Kanye West’s seventh studio album “THE LIFE OF PABLO” is brilliant. It brings together a family of talented musicians and industry professionals to create a musical masterpiece. I can say this with confidence because Kanye believes it. He believes his talents are on par with Pablo Picasso, Pablo Escobar, and San Pablo (Saint Peter). There is a hidden reference in “PABLO” and it’s not a person but a tax refund kiosk

PABLO is the name of the Value Added Tax reclamation machine in French travel hubs. The machine’s purpose is to refund tax incurred by shoppers who bought goods in France and intend on leaving with the goods they bought (technically defined as an export). One purpose of the kiosk system is to eliminate lines for travelers waiting for their due input VAT refund by customs officials.

Photo: PABLO kiosks sans Kanye

The connection with PABLO rolls back to “N***as in Paris” from the album “Watch the Throne” released in 2011 where Ye and Jay rap about spending money and partying in Paris. [1] Neither artist mentions receiving a tax refund on their purchases because it’s not interesting story telling in a rap song. Buying a Royal Oak Complication Audemars Piguet for 869,000.00 USD is interesting. [2] The French standard VAT rate of 20% on the watch resulting in a 173,800.00 USD tax liability is not interesting. [3] They rap about the watch but leave the tax out of the story. Watches are cool but tax is not apparently.

Listeners of modern American rap are familiar with the theme of rappers who come from nothing, make it big, then give handouts to supporters. This may loosely be defined as cultural law in the rap community. Drawing parallel cultural law and VAT law mechanisms, the PABLO machine is programmed to hand out money to supporters of the French economy speaking from very high level. When “THE LIFE OF PABLO” was released Kanye is at his peak and may feel as if he constantly gives handouts to supporters. Pablo Escobar was also known for handing out money to poor communities connecting the theme of money handouts to Kanye, PABLO, and Escobar. [4]

Whether you choose to believe my claim about Kanye’s hidden meaning of “PABLO” and his connection to French Value Added Tax refund machines, know that it’s fun to believe in ridiculous things and even more fun if they are true. The Life of Pablo is one of art, religion, drugs, fame… and taxes.