Kanye West

“Yikes” was supposed to be the one that should have headlined this album and it might have been okay if only it didn't have so many echoing voices, repetition of lyrics and a discombobulated type of beat and vibe. He just went on and on repeating the same words. The only positive from the track is the part where he sent a shout out to "Mahatma Ghandi" and when he said he doesn't see his Bi polar as a disability but in actual fact his strength, which makes him a super hero.

I like “No Mistakes” because of how it had the old Kanye West's signature all over it and all though it still had its downside but I guess the positive outweighs the negatives on this track. I just think it would have been better to feature either Kid CudI or Charles Wilson on this track, because having both of them was quite unnecessary. Regardless, Kanye's rap hits really well on this track. This track was the closest of the entire album to being a great track.

Considering the successful commercial performance that “All Mine” had, one would think it's one great track. This was one of the songs that really made me not to like this album. Everything about it was just wrong. Starting from Ty Dolla $ign sounding like something out of a high school musical type of song on the chorus, to Kanye West dropping bars that should not even be coming from a rapper who has never climbed on a stage. Considering his antecedents as a multiple Grammy awards winner, I think he really did not put any effort in to this track.

Initially what drew me to Kanye was the relatability in his lyrics. Kanye and I are Gemini’s so when he told his story through his lyrics, I could instantly relate. The College Dropout was Ye’s coming of age. This album proved that the underdog that everyone doubted can be successful. Kanye brought an eclectic rock star fashion, production and rhyme scheme to the hip-hop game with The College Dropout. What inspired me about this album is Kanye spoke on how different he was, how hard it was for him to break through to the industry and how people played him. The College Dropout influenced, inspired and gave confidence to many emerging artists across the board. Kanye changed the culture forcefully. At first many weren’t feeling his unique style but soon adapted to the Pink Polos and Louis V backpacks. Kanye West is from Chicago and from there got his start in producing soul sample beats for artists. Whenever he would introduce his raps to artists he would produce for, they would tell him to stick to producing. They couldn’t see his vision or understand. This motivated Kanye to keep polishing his flow. Through his production, Kanye was able to garner a network of collaborators in the music industry who would eventually work with him on his debut release The College Dropout. This classic Grammy award winning album (Best Rap Album 2005) features the likes of Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Common, Ludacris, Mos Def, Freeway, Jamie Foxx, Twista, GLC, Consequence, and Syleena Johnson. Kanye put together a rockstar roster and dope selection of features for his debut mainstream album.

Apart from dressing different from rappers who wore tall tees and baggy pants, Kanye West pushed the envelope in hip-hop by touching on religion in his music. In 2004, this was not celebrated in hip-hop. It felt like it wasn’t something you were supposed to be talking about. The reason we all love “the old Kanye” was because he crafted the amazing record “Jesus Walks”. Even if you weren’t religious or believed in Jesus, you agreed this song was a rebellious move for hip-hop culture. No one really believed something like this could be done and still be labeled as cool and not “forcefully religious” or “gospel rap”“ which still gets a bad rep. Ye said “If I talk about God my record won’t get played.” He was bold enough to expose the ethics and minds of the radio promoters, A&R’s and DJ’s.For this being the first album I owned as a 12 year old, I can accredit The College Dropout for getting me into hip-hop. This album is the reason, I write music. I listened to this album so many times, and read the lyrics in the album booklet. When I was in middle school, we didn’t have cable, so all I did was listen to music in my CD player and memorize music. Kanye’s lyrics amazed me from his charisma to his wordplay. “Never Let Me Down” was a crucial track on this album. The chorus, and all the fellas on this track crushed their verses, especially Jay-Z and J.Ivy. As a young person, I never heard anything like it. The relatability, the hunger, the lyrics touched my soul. Everything about “Never Let Me Down” is utterly amazing. This song reminds me of a “Pro-Black” track before the movement really started in 2012.

Kanye was so dedicated to his craft that it almost cost him his life. In 2003, Kanye West was involved in a near fatal car accident after leaving the studio late one night and falling asleep on the wheel. “Through The Wire” was recorded with Kanye’s mouth wired shut from the accident. The record samples Chaka Khan’s “Through The Fire”. This track explained the aftermath of the accident and how he felt God gave him a second chance. I believe this track shows Kanye’s determination and it made me truly fall in love with his sound and story. Kanye ended his debut album with a super dope outro track “Last Call” – Jay-Z started the track with an ode to Kanye. Then Ye began to spit “The all-around the world digital underground Pac, the Rudolph the red nose reindeer of the Roc”. Establishing his presence and alluding to his stance in the hip-hop game. I really felt this track along with others on the album, earned him the Best Rap Album Grammy in 2005. “Last Call” was a record where Ye really expressed himself, his story and how he achieved superstar status in hip-hop when all odds were against him.