anned ▁West ' s ▁performance , ▁calling ▁his ▁ly ric ism ▁n ause ating , ▁though ▁pra ised ▁the ▁song ' s ▁" st ub by , ▁stick - in - your - e ard rum ▁be ats ▁and ▁g list ening ▁v int age ▁synth s ." ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Tim ess ▁Jon ▁P are les ▁claimed ▁that ▁West ▁mention ing ▁his ▁sla very ▁comments ▁within ▁the ▁song ▁is ▁not ▁done ▁" as ▁a ▁historical ▁argument , ▁but ▁as ▁proof ▁of ▁his ▁aud acity ," ▁despite ▁complement ing ▁the ▁production . ▁The ▁staff ▁of ▁XX L ▁highlight ed ▁the ▁production ▁for ▁being ▁" re min is cent ▁of ▁early ▁K any e " ▁but ▁p anned ▁the ▁lyr ical ▁content ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁" lack ▁of ▁an ▁explanation " ▁of ▁West ' s ▁sla very ▁comments ▁from ▁him . ▁Writing ▁for ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly , ▁Alex ▁Sus kind ▁pra ised ▁West ' s ▁song writing , ▁while ▁describing ▁the ▁subject ▁matter ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁as ▁d our . ▁Vari ety ▁critic ▁Andrew ▁B ark er ▁called ▁the ▁song ▁" ost ens ibly ▁intros pective " ▁but ▁he ▁sl ammed ▁the ▁subject ▁matter ▁due ▁to ▁West ▁being ▁self - obs essed ▁and ▁noted ▁that ▁while ▁West ' s ▁referencing ▁of ▁his ▁sla very ▁comments ▁" off ers ▁zero ▁insight ▁into ▁his ▁actual ▁political ▁views , ▁it ▁might ▁provide ▁a ▁window ▁into ▁his ▁thinking ." ▁ ▁Some ▁review ers ▁were ▁less ▁divided ▁in ▁their ▁assess ments ▁of ▁" W ould n ' t ▁Le