Move 1: This song is extremely different to the things the rapper Kanye West was distributing to the media during that period of time. Kanye West is has always proclaimed his faith but during this time period he usually made music that goes against what he believes in. Making this song was a huge shift from what he was making previously. Also, he mentions issues with modern society and the idea that we all need God. This song is extremely interesting and one of my favorite songs of all time because of the message and the samples used. It is very rare to get an artist of his caliper producing music like this.
Move 2: The main component of this song is the sample “Walk with Me” performed by the ARC Choir which is repeated throughout the song. Then it goes on to his verses which touches on the suffering of the black community and the evil in this world.
Move 3: The repetition within this song is the sample as mentioned before, and without this sample, the song would not be what it is. The sample brings a great energy in my opinion and reflects bold religious themes, which hooks the listeners to want to keep listening to hear what Kanye is trying to convey. The binary oppositions are the contrasts of good and evil.
Move 4: The explicit is that Kanye believes that he needs Jesus and the world needs a Savior. The implicit is that the music industry promotes evil and doesn’t push music that is valuable to humanity.
Move 5: I question what is holding him back from fully pushing this message?
I really like this description of the song and the way the song uses different moves. I agree with you that the song has a deeper meaning and he’s trying to show the audience something. Him continuously repeating Walk with us shows his pain and fight for people to understand what he’s saying
It’s important that you noted the context of this song. This song was a strong shift from his typical music which was paired in a shift in his own lifestyle. From around this era onward Kanye would preach about his life with god and incorporate it heavily in his music.
This is not your usual Kanye West song but it really inspired a whole new audience of religious people who don’t have a massive music interest in the first place.