“Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy” - Act I Review

Story posted February 23, 2022 in Arts & Entertainment by Jayson O’Connell.

It’s no secret that Kanye West is one of the most charismatic and controversial celebrities that the world has ever seen. Whether it’s for his conflict with Pete Davidson, his recent sightings with unusual crowds or a graphic image he used as a single cover, West always seems to find a way to get in the news.

If all of that wasn’t enough album promotion, the first episode of “Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy” released Wednesday also in hopes of getting people to talk about West. The documentary follows West’s journey from being an underground producer to his current stardom.

The first act of this trilogy is titled “Vision.” It takes the viewer through the early moments of his career and his quest to get signed by a record label.

The episode starts in 1998 with Coodie Simmons, West’s friend and producer of the show, talking about how West is like no artist that he has ever seen. He believed in West so much that he dropped all his projects at the time and moved with West to New York City to film a documentary about his career.

The documentary shows that West produced for many artists such as Jay-Z, Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Despite his ability to create head-bobbing beats, West had bigger dreams of being a rapper.

The viewer gets to see West show some of his songs that later became smash hits, such as “Jesus Walks” and “All Falls Down,” to multiple record labels, but they don’t seem to take him seriously as a rapper.

But this doesn’t stop West. He tries to find ways to get the record label’s attention such as adding other rappers on his songs and getting on TV and radio talk shows.

The audience also gets insight on West’s dedication to his work and becoming big. Throughout the episode, West emphasizes that he dreams of making it big and he will not stop until he does.

West also talks about how he sees everything in his life as a positive and he always looks on the bright side of things.
The audience also gets some stories and heart-warming moments from some of West’s biggest influences in his early life. Dug Infinite talks about how he would help West with his production as a teenager.

Touching moments also come when we see West interact with his mother. He and his mother talk about his early songs and she emphasizes how proud of him she is.

This episode of the documentary really shows why West has the mentality that he has to this day. He has always wanted to be the best at what he does, and he always tried to create music like no one has ever heard.

It was also very exciting to see him in the studio and his apartment producing the songs that became hits off his debut album, “The College Dropout.”

You can really see why this act is called “Vision.” It gives a deep dive into how West sees his career turning out and his dedication to his craft.

This installment of the trilogy gets the viewer rooting for West. It paints him as the underdog who is hard working and driven by the music he makes.

Almost anyone watching this documentary, no matter how they feel about West, can get behind him and root for him in this episode and throughout the series.

It also inspires the audience to believe in themselves. If a kid from a lower-class family in Chicago can produce music for some of the biggest rappers at the time, why can’t the viewers accomplish their dreams?

At the end of the episode, flashes of the next one are shown. The audience sees West gain popularity from his debut album, the car crash he was in and his recovery from it.

Viewers should expect to see West’s rise to fame in the early to mid-2000’s in the next act that is set to release on February 23.


Jayson O’Connell is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jbo5216@psu.edu.