While Blood On The Leaves may have been the restless climax of Yeezus, Hold My Liquor is definitely the depressing, sedating emotional pinnacle. Throughout Yeezus, we see production that ventures further than conventional hip-hop; for example, Blood On The Leaves is more Trap than anything else, and I'm In It and I Am A God are very much Chicago Drill. However, it comes as a huge shock to us when we hear Hold My Liquor because its production has no hip-hop elements whatsoever. It is, straightforwardly, acid-house.
Starting off with Justin Vernon slowly singing an anthem of sorts, the tune already stresses a very solemn vibe. Chief Keef, a very interesting collaborator since he represents the side of Chicago that Mr. West vehemently criticizes, continues with the same somber flow over a four-to-the-floor house beat but with more of a stressed stubborn tone. As soon as Kanye's verse starts however, we learn that this track is going to be an emotional journey telling the inner struggles he has on how he wants to live his life.
A cinematic masterpiece all with heavy synth phrases and guitar melodies, Hold My Liquor is The song that best describes Kanye's extremely fucked up life and the general lives of celebrities. But the most sobering message Kanye is trying to portray is that he can't win. He will never lose either though. Emotionally torn apart on both ends of the mental spectrum, he has come to accept his fate.
A drunken one-night-stand extended to a whole lifetime.
