Kriti Mehrotra
Created by Clarence “Coodie” Simmons and Chike Ozah, Netflix’s ‘Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy’ is a documentary series that examines the reality of the artist’s personal as well as professional life. It’s no secret that this limited production has been 20 years in the making, which means that it goes as far back as to the late 1990s when a young Kanye was just trying to land a breakthrough in the industry.
In simple words, it highlights his significant aspirations, his unfathomable experiences, and his indescribable struggles to reveal who the rapper really is behind the fame and the music. This concept might’ve been a bit far-fetched before, yet the raw footage used (cut down from the 330 hours filmed by Coodie firsthand) made it possible. So now, let’s move on to the actual meaning behind the title, shall we?
What is the Meaning of Jeen-Yuhs?
Kanye West — now going by Ye — has honestly been one of the most polarizing figures in not only music but pop culture in general, owing to his somewhat eccentric tendencies over the years. However, no one can deny that he knows how to stand out, whether it be through dragged-out celebrity feuds, controversial public statements, a disastrous 2020 Presidential run, or even legal name changes.
The one title Kanye has always hoped for, though — the one often used to describe him in the Netflix original documentary — especially in terms of his creative process, is genius. So that’s what “Jeen-Yuhs” is, a mere slang for the original word. It is a play on “genius” as it switches out the spelling but keeps the actual pronunciation. As for the trilogy aspect, that’s obvious; there are three acts in the production.
With that said, in a now-deleted post on Instagram, the rapper made it clear that he was unhappy about not being asked to give his approval for the series before its premiere. “I’m going to say this kindly for the last time. I must get [the] final edit and approval on this doc before it releases on Netflix,” Kanye penned. “Open the edit[ing] room immediately so I can be in charge of my own image. Thank you in advance.”
But filmmakers Coodie and Chike did no such thing. “When I [saw his demand], I was shocked…,” Coodie admitted. “You’ve got to realize too, our production company is called Creative Control, and we have that for a reason. So, I [had previously] told him it had to be authentic. ‘If you have any control over this, it loses its authenticity.’ So, he agreed to that. And when I say I was shocked… but you know? That’s Kanye.”
In short, although the director duo was not expecting this reaction from Kanye over ‘Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy,’ they weren’t precisely blindsided by it either. Chike has even remarked that antics such as this are why the documentary on his life has been so highly anticipated, adding that the record producer, singer, and businessman saw unfinished cuts beforehand — he was never kept out of the post-production process.
Read More: Where is Kanye West’s Dad Ray West Now?
