Kanye West in Jeen-Yuhs

Directors Coodie and Chike provided never-before-seen footage of a young Kanye in their documentary film, giving a more in-depth narrative to the Kanye we know today. 

On February 16, 2022, Netflix aired the “Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy” documentary film. The documentary was directed by Coodie and Chike. Not only did Coodie narrate the entire trilogy, but he also shot most of the clips from the past two decades.

Coodie provided the audience with a plethora of unreleased footage from before Kanye even signed his record deal with Roc-A-Fella in 2002. A lot of Coodie’s footage was taped before and during the creation of Kanye’s first album, “The College Dropout.”

With Kanye at the forefront of conversation today, nobody knew that this footage would add extra clarity and understanding for people. During the documentary, Coodie stated that he didn’t realize what capturing those moments would lead to.

Mekhi Abbott, senior at Howard University, understands and appreciates the context that captured moments provide for audiences.

“When I was watching “Jeen-Yuhs,” I felt like the footage added so much context to Kanye’s predicament. Yeah we all heard “The College Dropout” but we didn’t really understand everything that went into producing the album and Kanye trying to establish himself in the rap game.” Abbott explained.

The three-part docuseries gave viewers a backstage look into the making of “The College Dropout.” Coodie also filmed special segments that gave an in-depth look into the creation of songs like “Through The Wire.” On this track, Kanye is rapping the lyrics while his mouth is wired shut due to a car accident. Viewers also got a chance to see the making of the music video. 

“I didn’t realize all that went into creating this album. I’m happy this documentary was released and showed us raw and uncut footage. It makes me, personally, appreciate the music that much more,” Abbott explained.