Review: College Dropout

A lot of producers try and do what Kanye West has done and simply come up short. We’ve heard countless producers try their hand at rapping but for some reason they just don’t cut it. Kanye had a pretty solid fan base built up based off of his beats prior to dropping College Dropout but with this release, Kanye was opened up to a whole new world, The Mainstream. It’s hard not to love the production ‘Ye has been a part of but when he decided to pick up the mic, the masses truly fell in love. Whether it is Kanye‘s unique flow, lyricism or his swagger, Kanye offers a little bit of something for everyone.

It’s rare to find a blend of topics that are discussed on College Dropout, especially from a rapper. Kanye finds a way to blend everything from struggling, drug dealing, Jesus, school and even a broken jaw into one beautifully crafted album. The album starts off strong with “We Don’t Care”. Kanye pays homage to the drug dealers who do what they got to do in order to make it. The beat is great (peep the horns) and certainly leave us expecting so much more from this album. “All Falls Down” has the sound of a hit and is probably why it was so successful. The acoustic guitar adds a different element to the typical rap song but in this case it works. I wish Lauryn Hill could have been on the final version and I also wish Kanye didn’t shower us with material items in this cut. That’s the only thing that turns me away from liking this joint. “Spaceship” is a dope cut because it’s something that a lot of people can relate to; however, I always think that the beat is missing something. “If my manager insults me again, I will be assaulting him“. Simple lines like that make Kanye so likable from the hood to the suburbs.

“Jesus Walks” is a smash because Kanye touched on a subject that many rappers have spoken about but none have been as daring as Kanye. ‘Ye showed his devotion to Jesus and made it a hit single. He showed the world that he was much deeper than the cocky emcee/producer we have grown to love. Kanye showed his religious beliefs without going way over the top and the beat was nothing short of fantastic. “Never Let Me Down” is by far my favorite joint off of this album. Originally the song was a Blueprint throwaway but Kanye couldn’t let this one go, and we can hear why. The soul sample and the whole aura of the track is captivating. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have Hova on two verses.

Although there are a plethora of skits on this album, they all individually add something to the project and keep the music flowing. “Two Words” is a smash mainly because it pits three unlikely emcees on one track. Mos Def, Kanye and Freeway are all distinct emcees for different reasons, yet they all mesh so well on this particular jam. There’s really nothing more I can say about “Through the Wire” that hasn’t been said before. It practically put Kanye on the map and thanks to the Chaka Khan sample, “Through the Wire” had the ability to be stuck in your head until you were sick of it.

The album ends on a strong note and makes up for any downfall this album has. “Family Business” is one of the best Kanye joints I’ve heard to date. This track showed the introspective side to the flashy, show boat emcee and once again he let us know why he is one of the best producers in the game. “Last Call” is one of the gems of this album, even at 12 minutes and change. Kanye really lets us know what he thinks and is being arrogant in almost subtle ways, but at the same time he shows us why he belongs in the upper echelon of emcees.

It’s hard enough for a producer to spit but it’s even harder for a producer to crossover and become a superstar. Hip Hop heads knew who Kanye West was prior to College Dropout but the world was woken up when this project dropped. With wordplay that is witty, overbearing, egotistical and deep all at the same time, Kanye offers something for everyone. His production is often unmatched but his lyrical abilities shined through on this project. The only downside to the project are the amount of skits and features, but like I said earlier, it all works very well on this project.

Overall score: 4/5