Hear Ye: The latest Kanye West doco will have you missing the old Kanye

WATCH / Hear ye, hear ye!

‘The Trouble With Kanye’ details how the once revered rapper became associated with the far-right and his struggle with bipolar disorder. Credit: Getty Images

“Prophet” is exactly the kind of label you imagine Kanye West might enjoy, but if the track I Love Kanye from his 2019 album Life of Pablo is anything to go by, the controversial rapper may have prophesied his own demise. “I miss the old Kanye, straight from the ’Go Kanye, Chop up the soul Kanye, set on his goals Kanye,” he raps. “But I hate the new Kanye, the bad mood Kanye, The always rude Kanye, spaz in the news Kanye.”

Once considered a visionary, West – now called Ye – has seen his legacy eroded by a series of high-profile controversies, from hanging out with Donald Trump and praising Adolf Hitler to associating with members of the alt-right movement. All this from a rapper who told us, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.“

The rise and fall of the 24-time Grammy winner is explored in new documentary The Trouble With Kanye (airing now on Binge). Set against the backdrop of Ye’s now-stagnant 2024 presidential election campaign – a time when his behaviour sparked outrage and a re-evaluation of his place in American culture – award-winning journalist Mobeen Azhar attempts to understand the journey that has brought the troubled superstar to this point.

Speaking to those who’ve known and worked with Ye since his early days, Azhar doesn’t shy away from interrogating his notoriety, while also examining the role his 2020 bipolar diagnosis may have played in his outbursts. A compelling watch that’s sure to leave you thinking, I miss the old Kanye, too. Thomas Mitchell

PLAY / You must remember this

“Babbage wanted to rewind the motion of all molecules of air to hear again the voices of long-lost loved ones, vows and promises unredeemed.”

Atmospheric Memory, an exhibition by Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, headlines the Powerhouse Museum’s Sydney Science Festival (August 11-20). The exhibition is inspired by the writing of 19th-century computer pioneer Charles Babbage, who believed that the air surrounding us is a “vast library” containing every word ever spoken.

“Babbage wanted to rewind the motion of all molecules of air to hear again the voices of long-lost loved ones, vows and promises unredeemed,” explains Lozano-Hemmer. “Atmospheric Memory, possibly the most ambitious project I’ve ever undertaken, explores his idea 200 years later.” The exhibition also contains 50 objects from the museum’s collection, including Babbage’s Difference Engine No 1, a mechanical calculating machine that anticipated the modern computer. Frances Mocnik

LISTEN / Untrue confessions

Jason Carroll (pictured in court last year), lost control of his own narrative in the worst possible way by confessing to a crime he didn’t commit.

At the end of episode one in the latest season of true-crime podcast Bear Brook, there’s a twist big enough to give you whiplash. It involves exactly who was in the room when New Hampshire teen Jason Carroll confessed to the murder of pregnant 36-year-old Sharon Johnson in 1988.

When host Jason Moon admits he delayed sharing this information to heighten the impact, it’s a telling moment about the slippery nature of truth and the framing of a story to achieve effect.

It also feeds into the story of Carroll, who lost control of his own narrative in the worst possible way by confessing to a crime he didn’t commit. Why? Well, you’ll just have to listen. Barry Divola

DELIGHT / Flame fans

Nonna’s Grocer makes candles almost good enough to eat.

In season all year round, these deliciously tactile candles are handmade in the shape of fruits and vegetables. “Our only rule is they can’t be perfect,” says event-producer turned candle-maker Madeleine Hoy of Nonna’s Grocer (from $32): “We love fruit and vegetables that have lumps and dints, and that tell a story by their shape.” The collection includes fat yellow lemons, vibrantly red tomatoes, a bunch of purple grapes, and this surprise bestseller – a squat, two toned fennel bulb ($59) – inspired by Hoy’s Sicilian-born great-grandparents, who opened their first fruit shop in Daylesford, Victoria. Jill Dupleix

READ / Mother love

Ann Patchett’s novel is centred around the idea that too often we forget that our parents have their own lives.

Tom Lake, American writer Ann Patchett’s latest novel ($33), is for anyone who’s ever wondered what happened in their parents’ lives before they were born. When COVID brings Lara’s three 20-something daughters back to the family farm in Michigan, they persuade her to tell them about her long-ago romance with Peter Duke, her co-star in a summer production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town before he became a famous actor. What follows is a powerful meditation on love (obsessive, married, maternal), a compelling portrayal of the seductions (and pitfalls) of the theatre world, and a reminder to cherish the good things in life. Deeply satisfying. Nicole Abadee

SHOP / Save our skin

Australia skincare brand Metamorphosis specialise in peri- or postmenopausal skincare, including a cooling mist for hot flushes and a vaginal moisturiser.

Are you peri- or postmenopausal and noticing changes in your skin? Australian skincare brand Metamorphosis explains in straightforward language how hormonal fluctuations bring new skincare challenges, including pervasive dryness and sensitivity, and how each of its specially formulated products aims to combat them. The range includes hydrating creams (such as Emerge Hydrating Day Cream; $180), toners, serums, body oils and lotions. There’s also a spritz (Cool & Calm Hot Flush Cooling & Relaxing Mist; $70/100ml) to help with hot flushes, while The Other Lips Balm ($60), a vaginal moisturiser made from all-natural ingredients, including pumpkin seed oil (a rich source of zinc and phytoestrogens), takes care of hydration, ahem, down there. Frances Mocnik

To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times