Procrastinating with Eli: Don’t Let Kanye into his Zone

Screenshot+of+the+Kanye+Zone+website.+Usernames+blocked+out+to+protect+privacy.

Eli Dinkelspiel

Screenshot of the Kanye Zone website. Usernames blocked out to protect privacy.

Procrastinating with Eli is a blog that shows off some of the best ways to take a breather on the web —  from sites that blow you away with their beauty and creativity, to some of the most inane time-sucks out there.

http://www.kanyezone.com/

 

In late 2011, hip-hop superstars Kanye West and Jay Z released the hit single, “N**gas in Paris,” (warning: the video includes explicit lyrics and it warns that it “has been identified by Epilepsy Action to potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy”) to great acclaim. The song’s catchy production — which featured lines from the 2007 comedy, “Blades of Glory” — mixed with ‘Ye and Hovah’s classic swagger, became the go-to song for months. The Urban basketball team ran out to the song, and people still flood the dance floor upon its first few seconds of play at Urban dances.

The game “Kanye Zone (an interactive web experience),” released in March 2012, takes West’s chant from “N**gas in Paris”, “don’t let me into my zone,” and transforms it into a literal experience, where the player must block a cutout of West’s head from entering a “zone” using the arrow keys and spacebar. It’s stupid, a waste of time, and, most importantly, totally hilarious. The “Otter Spice” (led by Michael Frederickson and Stephen Barlow) team should be commended for such a brilliant gem of procrastination.

A list of the creators of Kanye Zone.
A list of the creators of Kanye Zone.

 

Time Lost: Between one and five minutes

Category: Minigame

Entertainment Factor: It’s a blast, if a little short-lived.

Self-Improvement Factor: You’re not going to end up a better person, but at least “the Zone” doesn’t cost you too much time, like so many other free flash games.

Final Grade: It’s a little simplistic, but that’s part of the joy. Anything more would be superfluous. B+.