"We've all heard Diddy claim the show changed his life, seen Perez Hilton gush over the performance for a solid 10 minutes and read the reviews proclaiming the spectacle to be the greatest thing to hit the stage in decades. Fearing that the bar had been set too high even for Mr. "Touch the Sky" himself, I went into the concert with a bit of skepticism. That didn't last long. Somewhere between Lupe Fiasco's 100-mile-per-hour opening and Rihanna's luminescent foray into the mind of George Lucas, I realized I was witnessing something the world will be talking about for years to come.
But Friday's show at the United Center was more than just an indulgence in mind-blowing, mainstream entertainment. Kanye's vision, manifested in this masterpiece of artistic stimulation, is the new model for how a stadium should be properly rocked. Every minute detail, from the teaser lightshow before Lupe's bit to Rihanna's costume retooling mid-tour, has been closely scrutinized by Kanye to ensure that all four sets come together into one beautiful, cohesive experience.
You can hate Kanye for his arrogance. You can hate Kanye for his self-indulgence. You can even hate him for spazzing out when he loses at award shows - though we're all guilty of taking losses too harshly. But you can't hate him for his dedication to pushing the artistic envelope and keeping his worldwide audience close to his heart. In his book, Kanye professes, "Love your haters, they're your biggest fans!"