Mar 2004

Rap music's storied history has seen several artists play the dual roles of word wielder on the mic and trackmaster behind the boards. Many have gained notoriety for their double duty activities, but only a few have exerted a profound impact on the direction of the music overall, and only one has managed to establish himself as the pioneer, Kanye West.

Kanye West releases his highly anticipated debut LP for Roc-A-Fella Records, ‘The College Dropout’. Acclaimed aural architect West not only produces, writes and performs his own music and lyrics, but presents himself as a thoroughly well rounded artist with a purpose and musical vision all his own. Known as the sonic visionary behind such hits as Alicia Key's 'You Don't Know My Name', Jay-Z’s ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A.)’, ‘Girls Girls Girls’, ‘The Takeover’, and ‘03 Bonnie And Clyde’ and Talib Kweli’s ‘Get By’, amongst many others, Chicago-bred West is undoubtedly one of most talented and accomplished young producers to have emerged in recent years.

‘The College Dropout’ is a testament to such free-thinking, an astounding debut effort whose sensibilities runs the gamut from the insightful and inspirational to the infectious, comedic and clever. Exhibiting remarkable breadth, the album provides a wealth of surprises for anyone erroneously assuming West's music would go the way of a Roc-A-Fella cookie cutter copy. See for instance ‘When It All Falls Down’, a track cleverly based around an indelible Lauryn Hill Unplugged vocal loop, that addresses materialism in the Black community with self deprecating humour and honesty.

Or ‘Two Words’ featuring Mos Def, fellow Roc soldier Freeway, and the grand choral backing of the Harlem Boys Choir, which provides a majestic platform for Kanye and company¹s inspired, nearly entirely mono-syllabic wordplay. Elsewhere, ‘Slow Jamz’, featuring actor/comedian/singer Jamie Foxx and fellow Second City vocal wonder Twista, hilariously lampoons quiet storm conventions without succumbing to novelty itself. And the guitar-driven ‘Breathe In Breathe Out’ featuring mouth of the south Ludacris is a playful club anthem containing no shortage of lyrical wit on Kanye’s part. For a rap audience continually weaned on thug threats and ice worship, ‘The College Dropout’, contrary to its title, provides an educational reminder of what it means to be compelling and human in hip hop. In essence, Kanye West’s music has arrived not just for the sake of defying expectations, but to express the truisms of every day life as no one in hip hop has done before.

• Rolling Stone (3/4/04, p.63) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "West has something to prove on DROPOUT....His ace in the hole is his cozy sound - dusty soul samples, gospel hymns, drums that pop as if hit for the very first time."
  Rolling Stone (p.153) - Included in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Records Of 2004 - "[T]he red-hot producer delivered a solo debut that partied all over its contradictions..."
  
  Spin (p.68) - Ranked #1 in Spin's "40 Best Albums of the Year" - "He is witty, provocative, and intensely devoted..."
  
  Entertainment Weekly (2/13/04, p.71) - "[H]is surprising debut disc is the most impressive hip-hop CD of the young year....[T]he Chicago native shuns hip-hop's tired SCARFACE iconography for a broad topicality..." - Rating: A-
  Mojo (p.102) - 4 stars out of 5 - "The numerous guests never out-shine their host's vocals, meaning this is one drop-out graduating near the top of his class."
  
  Uncut (5/04, p.106) - 4 stars out of 5 - "West's rhymes are wry, witty, warm and unswervingly self-aware."
  Uncut (p.75) - Ranked #12 in Uncut's "Best New Albums of 2004" - "[H]e leavens the swagger and bling of hip hop with lyrics that are wry, witty and aware."

For most artists who are discovered behind the mixing boards, making the transfer from producer to MC proves a daunting task. Fortunately for Kanye West, his verbal skills more than rise to the challenge of his consistently superior beats. A sprawling concept record that tackles issues of everyday life with wisecracking humor and unexpected honesty, THE COLLEGE DROPOUT confirms West's status as one of hip-hop's most refreshing voices.
The leadoff single, "Through the Wire", perfectly exemplifies West's distinct vision. Recorded while his jaws were still wired shut after a near-fatal car accident, West hilariously reflects upon his predicament over a sped-up Chaka Khan sample. Other songs address potentially somber topics--ghetto life ("We Don't Care"), religion ("Jesus Walks"), and family turmoil ("Family Business")--yet somehow retain a truly hopeful spirit. Although THE COLLEGE DROPOUT features top-notch cameos from Talib Kweli, Common, Mos Def, Freeway, Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Twista, it's clearly West's show.

Personnel: Kanye West, CLC, Consequence, Jay-Z, J. Ivy, Talib Kweli, Twista, Ludacris, Mos Def, Freeway (rap vocals); Jamie Foxx (spoken vocals); The Harlem Boys Choir, Syleena Johnson (background vocals).
Producers: Kanye West, Brian Miller, Miri Ben-Ari.
For most artists who are discovered behind the mixing boards, making the transfer from producer to MC proves a daunting task. Fortunately for Kanye West, his verbal skills more than rise to the challenge of his consistently superior beats. A sprawling concept record that tackles issues of everyday life with wisecracking humor and unexpected honesty, THE COLLEGE DROPOUT confirms West's status as one of hip-hop's most refreshing voices.
The leadoff single, "Through the Wire," perfectly exemplifies West's distinct vision. Recorded while his jaws were still wired shut after a near-fatal car accident, West hilariously reflects upon his predicament over a sped-up Chaka Khan sample. Other songs address potentially somber topics--ghetto life ("We Don't Care"), religion ("Jesus Walks"), and family turmoil ("Family Business")--yet somehow retain a truly hopeful spirit. Although THE COLLEGE DROPOUT features top-notch cameos from Talib Kweli, Common, Mos Def, Freeway, Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Twista, it's clearly West's show.

Kanye West first gained fame as an acclaimed hip-hop producer, working with Jay-Z, Foxy Brown, Mase, and others. West's solo debut was delayed due to a serious car accident, but when THE COLLEGE DROPOUT finally appeared in 2004, it took the hip-hop world by storm with its combination of old-school R&B samples, inventive contemporary production, and clever rhymes. And while West continued to churn out hot tracks for a bevy of artists, popping up in the credits of what seemed to be an impossible number of CDs, he was still able to continue his run of critically and commercially successful releases, 2005's LATE REGISTRATION and 2007's GRADUATION, and become the undisputed King of Hip-Hop in the '00s.