Customer Reviews

College Dropout

5 star:		(454)
4 star:		(121)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(31)

 

 

After earning a pretty strong following with his production work for such artists as Jay-Z, Scarface, and countless others, Kanye West is finally ready to drop a solo album as an artist. Much like 50 Cent did prior to him, Kanye has taken a tragic incident in his life (i.e. his nearly fatal car accident in 2003) and used it to positon himself on the pop charts. With the diary-like "Through The Wire", Kanye created a successful street single that helped garner strong hype for his upcoming album. Having the already-hot Twista-guested "Slow Jamz" with ol' boy Jamie Foxx on the hook, Kanye already had two hot songs in heavy radio rotation before the album's street date. The big question, however, was did the rest of the album measure up to the expectations set by the first two songs that had dropped?

"College Dropout" is nothing to sleep on as far as production is concerned. Starting with "We Don't Care" which boats the all-too-familiar "kids singing rap hooks" chorus, Kanye attempts to flood his listeners with some laid-back music. His ode to the 9-to-5 crowd, "Spaceship" and the powerful religion-based "Jesus Walks" are both effective anthems in their own rights. "Family Business" is another personal record where West takes a trip down memory lane with a nice mixture of heartfelt lyrics and soulful production.

As good as some of the records on "Dropout" are, the LP drags in so many areas that it's almost a shame. Lyrically, Kanye is decent with his but after a few listens, a lot of his flows become less witty and start to just plain seem tired. His somewhat parody-like use of the popular St. Louis slang on "All Falls Down" just doesn't work. While "Never Let Me Down" is solidly-produced, a frequently-recycled Jay-Z verse from "Hovi Baby". Kanye's verse doesn't help matters as he spits a real poor verse that not only rhymes "left eye" with "Left Eye" but follows that up with a weak metaphor about Aaliyah and "Romeo Must Die" that sounds like something from a bad backpack rapper. A comedic interlude called the "Lil' Jimmy Skit" is real funny but ends up getting beat to death as they try to stretch it out into three skits. Kanye's decision to include lyrical heavyweights like Talib Kweli and Mos Def is a good choice on his part though they do seem to outshine him on the songs they're featured on.

"College Dropout" starts off somewhat solidly but is far too incosistent to be a classic. There are a handful of amazing tracks and interludes that seem to compliment them well but there is so much filler on here that it almost leaves you shaking your head at what could have been. "Through The Wire" was such a monster first single that it makes the rest of the album seem average in comparison. Despite the occasional breaths of fresh air ("Jesus Walks", "Family Business"), "Dropout" won't walk away on 2004's "Honor Roll" though it does deserve credit for its hard work and ability to keep up with the rest of the class.

Kanye West is one of the freshest, most innovative artists to hit the stage recently. I got tired of hearing Hip-Hop that sounded just like everything else but Kanye takes it to another level.

WE DON'T CARE- First song that has the sing-along chorus to it. This cut talks about doing what it takes to get by and the obstacles that come from living that lifetime but at the same time overcoming that. Song is encouraging and jus is hot. It is laidback, and something to listen to for sho. Miri Ben-Ari who appears on Twista's project and Patti LaBelle's latest TIMELESS
JOURNEY adds the violin to this track. A

ALL FALLS DOWN- Current Spring single off the project. Syleena Johnson appears on this track which is like a Hip-Hop ballad or slow jam. The song is talking about things that fall down in life. It gets you thinking about stuff if you listen to the lyrics and Syleena sounds better than she ever has adding her vocals to the chorus and riffing all over the place. A

I'LL FLY AWAY- Little interlude with the Gospel song about flying away.

SPACESHIP- Old-school cut that features GLC and Consequences. It contains elements from Marvin Gaye's DISTANT LOVE song and is just a song you gotta listen to to take your interpretation from. It is something to definitely think about kinda talking about working hard but getting no where but wanting to take the space ship somewhere else. The song is hot and creative. A

JESUS WALKS- This is what I am talking about. The song kinda has the Army or War vibe to it as well as the religious with the background vocals and the low hum that continues throughout. It is hot hearing Kanye come at us with a Gospel track. It is refreshing and tells the truth about radio supporting the cut or not just because Jesus is mentioned. A+

NEVER LET ME DOWN- Jay Z appears on this as well as J-IVY has that "Get up, I get down". The slow cut that talks about the important things in life such as family and other loved ones instead of having that high regard for the temporary, superficial things. This song is hot for real. A

GET EM'HIGH- Featuring Talib Kweli and Common, this cut is about getting a girl to the house to do the do with Talib pushing him on but the song is talking about a few other things at the beginning. B+

THE NEW WORKOUT PLAN- I am sure everybody has heard this creative song which talks about nothing but working out. The song is like nothing else heard before. I call it the Ghetto Workout Plan. A

SLOW JAMZ- Everybody and they granmda has heard this so I won't waste time really reviewing the track which features Jamie Foxx and Twista. I cant hear this anymore. A-

BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT- Featuring Ludacris and Miri Ben-Ari on violins, this cut which talks about getting cash is like something else I have heard before. Ludacris or crazy Luda adds something to the cut as always. The song is alright but is like
the first real filler track. B+

SCHOOL SPIRIT- The title explains it all and Aretha Franklin's SPIRIT IN THE DARK is sampled here and a Mickey Mouse version of her voice appears here. The song is hot and innovative just because Kanye couples that old school piece with this and then talks about school at the same time. That is probably what is one of the hottes qualities about Kanye that he couples and mixes things together that you would not think. A

TWO WORDS- Probably the weakest cut on the CD featuring Mos Def, Freeway and the Harlem Boys Choir, this seems too hardcore for Kanye. I aint used to hearig this kinda music from him. I usually skip over this cut. C+

THROUGH THE WIRE- Modeled off Chaka Khan's THORUGH THE FIRE, this creative and hot track is something that everybody has heard. The song is touching and dramatic. I like the inclusion of Chaka's here. A+

FAMILY BUSINESS- "All that glitters is not gold" is included here with a man saying it. The song is about one of the strongest fabric of us all and that is the family. The music, the lyrics, the arragement, everything comes together to make for an emotional effect that is needed on the track. Another one of the best tracks. A+

LAST CALL- Song is kinda long at over 12 minutes. It is a little bit of everything going on here but the beat is smooth and hot. A-

Overall, Kanye's CD is tight and hot at the same time. One of
the main things I like about his CD is that he gets you to thinking about some serious stuff. It just ain't about getting the money or getting in somebody's (...), Kanye talks about everything from the hard life to school to God. It is off da hook about this fact because we get to hear about a little bit of everything. If Kanye keeps it up, he will be around for a long time because this material is already veteran rapper material.

Five years ago, I thought I had heard the epitome of hip-hop with Eminem's "Slim Shady LP". A few years later, Ludacris came up with a few beautiful singles. And then there was Kanye.

When I first heard his debut single, "Through the Wire" I admit I wasn't very impressed (probably because I didn't know he had gotten in a wreck and had his jaw wired shut and was rapping with it still wired, so I didn't understand). When I heard Slo Jamz I realized there must be more to him. By the time "All Falls Down" came out on the radio, I had to get his CD.

College Dropout is my most favorite CD in a very long time. Kanye's beats are incredible and I wasn't suprised to learn that he had supplied Jay-Z and a few other well-known artists with their instrumentals. There is not a song on the CD I do not like. Kanye not only suprised Jay-Z and the Rocafella "familia" with his white-hot rhymes but suprised America too. Every song IS going to make you bob your head, and a few such as "Jesus Walks", "The New Workout Plan", and "Get 'em High" will have you rapping along with him and crip walking, working out, and throwing your hands up high.
Parents might be disuaded by the fact that he--instead of encouraging education--tells America that he succeeded brilliantly without the aid of a college education. Remember kids, unless you can make beats and rap like Kanye West, STAY IN SCHOOL.

With the Chapelle show and Kanye West's album 2004 is destined to be a year filled with laughter!!!
1. Intro: Good set up for the following track
2. We Don't care: Funny song, pretty good lyrics that match the skits it's sandwiched in between
3. Graduation Day: Cedric is hilarious...nuff said
4. All Falls Down: Pretty good song, nice background vocals, pretty short though
5. I'll Fly Away: helps to set up Jesus Walks, kind of an extended intro
6. Spaceship: One of my album favorites, very soulful and new school hip hop with an old school feel to it, i worked at the GAP too lol.
7. Jesus Walks: VERY deep, everyone should take this song to heart and think!
8. Never let me down: Pretty good, feat. JayZ
9. Get em High: just ok
10. Workout Plan: hilarious, Kanye is genius
11. New Workout Plan: funniest track on the cd, shows his versitality as an artist
12. Slow Jamz: radio hit so I always skip
13. breathe in, Breathe out: sounds like a Luda hit
14. School Spirit skit: funny

15. School Spirit: good for us college heads who rep for the greek life
16. Lil' Jimmy: Another great skit
17. Two Words: pretty good track
18. Through the Wire: I had a wreck to this song, so I can relate!
19. Family Business: everybody can relate to this song
20. Last Call: toooooo long but informative (he should have used the CD jacket for this info)

Am i the only person who thinks this album is weak he has the weakest flow and is lame when riding the beat. He is like a cheap Talib Kweli with an even worse flow. The album has well too many interludes and they are all pointless. Its annoying because he is about to blow and his rapping abilities dont credit him blowin. The lyrics are good but are nothing that other rappers like dead prez etc have done for years now

I would consider mydself a big Roc-A-Fella fan. But this album here is just not cutting it with me. Kanye West has the potential to be a big artist, personally I think he may have tried to hard on making his debut big. Because to be honest I was not all that impressed. Maybe I need to listen to it a couple more times before it settles....

Kanye West's debut album is, in one word, refreshing. In a day and age where Nick Cannon and 50 Cent rule the radiowaves, Kanye West provides a smart, witty and touching album that enlightens the mind and soothes the soul.

Being a member of the Roc-a-fella camp, one would think that Kanye would be quick to jump aboard the bling band-wagon. While he devotes a song or two to his love of money, he also offers insight into other matters in his life (school, family, God, and his near-fatal car crash experience). On 'Last Call' (the album's twelve minute finale), Kanye talks to his audience, as opposed to MC'ing. Over a beautiful saxophone sample, Kanye describes his slow rise to fame, and the prices he paid to get there.

The album is intresting, with Kanye sampling Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and Luther Vandross to name a few. His beats have an old-school feel to them, re-touched with a new school flavour. Kanye's MC'ing skills are not as dynamic as his production, but are strong nonetheless. His flow proves that he can ride a beat with words, and his lyrics show how introspective the man can be. On 'Jesus Walks', Kanye rhymes "I ain't here to argue about his facial features/or here to create atheists into believers/I'm just tryin' to say the way school needs teachers/the way Kathie-Lee needed Regis/that's the way I need Jesus".
Like all modern records, this album is not without a few flaws. There are an abundance of skits on the album, which leaves the listener craving for more Kanye. While they are thought-provoking and funny, they simply cannot compare to the quality of his music. The album starts out strong, but he stumbles on 'The New Workout Plan' and 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' featuring Ludacris. He recovers nicely.

"The College Dropout" is not revolutionary, nor will it change the face of hip-hop. It lacks the impact of Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic', or Nas' 'Illmatic'. Quite simply, "College Dropout" is a rare gem in a fabricated industry that promotes violence, money and sex. Kanye dares to be different, and treats all hip-hop fans (backpackers, mainstreamers alike) to a soul-filled, truthful, catchy album that will undoubtedly develop a cult following.

Kayne is one of the best MC's ever.I couldn't beleve it when i heard this album.He was so tight and flawless with his delivery.Best Song "Never Let Me Down".

well this album is just amazing It has the 4 singles slow jams, through the wire, jesus walks and all falls down.the album also has other great songs like workout plan we dont care and breathe in breathe out.but there are a couple of songs that just aren't any good like never let me down and two words.so really he has got a great album but it could be better.

This album was good, but it could have been amazing. The beats are hot, and so are MOST of the lyrics. The tracks that took away from an almost flawless album were The New Workout Plan, and Breathe in Breahte Out. I thought The New Workout Plan was funny at first, but after a while, its just annoying. Breathe in Breathe out messed up the nice storytelling, and conciousness. He better apologize to Mos and Kweli. Now Mos Def's CD The New Danger is sooo good. Check that out. This CD is still good. You should pick it up. The track Slow Jamz isn't exactly the same as the single. It's better.