Kanye West Performed a Fire New Song at the Brit Awards

Kanye West performed his new song “All Day” at the Brit Awards today and much to the world’s delight, it features him rapping.

“All Day”—snippets of which leaked last year and earlier this month—is as unbridled, giddy and grimy as West can get. It’s the essence of Rapping Ye, which is a relief coming off the sad sereneness of “Only One” and the quiet rage of “FourFiveSeconds.”

After being introduced by Kim Kardashian, he appeared on stage surrounded by what I estimate to be 503 (or 50-ish) black men dressed in black—probably his way of challenging the notion of “intimidating” black figures—rapping so fast that he ended up breathless. The song is fire, literally, there were flames shooting up on stage.

Question: How much time did you spend at the mall?

Answer: All day.

Question: How much time does it take you to get fly?

Answer: All day.

He raps: “I’m like a light-skinned slave boy/ We in the motherfuckin’ house.” He raps: “You a Rico Suave, driving around listening to Sade/ If you ain’t with us you in our way/ You an actor you should be on Broadway.”

As usual, Taylor Swift (standing in the audience) was so incredibly moved by the convulsing beat and filled with the spirit of Ye High Body Roller that she spontaneously combusted. I can’t blame her. Lionel Richie was chill, though, and pleased. Not loving your views on racism lately, Kanye, but your new song makes me: