He can't be serious. That's what all the late-night hosts and lists of ''craziest Kanye quotes'' told us about Kanye West in 2013. And sure, he's the one who said that thing about being a god, and that other thing about hurrying up with his damn massage. But like any human (even one who raps, ''No sports bra/Let's keep it bouncing''), Kanye's got every right to be serious. Asserting that freedom on Yeezus, he exposes the rage of a wildly ambitious artist confounded by the wily shape of racism today. He smashes the atoms of his fears, ego, and sex drive together for tracks like ''Black Skinhead,'' featuring rhymes about ''coon s---'' and a beat decidedly free of Under Armour. (It ended up soundtracking a popular TV spot for smartphones.) Mostly, his sound obsession runs riot, from the blown-speaker fuzz of ''On Sight'' to the abundance of dancehall singers and samples to ''Blood on the Leaves,'' with its unflinching appropriation of Nina Simone's ''Strange Fruit.'' The overriding message: Listen closely. Kanye will never validate anyone's celebrity worship. On Yeezus, though, he throws down serious thunderbolts.

Best Track: ''Blood on the Leaves''