Kanye’s rise to the top continues in Act 2 of Jeen-Yuhs

Directors Coodie & Chike made the wise choice to end the first act of their 3-part Yeezy trilogy with Mr. West finally singing his deal with Roc A Fella Records. Part 2 carries the moniker “Purpose” and focuses on West amid the recording process for his debut album, The College Dropout.

As we all know, Mr. West signed his deal as a solo artist with the Roc in 2002, but his album did not arrive until early winter 2004. Filmmakers Coodie & Chike open up “Purpose” with vintage footage of an eight-year-old Kanye rapping, and it is clear that even then, West was a star in the making. One of “Purpose “highlights is seeing Kanye’s work ethic come into play. Hip Hop heads are too sure to geek out as we see West in the studio making songs such as “Champions” from the Paid in Full soundtrack and a personal favorite “The Bounce” from Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse. Music historians know that West’s track verse was his first appearance as a rapper on any Roc-A-Fella release. 

In addition, “Purpose” shows Kanye working with Jamie Foxx, Ludacris, Pharrell, and numerous others. One of the most surprising things about Purpose is receiving a refresher from the glory days of Roc A Fella. I was surprised to see forgotten artists such as Peedi Crack and Young Steff pop up as folks who were on the docket to work with West at some point. There was also mention of West’s first mixtape, Get Well Soon, which I forgot about.

Naturally, “Purpose” also delves into West’s fatal 2002 car accident, which would lead to West’s breakthrough debut single “Through The Wire.” After seeing the grind mode following the accident and perfectionism that West put into The College Dropout, it is clear why he has become a full-fledged icon. The directors wrap up “Purpose” just as Kanye is in full bloom as a superstar with an ominous closing narration of what’s to come in Part 3.

With tons of trivia and a nostalgic Hip Hop feel that took me back to my first year in the Air Force, the second act of Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy is my favorite of the three. Should Kanye ever decide to do a feature narrative biopic on his life, then the temple set in “Purpose” is one that I would follow.

Final Grade: A +

Act two of Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy arrives on Netflix tomorrow, February 23rd.