I don't think people studying english or poetry should be looking at these lyrics and thinking that they should be as good as shakespeares. It would be very tough for a rapper to have lyrics with the intellectual value or wit, like that of shakespeare. I disagree with the fact that rap ran out of ideas and keeps recycling the old ones. I find this album to be like nothing else. Maybe i have been listening to the wrong albums, but just the beats and the musicality behind the album was pretty different. Just my opinion, i'm not a english major, nor am i studying poetry or anything like that, so take of it what you will
Actually, Shakespeare was a pop phenemenon in his time. Yes, he wrote well and there are deeper meanings, but his plays were more the equivalent of a popular movie good enough to win a Best Picuture Oscar. Plus, there are all sorts of dirty jokes and topical references in there.
When I look for serious depth, I turn to the great novelists and poets. Some essayists are wonderful, too.
What I mean by depth and sophistication is not "serious" subject matter. You can discuss cancer or genocide or anything serious in a lightweight way with no meaning.
First, the author has to have an understanding of all the clichés, stereotypes and prevailing common wisdom, then avoids those. As you'll notice, Kanye drinks deeply of all three. Does he really say anything about life, music, the black experience, etc. that hasn't been said thousands of times before?
Next, the text should have several layers of meaning. It should have a plain meaning, but then should subtly comment on several other layers of understanding. The best work can be teased apart to reveal several meanings. The meanings should be consistent and ultimately add up to a greater insight than reading it straight. This is not easy to do, and is why you'll find the great authors laboring for years over a few hundred pages. It also takes formal training or an astute mentor to unlock a lot of literature. That might come across as snobbish, but like anything worthwhile, it pays off. Once you know how to analyze a work, you get a huge amount of entertainment from it. On one level, you get a great story. Then you get to pull out all the other meanings and symbolism. A good novel or book of poetry can be gone back to for a lifetime, finding something new each time. The same is true, by the way, of classical music. If you learn a little music theory and the basics of composition, you can find new things with every listen. You develop a relationship with the great works.
This is what bothers me about Kanye (and lots of popular music) being labeled as "great." It is not. A listen or two extracts all the meaning, making it boring after awhile.
I am not saying that pop music cannot be enjoyed. I like a lot of it. But I tend to consume it for awhile, then move onto something else. Truly great work keeps you coming back for a lifetime.
If you get the chance, take a class or two on literature. This is not some exclusive club - I think anyone can learn to appreciate great works. Once you have the tools to disassemble the good stuff, you'll have a blast. No, literature isn't stuffy or a bore. Most of it was controversial at one point - you'll find all sorts of sex, violence, subversion, blasphemy, and much else.