Days before its official release, Netflix has unveiled the full trailer of the Kanye West documentary “jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy.” But unlike the initial teaser released last month, this new, full look gives a preview of all three parts of West’s epic journey.
“When I first put the camera on this up-and-coming producer back in ’98, I knew he was destined for greatness. The goal would be to see how long his dreams would take him. But I had no idea where life would take us next,” the film’s director and narrator Clarence “Coodie” SImmons” says in the new trailer. “It felt like the bigger Kanye got, the farther we grew apart. But there was more to Kanye’s story I needed to tell.”
The first part of the seven-hour documentary series looked at West’s struggles trying to make it as a rapper in Chicago, and in Todd Gilchrist’s review of “Act 1: Vision” out of Sundance, he explains that West barely has a record deal by the time the first chapter ends. In addition to giving a peek at the Chicago hip hop scene and other emerging rappers such as Twista, Common and Rhymefest, it also shows West’s tireless effort to get someone to notice his even-then undeniable talent.
“It’s certainly fascinating to watch West be one of a scrum of people shuffling through a label-hosted birthday party for Jay-Z, waiting for his opportunity to shake the hand of the rapper for whom he produced ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A.).’ And it’s almost sad to see West be the ‘guy behind the guy,’ going from office to office in Def Jam performing ‘All Falls Down’ in a desperate effort to convince someone to sign him, or even advocate for him, knowing what we now know about his presence in modern music,” Gilchrist wrote in his review.
The West documentary “jeen-yuhs” is directed by Coodie & Chike and comes from Time Studios and Creative Control and is described as an intimate and revealing portrait of Kanye’s experience dating back to his formative days trying to break into the business as a rapper, brand and artist and includes never-before-seen footage of his challenges and triumphs across music and fashion.
Following its debut of “Act 1: (Vision)” at the virtual Sundance Film Festival, “jeen-yuhs” will also be released theatrically by Iconic Events Releasing Feb. 10. It will then debut across three weeks on Netflix beginning Feb. 16.
Simmons also wrote “jeen-yuhs” with J. Ivy and produced alongside Chike Ozah and Leah Natasha Thomas.
Check out the full trailer above.
