College Dropout

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 Jams’, 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.