Just as it was beginning to feel like we’d reached Peak Kanye for the year, Netflix decided to remind us all that they have a Yeezy documentary in the chamber. The first look at Jeen-Yuhs, the three-part series set to drop sometime in 2022, isn’t so much a teaser as it is an extended version of an old clip that has been in the ether for years. The clip shows Mos Def and Kanye circa 2002, freestyling their verses to what would become “Two Words,” a bar-heavy standout on West’s seminal debut album The College Dropout. Kanye’s emotional delivery alone speaks to the chip he had on his shoulder at the time, his eagerness to show and prove, and the passion that would come to define one of the most controversial figures in music.
The doc was filmed by longtime Kanye collaborators Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah, who have been working with Kanye in some form or fashion since 1998 and directed the videos for tracks like “Jesus Walks” and the aforementioned “Two Words.” They reportedly received $30 million for the doc (although a source later disputed that number) which is comprised of footage all the way up to West’s failed 2020 presidential campaign. West is not involved creatively.