Every historical era has had its genius musicians who could exert a meaningful social influence. Such artists not only created musical works with a creative function but were also crucial historical figures of their time. However, a parallel comparison between the geniuses of past and present times may seem challenging to make since the overall development of the Internet and improved accessibility to music schools have resulted in a qualitative increase in the number of people associated with music. The number of genres used has also expanded: contemporary artists often perform hip-hop, techno, and electric music, whereas artists of past centuries were usually associated with orchestral or folk music. Nevertheless, if one does not take a genre of music and country of origin as control variables, one can use social influence as the primary criterion for comparison. Thus, it is assumed that nineteenth-century German composer Ludwig van Beethoven and present-day American rapper Kanye West (Ye) are commensurate historical figures. This essay seeks to prove this point using historical and social comparison criteria.
An essential aspect of the comparative analysis of the two musicians is the biographical background. Beethoven is generally regarded as the last representative of the Viennese school of music (Holmes). In other words, Beethoven possessed a wide range of musical instruments and could practice a plurality of genres, from folk to baroque music (November 29). From his earliest days, Beethoven was a baptized Catholic and grew up under the educational pressure of his father, who wanted to make his son a copy of the genius Mozart. During his university years, Beethoven became a creator of the French Revolution, composing Der Freie Mann. By the age of 26, the composer began to lose his hearing, and this tragedy for a musical artist often led him to thoughts of suicide, but he overcame it and lived to the age of 56 (November 34). In analyzing Beethoven’s biography, one can see that his musical path developed in an undulating and inconsistent manner.
A similar path can be seen in Kanye West, the modern American rapper. Like Beethoven, West’s father was quite a popular public figure, but unlike the German classic, the rapper did not live under the pressure of his father (“Kanye West”). Kanye, in addition, also from his early childhood, showed persistence in creativity: it is believed that the boy created music for video games on the computer presented to him by his mother Donda, authored poems, and sold music compositions to other authors. Significantly, West also has a severe illness, but unlike Beethoven, it is related to mental health: in particular, Kanye West is believed to suffer from manic-depressive psychosis (Berman and Boguski). Thus, there are many similar details in the biographical summaries of both musicians, but overall, their careers and destinies seem little comparable.
However, it was not so much the biographical criterion that motivated the choice of West and Beethoven figures in this essay. Both men are assumed to have similar social influences, and each can inevitably be called a “genius of his time. Beethoven, while deaf, was able to compose seminal compositions, among them the Eroica Symphony, Piano Sonata No. 31, and Symphony No. 5. It is probably this seeming contradiction — how could a deaf man produce such impressive works? — that is one of the determinants of Beethoven’s social success. A similar thing is true of West: the rapper was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016 (Berman and Boguski). In this sense, audiences listening to West can empathize with the musician, which also becomes a factor in his wide popularity.
There is probably no direct link between the presence of a serious illness, whether of mental or physical pathogenesis, but the linking power of these variables: illness and popularity cannot be ruled out. It cannot be entirely certain that additional social acceptance is not the product of the encouragement of vulnerable groups. At the same time, one cannot deny the apparent talent of each of the performers. Therefore, the correct conclusion would be to call the unique combination of genuine musical talent and the presence of an incurable disease the driving force behind the expansion of social influence.
Moreover, social influence is not created on an empty foundation but is instead constantly nourished. It could be said that both Beethoven and West suffered to a certain extent from narcissism because they could compare themselves to Gods. For example, in notes from 1820, Ludwig wrote that “Socrates and Jesus were models for me” (November 132). At the same time, Beethoven compared himself to the Bacchus, “who presses out this glorious wine for mankind” (Eshbach 9). Similar solipsistic thoughts are characteristic of Kanye West’s art. The man’s album includes the track “I am a God,” which directly points to the rapper’s desire to call himself God. In addition, the last of the released works have a prominent church theme. It is not known precisely what motivated both men when they compared themselves to Gods. It cannot be ruled out, however, that the central motive behind such behavior was a provocative desire to assert themselves and create additional resonance around their name.
While the difference in the musical genres used is noticeable, there is another similarity between Beethoven and West: each of the authors at one time became a mentor to another famous musician. For example, Beethoven’s prominent students include the Viennese composer, Haydn, while West taught the famous American rapper Jay-Z in the early nineties. From the above, one can conclude that each of the artists, convinced of their skills, recognized their ability to teach others. Their protégés have also become highly famous musicians, which can speak to the high professionalism of the mentors.
It is true to summarize that there is a transparent parallel between West and Beethoven in terms of social influence and the significance of their figures. The genius, immediacy, and perhaps some narcissism of the artists are apparent to many people, but not only to the author of the current essay. Thus, one of the most striking examples of their association is the Beethoven concert performed on April 16, 2016 (Ross 167). During this performance, the orchestra performed compositions by German and American artists mixed. This event summarizes the apparent parallelism between the two composers.
To summarize, every historical era has its familiar figures in the musical world who leave a legacy. Given the complete dissimilarity of socio-economic, ethnic, and historical backgrounds, German composer Beethoven and American rapper West show similar patterns almost two hundred years apart. Both West and Beethoven have similar societal influences. This essay has shown that both artists had health problems, were perceived as geniuses of their time and perceived themselves as perhaps overly egocentric, and, in addition, were mentors to other famous artists. Consequently, it is impossible to ignore the obvious parallels in their life stories.
Works Cited
Berman, Michele R., and Mark S. Boguski. “Understanding Kanye West’s Bipolar Disorder.” Med Page Today, Web.
Eshbach, Robert Whitehouse. “‘For all are born to the Ideal’: Joseph Joachim and Bettina von Arnim.” Music and Letters, vol. 101, no. 4, 2020, pp. 713-742.
Holmes, Jonathan. “Who are the three composers of the Second Viennese School?” Cement Answers, Web.
“Kanye West.” Biography, Web.
November, Nancy. The Cambridge Companion to the Eroica Symphony. Cambridge University Press, 2020.
Ross, Megan. The Critical and Artistic Reception of Beethoven’s String Quartet in C♯ Minor, Op. 131. 2019. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, PhD dissertation.