Well, it finally happened. After years of mounting anticipation following the success of 2012's Channel Orange, Frank Ocean, the enigmatic, Odd Future-affiliated songwriter, has finally blessed us with new music, both an LP titled Blonde and the visual album, Endless. And while in recent months the hype surrounding Blonde (formerly known as Boys Don't Cry) had reached the point of absurdity, unfortunately for Ocean, Kanye West has somehow managed to steel the show yet again.
On Saturday, after releasing a blitzkrieg of new music and visuals, Ocean also dropped a highly anticipated, 366-page zine at surprise pop-up shops throughout the U.S. and London. Within the pages of those booklets (luckily, Yeezy taught us all how to pronounce the word "zine" back in February), West can be seen leaning out of his black sports car to pick up an order at the McDonald's drive-thru. On the screen next to the window, a 29-line poem follows:
McDonalds Man
McDonalds Man
The French Fries Had A Plan
The French Fries Had A Plan
The Salad Bar And The Ketchup Made A Band
Cus The French Fries Had A Plan
The French Fries Had A Plan
McDonalds Man
McDonalds
I Know Them French Fries Had A Plan
I Know Them French Fries Had A Plan
The Cheeseburger And The Shakes Formed A Band
To Overthrow The French Fries Plan
I Always Knew Them French Fries Was Evil Man
Smelling All Good And Shit
I Don’t Trust No Food That Smells That Good Man
I Don’t Trust It I Can’t
McDonalds Man
McDonalds Man
McDonalds Damn
Them French Fries Look Good Tho
I Knew The Diet Coke Was Jealous Of The Fries
I Knew The Diet Coke Was Jealous Of The Fries
Even The McRib Was Jealous Of The Fries
I could See It Through His Artificial Meat Eyes
And He Only Be There Some Of The Time
Everybody Was Jealous Of Them French Fries
Except For That One Special Guy
That Smooth Apple Pie
While there are those who have been characterizing West's ode to the Golden Arches as a "rap," the poem is clearly intended for the page, where each stanza’s complex symbolism can be thoroughly unpacked and dissected. Is West the fast-food chain's iconic, golden French fries, incurring the jealousy and hatred of his peers in the music industry? Or is he "that smooth apple pie," transcending all the pettiness and materialism of stardom? It's a a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, then slathered in Big Mac sauce.
As Complex points out, one of the most interesting revelations from Yeezy's McDonald's bars is that Iggy Azalea, of all people, actually hinted at the poem's existence in an interview with the Guardian back in 2013.
"He was playing me his 'scriptures,' as he calls his spoken word interludes," she told the publication. "There was one about McDonald's: 'Those fries/ Those fries/ I have them in my eyes/ That smooth apple pie...' I love it. What is the line between art and ignorance?"
We can’t be sure, but that line may begin at the back of a Mickey D’s drive-thru.
[via Complex]