Graduation (CD)

Kanye West first gained fame as an acclaimed hip-hop producer, working with Jay-Z, Foxy Brown, Mase, and others. West's solo debut was delayed due to a serious car accident, but when THE COLLEGE DROPOUT finally appeared in 2004, it took the hip-hop world by storm with its combination of old-school R&B samples, inventive contemporary production, and clever rhymes. And while West continued to churn out hot tracks for a bevy of artists, popping up in the credits of what seemed to be an impossible number of CDs, he was still able to continue his run of critically and commercially successful releases, 2005's LATE REGISTRATION and 2007's GRADUATION, and become the undisputed King of Hip-Hop in the '00s.

• Category:  Music  »  Rap & Hip Hop  »  Rap & Hip Hop/General
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: September 11, 2007
• Label: Def Jam (USA)
• UPC: 602517412200
• WAPI (Tower ID): 110443539
• Average Customer Review:    (1 customer review)
• Tower.com Sales Rank: #2582 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #77 in Rap & Hip Hop (See Top 100 Rap & Hip Hop Bestsellers)
• #61 in Rap & Hip Hop/General (See Top 100 Rap & Hip Hop/General Bestsellers)

•  [Kanye West - Artist Sitethis link opens a new window] 
  
•  [Kanye West - Official Myspacethis link opens a new window] 
  
•  [Kanye West - Wikipedia Entrythis link opens a new window] 
  
•  [Kanye West - Music at LAST.fmthis link opens a new window] 
  

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Rolling Stone (p.90) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "This is an album that you first like ,then love....He's grown as a writer....The music needs his spazzed out, neurotic creativity more than ever."
Rolling Stone (p.108) - Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Top Albums of the Year 2007" -- "[T]he year's most high-impact work..."
Spin (p.114) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "West's third album is mesmerizing and alienating, like all the purest forms of pop culture. Its music is a rush of designer adrenaline..."
Q (p.95) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Musically, West is still capable of the inspirational. The cocktail piano of opening track 'I Wonder' soon gives way to the towering layers of '80s synthesizers that characterise the whole album."

Personnel: Connie Mitchell, Tanya Herron (vocals); Young Jeezy (rap vocals); Mike Dean (guitars); Gloria Justen, Luigi Mazzocchi, Eric Gorfain, Igor Szwec, Daphne Chen, Emma Kummrow, Olga Konopelsky, Charles Parker (violin); Alexandra Leem, Peter Nocella, Leah Katz, Alma Fernandez (viola); Richard Dodd, John Krovoza (cello); Wired Strings (strings); Omar Edwards (Fender Rhodes piano); La Mar 'Mars' Edwards, Andy Chatterley, Darryl Beaton, Jon Brion, Chris Rob (keyboards); Tim Ressler, Vincent 'Biggs' James (bass guitar); Timbaland (programming); Jehireh Williams, Jalil Williams, John Legend, Ne-Yo (background vocals); Eric Hudson, Tony 'Penafire' Williams, Jay-Z, Jennie Lorenzo, The Section Quartet.

Additional personnel: Chris Martin (vocals); DJ Premier (scratches); Dwele, Lil Wayne, Mos Def, T-Pain.

Given the remarkable critical and commercial success of 2005's LATE REGISTRATION, Kanye West's rich, rewarding sophomore release, expectations were high for 2007's GRADUATION. Ever savvy, West flouts those expectations by delivering a record that delivers curveballs while staying true to his sharply sculpted, commercially minded m.o. West's rapping, never his greatest strength, is still entertaining. He delivers witty, smart, sometimes absurd rhymes (he seems to take more lyrical chances on GRADUATION) that fit nicely with the overall feel of his tracks.

As usual, it's West's productions that stand out. While there are examples of his style-defining use of classic R&B samples and background choirs (as on the feel-good highlight "I Wonder"), West streamlines his sound to center on synth-driven lines, giving many of the tracks a retro-electro new wave feel. "Stronger," for example, another standout, is powered by a vocoder-drenched vocal sample courtesy of French dance superstars Daft Punk, which finds West again more comfortable in hip-hop's uncharted waters. The overall results make for a fun, inventive album that offers proof that West still has tricks up his sleeve.

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