Review #74: The College Dropout, Kanye West
#74: The College Dropout, Kanye West
Dropout was Ye’s debut album, and, as RS’s blurb points out, people DOUBTED him! How could they not have known they were sitting on the world’s greatest hip hop personality??
My boyfriend is a Real Kanye West Fan (I am, and I can’t stress this enough, a Fake Fan of everything) and this is his favorite Kanye album. After two straight listens, I think I might agree with him. Mostly I love the female vocalists that are all over it. Everyone listen to Syleena Johnson right now!
It’s also probably time to address the elephant in the room, which is Kanye West’s most recent career, um, choices. Look, I support Kanye’s right to live his life the way he wants, but I don’t think he should be president. He has my heart, but he’ll never have my vote.
FAVORITE SONGS:
“Intro” — Okay, so apparently the “school administrator” on this album is comedian DeRay Davis impersonating Bernie Mac?? He does a hell of a job.
“We Don’t Care” — This is the only song I really love that features a children’s choir OTHER than the inimitable “Another Brick In The Wall.”
“Graduation Day” — HAHAHA. The skits on this album might be my favorite skits on any rap albums.
“All Falls Down” — The singer on this (who I mentioned earlier) is Syleena Johnson, who just nails this. Kanye is smart because he includes women who outshine him. When her voice cuts into that bass guitar part, oh my God.
“I’ll Fly Away” — Oh my gosh he just straight up sings a minstrel song! Damn.
“Spaceship” — I love the hook from GLC on this, and I love that his voice gets all telephone boothy. Is that Syleena in the back?
“Jesus Walks” — The first Ye/Jesus love song, but not the last.
“Never Let Me Down” — It’s my best friend Jay-Z! Holla at ya boy! Okay I’m going to hell for this, but the part where Kanye asks his father his daughter reminds me of that Rob Kardashian Sr. hologram. RIP Kimye.
“Get Em High” — How many other white kids discovered Talib Kweli from the soundtrack to that movie Freedom Writers?
“Slow Jamz” — I almost don’t care about this song, but it has Jamie Foxx on it, and the line about Michael Jackson made me laugh.
“School Spirit Skit 1” — WOOF. As someone who’s about to go back to grad school, this one hurts me.
“School Spirit” — Okay this is a great song. “Oh, you graduated!”/ No, I decided I was finished. It’s like the answer to that James Brown “stay-in-school” song.
“School Spirit Skit 2” — YES, I KNOW, KANYE WEST, I’M AN IDIOT. Stop rubbing it in!!!
“Lil Jimmy Skit” — HAHAHAHA. “I’m just glad he left me [these degrees]. All the regular homeless people have newspaper, but look what I have!”
“Two Words” — Wow, look at all these features — Mos Def, Freeway, The Boys Choir of Harlem. Remember when everybody and their mother wanted to be on a Kanye West album?
“Through The Wire” — This is one of the best Kanye songs, period, and he rapped it with his jaw wired shut after an accident. Absurd!
“Last Call” — Lol, I love when rap albums end with 12-minute tracks where the rapper just, like, says whatever. My personal favorite moment is when Kanye mentions that he produced “Heart of the City,” which is a Jay-Z song on The Blueprint (Review #50). He wanted to give the beat to DMX! (RIP DMX.)
LEAST FAVORITE SONGS:
“Workout Plan” — Nah. I hate the “ditzy girl” skits.
“The New Workout Plan” — NOPE. Eat that salad no dessert. HATE this one! This song makes me never want to accept money from a man ever again!
“Family Business” — Look, this song is fine, but I can’t help but compare it to the significantly better Fugees song. Sorry Ye.
IS RS FULL OF IT?
Is Kanye the most overlooked?/ Yessir./ Is Kanye the most overbooked?/ Yessir. Do you think Kanye ever listens to his own music? He should!
