting relationship, potentially specific to popular brands. Kanye may try to revolutionize his sound and create something new and novel, but listeners everywhere get to decide if they like it, if they will be repeat listeners, and almost comically, determine if it’s “Kanye” or not. My translation from a segment of Morris Rosenberg’s 1979 book, Conceiving the Self, is something like: we are at the mercy of how we’re defined by society, even if we reject or disavow the association. Kanye may see himself as an evolved version of himself, but his fans or listeners may interpret this evolution as an inauthentic or untrue version of himself. While he moves on from his younger self, people still see him in that light, or choose to freeze him in that period, creating an internal conflict in the listener on the reception of his new music.

If we confine artists to an older version of themselves, expecting them to simply recreate something that was once deemed as real, it takes away the authenticity of their work. We are actually asking music artists to become actors, to fit into the role of a self that strays from who they really are now, even if it’s a role of who they once were. Charles Taylor spoke a lot about this type of authenticity in his writings, including the transition from roles into the self. He references Gail Sheehy in his 1991 writing, The Ethics of Authenticity, “If I could give everyone a gift for the send-off on this journey, it would be a tent. A tent for tentativeness.” When navigating life, we need to grace ourselves with a flexible mindset and outlook on life instead of suppressing ourselves with rigid expectations. It could be beneficial for both the artist and the fans to understand that no sound or style lives indefinitely in the artist but in the actual product in which it exists. The product remains and is available to be consumed, but it cannot be duplicated and feel the same because the context of its environment is integral to how it’s received. It is an important reminder that, at that time, the products were referenced against other works, other social happenings, and other temporally relevant occurrences and trends. When we consume something that was created in the past, we are consuming a piece of its surrounding history. This is why the attempt at a recreation now is not the same thing, even if all of its pieces are.

Remastered works are a sort of exception to this point; but even then, the listener can feel the product of time mixed in, with the specificities of advanced technology in sound, something that was not yet existing when the original work was made. Therefore, Kanye, now focusing his attention to recreate music with a previous feeling in the abstraction of what that means, or a sound and style in the literal sense, cannot possibly be a replica but a prequel at best. Is that something we accept as fans or are we really attached to an idea that is technically impossible, even if argued as subjectively feasible if certain parameters are met? I cannot perform identically as I did in sports as I did as a teenager because my physiology has changed, I cannot sing as I did as a child as my voice has changed, I cannot feel unbridled curiosity as I did as an adolescent considering the reality I’ve come to experience. What I can do is imagine what it was like and try to go there, relive those moments as close as I can, and see where it takes me; I will get somewhat close at best, but never live or create the same experience. Lucky for me, I have videos and pictures to reference for some of my favorite athletic and artistic memories, so I can revisit these moments and feel a glimpse of those feelings again. Artists endure this journey. Artists are brands. We often attach ourselves to a brand, of a product or our own image, and run with it, sometimes feeling more connected to brands of a given time, which brings back the concept of nostalgia in the self. Artists, too, can reminisce and listen to their old creations, putting themselves temporarily in the mindset they once were, potentially inspiring a reincarnation of that version of themself. The desire to follow the lead of their older selves should be their decision and their decision alone, yet, unfortunately, the need to sell their creativity ingrains pressure to produce in at least partial accordance to the wants of fans. Social media has become a factor in the perception of modern-day celebrity’s “insider” access, evoking a feeling of closeness between fan and artist, which makes the fans feel like they have a voice in the creative direction. That access and media saturation, with seemingly all moments being visible to the fans creates the illusion of a relationship that is nonexistent; as a collective, however, such saturation gives the fans a seat at the table. Artists, who create music for people to listen to, must now listen to their fans, considering this unprecedented access into their lives and the implications of ignoring reactions to their products. Tapping into their old selves becomes more expected, the more presence that older self had across social media.

There is something special about the idea of all things vintage. People seem to be attracted to vintage works and the quality of vintage items. The look and feel of vintage not only brings you back to another time, but seems to represent a status of higher quality, something that is often lacking today. Possessing and wearing vintage clothing is a signal of good fashion sense, similar to having a vintage music taste. I believe the idea of vintage appeal blends well with the attachment or excitement around old music. Even though the quality of music equipment and output may be better in a technological sense, from faster churn to advanced electronic sounds, the substance is sometimes lost. We crave that vintage integrity and the old sound, therefore we want something that is no longer possible. If we want something vintage, we need to purchase or consume something vintage, not something that appears vintage. In new products, it would be more fair to claim that we are in search of something retro, a combination of old and new brand elements (Dam et al. 2024). This is why when we hear glimmers that resemble an artist’s old sound, we feel excitement, déjà vu, and nostalgia. What we are hearing is something true to the artist, likely not a forced personification of their past selves. We consider those feelings, brought out by the artists’ vintage works, as the authentic versions of themselves. It can be quite difficult for people to accept newer works as authentic when they have older references of something they found to define the artist; now everything new is detached from the original and genuine creations so it makes it more likely to be judged as an incongruous, unfitting, and unfashionable fabric.

I admit, I feel nostalgic just thinking of Ye’s old music. I remember listening to Graduation with my brother, My Dark Twisted Fantasy with my cousin, 808s & Heartbreak with my closest friends. These albums were all released as I was forming interests and desires, so there is no doubt that they have a special meaning to me. At times, I find myself at a crossroads between career options, struggling with family and relationship issues, and dealing with medical setbacks. Going through trials and tribulations can lead to a desire to reminisce about old times, when things were better and simpler. To me, those simpler times were around when those albums were released. Alternatively, some people may have experienced some of Yeezy’s old music while going through difficult times, so it was an effective outlet or place of relief. Related to my case, I find myself nostalgic at times; nostalgia can buffer oneself from threats, like experiencing a feeling of discontinuity, identity threats, and social disconnection; so people turn to nostalgic experiences that restore self-coherence and social bonds (Weingarten et al. 2023). In the psychological work by Weingarten and colleagues, there is an emphasis that these restored connections via nostalgia influence downstream behaviors such as increased preferences for nostalgic products and more favorable brand attitudes (2023). This seems to align with the idea that the yearning for Kanye’s old music may be in part because of the nostalgia it evokes, while the new music cannot bring about the same feelings and false sense of security, at least not yet.

It is interesting to explore the seeming choosiness of fans on what constitutes as authentic and inauthentic in artists. I spent some time scouring the internet for instances of people making social media posts or comments among the lines of missing the old Kanye. There are a lot of these takes and mentions, with people agreeing with such opinions and others defending Ye as an ever-evolving artist. I didn’t see as much of the same discontent with the unique artistic display that Yeezus coined as Sunday Service. He would gather and perform with a choir around the world, showcasing soulful gospel music in a live and original form. This new act created a cult-following, somewhat ironic due to the fact that it was centered around his possible reawakening to Christianity. The use of religious aesthetic garments, music style, and church choir made for a very recognizable and refreshing atmosphere at the time, especially with the controversies surrounding the artist. This series was something fans embraced and accepted, some even feeling as though it was the reincarnation of the old Kanye; others thought it was a sacrilegious symbol of Kanye acting as a reincarnation of Jesus. Artistic freedom is only as free as fans allow it and people will interpret what they choose to interpret, including choosing to believe that this version of the artist resembles the old or that this version resembles an inappropriate representation of something sacred.

The old Kanye is the new Kanye. His authenticity shakes through speakers and subwoofers all around the world everyday regardless of song choice. Do we really want an authentic Kanye West or is the ask for him to pretend he hasn’t grown since 2010 when he released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, or hasn’t changed as a person since 2008 and the time of 808s & Heartbreak? We ask artists like Kanye to make the music that made them “them” while we sing along with his lyrics from Street Lights: “Do I still got time to grow, things ain’t always set in stone.” I guess he was onto something in his 2008 hit album, even if this song was a therapeutic release for himself and not directed to his listeners. We sing along with artists, in solidarity with their message, often contributing to our own conflicting rhetoric that they should do this or that while we simply sing along. I think the most sincere thing we can do as fans is let artists be artists the same way we let ourselves be ourselves, changes, flaws, and all.

Playing devil’s advocate to my own point of view, as Lionel Trilling cleverly said in his 1972 book on sincerity and authenticity, “the poet is not a person at all, only a persona.” Considering this concept, separating art from the artist, the music produced is not really from the self but the presented self and therefore not a real representation of the person behind the product. To take this deeper, as a producer, songwriter, and rapper/singer, Kanye wears all the hats in the studio. He may fit into only some of the roles depending on the project, but he has played all parts during his incredibly successful career. When we ask Kanye to be the old Kanye, which persona are we asking him to fit into? Does his artistic closet contain the same clothes he once fit in or has he grown out of the shirts leaving the wardrobe indistinguishable? Should we be taking it personally that Kanye’s persona is more aligned with his current circumstances, success, and status—and that therefore his outputs do not sound the same as the previous? We can either join for the ride, take another vehicle, or continue on foot and create ourselves. We can always re-enter the mode of transportation we once loved, but we shouldn’t expect newer versions to feel the same. Replicas are simply replicas; and when done by others, we often consider them to lack individuality and originality. If someone tries to replicate themselves and past works without ever trying something new, could one argue that they haven’t exercised individuality but rather stagnancy?Considering much of what we see is just a persona, who are we really asking for the old Kanye, his persona or himself?

Imagine if, in the moments Kanye West was creating his classic pieces, we gave the same energy and wanted him to create music like he used to. Then, what we were really asking for would lead to those iconic songs and albums never coming to fruition. We can be attached to a sound and still have faith in the artist to create the next classic that can create the nostalgia of our future. In 2015 during a Time 100 interview, in which Kanye was mainly discussing his shoe brand with Adidas, Yeezys, he gave a profound statement: “Remember this moment because it won’t always be like this.” That is a pretty good tie-in to his take on his music where he really creates for the NOW, so we ought to enjoy it while we’re in it. The implications for the newness of sound and exploration of artistic development means the past is the past and we shouldn’t expect much of the same. Still, as fans, we hope he taps into his old sound every now and then. The question is, if he does, will we know it?

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References

CassetteAI. (2025, February 5). “I miss the old Kanye” – Yeah, we do too. CassetteAI. https://cassetteai.com/blog/i-miss-the-old-kanye---yeah-we-do-too

D’Addario, D., & Trianni, F. (2015, April 16). Kanye West talks hope for humanity’s future. TIME. https://time.com/3823263/kanye-west-video/

Dam, C., Hartmann, B. J., & Brunk, K. (2024). Marketing the past: a literature review and future directions for researching retro, heritage, nostalgia, and vintage. Journal of Marketing Management, 40(9-10), 795–819. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2024.2339454

Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. Garden City, NY: Doubleday Anchor Books.

Rap-Up. (2024, January 24). Kanye West tells a fan to “listen to the older stuff” in exchange. Rap-Up. https://www.rap-up.com/article/2024/01/24/kanye-west-tells-a-fan-to-listen-to-the-older-stuff-in-exchange

Rosenberg, M. (1979). Conceiving the self. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Sheehy, G. (1976). Passages: Predictable crises of adult life. New York, NY: E. P. Dutton.

Taylor, C. (1991). The ethics of authenticity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Tolentino, J. (2019). I and the Internet. In Trick mirror: Reflections on self-delusion (pp.

125–160). New York, NY: Random House.

Trilling, L. (1972). Sincerity and authenticity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Weingarten, E., Wei, Z., & Schindler, R. M. (2023). Nostalgia and consumer behavior. Current Opinion in Psychology, 49, 101572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101572