Kanye West album

Album   Released Publisher Rating
Graduation (Clean) 2007 Roc-A-Fella
Late Registration (Bonus Tracks) 2006 Universal
Late Registration (Clean) 2005 Roc-A-Fella
The College Dropout: Video Anthology (Clean) 2005 Roc-A-Fella
The College Dropout (Clean) 2004 Roc-A-Fella
Back to the topGraduation (Clean)
Review by Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
Released:
September 11, 2007
Label:
Roc-A-Fella
Rating:
Styles:
Hip-Hop
Alternative Rap
East Coast Rap
Pop-Rap
Midwest Rap
Graduation's pre-leak talk wasn't as substantive as it was with Kanye West's first two albums. As with just about any other artist's third album, it had to be expected. The College Dropout was one of the most anticipated debuts of the early 2000s, while Late Registration had people wondering why Kanye would feel the need to work so extensively with multi-instrumentalist rock producer Jon Brion (the J Dilla of the chamberlin) and whether or not Kanye's hubristic tendencies would get the better of it. With Graduation, there was Takashi Murakami's artwork, a silly first-week sales competition with the decreasingly relevant 50 Cent, and chatter about synthesizers running wild. That was about it, but it all seemed loud and prevalent, due in part to a lack of high-profile rap albums released in 2007. Graduation is neither as bold nor as scattered as The College Dropout, and it's neither as extroverted nor as sonically rich as Late Registration. Kanye still makes up for his shortcomings as an MC and lyricist by remaining charmingly clumsy, frequently dealing nonsense through suspect rhyme schemes: "I never be picture-perfect Beyoncé/Be light as Al B. or black as Chauncey/Remember him from Blackstreet, he was black as the street was/I never be laid-back as this beat was." The songs that are thematically distanced, introspective, and/or wary -- there are many of them -- are, in turn, made more palatable than insufferable. That his humor remains a constant is a crucial aspect of the album, especially considering that most other MCs would sound embittered and hostile if they were handling similar subjects, like haters new and old, being a braggart with a persistent underdog complex, getting wrapped up in spending and flaunting, and the many hassles of being a hedonist. Those who have admired Kanye as a sharp producer while detesting him as an inept MC might find the gleaming synth sprites, as heard most prominently throughout "Flashing Lights" and "Stronger," to be one of the most glaring deal-breakers in hip-hop history. Though the synthesizer use marks a clear, conscious diversion from Kanye's past productions, highlights like "I Wonder," "The Glory," and "Everything I Am" are deeply rooted in the Kanye of old, using nostalgia-inducing samples, elegant pianos and strings, and gospel choirs. So, no, he's not dreaming of fronting A Flock of Seagulls or joining Daft Punk. He's being his shrewd, occasionally foolish, and adventurous self. [A clean edition of the album was also released.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Good Morning 3:15 John, Taupin, West Ringtone
2 Champion 2:47 Fagen, Becker, West Ringtone
3 Stronger 5:12 Banghalter, DeHomen-Christo, Birdsong, West Ringtone
4 I Wonder 4:03 Siffre, West Ringtone
5 Good Life 3:26 Davis, Najm, Ingram, Jones, West Ringtone
6 Can't Tell Me Nothing 4:31 Davis, West Ringtone
7 Barry Bonds 3:24 Carter, Lamb, Landsberg, Pappalardi, Ventura, Weinstein, West Ringtone
8 Drunk and Hot Girls 5:13 Karoli, Liebzeit, Schuering, Scmhidt, Suzuki, West Ringtone
9 Flashing Lights 3:57 Hudson, West Ringtone
10 Everything I Am 3:47 Mitchell, Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee, Clinton, West
11 The Glory 3:32 Landsberg, Nyro, Pappalardi, Smith, Ventura, Weinstein, West Ringtone
12 Homecoming 3:24 Campnell, Martin, West
13 Big Brother 7:20 Davis, West Ringtone
14 (CD-Rom Track) N/A N/A
Price: $13.98     18 Reviews
Graduation is the 3rd installment in the Kanye West series of ground breaking albums, targeting every school kid, from those that have dropped out (Debut Album, College Dropout), t...
Back to the topLate Registration (Bonus Tracks)
Review by Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
Released:
March 21, 2006
Label:
Universal
Rating:
Styles:
Hip-Hop
Alternative Rap
East Coast Rap
Pop-Rap
Midwest Rap
And then, in a flash, Kanye West was everywhere, transformed from respected producer to big-name producer/MC, throwing a fit at the American Music Awards, performing "Jesus Walks" at the Grammys, wearing his diamond-studded Jesus piece, appearing on the cover of Time, running his mouth 24/7. One thing that remains unchanged is West's hunger, even though his head has swollen to the point where it could be separated from his body, shot into space, and considered a planet. Raised middle class, West didn't have to hustle his way out of poverty, the number one key to credibility for many hip-hop fans, whether it comes to rapper turned rapping label presidents or suburban teens. And now that he has proved himself in another way, through his stratospheric success -- which also won him a gaggle of haters as passionate as his followers -- he doesn't want to be seen as a novelty whose ambitions have been fulfilled. On Late Registration, he finds himself backed into a corner, albeit as king of the mountain. It's a paradox, which is exactly what he thrives on. His follow-up to The College Dropout isn't likely to change the minds of the resistant. As an MC, West remains limited, with all-too-familiar flows that weren't exceptional to begin with (you could place a number of these rhymes over College Dropout beats). He uses the same lyrical strategies as well. Take lead single "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," in which he switches from boastful to rueful; more importantly, the conflict felt in owning blood diamonds will be lost on those who couldn't afford one with years of combined income. Even so, he can be tremendous as a pure writer, whether digging up uncovered topics (as on "Diamonds") or spinning a clever line ("Before anybody wanted K. West's beats, me and my girl split the buffet at KFC"). The production approach, however, is rather different from the debut. Crude beats and drastically tempo-shifted samples are replaced with a more traditionally musical touch from Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann), who co-produces with West on most of the tracks. (Ironically, the Just Blaze-helmed "Touch the Sky" tops everything laid down by the pair, despite its heavy reliance on Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up.") West and Brion are a good, if unlikely, match. Brion's string arrangements and brass flecks add a new dimension to West's beats without overshadowing them, and the results are neither too adventurous nor too conservative. While KRS-One was the first to proclaim, "I am hip-hop," Kanye West might as well be the first MC to boldly state, "I am pop." [This edition contains bonus tracks.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Wake Up Mr. West N/A N/A
2 Heard 'Em Say N/A N/A
3 Touch the Sky N/A N/A Ringtone
4 Gold Digger N/A N/A Ringtone
5 Skit #1 N/A N/A
6 Drive Slow N/A N/A Ringtone
7 My Way Home N/A N/A Ringtone
8 Crack Music N/A N/A Ringtone
9 Roses N/A N/A Ringtone
10 Bring Me Down N/A N/A
11 Addiction N/A N/A Ringtone
12 Skit #2 N/A N/A
13 Diamonds from Sierra Leone N/A N/A Ringtone
14 We Major N/A N/A Ringtone
15 Skit #3 N/A N/A
16 Hey Mama N/A N/A Ringtone
17 Celebration N/A N/A Ringtone
18 Skit #4 N/A N/A
19 Gone N/A N/A Ringtone
20 Diamonds from Sierra Leone N/A N/A Ringtone
21 Late N/A N/A
22 Back to Basics N/A N/A
23 We Can Make It Better N/A N/A
Price: $37.99
Kanye West delivers the Australian Tour Edition of his breakthrough second album 'Late Registration'. Just in time for his March Australian Tour dates with U2, and his own sideshow...
Back to the topLate Registration (Clean)
Review by Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
Released:
August 30, 2005
Label:
Roc-A-Fella
Rating:
Styles:
Alternative Rap
East Coast Rap
Pop-Rap
And then, in a flash, Kanye was everywhere, transformed from respected producer to big-name producer/MC, throwing a fit at the American Music Awards, performing "Jesus Walks" at the Grammys, wearing his diamond-studded Jesus piece, appearing on the cover of Time, running his mouth 24/7. One thing that remains unchanged is Kanye's hunger, even though his head has swollen to the point where it could be separated from his body, shot into space, and considered a planet. Raised middle class, Kanye didn't have to hustle his way out of poverty, the number one key to credibility for many hip-hop fans, whether it comes to rapper turned rapping label presidents or suburban teens. And now that he has proved himself in another way, through his stratospheric success -- which also won him a gaggle of haters as passionate as his followers -- he doesn't want to be seen as a novelty whose ambitions have been fulfilled. On Late Registration, he finds himself backed into a corner, albeit as king of the mountain. It's a paradox, which is exactly what he thrives on. His follow-up to The College Dropout isn't likely to change the minds of the resistant. As an MC, Kanye remains limited, with all-too-familiar flows that weren't exceptional to begin with (you could place a number of these rhymes over College Dropout beats). He uses the same lyrical strategies as well. Take lead single "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," in which he switches from boastful to rueful; more importantly, the conflict felt in owning blood diamonds will be lost on those who couldn't afford one with years of combined income. Even so, he can be tremendous as a pure writer, whether digging up uncovered topics (as on "Diamonds") or spinning a clever line ("Before anybody wanted K. West's beats, me and my girl split the buffet at KFC"). The production approach, however, is rather different from the debut. Crude beats and drastically tempo-shifted samples are replaced with a more traditionally musical touch from Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann), who co-produces with West on most of the tracks. (Ironically, the Just Blaze-helmed "Touch the Sky" tops everything laid down by the pair, despite its heavy reliance on Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up.") West and Brion are a good, if unlikely, match. Brion's string arrangements and brass flecks add a new dimension to West's beats without overshadowing them, and the results are neither too adventurous nor too conservative. While KRS-One was the first to proclaim, "I am hip-hop," Kanye West might as well be the first MC to boldly state, "I am pop." [A clean version of the album was also released.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Wake Up Mr. West 0:41 Goffin, Masser
2 Heard 'Em Say 3:23 Goffin, Masser, Levine, West
3 Touch the Sky 3:57 Jaco, Mayfield, Smith, West Ringtone
4 Gold Digger 3:28 Charles, Richard, West Ringtone
5 (Untitled Track) 0:33 N/A
6 Drive Slow 4:32 Slayton, West, Harris Ringtone
7 My Way Home 1:43 N/A Ringtone
8 Crack Music 4:31 Lynn, Scott-Heron, West Ringtone
9 Roses 4:05 Meeks, West, Taylor Ringtone
10 Bring Me Down 3:18 Withers, West
11 Addiction 4:27 Williams, West Ringtone
12 (Untitled Track) 3:53 Rodgers, West, Hart
13 Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix) 0:31 N/A
14 We Major (Remix) 7:28 Harris, Barry, Black, West
15 (Untitled Track) 0:24 N/A
16 Hey Mama 5:05 Campbell, Jones, Reid, Smith, Trotter, Williams, Simmons, West Ringtone
17 Celebration 3:18 Leace, West Ringtone
18 (Untitled Track) 1:18 N/A
19 Gone 6:02 West Ringtone
20 Diamonds from Sierra Leone (*} [*) 3:58 Giles, Mills, Willis, West Ringtone
21 Late (*) 3:50 Harris, Barry, Black, West
Back to the topThe College Dropout: Video Anthology (Clean)
Review by David Jeffries, All Music Guide
Released:
March 01, 2005
Label:
Roc-A-Fella
Rating:
Styles:
Hip-Hop
Urban
East Coast Rap
Pop-Rap
Although a bonus feature-filled DVD would be most desirable, Kanye West's videos are compelling enough on their own to make a bare-bones collection of them worthy. The uplifting video for "Through the Wire," the smart and stinging one for "All Falls Down," and all three provocative "Jesus Walks" vids are worth repeat viewings, and getting "The New Workout Plan" in all of its rarely shown eight-minute glory is a treat. Including West's Twista and Mos Def collaborations is smart, and while the "Making Of"s are just as mediocre and throwaway as you'd expect, there is one big surprise: editing. Designer label T-shirts and corporate signs in the background cause more blurry mosaics than Japanese porno, and whether or not you get the parental advisory-stickered edition, the swears are taken off the DVD. It's a bummer, one the decent, remix-filled bonus CD -- the disc the advisory sticker does apply to -- almost makes up for. Recommended for fans, but with some major reservations.
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Through the Wire (DVD) N/A Foster, Weil, West, Keane
2 Slow Jamz (DVD) N/A David, Bacharach, West, Mitchell
3 All Falls Down (DVD) N/A Hill, West
4 Two Words (DVD) N/A Pridgen, Smith, Wilson, Wilson, West, Wilson
5 Jesus Walks Trilogy (DVD) N/A N/A
6 The New Workout Plan (DVD)(Version) N/A West
7 Jesus Walks (Church Version)(Multimedia Track) N/A Smith, West
8 Making Of...Video (DVD) N/A N/A
9 Jesus Walks (Chris Milk Version)(Multimedia Track) N/A Smith, West
10 Making Of...Video (DVD) N/A N/A
11 Jesus Walks (DVD)(Version) N/A Smith, West
12 Making Of...Video (DVD) N/A N/A
13 We Don't Care (Reprise) (*) N/A N/A
14 Jesus Walks (Remix)(*)(Mix) N/A N/A
15 It's Alright (*) N/A N/A
16 The New Workout Plan (Remix)(*)(Mix) N/A N/A
17 Heavy Hitters (*) N/A N/A
18 Two Words (*) N/A N/A
19 Never Let Me Down (*) N/A Bolton, Carter, Kulick, Richardson, West
Price: $14.99
Studio: Uni Dist Corp (music) Release Date: 03/01/2005
Back to the topThe College Dropout (Clean)
Review by Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
Released:
February 10, 2004
Label:
Roc-A-Fella
Rating:
Styles:
Hip-Hop
Alternative Rap
East Coast Rap
Midwest Rap
Producer Kanye West's highlight reels were stacking up exponentially when his solo debut for Roc-a-Fella was released, after numerous delays and a handful of suspense-building underground mixes. The week The College Dropout came out, three singles featuring his handiwork were in the Top 20, including his own "Through the Wire." A daring way to introduce himself to the masses , the enterprising West recorded the song during his recovery from a car wreck that nearly took his life -- while his jaw was wired shut. Heartbreaking and hysterical ("There's been an accident like Geico/They thought I was burnt up like Pepsi did Michael"), and wrapped around the helium chirp of the pitched-up chorus from Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire," the song and accompanying video couldn't have forged his dual status as underdog and champion any better. All of this momentum keeps rolling through The College Dropout, an album that's nearly as phenomenal as the boastful West has led everyone to believe. The bad points? A few too many skits, "The New Workout Plan," and the fact that the triumph that is "Through the Wire" is de-emphasized and placed so deep into the album that it's almost anticlimactic. Apart from this? Abundant hotness in every aspect. From a production standpoint, nothing here tops recent conquests like Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name" or Talib Kweli's "Get By," but he's consistently potent and tempers his familiar characteristics -- high-pitched soul samples, gospel elements -- by tweaking them and not using them as a crutch. Even though those with their ears to the street knew West could excel as an MC, he has used this album as an opportunity to prove his less-known skills to a wider audience. One of the most poignant moments is on "All Falls Down," where the self-effacing West examines self-consciousness in the context of his community: "Rollies and Pashas done drive me crazy/I can't even pronounce nothing, yo pass the Versacey/Then I spent 400 bucks on this just to be like 'Nigga you ain't up on this'." If the notion that the album runs much deeper than the singles isn't enough, there's something of a surprising bonus: rather puzzlingly, a slightly adjusted mix of "Slow Jamz" -- a side-splitting ode to legends of baby-making soul that originally appeared on Twista's Kamikaze, just before that MC received his own Roc-a-Fella chain -- also appears. Prior to this album, we were more than aware that West's stature as a producer was undeniable; now we know that he's also a remarkably versatile lyricist and a valuable MC. [A clean version of the album was also made available, with all of the cursing wiped out.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Intro 0:19 West
2 We Don't Care 3:59 Vannelli, West
3 Graduation Day 1:21 West
4 All Falls Down 3:38 West
5 I'll Fly Away 1:14 Brumley
6 Spaceship 5:24 Gaye, Gordy, Greene, Mills, West, Harris
7 Jesus Walks 3:13 Smith, West Ringtone
8 Never Let Me Down 5:24 Bolton, Carter, Kulick, Richardson, West
9 Get Em High 4:49 Greene, Lynn, West
10 Workout Plan 0:46 West
11 The New Workout Plan 5:22 West
12 Slow Jamz 5:15 David, Bacharach, West, Mitchell
13 Breathe in Breathe Out 4:06 Miller, West
14 School Spirit Skit 1 1:18 West
15 School Spirit 3:02 Franklin, West
16 School Spirit Skit 2 0:43 West
17 Lil Johnny (Skit) 0:53 Pridgen, Smith, Wilcon, Wilson, West, Wilson
18 Two Words 4:26 Foster, Weil, West, Keane
19 Through the Wire 3:41 West
20 Family Business 4:38 Perretta, West
21 Last Call 12:40 N/A
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