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Act 1 - Young Rulers
LeBron James entered the League as the most hyped high schooler in my lifetime. The hoopla surrounding his debut was incalculable. Dude was on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a junior. And when the Cavs did terrible enough to secure his services, James was the first pick of the draft and went in to his rookie year as the prohibitive favorite to take home the ROY trophy; which he did after an impressive debut.
Compare that to the debut of Kanye West; after 3 years as a Jay-A apprentice, West released The College Dropout to deafening critical acclaim and commercial success. In time, the record would reach #2 on Billboard's Top 200 and #1 on the Hip-Hop and R&B charts. When trophy time in the music world came around, Kanye took home Grammys for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song. Standing on the cusp of greatness, both LeBron and Kanye sought to make their most important strides in their young careers.
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Act 2 - Fissures in the Towers
No matter what glory Late Registration received at the time, in retrospect, it pales in comparison to The College Dropout. Whether it was lyrical complacency, forced introspection, or attempting to live up to his own hype, Kanye West's sophomore effort falters where his debut was so strong. As has been well documented, Kanye became irritatingly brash, declaring for anyone who would listen that he was going to change rap forever. And though Late Registration debuted at #1, the extravagant orchestration, bizarre instrumentation, and more inward-looking lyrical approach now feels like listening to a man try to prove how great he thinks he is. West would go on to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album again, but his boasting left many people sour.
At this same time, LeBron James was taking home some serious hardware as well. Following his second and third seasons, LeBron was named to the 2nd and 1st All-NBA teams respectively. However, the Cavaliers failed to make the playoffs in the 04-05 season then lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 05-06. It was around this time that LeBron began stating that he sought to be a global icon. Unfortunately, it was also in this time frame that many people began to question his ability to win a game in crunch time. Though both statements are hyperbolically overstated, LeBron's reputation took a bit of a hit.
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Act 3 - Shackling the Masses
So here we are. As these two stories have traveled down parallel roads of redemption we come to present times and the most recent (and important) contributions that these two saviors have made.
Kanye West's Graduation is stunning in its restraint. That's not to say that this record isn't totally indulgent because it is. It's also not perfect as a whole but parts certainly are. Rather than continue to expand on his old soul style, Kanye has turned to Europe and fashioned himself as some kind of hybrid Dilla/Timbaland. Stringing together his trademark samples with icy, squelchy synthesizers West has improved upon his original modus operandi to the point that his new steez is wholly unique and untouchable. And though his losing the much ballyhooed showdown with Fitty would further entwine he and LeBron's careers, it won't happen.
Much like Kanyeezy, LeBron's last performance was his greatest accomplishment to date. His insane Game 5 explosion is the kind of thing we've been needing to appoint LeBron as the True Savior of the game we love. Though he was betrayed by less than stellar teammates in the Finals, the playoff manifesto that LeBron birthed is exactly what was expected of him. For the first time in his career, the true capabilities of this typhoon of basketball talent showed its terrifying force.
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Postscript - Soothsaying
Both careers short but filled with eons of meaning. Two men simultaneously where they should be and nowhere near what they can become. The stories of LeBron James and Kanye West are quite incomplete, but it feels good to be able to experience something important. In the years to come, there is nothing but hope that these cats become exactly what they expect from themselves.
