So much nostalgia and greatness involved.

Holy hell, I did not expect there to be this level of intimate access for such a long time. That is insane and we have never seen any of it. This is the hip hop equivalent to Last Dance.

I cannot recommend this documentary highly enough, whether you’re a fan or not, because I’ve never before seen something that so clearly charts what a descent into a full-blown mental health crisis looks like.

"jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy" comes right after the release of a career-revitalising album "Donda" by Kanye West and a whole new wave of controversies his name is attached to. It's been quite the stream of news and content when it comes to the legendary rapper, but it can't quite prepare you for the sheer scope of this documentary. In the making for more than two decades, we get a very intimate look at Kanye's rise to stardom through the eyes of old friend Coodie. The intimacy truly sets this series apart. Coodie started shooting this footage years before Kanye released his acclaimed debut album "The College Dropout". His efforts in getting signed and sheer hustle are the most engaging and inspiring parts of the documentary. What's more, there's years of work before Coodie started shooting that we don't get to see. So it's clear that Kanye earned his place in the industry by fighting tooth and nail. The reality of the footage paints a true picture of an underdog story, one where there isn't a special event past which his whole life turned around. No, challenges continued to emerge for Kanye, but failures only served to motivate him. Donda West, Kanye's mother, is one of the most important figures in his life and it's beyond apparent in the documentary. The wisdom and support she provided for him is heartwarming. Her presence took over each scene she was in. I'm a little more mixed on act iii compared to its two fantastic predecessors. Without delving into spoilers too much, it follows some later events in Kanye's life. It tries to do so as best as it can, but the life situations of both Coodie and Kanye make the story flow somewhat inconsistently. Worse yet, we get to see the more toxic side of Kanye's personality, to the point where it's insufferable to watch at times. Coodie is not at fault here and I'm impressed with how good the third act was in spite of this[spoiler], and his ability to present the humanity of Ye in spite of the growing distance between the two[/spoiler]. Coodie occassionaly shifts the narrative to his own life; an odd, but necessary choice. I'm certain this is an aspect of the series that would be better appreciated on a rewatch. I do believe that the connection between the two is a fundamental drive of the documentary and that the focus only shifts away from Ye when necessary. There are lessons to be had in Coodie's tale as well, some of which relate well to the relationship he and West have. I loved jeen-yuhs and would immediately recommend it to all fans of the rapper. It might be a little harder to enjoy for others as it delves into his career with great detail. What I love the most about jeen-yuhs is the even greater context it gives to "The College Dropout" and how inspirational it is to see this unfiltered view of a man who never gave up and accomplished his dream. The aftermath is a little more rough, but it goes to show that the man might not have changed as much as one might think.

Ye - the original vlogger. Legit. This is an insane show into the life of Kanye before Kanye West.