This Is Our Jam: Kanye West Featuring Pusha T, “New God Flow”

When Kanye West performed an excerpt of “New God Flow” at the BET Awards, he proved once again that he's one of the rare performers who can absolutely own a television audience. Stepping into the crowd, Kanye West rapped an a capella version of track, stomping his feet as if to will the audience into action.

As it turns out, the recorded version of the “New God Flow” manages a similarly intense effect, letting Pusha T and Kanye West maintain all the anger and vulnerability they showed at that show. When Pusha T lauds Kanye more unhinged behavior (“I think it’s good that 'Ye got a blow dealer / A hot temper, matched with a cold killer”), well, it’s certainly the first time anyone’s called Kanye West a “killer” and made it sound believable. And Kanye more than pulls his weight as well, as he melts his own persecution complex into a heartfelt narrative of a kid growing up poor. There are competing themes, and it may not all hang together perfectly, but that’s how Kanye West is at his best: a contradiction you can’t ignore.