Does anyone here listen to music, much less black music?
My initial estimation is that “Graduation” is the weakest of Kanye’s three records, but I have a nagging feeling that it might ultimately prove stronger than the immediately forgettable “Late Registration.” “Graduation” definitely lacks a strong single - in fact, all of the songs plod along on a more-or-less even keel, with no particular highlights or songs that immediately stand out. It’s weird that he released a maudlin ballad (“Can’t tell me nothing”) as the first official single, to follow the ridiculously weak and embarrassing “Stronger,” which made its debut on the mixtape that came out a few months back.
Let’s take a moment out for “stronger” - I feel that this song almost perfectly embodies everything wrong with Kanye in 2007, and even points out some major issues with the hip hop scene at large. Kanye’s always managed to remain one of the better diggers and choppers out of the current crop of mainstream rap producers. In a world of canned keyboard beats, he manages to dig up decently obscure breaks and loops, but more importantly manages to chop them in interesting ways. But Kanye 2007 has the money and the prestige to clear any sample, so we suddenly just find him rhyming over entire other songs instead of creatively chopping and working with samples. I mean, let’s face it - he’s entered P. Diddy territory by just taking an entire Daft Punk song and rhyming over it! This level of success is the worst thing that can happen to someone whose entire craft is built around making do with what they have.
Strangely absent on Graduation are notable guests and collaborations; one of the reasons that The College Dropout’s weaker tracks still worked so well was Kanye’s ability to incorporate guests and collaborators for the greater good, allowing them to orbit around him in a miniature solar system of greatness. The guests on Graduation are few and far between, and seem strangely (and literally) phoned-in. Most curious are the Chris Martin (Coldplay) and John-Freaking-Mayer appearances; what’s up with this latest trend of rappers working with only the whitest and most milquetoasty Adult Contemporary singers? It would be like if the Killers wanted to do a soul track and picked up, I don’t know, Wayne Brady as the guest vocalist! Embarrassing!
The only true standout track for me is “Big Brother,” a long, gay love letter from Kanye to Jay-Z. It’s actually a truly sweet and affectionate moment, an anti-diss track where Kanye apologizes to Jay-Z and declares his love for him and thankfulness for all that Jay’s done for Kanye. Of course, he manages to slip in a good deal of that classic Kanye Self-Love that we all look forward to, but it’s a touching moment all around.
Just wanna point out that a quick search under “kanye” in Cafe Society brings up 93 threads. And of those 93 threads, a cursory inspection shows that he is mentioned merely in passing in only a handful–the rest of the mentions are discussing his music.
I like his beats, but so far the only song where I liked his rhymes was Jesus Walks. Sometimes I feel like Kanye West should of even had a more talented rapper sing his songs.
Megalomaniacal doggerel. As far as megalomaniacal doggerel goes, it’s pretty good, although I’d attribute that to the production more than the content. There’s a lot of stuff going on in the mix that I guess is good for the attention spans of the cell phone/video game crowd, but I think it distracts from whatever he’s trying to say/do.
I thought Big Brother and Stronger were decent, as well, but that’s about it. I guess that’s what kind of turns me off about him. Every now and then, he can actually do something poignant, but the rest of the time, he falls into the same old claptrap. It’s very frustrating to listen to someone you KNOW can do better just fall back on tripe.
…and this so-called “feud” with 50 Cent (and the baldfaced grubbing for sales) is a major turnoff.
Back in the day, one of the Run-DMC guys said that Rap is black punk rock. I only wish that were true. It’s so overdone these days, the scene is ripe for someone to come out with something that deflates all this puffery. Something mean, incisive, and entirely NOT narcissistically self-referential.
I don’t like rap music, not even slightly. I’m a death metal head. However since I’ve got a newborn I’ve been watching a lot of music videos @ 2am on VH1. Has anyone seen the video for Kanye’s new song; “Stronger”? Is it just me or is this video an homage to the anime movie Akira? Again, I dislike rap, but that video got this nerd to listen for a couple of minutes.
I haven’t heard the new album yet. The ‘Stronger’ single is cool with me. Certainly not his best, but ok for radio.
Kenya is about the only commercial rapper that I really like anymore. I love hip hop, but good rappers are increasingly hard to find. VC03, I have to disagree that Late Registration was immediately forgettable. “Crack Music” off of that album was the joint!
I got it a week or so before it was released and I’ve only listened to it once or twice. Honestly, I think it’s definitely one of his weaker records- nothing really stood out to me as amazing. He really has started to decline artistically and I think that’s because he’s getting far too caught up in his ego.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the songs Jesus Walks, Through the Wire (one of my faves), Gold Digger, etc. and while I think Stronger is ok, it’s just not awesome-I-have-to-listen-to-this-24-7-good.
At the same time that I got Kanye’s new CD, I also got 50’s new CD and I actually have been listening to the 50 CD non stop since (maybe that’s why I haven’t listened to the Kanye one again). “Curtis” is a GREAT CD (one of 50’s best, imho) with which I am in love with most of the tracks. Hell, I liked it so much that I even bought last minute tickets to his concert at the Hardrock in Las Vegas last Saturday.
Unabashedly so. In also incorporates samples by electronica duo Daft Punk (who I believe appear in the video as the robot guys running the equipment).
It’s hard for me to judge which album is “better” since I only download his popular singles.
I should point out that the Wu-Tang Clan has always incorporated Asian culture into their Wu-Tang style. Rza also does a lot of soundtrack work for movies that incorproate a lot of Asian themes (well, swordfighting at least) like the Blade series and Kill Bill. Just to go off on a random tangent.
It’s been sitting on my hard drive for a week, but I haven’t listened because I’m afraid I’m going to be disappointed. I enjoyed the first two so much that I just don’t think anybody can keep up that level for three in a row.
Of course, I felt similarly about Late Registration and ended up loving it. So I should really just give it up and spin it.
I picked it up this past Saturday and I have to say I am severely disappointed. Late Registration is one of the best albums that I own and I constantly keep it in my rotation. I have every song memorized along with all the skits. The whole album is great. This one just feels flat. Nothing really grabbed me right away like “My Way Home” and “We Major” from Late Registration.
I am also bittersweet on the CD case. I love the artwork but cardboard? Come on, when I pay for a physical CD I want a plastic case. Something that’s not going to get ruined if I were to drop it in a puddle of water. Also, I want to be able to turn the CD case over and read the list of songs, not have to open the case and pull out a flimsy paper insert that can get lost.
