Product Description

For most artists who are discovered behind the mixing boards, making the transfer from producer to MC proves a dauntingtask. 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 mostrefreshing 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 potentiallysomber 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, MosDef, Freeway, Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Twista, it's clearly West's show.

Track Listing

1. Intro (Kanye West/The College Dropout)
2. We Don't Care
3. Graduation Day
4. All Falls Down - Kanye West, Syleena Johnson
5. I'll Fly Away
6. Spaceship - Kanye West, GLC, Consequence
7. Jesus Walks
8. Never Let Me Down - Kanye West, Jay-Z, J. Ivy
9. Get Em High - Kanye West, Talib Kweli, Common
10. Workout Plan
11. The New Workout Plan
12. Slow Jamz - Twista, Kanye West, Jamie Foxx
13. Breathe In Breathe Out - Kanye West, Ludacris
14. School Spirit Skit 1
15. School Spirit
16. School Spirit Skit 2
17. Lil Jimmy Skit
18. Two Words - Kanye West, Mos Def, Freeway, The Boys Choir Of Harlem
19. Through The Wire
20. Family Business
21. Last Call

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2231 in Music
• Released on: 2004-03-15
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Running time: 76 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
College Drop Out, the debut from the most sought-after hip-hop producer not named Pharrell, delivers the unthinkable: West magically sledgehammers home his opinions on taboo topics over beats that are equally daring. The envelope-ripping beats shouldn't come as a surprise given that he's supplied the soundscapes to monster singles by everyone from Alicia Keys ("You Don't Know My Name") to Talib Kweli ("Get By"). What is freakish is that in West's world, rhymes about strippers, God, college life and guns can coexist tidily and not undermine each other. On "Breathe in Breathe Out" he raps "I gotta apologise to Mos and Kweli/ Is it cool to rap about gold if I told the world I copped it from Ghana and Mali"--tongue firmly planted in cheek. On the catchy "Through the Wire", fuelled by a Chaka Khan hook, he spits some impeccable rhymes despite his jaw being wired shut after a near-fatal car accident. Maybe it was this brush with mortality that kicked his lyrics into high gear on "All Falls Down". The skits on here are just as potent, one poking fun at the overeducated underclass that makes a small fraction of the loot he does. With jaw-dropping cameos from Jay-Z, Common, Mos Def and the Harlem Boys Choir plus the feel-good club tune of the year, "Slow Jamz" featuring Twista, College Dropout is as explosive, contradictory and complex as rap music gets. --Dalton Higgins

Customer Reviews

Well, we know he can make hip-hop at least...
This album has rightly been lauded by just about everyone. It's an incredibly clever and interesting piece of work. The tracks are varied in their feel and attitude, from "thuggish" to thoughtful and reflective. If anything the problem is that West is trying too hard to be all things to all people. He's a thoughtful, reflective soul who believes in Jesus and disapproves of drug use (in principle) but who is also happy to hand out beat-downs, steal and deal drugs (or to do whatever he has to "to get by"). Most rappers are guilty of trying to take the moral high ground while also maintaining their street cred by acting like delinquents, but with many rappers (e.g. Tupac) this seems to be a genuine contradiction (or perhaps a paradox if you want to be really flattering). With Kanye West, you get the feeling that at least some of it has to be an act. Either he's genuinely a bad boy who doesn't give a sh*t, or he's basically a good guy who acts like a thug for the sake of street cred. I don't really buy the apparent contradictions that I see in his attitude.

That said, there are some simply unforgettable tracks on this album. I think it's true to say that the production is consistently sublime and inspired, and it is in this department that Kanye is above reproach. Tracks like "Jesus Walks", "Get em high", "Through the wire" and "All falls down" are instant classics, and are all quite different to most of what you hear in hip-hop, not to mention being quite different from each other. A lot of the other tracks are less noteworthy, particularly in terms of lyrical content, and yet the album never fails to be listenable. At times it descends into silliness somewhat with tracks like "The new workout plan", but given the quality of the album, it's hard to take issue with Kanye's dafter moments.

Kanye's follow-up, "Late registration" was less well-received than this debut, and perhaps it's because the man himself has a tendency to wear a little thin. Many rappers have a very strong identity and ethos which marks them out as individuals, and yet Kanye is so determined to be all things to all people that he's in danger of ending up pleasing noone. He's a truly superb producer, a talented rapper and an all-round creative guy. If he can just make up his mind who he wants to be and find himeslf a niche, he could be truly unstoppable.

Awful
I liked 'Jesus Walks' and 'Through the Wire' and another track which I can't remember the name of, so bought the album. I hate all the talky bits inbetween the tracks, can't stand it.

best album made
To me this is the best album ive ever heard i like nearly every song on the album unlike most albums where i only like some songs this is classic kanye west.

I love kanyes new album graduation and late registration but this is still his best work some of my favourtite songs like slow jamz, family business, we don't care and never let me down this album is well worth its money and id recomend it to anyone even if your not a big kanye west fan.

But id also recomend checking out graduation this is nearly as good but in different ways more mature and more solo songs its fresh and bold great for relaxing and chilling out to.