KANYE WEST - GRADUATION

“The hood love to listen to Jeezy and Weezy, and oh yeah Yeezy; I did it for the Glory.”

What’s left to do when your debut album was a breakthrough classic and your sophomore album avoids the slump to receive even more praise? Well, you graduate to the next level of course. Yet with a two year gap that occurred for Graduation to be complete, Kanye West shows it wasn’t as simple as passing classes and grabbing that diploma. And even with a shorter track list this time around (the first two were 21 tracks), Graduation packs a piercing punch.

With a hollowing welcome, “Good Morning” gives us the tantalizing new sounds that Ye’ has honed as of late. His lyrics give an outlook of a perspective that reminisces of the past and fantasizes of the future, De Lorean included (a tie to his Marty McFly lyrics in “Southside”). And if his added tagline from “The Ruler’s Back” doesn’t raise an eyebrow, you may need to dig into your iPod and throw it on.

The boastful accolades from Kanye didn’t go anywhere on tracks like “Champion” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing.” On the former, he raps “Last week I paid a visit to the institute, they got the Dropout keeping kids in the school” to vocalists singing “This is a story of a Champion.” For the latter and his first single, his arrogance warrants a hail mary, rapping “So if the Devil wear prada Adam n’ Eve wear nada I’m in between but way more fresher, with way less effort.”

DJ Toomp helped on the drums with “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” but it didn’t stop there. Kanye collaborated with Toomp as well on the bass pounding “Good Life,” with a chorus from the most popular fake voice on radio, T-Pain. If the title of this song doesn’t emulate Kanye’s lyrics better than any other track he’s done (think of it as Touch The Sky 1.5), and likewise doesn’t make you throw your hands up in the air (go ahead, wave em’ like you just don’t care), I digress.

Kanye’s sampling of Daft Punk’s synthpop-sound for his second single “Stronger” provides a more “futuristic” amplitude to his crateful of soul records. This same structural sound is seamlessly apparent in a few other tracks such as “Flashing Lights,” a string-swaying melody featuring Dwele on the vocals. In it Kanye paints a troubling picture of the girl that still haunts. Also on “I Wonder,” Mr. West pronounces his intimate thoughts through a synth-based beat, piano added for a more subtle approach.

If there was one signature detail Graduation couldn’t exist without, it would be that chipmunk sound we’ve grown to love. Kanye brings it back for us on “The Glory,” a catchy and soulful track that Common described it as “a raw street joint” when it was originally for his album. Kanye comes correct on the lyrics and with wordplay so confidently witty, he raps:

“While ya’ll was in limbo, I raised the bar up, I touched on everything, married to the game roc-a chain still the wedding ring you bridesmaids catch the garter. On nights when Ye’ romanced, camera’s flashed so much, that I gotta do that Yayo dance.”

The two collaborations found on the album, one highly anticipated, the other quite surprising, shine a rare light of disappointment for Graduation. Chris Martin’s chorus on “Homecoming” is inviting, but one cannot deny history. Kanye’s lyrics for this track match exactly to an unreleased track he did with John Legend called “Home” a few years back. Needless to say, both beats are immensely gratifying to hear, but it seems Legend’s soulful voice one-ups Martin’s mellow-toned vocals. And then on “Barry Bonds,” Lil’ Wayne spits a verse that has many scratching their heads. His word association vaguely etches an attempt, casting him as lazy.

If the comical title of “Drunk and Hot Girls” isn’t confusing enough on a Kanye West album, the lyrics emphasize an angry and frustrated man at the bar, trying to get laid. Now, it would make sense if this was maybe a fews lines on a track, but it’s the entire purpose of the song. And Mos Def singing? Stick with rapping, or going on the Dave Chappelle show (looks like you have no choice).

Ye’s enlightening tracks take a more mature stance to an astonishing career he’s had thus far. “Everything I Am” features scratches from the great DJ Premier with Kanye rapping about the naysayers who’ve got it all wrong. And paying homage to the ruler himself, Mr. West wraps up the album with “Big Brother” for president Carter. With an insightful hook, Kanye gets his chance to explain certain instances that happened in the past, and the admiration that has built up over time for Jay-Z. Forget the claims of a conscious rapper; Kanye’s lyrics on this track are just real talk.

Time and critics will decide if this album joins the same pantheon as his first two. The high standards and likewise anticipation may have killed off a few listeners, but Kanye knows this first hand; you can’t please everyone, especially to the fullest extent. And anyways, now that he has graduated, I guess he’s gonna have to go get that Good Ass Job.

PS: Let’s keep Hip-Hop alive, September 11th.

by Edwin Ortiz