Why We Need Kanye

A great column today on Popmatters discusses Kanye West's success by "Activity Placement." Sure, producing hot beats is part of the formula, but Thomas Hauner asserts that there is a unique and calculated approach taking place:

Key to Kanye’s success is adapting to the new information landscape as quickly as it has evolved, and he’s done so by understanding the stress of permeating culture quickly, virally, and subliminally. Success isn’t to be force-fed down listeners’ throats via payola and TRL, but nursed by understanding our needs and habits and producing complimentary music for them.

Read the rest here.