To narrow things down into a top ten with Kanye‘s production was very difficult. I had to take various things into account. Impact, delivery , execution, creativity, flow, sound, blends, choruses, skips, timing, etc. Man, the list goes on. A lot of you guys are producers so you understand where I am coming from on this.
I went in with an objective eye, and certainly left beats off that were personal favourites and tried to appease the mob with this final list. I tried to vary it as much as possible and try to keep it as fresh as possible too.
Any compliants? Leave a comment and I may or may not respond. All in all, enjoy it for what it is. Granted, I think that I’m right all the time and many of you will want to switch in one, move one up, etc. Make your top ten list if you want and I’ll critique the hell out of it.
And no, nothing off of 808′s made any of the lists.
*Note: I only took into consideration his 4 albums for solo work material (College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, 808s & Heartbreak). A few tracks that may be mentioned had prior implications to be on the albums, but didn’t make the final cut, they were also taken into consideration.
Also check out:
10. “Crack Music”
From the album Late Registration (2005)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Why it’s Dope: The sample chop alone is what makes this track worthy of this top ten. If you haven’t peeped it, take a gander at what Kanye caught and turned into the main horn for this entire joint. The beauty of the last 2 minutes also makes it so significant. It’s also something he doesn’t do on his latest release, take time out to complete the song and make the beat come alive even while it is coming to a conclusion.
9. “We Don’t Care”
From the album College Dropout (2004)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Why it’s Dope: The first piece of production we hear from Kanye on his debut album. It’s a pretty important song and certainly set the tone for a stance that Kanye still holds today. Production wise, it is a very complex track and perfect for an introductory song. Aside from being drastically overlooked, “We Don’t Care” displays some dope drums with some of the most soulful horns heard on the entire album. There are loads of elements in this track that make it worthy.
8. “Spaceship”
From the album College Dropout (2004)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Why it’s Dope: Anybody can recognize the Marvin Gaye sample, but did anyone think this track would become as addictive as it is? The sped up voice bits tied in with the xylophone, guitar and vocals all mix in for soulful goodness. It is considered one of his most timeless beats, and it should remain that way.
7. “Flashing Lights”
From the album Graduation (2007)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Why it’s Dope: One of the very few standouts from “Graduation” and easily one of Kanye’s most theatrical and orchestral tracks, “Flashing Lights” loads so much emotion and bounce into one beat. The production is topped off by the tremendous vocals by Dwele, who absolutely steals the show. The strings are continuous and add so much sympathy to Kanye’s story. It is fit for a score in a movie, easily.
6. “Gone”
From the album Late Registration (2005)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Why it’s Dope: Ah, who doesn’t love Otis Redding? The sample is beautifully placed throughout the track and the use of live instruments, especially during Cam’ron’s verse, is completely appropriate and perfectly executed. His timing and his ear for the melody and pitch of the strings is another important production tidbit to point out. The song comes together as a whole and it must’ve been extremely difficult given all the elements thrown into it to build up a super suspense that leads to powerful and dark strings with the piano that lead Kanye out.
5. “Two Words”
From the album College Dropout (2004)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Why it’s Dope: There is so much going on throughout this track, but it all collaborates so well and so fitting onto a fairly dark track. It is hard to ignore the climax of the “throw your hands up” backed by the beautiful violin of Miri Ben-Ari and the gospel-esque vocals surrounding it. The song creates an atmosphere of its own and it is quite possibly one of Kanye’s best executed piece of production.
4. “The Glory”
From the album Graduation (2007)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Why it’s Dope: When the album first came out, I doubted any one of the beats from “Graduation” would land in any of Kanye’s top 5; but quite frankly, this track was too good to ever ignore. This song, more so than any other Kanye track, grows with every listen even more than a year later. The pace is the best thing about “The Glory” and how Kanye doesn’t sacrifice the beat to suit his lyrics or flow. The beat is front and center and the elements of it taste that much sweeter. The subtle additions throughout all of it add a huge quality to it even though not every listener will pick up on it. His grab from the original sample is quite impressive too.
3. “We Major”
From the album Late Registration (2005)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Why it’s Dope: You’d think that I’d be here talking about the 7 and a half minute length being a problem, and it is. It’s not long enough. This beat just carries on its own on so many levels. The horns, the chords that fly all over the place at will, the powerful back lashing drums, and the chorus all make for one of Kanye’s best produced tracks. It’s easily his most alive beat as a solo artist, and easily his most mouthwatering.
2. “Diamonds From Sierra Leone”
From the album Late Registration (2005)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Why it’s Dope: Set aside the extremely controversial subject matter that is still neglected by millions and the fact that “Diamonds” is one of Kanye’s best works lyrically, and step into the fact that he flipped up a James Bond theme. Not only that, he made it totally un-Bondish. He made a track that would seemingly be hilarious if done wrong, turn out to be a production masterpiece because of how everything was orchestrated. His timing is probably second to none on this track and his ear for instrumental and vocal placements is unreal. One of his true gems.
1. “Jesus Walks”
From the album College Dropout (2004)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Why it’s Dope: When Mr. West is controversial, that is usually when he is at his best. There is so much energy on this beat, ranging from the militant atmosphere surrounding subject matter that may or may not be about religion. Fact is, subject matter could range from many things, and the fact is, the beat, including the amazing use of the Arc Choir, make this beat Kanye’s most powerful production. The elements used within the 3 minute span vary into a plethora of sounds so perfectly fitting for each other that we feel transcendence when the beat collaborates with the lyrics and the speakers. There is more than enough reason for this track to be number one, simply for the goosebumps that it gives when the layering of vocals are planned out in the first 30 seconds of the song.
Honourable Mentions:
“Hey Mama” (Off of Late Registration): Great beat, great homage, great concept, great everything. The song has so much soul and is the perfect ode to a woman Kanye loves.
“Never Let You Down” (Off of College Dropout): His decision to continue the voice sample throughout the track was risky, but it paid off. It is a very dark and solemn beat that evokes plenty of emotion. The chorus is a great piece of work too.
“Home” featuring John Legend (Originally intended to be on College Dropout): I won’t say that John Legend is ‘better’ than Chris Martin, but I will say that this beat was extremely soulful. So soulful, in fact, that you could feel every tidbit of Chicago’s musical influence in this song. It’s a shame this probably won’t get heard to the extent that Homecoming did.
“My Way” (Originally intended to be on College Dropout): Another one that didn’t make his debut album, but was on the advanced. The strings on this are more powerful that most producer’s drums. The way he cuts everything out and just lets the vocal sample do the work on the chorus is very tasteful and very appropriate
“Addiction” (Off of Late Registration): The use of the Etta James sample is pretty nuts. The voice sample is used perfectly because it is not more than Kanye needed, he used just enough. The subtle pace changes make this song so valuable to Kanye’s production catalogue because it shows that he is more than capable of doing something so simple, yet so hard hitting.
Other mentions:
“Through the Wire”, “All Falls Down”, “Champion”, “Welcome to Heartbreak”, “Get ‘em High”
Related posts:
- Top 10 Kanye West Freelance Productions
- Top 10 Kanye West R&B Productions
- Kanye West vs. Timbaland
- Kanye West vs. Baby Grand
- Kanye West vs. Trackmasters
Follow: Sean Deez on Twitter
