‘Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy’ Is The ‘Citizen Kane’ Of Hip Hop Documentaries

Genius or jackass, prophet or profiteer, love him or hate him, Kanye West is a part of us. Perhaps the defining artist of the new century, he commands our attention, generating headlines so fast that we struggle to keep up with them. In the past year alone, he has:

• Signed a 10-year deal with clothing brand the GAP.
• Legally changed his name to Ye.
• Appeared publicly with controversial rapper DaBaby and shock rocker Marilyn Manson.
• Been accused of cyberbullying his daughter, North West.
• Released over 4 hours of new music on the albums Donda and Donda 2, both of which were named after his late mother.
• Been booked as one of the headliners of Coachella 2022.
• Threatened to pull out of Coachella if Billie Eilish doesn’t apologize to Travis Scott for some imagined slight.
• Divorced wife Kim Kardashian.
• Been accused of abusive behavior for his incessant social media posts about Kardashian and their divorce.
• Put out two animated videos in which he beats and beheads Kim’s new boyfriend, Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson.

Adding to the never ending conversation is the three-part documentary series jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, which premiered on Netflix this past January. Directed by creative partners Coodie & Chike, it runs four and half hours long and was filmed over the course of 21 years. Featuring a plethora of rare early footage, it charts West’s complicated journey from hungry young hip hop maven to global superstar.

Born Clarence Ivy Simmons Jr., Coodie met the young Kanye in the late 1990s as the host of Channel Zero, a cable access show which covered the Chicago hip hop scene. An aspiring comedian in his youth, Coodie is the film’s narrator, chronicling West’s professional victories and personal losses, like Dilios recounting the feats of King Leonidas in the historical action movie 300. He first teamed up with co-director Chike Ozah on Kanye’s career-making music video “Through The Wire” and they have remained collaborators since.

When we first meet Kanye he is living “beat to beat.” Despite producing an impressive run of hits for other artists, no one is particularly interested in him as a solo star. His hustle is relentless. He pushes his music on everyone within earshot, whether or not they want to listen. It’s amusing to see him dissed and dismissed by artists and industry insiders you know he will soon leave behind to choke on his dust.

Recognizing Kanye’s potential, Coodie follows him to New York, his first disciple, and documents his efforts to secure a record deal. West’s other great champion is his mother, Dr. Donda C. West, who’s referred to as an “English teacher” but was actually the head of the English Department at Chicago State University. She provides her son with an ever-flowing stream of encouragement, advice and love. “You play tracks like Michael Jordan shoots free throws,” she says proudly. Their devotion to each other is palpable and moving.

Though episode 2 finds West signed to Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records, a car crash nearly ends his career before it’s begun. Kanye flips the incident, using it as the inspiration for “Through The Wire,” where he famously rapped through the wire that held his broken jaw shut, a pivotal piece of myth making. Still, he must finance the song’s video himself and do most of the promotional legwork himself. The episode ends with his commercial breakthrough and 2005 Grammy wins for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song.

While episode 3 covers the most ground, it’s in many ways the most compelling installment. Coodie thinks he has the documentary in the bag but Kanye isn’t ready for the world to see the real him. “He told me he was acting now, playing a role,” Coodie says. As West levitates into the ether, Coodie finds himself, “on the outside looking in.” Years pass without any contact. In the interim, Donda tragically dies from complications of plastic surgery, and Kanye pisses off half the population with his antics.

Coodie and Kanye reconnect in 2017, following West’s hospitalization for maladies both mental and physical. He finds a different man than the one he knew before. What remains is his self-determination. Surrounded by sycophants, his creative obsessions now include fashion, art, and religion. Coodie and Kanye discuss their Christian faith and West’s sense of mission. Sounding messianic, he tells Coodie, “I’m not gonna be completely happy and completely satisfied until the world is completely satisfied and the world is completely happy.” We may doubt the purity of his intentions but make no mistake, Kanye believes his own bullshit.

When Covid hits, Coodie decides it’s time to finish the documentary and travels to the Dominican Republic to get Kanye’s approval. He arrives to find West launching a presidential campaign, negotiating business deals, and working on new music. He alternates between manic impulses and a clear sense of purpose. Disturbed by Kanye‘s erratic behavior, Coodie turns to prayer. The film ends with headlines and soundbites flashing forward into the future.

Like The Beatles: Get Back, jeen-yuhs offers a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the most important artists of our time through exclusive footage of Kanye West at his most unguarded. The vantage point, however, is entirely different. While Get Back found a famous band holding on for survival, jeen-yuhs shows a young artist at the start of his career. In following through to the here and now, Coodie & Chike create a Citizen Kane-like tale of innocence and experience. The “old Kanye” we meet at the film’s outset breaks down the castle walls in pursuit of his dreams but is unaware of the monster that lives inside. The end result is a 3-dimensional portrait of West, sympathetic but honest, which helps explain the Ye he’s become.

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician. Follow him on Twitter: @BHSmithNYC.