Source: Taylor Hill / Getty
Kanye West is back on the road to work on new music. And this time around, he’s traveled to the cultural capital of the world— Wyoming. TMZ first reported that he’s “holed up” somewhere in the tenth biggest state in the country to focus on making his next album. Mr. West has a habit of hibernating when he’s in album mode, and he even deleted both of his Twitter and Instagram accounts earlier this week. While his exact location is unknown— past collaborators like Common report that he’s “in his happy place” — we know he’s probably in some obscure location finding his musical mojo.
Check out a few of Yeezy’s classics broken down by location.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Location(s): Honolulu, Hawaii
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy still reigns as Kanye’s best reviewed album thus far, and it may have to do with his creative process behind the project. The album was recorded over several months in Kanye’s studio compound in Honolulu, Hawaii, complete with an audio engineer on deck 24 hours of the day, intense runs of basketball, and a “who’s who” of musical greats flying in to contribute on the album. With the likes of Pusha-T, Kid Cudi, RZA, Nicki Minaj, and more making appearances to Kanye’s “Rap Camp,” it was one of the very rare glimpses into the world of Kanye’s laboratory.
The Life of Pablo
Location(s): Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Florence, Italy
Like MBDTF, Kanye took his talents all over the world to record The Life of Pablo. He made stops in New York and Los Angeles, as well as some international stops in Toronto, Punta Mita, Mexico, The Isle of Wight (a popular island locale in England), and Florence, Italy. There were reports of more that two dozen artists slated to make an appearance on the album, but the final roster saw several name changes. ‘Ye keeps a shroud of mystery around his creative process, but it’s commonly known that when Kanye calls to work, you better answer… no matter the time of day or night.
Watch The Throne
Location(s): New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Abu Dhabi
Fewer albums had as much hype as WTT, especially with tweets like the one above sent prior to the project’s release. But in 2011, two of the best rappers in the game partnering on a collaborative album made waves everywhere. Many wondered whose creative process would shine through stronger— Hov’s laid back approach or Kanye’s rapid-fire, outburst-laden tactics. Despite who dominated, the album was crafted in several parts of the globe, including stops in New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Australia, Paris, and Abu Dhabi. Only Hov and Yeezy would rent an entire floor of New York’s famed Mercer Hotel to complete their album, as reports stated.
‘Ye’s discography is looking like a stamped passport.
