Kanye West - The College Dropout

Forgetting everything that's happened in the past four years or so, would it be an unreasonable thing to say that Kanye West is the single most influential hip-hop act of the 21st century? I mean, the man has had an obvious influence on pretty much every popular hip-hop artist to come out since 2010, whether you're looking at Drake, Tyler the Creator or Playboi Carti - and during the 2000s, he provided music for such classics as Jay-Z's The Blueprint, Common's Be, The Game's The Documentary, Jay-Z's The Black Album... I could go on. So why the fuck haven't I covered his music yet? 

Well, today that's going to change, because I'm finally getting around to reviewing the man now known as Ye's debut solo album - The College Dropout. Released in 2004 under the watchful eyes of a certain Shawn Carter, this album was one that Ye had to work extra hard for just to get Hov to release, which must have been bloody frustrating when the man didn't bat an eye at one after another crappy Memphis Bleek album popping up on his label. See, back in 2003ish vulnerability, while not unheard of in the genre, was something hip-hop tended to shy away from, with macho and manly lyrics being far more popular at the time, especially what with the success of 50 Cent's debut album the year prior to the project I'm discussing today. While Memphis Bleek's shit was mostly about him threatening to murder you, your family, and/or everyone in your immediate surroundings, Kanye's writing was more personal, introspective and occasionally even spiritual. It's amazing how he even got Jay-Z to release this thing at all, and if it wasn't for Carter's willing to take a risk back in late '03, by releasing "Through the Wire" as Kanye's debut single as a solo artist, then the whole hip-hop landscape would look very different today. So I guess we can all thank Jay for that. 

The College Dropout was one of the first hip-hop albums I ever listened to, and probably the first that wasn't connected to Eminem in some way. Hey, everyone has to start somewhere. So let's hope my fond memories of this LP ring true today - if they don't then I'll be in trouble, because this album is long. Let's get straight to it. 

All songs produced by Kanye West, except where noted. 

1. Intro 

For an artist who's known for pushing the boundaries of his genre more than anyone else, this certainly isn't a very creative title. Also, it's a skit. 

2. We Don't Care

The classic opening track sees Kanye take on a stance of spokesman for the people of the ghettoes he grew up in, which is odd considering I'm pretty sure he didn't actually grow up in a ghetto at all. Still, who cares when the lyrics are this good? The three verses on this track are full of memorable lines explaining why a lot of young black people in certain environments grow up idolising drug dealers, and maybe even trying to become like them, as well as of course the themes about the systematic racism that Kanye experienced in the school system, which was a large inspiration for all of his earlier albums. On these verses, Kanye immediately exhibits his wit, and his knack for weaving a strong message into lyrics, which more than makes up for his not being an extraordinary lyricist or anything. And how about the music on here? This instrumental, which incorporates some Gospel sounding instrumentation, is up-tempo and fun as anything, and the hook is one of the catchiest across this entire album. It goes to show how great this man is that this is nowhere near the best song on the album. But as an intro, it's brilliant. Love this track. 

3. Graduation Day 

One of the better interludes on here, whether we're looking at the hilarious monologue from DeRay in the first half, or John Legend's creepy ass singing in the second. This really sets the stage for what's to come well. 

4. All Falls Down (feat. Syleena Johnson)

One of the most important early Kanye songs, which discusses the negatives of material things in such a way that you'll want to throw everything you own that isn't completely essential out of the window in disgust. This track is also awesome, with Kanye's delivery on here making almost every single line stand out, and over a brilliant guitar-laced instrumental that honestly doesn't really sound like hit material, but still slaps nonetheless. I especially love the last lyric on here, "We all self conscious, I'm just the first to admit it", which of course relates to Kanye's much more vulnerable lyrics being far removed from what the radio stations were looking for in hip-hop at the time. This is one of the most powerful songs across this entire album, and one of the most important of Kanye's discography full stop. Brilliant stuff. 

5. I'll Fly Away

Looks like the last interlude being somewhat interesting was a fluke. 

6. Spaceship (feat. GLC & Consequence) 

If the previous interlude did anything, it at least set up the themes for this track - on this one Kanye and his weed-carrier GLC, along with Consequence of Beats, Rhymes & Life fame, rap about wanting to quit their day jobs, which gets particularly sad during the latter's verse when he recounts how, whilst working a dead end stint, he was told he looked like someone from a Busta Rhymes video - because he was in a Busta Rhymes video. It makes you realise that just because a rapper gets a big break on a big album, doesn't mean they're set for life, as obviously Consequence's moonlighting as the fifth member of A Tribe Called Quest didn't quite work out for him. Thank God for Kanye, who allowed him to pursue a career in solo work from this point forward, which seems to have lasted til today judging by Cons' latest album, which came out like, last year. And I've just noticed the irony of the title of Consequence's debut solo album, released in 2007 - Don't Quit Your Day Job. Executive Produced by Kanye West. Huh. Anywho, "Spaceship" is actually my favourite song yet. This instrumental is fucking heavenly, and the song is also home to one of the catchiest hooks of Kanye's career. Meanwhile, the verses are arguably more engaging than what was on "All Falls Down", which is saying a hell of a lot if you're familiar with that song. I fucking love everything about this. 

7. Jesus Walks 

One of the most forward thinking songs of the 2000s comes in the form of this gospel rap, which feels more like something Kanye might have put on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, with it's dark and anthemic sound - how the fuck this was allowed to release back in 2004, as a single no less, is beyond me. This song, with it's intense pulsating rhythm, haunting choirs and strangely placed vocoder moans from John Legend, is alienating even in comparison with what we've already heard, but it's also genius. And yes I know there are rumours that the whole thing was written by Rhymefest, but if that's true, then Rhymefest is a genius. There's a lot of people out there who will say things like "Kanye's a great producer but not close to a top ten rapper", or "Kendrick the better rapper, Kanye the better artist" (Jesus I felt corny even just quoting that) - and I call bullshit. Kanye is easily one of the best rappers of all time, and it's shit like this that proves it - I don't care if he doesn't internally rhyme every single word, this man's lyrics are memorable, powerful, and stick with you long after first listen. "Jesus Walks" is a primary example of a song where the production is good, but the lyrics are better. Yeah I fucking said it. 

8. Never Let Me Down (feat. Jay-Z & J. Ivy)

I remember I used to name this one of the best songs off of the record, and I still see why, even if these days I prefer "Spaceship" as a posse cut. As for this, I do wish J. Ivy's contributions could have been shortened - there's a time and a place for spoken word poetry, and that time and place isn't randomly thrown in the middle of a song with a fast-paced instrumental such as this one (listen to Common's "My City" for the sort of backing music it suits more). Still, things are improved by the instrumental, which is sentimental and smooth as all hell, as well as the performances of Kanye and Shawn Carter himself, the man who made all of this possible. Allegedly, this song was left off of The Blueprint 2, which is odd considering how much better this is than most of that project - and not just the instrumental either, as Hov sounds somewhat rejuvenated here, spitting like he's the greatest of all time or something. Kanye barely stood a chance, but he actually comes close, rapping about more serious matters than things like bragging about selling crack and foot temperature. So yeah, this one is great - not "Jesus Walks" great, but great nonetheless. 

9. Get Em High (feat. Talib Kweli & Common)

"Spaceship" for successful people. On this one, Kanye recruits the only two conscious MCs who actually make music regularly, for a decidedly not very conscious song all about how good at rapping they are. And man it's good. Yes, this instrumental certainly isn't the best yet, feeling a little dreary and not as varied in sound as some of the other beats on here - but it's still pretty dope, and the perfect fit for this cypher on record, where these three prove that backpackers can brag too, and better than most. Kanye himself takes up most of the screen time here, with some fun verses, the second of which is as lengthy as Talib's whilst serving entirely as a build up to the man's performance on the song. Now that's true friendship. Those that know this blog are probably aware of my being an enormous Common fan, but still, surely even the most indifferent towards the bald headed Rashid can see that his verse here is fucking funny. "Real rappers are hard to find, like a remote". I mean, come on. This album is seriously turning out to be better than I remember. And we haven't had a skit for four whole tracks!

10. Workout Plan

Ah. There's the skit. 

11. The New Workout Plan

A song in which Kanye uses the disguise of a "Workout Plan" to mask a crude sex song that still... sounds... great! Aside from the occasional corny moment or repetition of the words "I came" to make a little bit of sick emerge in the back of your mouth, this song is simply a whole lot of fun, and anyone criticising it as a companion to "Jesus Walks" and such is missing the point entirely. Look - every major label hip-hop album, especially in the early 2000s, had to have an ignorant, ever so slightly misogynistic sex rap to make for a club single - hey, at least Kanye was able to make something a bit different out of that idea. Still, I would have removed the talkbox. The talkbox was overkill. 

12. Slow Jamz (with Twista & Jamie Foxx)

Wow, that single cover does not match the sound of the song at all. This joint was originally made for Twista's album Kamikaze (it actually appeared on there too), which explains why his verse here feels about three times as long as Kanye's, and three times as good - if there's one negative about this one, it's that Kanye's verse is easily one of the least impressive across this album. Still, that Michael Jackson line was funny. Twista's verse is his typical speeding bullet shit, but he sounds great over this chipmunkiest of chipmunk soul instrumentals that Kanye cooked up for this album - I still need to check out that guy's solo music. But perhaps the best part of this one is Jamie Foxx's chorus (teamed with some of the samples that help him of course), because his performance here is absolutely insane, his beautiful vocals and brilliant melody shining through far better than it did on "Gold Digger" (although I still love that song too). The hook on here is brilliantly catchy, and the song as a whole is one of the best examples you can find of Kanye's early sound. This one is seriously good. 

13. Breathe In Breathe Out (feat. Ludacris) (prod. Kanye West, co-prod. Brian "All Day" Miller)

Easily the most straightforward shit talking track on the entire album - in fact on re-listen a lot of these songs have actually had very meaningful and important lyrics, although the last few tracks have kind of strayed away from that. This one starts out with Kanye explicitly apologising for the fact that he's going to be bragging about his jewellery (why do it then), before quickly transitioning into a sleazy sex song where he spends half a verse telling a story of when he tried desperately to convince a girl to suck him off just to make her boyfriend jealous. Doesn't seem like a bragging point to me, but this is Kanye we're talking about. Of course, this verse does contain the classic "P.H.D." line, so I'll have to let everything else slide. While this is lyrically the most directionless song on the entire album, I will give props to the instrumental, which is pretty nice if a little goofy, and also Ludacris, who sounds like he's having loads of fun on the chorus here. Definitely not a bad track, but if someone tells you it's a standout then they're lying. 

14. School Spirit Skit 1

Wow, Kanye really hates college. 

15. School Spirit

My mum's favourite Kanye song (and no, she didn't just pretend that it was because it's censored... I don't think) is also the song that most directly addresses the overall theme of the album, and aside from what I said before about it being censored (which is f***ing annoying), this shit is really good. Not only is it lyrically much more interesting than the previous couple of songs, but it also has a much slower feel to it that invites the listener to sing along with Ye, especially during the chorus, which is a pleasant thing for him to do. "School Spirit" is also short enough to make up for the majority of songs here being 5 minutes plus, which is a bonus, as I think this one would have worn thin if it were as long as, say, "Last Call".

16. School Spirit Skit 2

Wow, Kanye really- wait hold on a minute. 

17. Lil Jimmy Skit

And with this, Kanye has committed the deadliest of all hip-hop sins - sequencing two skits in a row. Not cool, man. 

18. Two Words (feat. Mos Def, Freeway & The Harlem Boys Choir) 

Goddamn this was better than I remembered. "Two Words", home to the most cinematic pre-Late Registration beat Kanye had ever done, is an absolute banger, one of the most head-noddable songs in Ye's catalogue. If I had to give awards to the best verse on here, I'd say Mos Def gets the win - his flow is elastic with the instrumental, his chants of "everybody move" are exciting as hell, and in general I think his voice fits the beat well. That's not to say Kanye or Freeway lack in any way though, because the pair both deliver with intensity as well - although oddly Kanye's verse sounds more impressive in that acapella freestyle video that you've probably seen before. The cherry on the top here is those chants of "nowhere to go" during the chorus, which are frankly goosebump-inducing. To have such an intense moment this late in the album is confusing, but when it sounds this good I can't possibly complain. Brilliant stuff. 

19. Through The Wire 

The lead single, infamously recorded while Kanye still had his jaw wired shut following a car accident that he was in which threatened to take out the man who would influence pretty much every mainstream hip-hop artist from this point onwards. It's impossible to imagine how hip-hop would sound these days if Kanye really had passed on in 2003 - would the genre have thrived through the 2010s like it did? Anyway, the song. This track is really beautiful, man. Kanye chops the Chaka Khan sample to full effect, making sure to create the most emotional yet hopeful concoction he could for the song that would start such an interesting and eventful solo career. It's songs like these that make it a little more than depressing when you look at what Kanye has done to his image in the past three or so years. When this song was made, not only was he arguably the best producer in the game, but lyrically he was on form, even if he does sound like he's had a few too many thanks to the wired jaw. I love this one, and I'm sure everyone else does deep down too. 

20. Family Business 

I can't really put a finger on why, but this song has always made me feel unexplainably depressed - I mean, it's almost certainly the melancholy piano keys, but still, it could also be the sample, or even Kanye's lyrics, which feel somewhat sad about his family situations, even if they aren't always. This is one of the only moments on the album that feels a bit more down in the dumps, but for a song to make me feel emotional every time means it has to be doing something right (well, unless that emotion is anger at how bad the song is, which could be the case for some later Kanye songs). This is a pretty awesome track. 

21. Last Call (prod. Kanye West, co-prod. Evidence, add-prod. Porse)

The epic finale to the album is half song, half autobiography, as the last 7 minutes of this 12 (!) minute song feature Kanye telling the story of how he got to the point where he's at, all the while one of the best instrumentals on the entire LP plays out. It's a unique take on a rap album outro, and one that works far better than one that relates to the intro but none of the actual songs on the album (read: 90% of rap album outros ever) - but on top of that it's one of the most impressive and entertaining moments on the entire album so far full stop, which is incredibly impressive considering it's 12 minutes 41 seconds long. The actual song part of this track is brilliant - the chorus is catchy, the beat (with an additional production credit from Evidence that I've only just noticed - now that's not something I ever expected to see, although I did just find out that Dilated Peoples collaborated with Kanye on their album this very year, so what do I know. Nothing) is brilliant with a slight dark edge, and Kanye's lyrics are dope as fuck, some of the best on the whole record. But it's the spoken word part that really makes this stand out - it's inspirational as hell, and really shows how you can make something from nothing. Kanye West's story is one that has inspired many, and it's clear after listening to this album that every bit of his success was deserved. Of course, in the past couple of years he's let himself down by becoming kind of mentally insane, but still - at one point he was the greatest hip-hop artist out. This song is fantastic. 

I'm not gonna beat around the bush - The College Dropout is a classic. This album is just brilliant in almost every way. It's full of hits. The rapping is great. The features are great. The choruses are catchy as hell. And the production is out of this world. Somehow, not one of these songs feels like it's dragging past it's time, despite the fact that there are many tracks here that run well past the 5 minute mark. The skits, even if they're weirdly placed sometimes, are usually funny, and when they're not, then they're short enough to not really get in the way. If I were to make any criticisms about this thing, they'd feel nitpicky - yes J. Ivy's part was a bit too long, yes the verses on "Breathe In Breathe Out" are directionless, and yes there are two skits in a fucking row... but really I don't care much about any of these things. With The College Dropout, Kanye West not only proves once again that his production style is masterful, with every beat here being beautifully soulful yet not at all similar to any other given beat - but he also let the world know that he isn't just a good rapper; he's a brilliant rapper, with a unique and likeable voice, and lyrics that are quotable as fuck and oftentimes very meaningful, with multiple tracks here providing social commentary that feels very well thought out and interesting. And on top of that, there are so many classic songs here that it's not even worth listing them. On relisten, this album is even better than I remember, and if you're somehow a hip-hop fan who hasn't heard it yet, then get your ass on to it right now. This thing is brilliant, and still stands as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. The end. 

Best Tracks: All of them 

Worst Tracks: "Lil Jimmy Skit"

More Kanye reviews are sure to come soon!