Kanye West, as everyone knows, is such a controversial person in our modern world. There are so many things to be said about him… and none of them are good… there is no need to elaborate on them. But, what is muddled over as a result of his controversy is his impact on hip-hop/pop as a whole– especially in his first two studio albums: The College Dropout (2004) and Late Registration (2005).
They were Kanye’s prime, his commercial peak in the music industry. Not only did they both have an abundance of samples and collaborations, but the amount of time and true love for his craft (at the time) was so powerful that it shone through each and every track.
The College Dropout (2004)
being a producer for a good few years, Kanye decided to try his hand at being behind the mic instead of being behind the screen. It took him a while to get a label that would produce his album because of the fact that most companies thought that he was better off as a producer than a rapper. Regardless of what they thought, he still found a way– it took him a while though. He worked on the album for a few years and garnered enough hands to help with the album, and from the minute it dropped it became a hit.
However, there was a turning point in the midst of all of this that really set off for this album: his car crash. The crash had left him with a shattered jaw that had to be wired shut so that it could heal, and that incident lit a stronger flame of inspiration in him. He worked more on the album during this time and wrote a song about the experience, called “Through The Wire”, which he recorded with his jaw still wired shut.
One of the biggest reasons for its success was the fact that it was different from other rap albums, it strayed away from its stereotypical aesthetics and started to move into the era of deeper lyricism. It wasn’t just verses about doing drugs, getting girls, or banging six ways till Sunday– it was about struggle–- it focused on the day-to-day emotions that everyone could relate to while also including religion (Christianity to be specific). It especially tapped back into the deep storytelling aspect of rap that got forgotten throughout the years, and that follows throughout the other two albums.
When it comes to the actual meat of the album song-wise, there isn’t any glamorizing needed to be done, because it’s that good on its own. With one of its most memorable being “All Falls Down” (Ft. Syleena Johnson), using a sample from Lauryn Hill, Kanye used this song to call out how money has been used more and more as a weapon through the years, especially towards black people.
Late Registration (2005)
A personal favorite out of the three, this album brought back the art of storytelling. Kanye wanted to do something different after The College Dropout (2004 ), so he invited producer Jon Brion who helped produce one of Fiona Apple’s albums to help him out.
As he is known for, Kanye pulled out multiple different samples and a few other artists to be featured on his album. From Maroon 5 lead singer, Adam Levine, to one of his longest friends, Jay-Z, and even Patti LaBelle, the amount of collaboration nearly doubled with this album.
There isn’t much background to Late Registration (2005) as there was to The College Dropout (2004 ). However, it doesn’t diminish its impact on hip hop. As stated before, this album incorporates storytelling throughout each and every song. With its skits in between, it ties a satirical narrative of a broke fraternity (called Broke Phi Broke) who kicks Kanye out for not pretending to be broke, showing as a critique for how people tend to try and be someone that they know they are not.
With the songs, they all scream inspiration. From “Heard ‘Em Say”, in which the message is to live each day as much as you can– because nothing is truly promised today– straight to “Touch The Sky” that is purely about knowing that you are going to make it far one way or another. After those top two, there are some honorable mentions such as “Roses” (commentary on the American healthcare system and how fame plays a part), Addiction (a dive onto the addiction of addiction), and of course Mama ( a shout-out to his mom for all of the support that he has received from her).
In a way, it is impossible to separate Kanye from his first few albums as they are him. They are what he used to not only prove to everyone that he was more than just a producer, but to show it to himself too. To show the world the stories that he experienced and for everyone to get a glimpse of the way that he moves through his life.
Within the years of these albums’ production, from 1999 to 2005, the true authentic Kanye was shown.
Photo credit: “Kanye West – Kanye Omari West” by Peter Hutchins is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
