Review: Kanye West – Graduation
Written by Samir Siddiqui
Kanye West
Graduation
Roc-A-Fella Records/Island Def Jam
4/5
Seemingly in an endless rut over the past few years, mainstream hip-hop can
recently be characterized by a complete disregard for originality and
change, something that has plagued a genre known in the past for excellent
variety and a willingness to push lyrical and musical boundaries. But for
one of the mainstream’s most noteworthy artists, Kanye West, resorting to
played themes and chasing the sounds of top 40 radio is just not an option.
In contrast to his worthwhile production work on Common’s Finding Forever,
West had no plan to build on his past sounds for his own album, Graduation,
as he branches off from the sonic treatments of The College Dropout and Late
Registration to create a soundscape that ventures into un-chartered waters
for popular rap music. Seemingly fueled by the endless pressure to not only
provide an album on par with first two projects, but to also provide
evidence that popular hip-hop can be good hip-hop, West’s strong effort on
his new album resonates almost throughout.
For people that have heard the album, post your thoughts on Kanye’s latest work.
Kanye gets things going with safe sweeping melodies and light drum taps on
the introductory “Good Morning”, before moving into the uplifting
“Champion”; Kanye’s promise to deliver “anthems” for the people comes to
mind here, as the signature soul samples mix with well-placed synths to
complement West’s reflective lines: “When it feels like livin’ is harder
than dyin’, for me givin’ up is way harder than tryin’/Lauryn Hill said her
heart was in Zion, I wish her heart was still in rhymin’/'Cause who the kids
‘gunna listen to, huh? I guess me, if it isn’t you.” The Daft-Punk sampling
hit “Stronger,” reworked with harder hitting drums and blaring techno
synths, the T-Pain assisted, “Good Life,” a sure-fire hit, high-pitched
synths and all, and the memorable, dark-toned “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” make
for three of the more catchy moments on Graduation, and are examples of
West’s ability to make songs both radio-ready and artistically well put
together.
Unfortunately for West, the following two songs make for two very low
moments on an otherwise excellent album- “Barry Bonds,” the annoying Lil
Wayne collabo, is unquestionably one of Ye’s worst tracks to date, with
corny (even for West) lines such as “I’m doing pretty good as far as genius’
go, and I’m doing pretty hood in my pink Polo…top 5 emcees, you ‘gotta
rewind me…my head’s so big, you can’t sit behind me.” Needless to say,
Weezy doesn’t fair much better. The following number, “Drunk & Hot Girls,”
is saved from disaster only by the captivating vocals of Mos Def (on the
singing tip), and pales in comparison to the Dwele collabo “Flashing
Lights,” which sounds like it’s name, skittering club-synths being the
production’s essence.
“Everything I Am,” although having the distinction of being the most subdued
beat on the album, might also be the album’s most effective, with Kanye and
DJ Premier combining fitting piano loops and low key scratches to match the
technically- simple introspection of Kanye. As with many of the cuts, West’s
rhymes are simplistic in nature, and his only average mic skills become more
apparent with a lack of guest rappers, but he holds his own on the album’s
final two tracks, which are also arguably, Graduation’s best. “Homecoming”
is benefited by a smooth Chris Martin hook and a well-penned second verse,
but “Big Brother” is definitely Ye’s best lyrical performance on Graduation,
as West’s ode to mentor Jay-Z chronicles the sibling-like relationship
between the two industry heavyweights in a personal, yet accessible manner
with honest bars like, “On that “Diamonds” remix, I swore I spazzed, then my
big brother came through and kicked my ass/Sibling rivalry, only I could
see, it was the pride in me, that was drivin’ me/At the Grammys, I said I
inspired me, but my big brother was who I always tried to be/When I kicked a
flow, it was like, pick and roll, ’cause even if he gave me the Roc, it’s
give and go.”
Never one to back down from musical challenge, Kanye West admitted that he
recorded Graduation in an attempt to silence the backlash he received after
dropping hugely successful Late Registration, and musically, West destroys
his competition, crafting a set of beats rarely matched in hip-hop music
today. If anything, it is Kanye’s un-amazing lyrical skills as a rapper that
continues to hold him back from mastering his craft, as much of Graduation
relies on potent subject matter to make up for relatively simple, at times
forced rhymes. But for an artist who was always a producer first, emcee
second, that is unlikely to change anytime soon, and overall, Graduation,
like Kanye’s other efforts, is a very strong album that is sure to please
West’s fans, and help Kanye make some new ones along the way as well.
Suggestion Box
August 30th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Im so mad it leaked!…its hot though…
Oh and first WHAT!
August 30th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
i just finish downloading the album,cus i ain’t buying dat shit but overall i say its a good album, he had couple of jons dat stoodout and you could ride to.
August 30th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
I LOVE the Whole album with the exception of big brother(jay-z tribute) for some unexplainable reason i just don’t like that song. The only real flaw I had with the disc is length i wish it about 2 to 3 more joints because when you vibe to the songs they pass by at light speed. All in all it’s worthy of buying multiple copies, but just one hair short of perfection.
Score-4.5/5
Songs to have on repeat(IMO)-Stronger, Flashing Lights(Ft. Dwele),and Good Life(T-Pain),Champion,
Songs to Skip(once again IMO)-Big Brother(jay-z tribute)
August 30th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
album is fire
he’s gonna kick 50s ass
there’s no song I would skip on this album
maybe he should have replaced Can’t Tell Me Nothing with the remix version
but besides that it’s all good
August 30th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
4.7……still buying 3….one for the car..one for house..one to keep in the plastic cause its a damn classic!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 30th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
its pretty weak. Kanye has the worst flow it rap
August 30th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
College Dropout > Graduation > Late Registration
This album would be so much better with more rap appearances. Imagine ‘Flashing Lights’ with Jay. That shit would be crazy.
I thought ‘Late Registration’ was over produced. He toned that down some on this album, even though there are occasions. Barry Bonds is by far the lowest point of the album. I wanna know who told him it was a good idea to put the track on the album.
& What was Common smoking when he passed on the ‘Everything I Am’ beat?
Overall, it’s a good album, and quite refreshing.
4.29/5
August 30th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
his album isnt that good at all maybe because im not into pink polo shirts and knitted sweaters music i like that hard music the only record i can vouch for thats undeniable on this album is his can’t tell me nothing record that record is fire that is the epitome of a stadium banger i cant front but as for the rest of it the big brother is a hot record as well but i think the content is corny and he samples way too much 50’s album sampler is way better his beats and he stepped it up a notch with the execution and if they were smart they would move his date up to sept. 6 and drop him in a the short week cause the album is already leaked and 50’s album aint leak yet so kanye is gonna lose this one and 50 is gonna have another #1 album under his belt and is still at the roof of hiphop hate or love this nigga is the truth CURTISS sept 11th
August 30th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
I’m copping curtis 9/11
August 30th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
im a fan of 50 and im not saying that you should give 50 his prop sense you hate him so must for doing so much for hip hop.but who the fuck is kanye to compare his his album to 50 album and then say no 50 not my competition anymore justin timberlake is i mean is he crazy. he over here messin with these big artist when even justin timberlake album in the U.S sold 3 million copie alone. and kanye album sold 3 million copie worldwide. i mean is kanye smokin some of that purple haze from his purple album cover i mean he fuckin with big artist and i no he doesn’t want to get the purple stomped out of his album once 50 get him.copin curtis
August 30th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
XL YN HOLLA @ ME aka 4/5
Download: Stronger, Good Life, Big Brother, Champion
Skip: Barry Bonds, Baby’s gay son got murdered.
Everything else is actually better than typical ablum filler. Overall 2nd best rap album this year after Redman (IM from the bricks so kiss my ass and keep your fucking hate to yourseleves.)
August 30th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Can we talk about the album?
Damn. It’s like 10 threads on this page full of 50 vs. Kanye. I’m just trying to see what other people thought of the album. If you hated it. Cool. But we’re getting tired of the back and forth. We know you’re copping Curtis. We’ve seen your posts everyday for the past week. Nobody’s gonna buy it or ‘Graduation’, b/c some random dude puts Curts/Graduation 9/11 at the end of your post.
CHRISTMAS 12/25
August 30th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
I’m pretty cheesed bout da leak, cuz then we wudn’t have seen da full potential against 50’s album, buttt wat’s dun is dun, album was straight heat
August 30th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
IM COPPN THA KANYE AND IM DOWNLOADIN IT ….GOT THE KANYE WEST PROMO GLASSES TOO HAHAHAH SHOUT OUT 2 YOUNG SAV HOLDN IT DOWN @ DEF JAM!!!!
August 30th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
COP 2 OF THE KANYE’S !ALMOST FORGOT GO COP THAT CURTIS TOO THAT SHIT IS FIRE ILL STILL KILL!!!! IZ MY SHIT -100- 50/KANYE FACE 9/11/07
August 30th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
ANY1 who likes 50 is dumb and must not be a true rap fan. Kanye West is the truth and idc who sayz i’m crazy but he reminds me of 2pac the way he can say anything and he pushes hip-hops edges. All 50 can talk about it money and girls and that is 2 commercial. 50 overall sucks and its not my opinion its just how real rap compares. 50 is a hip-hop artist and kanye is a rap artist. (major diff) i kno 50 might sell more but it would only be becuz kids are 2 stupid and in2 beats these days.
I HATE I GET MONEY!!!!!!
CUZ U CAN’T TELL ME NOTHIN’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 30th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
KANYE!!! DOWNLOADIN IT NOW AND COPPIN THA ALBUM
August 30th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Kanye album is okay, drunk girls and big brother are garbage; barry bonds is okay; he should have subtracted wayne and added common instead. Everything else is good. Curtis is fire though; seems to be better than the massacre, can’t wait for the dirty version though.
August 30th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
i’ll tell you why i like graduation.
kanye’s lyrical style is un mistakable. you dont have to like his style of music and the beats he raps over, but you gotta respect the mans lyrics. no one else flips words and uses similies and other forms of grammar in their raps like this man. sure he aint from the streets and dresses like a “homo”, but who the fuck cares. if the dude came out like the gorrilaz and you never seen his face, every single person would bump that shit. i got hella respect for 50 as a business man, no one does it like he does, but his music is never reinvented. who do you know can sample daft punk or michael jackson and have it be a fuckin hit. cmon now. just give him respect. either way they are both laughin straight to the bank sept 11.
August 30th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
yawn….yawn… curtis sep.11 imma cop 2
August 30th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Big Brother is a classic…………..GRADUATION is a CLASSIC
August 30th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Graduation 9/11
Curtis is a dud
August 30th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
GRADUATION IS A DEFINITE CLASSIC! CURTISSSSS IS ASSSSSSSSS!! not worth buying trust me!
August 30th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
#8 you shouldn’t even comment on kanye’s album if what you’re into is hard music. kanye is not hard, at all. but we all know this. the album is good. not the best, but certainly not the worst. there are times when i think Ye is too euro. like any minute i’m waiting for dizze rascal to come mash-up the place. on top of everything, its short. not a complaint, just an observation. but away from that. Talib Kweli’s album is HOT. 20 songs, 90% is dope, and he has a wide variety of topics. Holy Moly, hostile gospel, in the mood, say something, eat to live, oh my stars, listen!!! etc,etc,etc. but i fuck wit Ye. chicago keep standing!
August 30th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
my whole thing is that why is kanye tryin to get in the way of 50 career by putting his album out on the same day as 50. i guess kanye just jealous on top of that scared that 50 is going to outsell him. i mean come on people 50.cent sold 10 million kanye west sold 3 million there no competition.but then kanye some how made a deal with 50 to go hype his album by 50 sayin thing about him then had 50 say o im a quit rapping if kanye sell more then me. i mean come on kanye a loser and i bet 50 just laughing. but i also guess that kanye want to lose. i mean your puttin your album against somebody who sold 7 time more then you did that funny. i mean 50 is walkin on water with this album while kanye is walkin on thin ice waitin to melt.
August 30th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Kanye got 13 tracks 50 got like 18 plus 50 has killed the last 2 album sales from Kanye.
August 30th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
IS DA ROC……..U BASTARDS
August 30th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
never understood why cats would download an album they still plan on buying. why kill that feeling you get the first time you bump an album after unwrapping it?
August 30th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
you can bump kanye album he has all classic
August 30th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
5 MIC ALBUM. GO GET THE ALBUM
August 30th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
i jus finished downloading this shit serious and ima still buy it to support him KanYe Fan forever
August 30th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
GRADUATION
A CLASSIC
AS FOR CURTIS…I HAVE THE DIRTY VERSION FOR THAT…AND ITS STILL GARBAGE…A NIGGA HEARD IT ALL BE4…KANYE GOT THAT FRESH SHIT U AINT NEVA HEARD BEFOR…LIKE GET REAL..HOW MUCH TIMES WE GOIN LISTEN 2 50 TALK ABOUT SHOOTIN AND ROBBIN AND WE DAM KNO HE NOT DOIN IT??? WHEN I WANA HEAR SOME GANGSTA SHIT IL LISTEN 2 A NIGGA LIKE STYLES P CUZ INO HE WILL SHOOT OR STAB A NIGGA IF HE GOTZ 2…OTHERWISE KANYES DA MAN AND HIS ALBUM IS BETTER DEN CCCCCCCCCURTIS EVEN THO HE ONI GOT 13 TRACKS….SO SINCE BOTH ALBUMS R LEAKED LETS SEE WHO STILL SELLS MORE
August 30th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
CLASSIC
August 30th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Kanye’s album is very good. Good Life is outstanding. But, I think Curtis has an edge. 50’s album SOUNDS better. The beats really KNOCKS!! The song with Him & Mary, he & Eminem are CRAZZEE!!! I’m going to buy both Ye & Fif CDs.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
#21 why the fuck you yelling graduation 9/11; you should be saying graduation 8/30 or graduation 9/4; shit is all over the net. He better drop that shit by the 4th or he won’t sell 300,000!!!!!
August 30th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
i co sign w/ #16!
August 30th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
im still buyin kanye shit tho…Jus 2 support my nigga
August 30th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
on da real, 50 album is garbage, if u sayin to cop it cuz da beats are bangin, then dat’s bull, if i want bangin beats i’ll cop timbo’s album, on da other hand, kanye speaks sum real talk, even though talkin bout da loot u got can get old, its different from gangbangin and robbin manz, u can listen to the gangsta rap anytime, btw, graduation beats are bass bumpaz too, but i prefer kanye’s, tis ma opinion styll
August 30th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
really this is an album u should buy trust me
August 30th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
CD Is ok jus like the rest it got a couple of hot hits n thats it Unlike 50 his whole album be fire!
August 30th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
lol at all these 50 Cent fans obsesing over album sales, unaware it doesn’t affect them in the least
August 30th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
graduation sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 30th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
i listened to both albums and i can say i honestly like this album and id say the only album that has come out this year that is as good as “graduation” if not better is “finding forever” by common.
i listened to “curtis” and i dunno im torn on how i feel bout it, on one side it’s not as bad as i thought it would be but it’s not very good either, i swear it sounds jus like “the massacre” lol.
August 30th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
YOU KNOW WHAT? AT FIRST I WAS LIKE FUCK KAYNE. IM NOT INTO THAT DE LA SOUL TIGHT SWEATER SHIT. BUT THEN I LISTEN TO THE WHOLE C.D. THAT I DOWNLOADED BY THE WAY AND THOUGHT DAMN HE IS REALING SAYING SOMETHING THAT MEANS SOMETHING. WOW. I BEEN BRAINWASHED SO LONG WITH “SHOOT A NIGGA” SONGS I FORGET MUSIC IS SUPPOSE TO HAVE MEANING. THAT IS TRUELY AMAZING ON SOME REAL SHIT. DONT GET ME WRONG I STILL FUCKS WITH BEANS AND D-BLOCK. BUT I HAVE A NEW RESPECT FOR KAYNE. IT KINDA THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BIG AND PAC. IM FROM BROOKLYN BUT DONT GET ME WRONG. BIGGIE MADE STUFF THAT YOU PARTIED TO. PAC MADE SHIT THAT WAS REAL AND HIT YOU IN THE HEART. SO YOU LISTENED DIFFERENTLY CAUSE YOU KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM BIG BUT YOU NEVER KNEW WHAT PAC WAS GONNA COME WITH NEXT. AND THATS HOW I FEEL BOUT 50 AND KAYNE. IN NO WAY AM I COMPARING PAC AND KAYNE BUT DAMN THEY KNOW HOW TO GET YOUR ATTENTION WITH WORDS. GRAUATION IS A CLASSIC!
August 30th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
if you broke you say -wait until i get my money….Kanye fans
if you get money you say- I get money, money I got, I get it 50 fans
so its what ever you relate to, and if you say 50 a bitch or he soft and you listen to Kanye then you a bitch.
i roll wit cuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrttttttttisss
who can co-sign?
August 30th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Ok, this is it kanye album is good. But i feel like it isn’t a big jump from his last album. Maybe i have to play it couple time to really feel it. I agree with everyone else about the barry bonds track. I don’t think it’s a classic and i feel his lyric were a little light. But this was one of the albums that i was checking for everyday online. Now with 50 album isn’t close to is first album. But he has lots of songs that can be singles. I think both album are good and are the best things that will come out for this year. oh yeah check N.O.R.E album it’s nice.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:04 pm
MAN THIS ALBUM IS A FUCKING CLASSIC .. THE BEATS AND HIS RHYMES ARE ALL ON POINT AND COME CORRECT.
YAE ALL DAY
August 30th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
BTW EVERYTHING I AM IS THE HOTTEST SONG ON THAT BITCH I FUCKING LOVE THAT SONG
August 30th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
If this was a Jay Z album (with him providing the lyrics, vocals, etc.), it would then be a classic.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
there is only one shitty song on the album, drunk girls, which is just total garbage. everything else is straight PLATS!
August 30th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Graduation is 5/5. Straight up classic but so is Curtis. Heard ‘em both. Will still cop both come September 11th.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Graduation is ok but not better than College Dropout or Late Registration for that matter. Ye a fool for Recycling lyrics and how did I know the lyrics to Glory by heart? lol Drunk and hot girls, I wonder, and flashing lights are good tracks. But if one more person says that ppl don’t like him because he’s over their heads needs to listen to Canibus or Immortal technique you dummies would probably go into a seizure damn dummies.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
co-sign 45
August 30th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
@ money in da bank
u have to realize that 5 or 6 years ago, curtis was broke and if he heard “cant tell me nothing” back then, then he’d be feeling dat song cuz it speaks to ppl who are trying to make it in w/e field of interest. 50 and every other rapper is rich now, so they brag bout how rich they are, thas dope but ur avg listener doesnt have dat money so wut good do telling them how many cars u have? lol ima hard jay-z fan but i even get tired of hearing him brag sumtimes, no matter how dope it sounds.
if all u can talk bout is how much money u have (insert southern rapper here) or how many guns u popped, then u really dont have that much to talk bout lol. i mean didnt lil’ flip already do “i get money”? hasnt every other rapper since the beginning of rap music done songs bout how much money they have? how many shoot shoot bang bang records are there? tons. if these 2 topics are all ur albums consist of, u wonder why ppl say all ur albums sound the same (GRODT, MASSACRE, CURTIS). everybody said “kingdom come” sucked cuz hov wasnt talkin bout the stuff he usually talks bout. if they actually sat down and listened to wut he was saying that is stuff that would pertain to ur life when u reach (if ever) a certain stage of maturity. i mean “kingdome come” had sum gangsta and ladies records but it had political, documentary, business related topics. it went over a lot of ppl’s heads and it was different so ppl said it wasnt as good as his older stuff. when something is different, ppl dont understand it, so they backlash.
kanye in general isnt ur typical rapper, he’s not a gangsta or ignorant. lyrically he says stuff that actually matters (like a news reporter), makes u think (like nas), and basically tries to make records that speak to ur soul (like ‘pac). when it comes to production, u already kno the deal. kanye is one of those few producers (besides timbaland) that when u hear the instrumental u kno who produced the record. i wouldnt put dr dre in that category b/c so many producers do a great job of swagger jacking him so u never kno who produced the record til u buy the album.
@ #44 A CHANGED MAN basically said it best
August 30th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
i still say 50 is a good artist, like jim jones, he’s very entertaining to listen to. i think if 50 were to get hungry again, musically he could put out sum great music. the thing is, i feel that 50 and jim jones are jus more into the business aspect of the music business and either dont have time or loss of creative energy to produce the best music possible. i mean jim jones has milked ballin 4 every dollar he could get out of it, and his album and other singles flopped.
50 is in a space where he doesnt need the music so i feel he jus lost his hunger 4 the music and jus sumtimes puts music out that he thinks the public (white suburban kids/ladies) will like the most = sales. i mean u cant tell me “candy shop” and “amusement park” were classic songs. i think 50 should jus put singles that HE would want to listen to not wut he thinks ppl would wanna hear. “disco inferno” was hot, that should’ve been the single instead of “candy shop” or “jus a lil’ bit.” i think wut 50 and other artists dont realize is, if they jus put shit out that theyd wanna listen to as singles and fuck wut those record companies (PIMPS) say, the mass public would still like their shit. “candy shop” and “jus a lil’ bit” made money but if 50 had put out “disco inferno” as the OFFICIAL SINGLE, imagine how much more money he would’ve made.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
KANYE GETS 2.5/5 FROM ME,DAMN,YALL CALLING IT A CLASSIC MUST’VE MISSED OUT ON THE REAL CLASSICS
AYO,CURTIS THOUGH,THAT SHIT IS BANANAS,OUT OF ALL THE SONGS ONLY 2 SONGS I DIDN’T LIKE,4.5/5 FOR THAT ISH
August 30th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
CO-SIGN WITH #42.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
“Curtis is fire though; seems to be better than the massacre, can’t wait for the dirty version though.”
REALTALK RIGHT HERE ^
AYO,I’M BEING REAL ON THIS SHIT,NON OF THAT STAN ISH,CURTIS IS A GREAT ALBUM.
CERTIFIED *UNRELEASED* HITS ARE:
1.COME&GO
2.CURTIS 187
3.TOUCH THE SKY
4.MAN DOWN
5.I’LL STILL KILL
6.FIRE
7.FOLLOW MY LEAD
THROW IN AMUSEMENT PARK,I GET MONEY,FULLY LOADED CLIP,STRAIGHT TO THE BANK,AYO TECHNOLOGY,AND YOU DAMN NEAR GOT THE BEST ALBUM SINCE GET RICH OR DIE TRYING.
BEATS= 4.5/5.
LYRICS= 4/5.
OVERALL=4.5/5,DEFINITELY GON COP IT WHEN IT DROPS.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
KANYE 4.8 outa 5. drunk girls is stupid. mos def was doin it on there. shit was hard on his part. other than tha shit is greatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt. homecoming – CLASSIC, everything i am – CLASSIC, cant tell me nothin – CLASSIC, i wonder – CLASSIC, FLASHING LIGHTS A DEFF FUCCIN CLASSIC, THE GLORY – CLASSIC. ALBUM IS FUCCIN GREAT!!! WILL COP JUS TO KEEP WHEN IT COME OUT!!
August 30th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
why r u niggas reviewing 50’s album ??? you CURTIS DICKRIDERS NEED TO STOP LISTENING TO HIS MUSIC HE’S MAKING U NOT BE ABLE TO READ. THE TOPIC IS KANYE’S ALBUM NOT FUCKING 50′S … I SWEAR some of u guys are true to the heart ass’es
August 30th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
lol at Curtis being a 4.5, good one
August 30th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
LOL AT YOU WHO CAN’T COMPREHEND THE CONCEPT OF HAVING AN OPINION,AND HAVE TO RESORT TO CHEAP SHOTS IN A FAILED ATTEMPT TO CONVINCE US THAT YOUR MUSICAL TASTE IS SOMEWHAT SUPERIOR TO OURS
PATHETIC CHILD.
August 30th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
keep hip hop awake people if you buy kanye album. your going to put hip hop to sleep i mean hip hop almost died last your until nas came out with his album hiphop is dead and jay-z album kingdom come this year let put a little energy in hip hop i mean kanye album is cool but it boring.curtis has that club energy music.people wake up
August 30th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
albums hot…kanye did it again…this one was better than his last album.
big brother is my joint.
August 30th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
lol at Dun resorting to typing in all caps to get his point across, hehe
August 30th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
The album has incredible production.
It’s only 13 tracks but there is some filler like Barry Bonds, Drunk & Hot Girls, The Glory , Good Morning are kinda average.
Fav songs are Stronger, Can’t Tell Me Nothing, Flashlight and Champion.
That is all.
August 31st, 2007 at 12:09 am
LOL AT ATI WHO COULDN’T COME UP WITH A BETTER RESPONSE THAN “YOU’RE TYPING IN CAPS :’( ”
YOUR ARGUMENT SKILLS ARE WEAK,SO FAR YOU’VE SAID NOTHING OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE.RUN ALONG NOW BEFORE I FURTHER EMBARRASS YOU.
August 31st, 2007 at 12:41 am
Graduation >> Curtis
August 31st, 2007 at 12:43 am
Curtis must be the only 4.5 star album to have more bad songs than good ones, 50 stays reinventing
August 31st, 2007 at 2:30 am
I Must give credit to Mr West for putting this album out…. but i’ll be quick to point out that this is by no means better than the last two album.. the 1st 3 tracks on this album are great so are the last 2….. but i am a lil disappointed with Kanye’s concept…. He was on tour with U2 last year & he now decided to do staidum song an experiment that may fail or succeed only time will tell.But i’ll say it a good thing for HipHop is it’s been under so much Attack atleast no one will point fingers at his lyrics… What ever the case Mr Curtis is still going out sell Mr West by a huge margin “America got a thing for this Gangstar shit that’s why they love me” 50 cent
August 31st, 2007 at 3:08 am
This album is intellectual FIRE, its so good I’m gonna buy it. Feel GUILTY for downloading it.
OPTIMASH GRIME (Bristol, ENGLAND)
KAZ
August 31st, 2007 at 3:54 am
i give his album a 9 out of ten there shouldve been no barry bonds and no drunk and girls and there shouldve been two retrospective tracks
August 31st, 2007 at 4:48 am
Yo this CD is crazy fa , real. Barry Bonds is like his diss track. Man go cop the real thing as soon as possible.
August 31st, 2007 at 5:30 am
Yeah I got it, its his best album but I doubt it will be better than curtis
August 31st, 2007 at 5:45 am
lmao at all the niggaz that are tight deep down inside like damn ye the only hot shit u got on here has been out on the radio already that fuckn album is a snoozer
stronger,cant tell me nothing,flashing lights,big brother
hahah thats it if u calling 4 good song a classic ya are straight up lying to ya damn self and mad 50 got heat on his album sorry ye good try though u gotta come with some crazy lyrics if u gonna use beats that might make me sleep
August 31st, 2007 at 5:47 am
who said book bag rap is hiphop its not i think ya niggaz dont know what hiphop is so plz shut the fuck up with that this is real hiphop curtis is not just buy who u gonna buy and wait and see the numbers
August 31st, 2007 at 6:07 am
i got to cop curtis album because kanye has to much education and classic shit on his album. i mean im a educational dude and that just enough for me maybe for all you dumb ass out there that need education cause ya dont get non at school. and im share your scared that your mothers wouldnt want to see you with 50 album so maybe you should cop kanye album. but im copin 50 because even those 50 talk about money, car, and hoe, he has different topic to talk about along with his gangster music his club music. and some song that the female can connected to but with kanye all he has is classic and educational music. i mean it aint bad but even some of his club music is classic and educational it aint bad but it just to much classic. and it aint all that and i cant move my head to all that educational shit his music doesn’t even catch me. to me good music should make you want to move but his album just doesn’t move me man.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:10 am
kanye music put my ass to sleep
August 31st, 2007 at 6:12 am
all that classic shit need to stop for ya are even saying it to much that it putting my ass to sleep and i just woke up
August 31st, 2007 at 6:26 am
On the Real Graduation is a Certified classic, I’ts been on repeat since 2:30 yesterday with the exception of the couple times I listened to the Curtis leak(which I”m not feelin). Ye stepped it up and the album is beatiful he getting better on the Mic, while 50’s sounding pretty much the same.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:28 am
Also the Glory is the Best song on the album. Yall sleepin.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:49 am
Yo this is a good album for only havin’ 13 tracks. Kanye did his thing. I think he’s gonna sell more than 50 word.
Scream @ Me
August 31st, 2007 at 7:01 am
Kanye’s album is going to be classic material compared to the music that has been released lately. He has timeless records on his LP that you can vibe to years after its release. Kanye’s album caters to everyone and everyone can relate to it. It’s one of those LPs that I see not falling off and staying consistant/steady in sales and units for many, many weeks. I have not heard the entire album (only cuz I want something to look forward to on it’s release date when I purchase it), but for the most part, from the 8 songs that I have heard, and the rave reviews this album continues to get from the pioneers in the game…I KNOW it’s gonna be marvelous.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:23 am
MI MI I KNOW WE DISSAGREE ON ALOT BUT COME ON U CANT BE SERIOUS AS MUCH AS YA KNOW I LIKE 50 BUT IAM ALSO A HIPHOP HEAD AND THIS KANYE ALBUM AINT ALL THAT IAM BEING SERIOUS NOW THEY WAY YA TLKN I JUST DONT SEE IT FROM WHAT IAM HEARING WELL WE WILL SEE ON SEPT 11 MAYBE I GOTTA PLAY THE ALBUM LIKE 5 6 TIMES TILL I KNOW THE LYRICS TO ALL THE SONGS N THEN I CAN SEE IT I GUESS
August 31st, 2007 at 7:27 am
I had the privalage of listening to hos album at the listening party in NY. The lights and sound system was great!
I ahve to say this is by far the best album of the year!
on some next leven shit just like love below.
uhm i wonder what that would be like….kanye expermenting with andre 3000000
August 31st, 2007 at 7:37 am
kanye album is cool classic creative and talented but it was boring it also put me to sleep. 50 album was club banger gangster music raw shit and dope as hell. but his flow was different from get rich or die tryin and the massacre album. but if you ask what album would i get i would have to say 50 because even if his flow was different my head was still bangin to the music. and one thing about 50 album is that he bring lot of great sound and beats for people to listen to. but as far as kanye go his album was good but it was boring. i couldnt’t even jam to non of his music because it almost put me to sleep. but i listen to the word and it was cool but i do enough listening in school. i would rather get 50 album witch has a different flow but that you can also dance in the clubs. bump in your whip smoke drink to. listening to it in your headphones and fuck bitches to and still stay educative. then to buy kanye witch you may probably fall asleep to or play it in your room witch that is a common thing that people do. i think that kanye album was boring it was like a bed time story for all you people who will buy his album. it was classic but there wasn’t any personality in it so im copin curtis.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:54 am
Sept 11 is right around the corner so we’ll see, Bushy…But, regardless of the outcome of if 50 or YE is on top…we can agree on one thing (and one thing only)…it’s still a great come up/movement for hip hop…Just as long as they both beat country singer, Kenny Chesney…it’s all good.
August 31st, 2007 at 7:56 am
I think I’ll cop two of them Graduation albums..
and while I’m at it, I think I’ll crack a few Curtis cd cases so nobody buys them..
LOLOLOLOL!!!!1
Kanye + 2
Curtis – 5
Kanye is already up in the albums sold department!!!
August 31st, 2007 at 8:05 am
yo, kanye album is insane. I’m not even one of those 50 haters, kanye stan etc., but on some real shyt, kanye put a classic album together, all people need to go cop that sept. 11.
August 31st, 2007 at 8:06 am
jay-z had 14 song on his last album kingdom come. and kanye west has 14 song on his album graduation because there one of his song he has a skit to it that make it 14 track. but jay-z album was way better then kanye it was more classic and ya no it. but it sold 2 million records amagine how many copy kanye boring album is going to sell. and i no you guy are wondering why am i comparing jay to ye but ya comparing kanye to 50. and dont deny it because the same o people that are talkin about 50 were the one who bought his first and second album. so dont sit there and talk about 50 because you no your going to go buy curtis anyway instead of kanye.
August 31st, 2007 at 8:08 am
The album is cool, its not a classic nor is 50’s. I just wish he would have put more songs. And stop giving Common first dibs on the beats. Like alot of people, i fuck with common but like alot of people I dont buy his album and he dont sale enough records to be wasting beats.
As far as the dude who wrote the review, Samir Siddiqui. He’s obviously bias. Personal opion shouldn’t come out on a album review. It should be viewed objectively and not subjectively. Anyway im gonna bump the album over the long weekend and still may cop it on 9/11 aka hip hop emergency.
August 31st, 2007 at 8:35 am
fuck hip hop emergency… jay-z is better then kanye he sold more album he been out longer and his album was classic. do your research kingdom come sold 2 million record in 5 mouth with just 3 song that he put out. late registration sold 3 million in 1 year with 6 song that was put out. and if jay was to bring out a another song from his last album being that he has multiple choices to chose from. he could of smach every sampled classic album that kanye bring out. and im not tryin to compare jay song to kanye but jay-z is better then kanye and yes kanye is more classic then 50 but 50 is also better then kanye and you no it because you no you bougth 50 last two album.
August 31st, 2007 at 9:12 am
BREAKING NEWS: KANYE IS DROPPING ON THE 4TH. IF YOU DONT BELIEVE ME CHECK ROCAFELLARECORDS.COM HE IS DOING A SIGNING ON THE 6TH @ FYE. WHY WOULD THEY DO A SIGNING IN NYC 5 DAYS BEFORE THE ALBUM HITS NATIONALLY? SO KANYE WILL BE DROPPING BEFORE THE 11TH.
http://WWW.ROCAFELLARECORDS.COM CHECK FOR YOURSELVES.
August 31st, 2007 at 9:13 am
KANYE WEST SIGNING
Thursday, September 6
FYE #140
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY
212.581.1669 For More Info
10:00 AM
THERE YOU HAVE IT. (SAVE UR FUCKING HATE)
August 31st, 2007 at 9:17 am
^ DONT BE RETARDED,
August 31st, 2007 at 9:25 am
If thats true, that sucks. All this hype and he drops a week before fif. I hope people to broke after the 3 day weekend to buy his shit now.
August 31st, 2007 at 9:42 am
#90 tellin tha truth. i called myself. looks lik im missin skool for this already. oh well. lol
August 31st, 2007 at 9:45 am
ANYONE KNOW IF CURTIS LEAKED ALREADY ??
August 31st, 2007 at 9:50 am
“Curtis must be the only 4.5 star album to have more bad songs than good ones, 50 stays reinventing”
LOL YOU’RE STILL HERE?SHOULDN’T YOU BE SOMEWHERE FINDING SAMPLES FOR KANYE TO CHOP?
YOUR LIMITED THINKING IS THE REASON WHY YOU BELIEVE CURTIS IS A BAD ALBUM,AND ITS ALSO WHY YOU THINK KANYE USING CATCHY SAMPLES AUTOMATICALLY MAKES HIS ALBUM A CLASSIC.
WAKE UP JUNIOR,WHEN KANYE CAN MAKE A BEAT WITHOUT A SAMPLE AND WRITE RHYMES THAT DON’T SOUND LIKE JAY-Zs LEFTOVERS,THEN WE’LL TALK OKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY
August 31st, 2007 at 10:06 am
hahaha ha i mean from it being leaked n it being weak i would push up my date too shyyyt
August 31st, 2007 at 10:09 am
kanye is doin it right now, he got this music shyt on lock.
August 31st, 2007 at 10:24 am
Long day at work making the album grow on me. Its not a classic but he has more good cuts than bad. On another note, 50 did say Jay was to smart to let Kanye album drop the same day. The worst thing is having a nigga like 50 say I told you so lol.
August 31st, 2007 at 10:25 am
#6 aka John does not know shit about rap talkin bout Ye got da worst flow in hip hop(yeah stupid i bet u like Kia Shine n Lil Flip)For da real heads go check out da Can’t tell nothing Remix-Skeemix with Lil wayne n Busta plus a fresh a verse from Kanye its fire; go to hiphopgame.com in da audio section
Everybody than me later(Dat shit is like pourin gas on top of an already blazin fire)
August 31st, 2007 at 10:44 am
I guess I will be #100
August 31st, 2007 at 10:45 am
Ok now that that’s said and done….Graduation Sept 11 I will hold my water and weight to buy the CD……we too po to be at his listening party so stop downloading his music….can’t yall wait until the CD drops
August 31st, 2007 at 10:48 am
both albums leaked….so nobody has an edge in that catagory only thing different is 50 snitch cent leaked his clean version….he got that shet from The Game when he did that….and Kanye’s dirty version leaked.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:31 am
to the person who commented that the review was “biased”
may I ask, why would a 4 star album review not be overwhelmingly positive?
And I clearly focused on what held the album back from being a classic or even a near-classic for that matter, so if you think for a second that a critic who has liked an artist’s past work isn’t going to mention that in passing, you are mistaken
August 31st, 2007 at 11:49 am
The person = Pounce and I made the statement because I personally like the Barry Bonds song. Overall you wrote a good piece, dont take my feedback personal. It did come across like your a wayne hater more than bias. Maybe I should have elaborated. All in all, I dont think RTNY is going to take away your pen & pad/ laptop cause some blogger called you bias.
August 31st, 2007 at 12:23 pm
all of ya should just shut the fuck up… get off of MS.TEDDY BEAR nuts and cop curtis because all of ya that are talkin right now sound nerdy as hell. but maybe if you listen to club and gangster then you wouldnt be. just losin up.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:08 pm
vonnievonn65,
girl, niggas are selling the explicit version of both in my area and im not even in a major city. no edge for either in this region.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:16 pm
someone said 50 is reinventing? wow, i have to get off this blog today. reinventing? these 50 followers are dillusional, they’ve been brainwashed for real. ALL HAIL the WIZARD!!!
August 31st, 2007 at 1:30 pm
at Pounce: I definetly disliked Lil Wayne’s verse…it was atrocious, one of the worst I’ve ever heard from him since The Carter 2, but I barely mentioned it, so I think it could have been a lot worse, lol
August 31st, 2007 at 1:31 pm
as for the reinventing comment, I was being sarcastic, you probably just saw it in passing, because in the context of the comment, I was just joking
August 31st, 2007 at 2:39 pm
These nerds stay lying!!!! Curtis clean is the only album to leak. Show me a link to dirty Curtis; I can show you 20 links to Graduation, so don’t hate 50 cause your nerd hero shit has leaked. Like I said he better drop by Tuesday, or half these niccas are going to have that shit.
August 31st, 2007 at 2:39 pm
both kanye and curtis albums r on isohunt.com
August 31st, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Its an ok record, it has its good songs and bad songs, I’m a Kanye fan and I’d give it a 3.8/5.0, its a good album but this is proably the most misses he’s had on one album, even though there aren’t a whole lot of them.
I will say that part of the problem is Kanye’s mediocre lyrics, I can’t believe Mos Def said that he would be on that garbage drunk girls(I’m a Mos fan as well), I’m also glad that the track with Dwele was pretty good(I’m a fan of Dwele’s as well), anything to here more Dwele is good in my opinion.
The album is solid out of his three albums this one is third, I mean the first was a classic and it will be difficult to match it, he set the bar extremely high, even though the album is solid it isn’t as good as the first two.
As far as the beef…..who cares? 50 does this everytime he comes out with a new album he finds someone hot to talk about and you can’t call it hating because its true. Kenny Chesney will outsell them both lol.
August 31st, 2007 at 4:06 pm
someone on here said stronger was there fav song.. that person is who killed hip hop
August 31st, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Just listen to kanye’s intro “good morning” and tell me he can’t spit.
August 31st, 2007 at 5:36 pm
kanye west album sound boring the intro should be called good night.now that sound good
August 31st, 2007 at 7:02 pm
@ #28, I feel ya brother, I FEEL YA!
August 31st, 2007 at 8:57 pm
How can people hate on 50 Cent? I admit Kanye is a better lyricist but 50 SELLS RECORDS period…like 3X as much as Kanye. What I like most about 50 is that he get unknown producers to do the beats and givin’em work to be heard by millions.Kanye new album is on some Pop/Techno sh*t…different…yes. Dope…not really!If yall wanna holla that “it’s a different sound for hip-hop” shit Common’s Electric Circus was very different too, but you see where that went.
September 1st, 2007 at 4:36 am
K West is the SHIT right now!
September 1st, 2007 at 4:47 am
your definetly right about that number 121…who in the hell want to listen to robotic beatz.nigga this aint termintor.
September 1st, 2007 at 5:32 am
#123 did you listen to the album, or are u just a hater? Because if you did you can see why all the MC’s in the game said graduation is one of the best cd’s to come out in the last decade.
September 1st, 2007 at 6:11 am
number 124 i did listen to kanye album. but i was to listen to cause anytime i try to listen to it i would fall asleep. i aint haten but most of the MC that you are talkin about. were are they at and how many record have they sold .dont get me wrong there great.but there not hot the only MC that are doing it right now. is common, and talib kwali, and mos def, there great hip hop artist. but there not hot because if they were they would of sell million of records people would of been talking about them. and you would of heard there song in club. but you dont i respect them as hip hop artist but there not notable anymore like they were back then.and as far as kanye let me say that his last 2 album were way way better then this album.trust me
September 1st, 2007 at 6:30 am
the only reason most MC are saying that kanye album is great is because kanye is consistant. and most of those MC are washed out. and they no that the reason why they cant bring out an album is because it wont sell. so that the reason why they are depending on kanye album i dont have no problem with that. but kanye album is garbage compare to his other 2 album.this an going to sell cause if his last 2 album were better then this one and it sold 3 million records amagine how many records this one would sell.
September 1st, 2007 at 7:11 am
kanye album is garbage let me prove it he has 3 song that are boring. he has 1 song that is robotic he has 2 song that are fashioned and gay. he has 5 song that are just samples samples samples and it wack. i mean i could give you a list of samples. and he has 2 song that are good and it ‘cant tell me nothing’ and ‘champion’ beside that were are all the club music at were are the song that you can bump in your whip. with 13 track and you aint got one head bangin song were are all his original classic. o my bad he never had one. but anyway those are the only 2 song that i like.and that bad for business you pay good money for a album that has 2 good tracks that waistin money when you can bootleg it.i mean we heard it so we no.and as a artist you have to show that you have more then a good song but a great album. kanye produce all of his song for his album not bad but i would want to hear other producers on this album. i would like to hear him rapping on a swizz beatz,dr.dre,or an eminem beat but he doesn’t it just his beat. so basically when you cop kanye album your only copin kanye beat and everything. and kanye beat doesnt even sell let me prove it. he did beat for common album, he did a beat for talib kwali album, he did beat for john legend album, he did a beat for twista album, and he did a beat for mos def album, but how good did there album turn out to be.think about it
September 1st, 2007 at 9:54 am
Blaze, stop hating, you just dont like him, so what, go but 10 cnets album, and be gone!
September 1st, 2007 at 10:45 am
number 128 i no why you like kanye…because your ass is gay. so why dont you go back to school get your spelling right cause you cant spell for shit.how you going to spell cent cnet get it fix. then you can come talk to me.but until then kanye suck suck suck .curtisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
September 1st, 2007 at 10:46 am
Blaze
shut yo ass up
September 1st, 2007 at 10:48 am
go but 10 cnet album… it go buy 50.cent album stupid stop fuckin kanye. and try to spell your word right
September 1st, 2007 at 10:54 am
go but 10 cnet album man this nigga cant spell.
September 1st, 2007 at 10:56 am
i aint haten on kanye but his album is boring and gay.
September 1st, 2007 at 11:26 am
kanye wack.. anyone on here who likes kanye over 50 .. those people are killing hip hop music and turning it g&n music.. music for geeks and nerds
September 1st, 2007 at 11:33 am
how is blaze going to call out another person’s spelling when he can barely string a coherent sentence together, smh
September 1st, 2007 at 11:36 am
thank you number 134…see we aint haten on you kanye fan.but we just saying that you guy are some fuckin gay ass nerds.
September 1st, 2007 at 11:38 am
shut your teddy bear looking ass up number 135 your ass is probably a fuckin nerd to.
September 1st, 2007 at 12:08 pm
number 135 is tryin to be a smart ass.
September 1st, 2007 at 12:12 pm
NUMBERS????? Since when do numbers equal the best quality of music…i mean lil’ mama be pushing units, so does that mean she has the best quality music.
To have a classic album, you have to go a different direction then where the rest of the industry is going. Dont get me wrong, Fif is hot, but these cats get me mad when they say that Kanye is not in the same category just becuase Fif sold 10 mill or whatever cuz he had “in the club” and all those other widely appealing songs.
Bottom line..fifty is doing what his been doing. If you been a fan from day one, then your gonna still like his shit, CUZ HES DOIN THE SAME THING.
Kanye is going in a different direction, and even with the beats on this album, theres still alot of samples, but hes creating a new sound with hes use of the HEAVY SYNTH’s mixed in with the samples….Musically I don’t think you can knock graduation.
4.8 out of 5…..classic…
September 1st, 2007 at 12:20 pm
like i said kanye is a nerd his fan are nerds and his album is probably a nerd to. now that the bottom line
September 1st, 2007 at 2:21 pm
#139 what direction is kanye going?? back in the 70 w/all those samples.. man sampling songs that shit is old, puffy was doing that back in the 90s.. now kanye does it and u want to say hes goin in a dif direction, please.. how creative he is lol.. and numbers do mean a lot. lil mama isnt pushing any numbers out, i dont knw who lied to u.. those 1 hit wonders dont sell records. they sell ringtones.. people who can sell records are saying something.. kanye has no street cred.. the only reason people like kanye is because of 50.. a lot of people dont like how aggressive and blunt 50 is , so they have to like the opposite, a soft , gay, clown who has a damn pink album cover
September 1st, 2007 at 2:34 pm
ha ha ha…number 141 that shit was funny but it was also true.curtissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
September 1st, 2007 at 2:44 pm
why does kanye west alway have a teddy bear on all of his album. i mean did he get rape by a real grizzly in real life. because all of the bear look like grizzly bear. kind of like the late registration album doesn’t the gay ass teddy bear look like it is going to rape somebody look at the way it open’s the door.
September 1st, 2007 at 2:44 pm
yeah because Amusement Park, Candy Shop, Follow My Lead, Ayo Technology, Just A Lil Bit, Best Friend, etc. are all so blunt and agressive, lmao
September 1st, 2007 at 3:08 pm
yeah but because he also brought out many men, in da club, wanksta, straight to the bank, i get money,and come & go, 50 is so professional as an artist and his music impact and entertains lot of people.
September 1st, 2007 at 3:16 pm
50 also has more agressive songs then kanye would ever see on his sweet ass album. and not even that i heard them playing kanye album at a gay club today as i was driving by bumping to the i get money song. curtisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
September 1st, 2007 at 3:29 pm
why would kanye west have more agressive songs than a quote on quote “gangster rapper”….the point was that 50 has tons of songs that are opposite of blunt/agressive, so to imply that such songs must suck or be “nerdy” doesn’t make any sense
September 1st, 2007 at 3:52 pm
damn 147 , y did u put 4 quotes in that statement..
yeah aggressive
All thru the hood, I keep hearing niggas saying
I’m supposed to die tonight
Nigga’s done put a hit out and they talkin’ like shit is okay
I’m down to ride tonight
Whip rollin’, whip stolen, AK loadin’
I’m down to ride tonight
We smokin’, straight lookin’, lock and loaded
Somebody gonna die tonight
This is nothing new, I been in this position before
Grandma crib, niggas outside of her door
Different day same shit, old mack new clip
32 hollow tips gloves no rubber grip
I’m a boss, but niggas never show no respect
I catch ‘em slippin’, I have ‘em tongue kissin’ my tech
massacre(im supposed to die tonight)
September 1st, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Dude, drunk and hot girls is not one of the worst on the album. Homecoming is the worst on the album just because the original homecoming with john legend is a million times better. Drunk and hot girls is a good song. and yes, barry bonds isnt a good song…. But yo, your review seems more negative than positive, but u still give a 4/5? it seems like every kanye review i read they always bash his lyrical skill mostly then give him a good rating. his lyrical skill is still really good, but just because hes an amazing producer, people question his lyrics more than any other big emcee… Come on.
September 1st, 2007 at 6:11 pm
I Have To sat graduation is the best hip hop album to drop this year along with talib and common, bu ti think kanyes is better cuz its so different and he makes his own beats. Knye switches it up every album and its still classic and the sound on each album is consistent throughout the album, unstead of keepin the same sound like most rappers, even talib, he changes it up but its still his own sound different from anything else out. Collge dropout was staright hip hop with was absent from the market from years before it dropped, then late registration was orchestration with the help of john brion and this cd is i guess 80ish with the drums and synthsizers but his lyrics just keep getting better and his production better, you can’t hate. he deserves to sell millions, but he doesnt sell out and go the club route. I used to be a 50 fan with get rich or die tryin, but 50 hasn’t changed one bit. Shooting people and fuck*** Bit*** just isn’t appealing anymore, how is that fun to listen to. not creative at all, he doesn’t even make his own beats and hes not creative, hip hop is about creativity.
September 1st, 2007 at 6:56 pm
150 u just contradicted urself… u said that u used to like 50 but he hasnt changed?? u like him at first but he didnt change or switch up so u dont like hime anymore? and u said 50 doesnt make his own beats.. HES A RAPPER, NOT A PRODUCER.. and kanye doesnt make his own beats, he samples them.. u 50 haters give the most craziest reasons for not liking him… 50 put out 5 singles already off his album, and hes getting ready to come out w/a track w/akon.. now he deserves to sell millions
September 1st, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Yea, he put out 5 singles cuz they all sucked. Kanye only dropped two and they’ve been doin way better than 50’s. I got tired of 50 because he hasn’t changed one bit, as an artist you should get better each cd, 50 has the same old tired material, if kanye kept making different versions of the college dropout i’d be tired of him too. 50 isn’t put ay effort into his music, kanye puts his all into his cds, and i wanna see you sample a beat and make it sound as good as a kanye beat.
September 1st, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Yea, he put out 5 singles cuz they all sucked. Kanye only dropped two and they’ve been doin way better than 50’s. I got tired of 50 because he hasn’t changed one bit, as an artist you should get better each cd, 50 has the same old tired material, if kanye kept making different versions of the college dropout i’d be tired of him too. 50 isn’t put ay effort into his music, kanye puts his all into his cds, and i wanna see you sample a beat and make it sound as good as a kanye beat. Have you not heard Late Registration with its orchestration, you cannot say that doesn’t take talent, that cd is a masterpiece.
September 1st, 2007 at 9:37 pm
I definetly don’t think that the review was in any way more negative than positive, but I felt it was necessary to remark on Kanye’s lack of lyrical greatness because,
1) It made it clear why the rating didn’t reflect the classic production
2) Served notice that this is Kanye’s most simplistic and un-amazing lyrical material out of his 3 LP’s
September 1st, 2007 at 9:56 pm
#8. I know you’re not into pink polos, and you like that HARD music. But you know you what you should be into? Punctuations.
September 1st, 2007 at 10:01 pm
151 He put out 5 singles cuz he got fucked by his label. He didn’t even want all 5 to leak. So how’s your argument for 50 hold up now?
co-signed with 152. but curtiss, PLEASE don’t retire after ye wins. ur fans need someone to defend!
September 2nd, 2007 at 12:38 am
Both “Curtis” and “Graduation” have leaked. Doesn’t matter if you’d rather buy one over the other, there will be people who download both albums either way. In this day and age, you have to factor that into album sales. Once you start selling it in stores, you might as well kiss it goodbye, it’s going to get ripped and passed along through file-sharing indefinitely. If you really give a damn about hip hop, or the music industry in general, you’re going to get off your ass and buy something. Anything. Just support what you love. Support what you like even. When you just pull everything off the internet you end up with garbage, which accounts for about 90% of what’s out there today.
That said, Ye’s admitted in interviews that he tried for simpler rhyme schemes, he’s shooting for less lines with greater meaning, over greater lyrical density. He said he was tired of dumbfounded looks from Rolling Stones or U2 fans while he was opening for them on their tours over the past few years. Like he says on “Big Brother”, this album is all about “Stadium Status”. It’s the equivalent of U2’s “Pop” album, he embraces something completely different from what everyone else is doing these days, flips it around and makes a commercial hit. 50 is still on the same rhymes and subject matter as he was on day one, how can fans respect an artist that doesn’t take risks? Kanye constantly applies himself to creating new and different ideas. Would all you 50 fans respect him that much more if he actually tried to branch out? Maybe if he didn’t work with Timbaland and Timberlake, who, while extremely talented together, are extremely overexposed right now? “Curtis” is crap. You know why this album was put off for a year? Why his five singles aren’t anywhere to be found on the map? Because it’s all been done. “Get Rich” was fresh. “Massacre” was a joke that rode the coattails of “Get Rich”. So is “Curtis”. Fool your fans once, shame on you. Twice? Retire, or move on to fresher sounds.
Granted, “Barry Bonds” is one of the weaker tracks on the album, but for Kanye to upstage one of the best rappers in the game right now? That’s not so much talent, so much as the reason Ye put it on the album. Why have guest appearances? To make yourself look better by comparison. There’s are some moments where “Graduation” doesn’t shine, but overall it’s one of the more original hip hop albums of the year, it isn’t afraid to take chances, and it doesn’t rely on the crutch of old worn-out material; unlike just about every other hip hop album this year. In a year where Common bombed, MF Grimm and “I Can’t Feel My Face” keep getting pushed back, and 50 plagues us all with another tired cartoon, it’s refreshing to hear someone who isn’t afraid to take chances.
I’ll be picking up Kanye on the 11th for sure. If nothing else, to prove to 50 that he’s got to get his shit together.
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:54 am
156 he put out 5 singles cause he got money ngga.. remember that.. his shit didnt get leaked, stop listening to niggas on these blops, and knw for urself, the only shit that got leaked was the robin thicke shit.. and kanye put out to singles and only one is good.. pleas dont tell me yall like that stronger shit.. if u do im not arguing anymore.. everything 50 touches goes to number 1.. u people kill me how u say kanye is soo original , what has he done.. and none of kanyes songs r doing better than i get money.. r u people living on earth.. jay is kanyes boss and is getting ready to be on the remix to i get money.. like i said before the only reason u like people like kanye is because of 50.. and 50 still has the same rhymes 15? well talk about jay-z too then ok..u 50 haters give the most craziest reasons for not liking him…
September 2nd, 2007 at 7:58 am
u see i can give good reasons y i dont like kanyes.. u 50 haters can any legit reasons.. i can say kanyes put out that gays ass stronger video. and he dresses like a fag.. what can u say about 50.. that 50 is #2 on the forbes list of hip hop stars, that he has MONEY, that he sold more than any rapper ever in the first week, that he sold 12 mill on the first album and 11 mil on the second.. that he took the murder out the inc.. haha.. u people r funny
September 2nd, 2007 at 12:12 pm
at dolo
1) If everything 50 touches goes to number 1, why have none of his, what, five or six singles even hit the top 10…..you know you took a loss when you hook up with Timbo and JT and STILL can’t crack the top 15
2)Why are you bringing up irrelevant things to back up your arguments…how does 50’s financial status and record sales affect you in any way? And your legit reasoning for disliking Ye’s music is that “he put out that Stronger video and he dresses gay”…yeah wow, I really can’t argue with those amazing points, lmao
September 2nd, 2007 at 4:04 pm
dammit, people gotta stop hatin’ on “Drunk and Hot Girls.” did the same shit with “Celebration” last time around.
that song is psychadelic goofy greatness
and 50 lost
September 2nd, 2007 at 5:25 pm
this album is hot i love dat song bitter sweet
September 2nd, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Umm…yeah, classic? I don’t know.
But then again, compared to our other options [Hurricane Chris, Souljah Boy, etc...] Graduation and Curtis are both classics.
September 3rd, 2007 at 12:59 am
“who in the hell want to listen to robotic beatz. nigga this aint termintor.”
apparently more people would like to listen to synth beats than hearing chump change’s “ha-ha” laugh on every track
“kanye wack.. anyone on here who likes kanye over 50 .. those people are killing hip hop music and turning it g&n music.. music for geeks and nerds”
Just cuz ye talks about his real life (more than I could say for 50 Snitch)and relevant shit, it makes him a nerd? You must hate your life…
“like i said kanye is a nerd his fan are nerds and his album is probably a nerd to. now that the bottom line”
now I’m saying 50 is retarded his fans are retarded and his album is probably retarded too. Now that’s the truth.
“50 is so professional as an artist and his music impact and entertains lot of people.”
Everytime I hear a loose change track I laugh my ass of at how stupid that shit sounds…does that count as entertained?
September 3rd, 2007 at 3:35 am
ye did his damn thing on thr cd minus that barry bonds crap with lil cheesy and his same old raps
September 3rd, 2007 at 6:57 am
164.. u said kanye talks about his real life?????????????????????????????, what real life, that nigga was soft when he was younger, didnt u see that interview w/sway he had when he said he grew up w/his mom, and because of that he acted like her in school and kids in highschool called him gay.. what real life does kanye rap about, cmon 164 , do u listen to music.. how can kanye rap about REAL LIFE.. he’s not hood.. the fck u talkin bout.. i cant argue w/someone who thinks kanye talks about real life.. i didnt knw stronger and cant tell me nothing is about real life
September 3rd, 2007 at 6:58 am
kanye wack.. anyone on here who likes kanye over 50 .. those people are killing hip hop music and turning it g&n music.. music for geeks and nerds”
September 3rd, 2007 at 2:09 pm
THE REAL SMART GUY OUT OF ALL THIS IS “REALTALKNEWYORK” JUST THINK… WHENEVER HE PUT UP A KNAYE OR 50 POST NO MATTER WHAT ITS ABOUT HE GETS OVER 100 COMMENTS.. BRINGS PEOPLE TO THE SITE AND MAKES MONEY FOR HIM… GOOD JOB REALTALK… I WOULD DO THE SAME MYSELF…
September 3rd, 2007 at 3:08 pm
why do dumb niggaz always say kanye is for white people. So i guess black people only like dumb shyt. KANYE ALL DAY!!!
September 3rd, 2007 at 8:03 pm
I downloaded the Kanye West album and I really enjoyed what I heard (which means I’m actually going to pay for the album once it’s released in stores). I’m not going to rate his album because everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It’s a refreshing album, nonetheless; but that’s coming from a perspective of a young, educated black male, who happens to enjoy underground hip-hop (also known as REAL hip-hop).
I don’t meant to step on toes, but I feel that the majority of the people who have posted something, are pretty young and don’t really understand what’s going on with hip-hop right now. People have this perception that an artists’ album isn’t a classic unless it sells over a million records. If my memory serves me correctly, the Reasonable Doubt album never went platinum, but it sure as hell was a classic. Illmatic as well (a classic), did not sell over a million records, but because the music was felt by the listener…THAT is what made it a classic.
To the whole 50 -vs- Kanye West record sales bit…I honestly think people are still missing what’s going on. Instead of violence, these 2 are actually being rivals on paper. They are taking it back to REAL hip-hop with the talking back and forward and have fans (TRUE fans) excited about it. And for all of those people who don’t’ live in NYC…no less than 2 weeks or more ago, where these 2 out of like 7 rappers were on stage with one another. It’s a friendly rivalry and most of you bloggers are really on some serious “Kanye’s wack”/”50’s garbage” type shit. Let’s be honest with one another.
As far as 50 Cent goes. I felt his music when he was still underground, doing his mixtape shit. As of right now, he’s been really lazy with his music, because he’s making money. It’s is up to us as fans, to distinguish between a good track and a hott beat with some words over it. I’m sorry to say that’s what 50 has been consistent with; good beats. They’re all just recycled lyrics from the “Get Rich or Die Trying” album. Sadly enough, fans now allow the radio to tell them what’s considered good music or not. Kanye’s album is good…it’s not great, but it’s worth the money. He’s the only “commercial” rapper that I’ll support at this point.
The Common and Kweli album are definite classics…I’m putting Eardrum, up there with the Reflection Eternal album. If ya’ll want to listen to really good music, pick up Blu & Exile, Sean Price, Skyzoo, Little Brother, Oddisee, Pumpkinhead…cats like these are slept on every single day, due to the popularity of what’s considered “good” hip hop music.
Let’s take it back to the good ‘ol days and pick up the album based on the content and the way it makes you feel when you listen to it; not album sales and hype. The music industry thinks that we as fans are ignorant and if we keep buying into this garbage, the lack of good quality music is not to be blamed on the artist, but ourselves. Peace
September 4th, 2007 at 8:17 am
KANYE ALBUM IS SIMPLY DOPE…..99% OF THE ALBUM IS BANANAS
September 4th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
First of all this album is hot anyone sayin 50 is better dont know shit about hip-hop, and from what im seein based on your comments most of u dont know shit about hip-hop.
lm past being a real hiphop head im higher then that. the only track i didnt dig was drunk and hot girls until i liostened to it like 5 times and realized its passable and actually catches some attention (its different). now i see all you hate barry bonds and yes i find the lyrics to be WEAK as fuck but when u listen to hip hop as long as i do u dont even care for weezys retardation problem. his verse is so fucking funny that me n my friends have been repeating his shit for a week now. “i shal hayve them oops i mean have them” the guys fucking retarded and u cant help but laugh. other then that barry bonds is a cool fuckin track 10/10 for cool if u dont think so listen to it a few more times.
u guys cant judge albums listenin to them once thats some fucked up shit.
final thought
versatile cd
originality
drunk and hot girls takes a lot of listens to like
barry bonds weak lyrics but cool as shit
i wonder – lyrically soft
good life is just a seller but he needs one or two of those
other tracks r HOTTTTTT
big brother – sucks up too jay-z way too much. hes sayin shit he doesnt even mean as long as it can rhyme into a good sequence
flashing lights is hot as fuckkkk
50cent
expect the same shit from 50.
no originality
aiming towards club songs
his music aint rap its club-hop
probably gona sell more then kanye because middle school kids love 50
September 5th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Though have not heard Kanye’s latest addition, I would like to speak on the matter of him being Hip-Hop’s savior. That breath of fresh air that fans thought he was when he dropped through the wire is exactly what he isn’t. He’s proabably never sold oregano but he rhymed about having packs to move on the stand out track “Jesus Walks”. On Stronger he mentions the hos’ he has and what they would do for him and what he’d do for sex basically. Musically and over all talent wise he’s very good at what he does but that’s mainly with the instrumental production not with his lyricism- “Don’t ever fix yah lips like coligen/ and say something that you gonna’ end up apologin” need we say more? Can’t wait to hear the album though.
September 6th, 2007 at 12:27 am
Kanye Album Tight As Hell Everything They Said I Agree Wit Except Barry Bonds Kanye Part Waz Ok To Me & Drunk & Hot Girls Funny To Me Thats Why I Like It But Flashing Lights Could Have Went Somewhere But Not On This Album & I Listen To Homecoming So Much About The Time College Dropout Came Out So I Don’t Really Listen To Dat Alot & Bittersweet Should Have Been On His Album & Can’t Tell Me Nothin Remix
September 6th, 2007 at 2:03 am
Nice album but I’m a little disappointed with the length. Flashing Lights, I Wonder and Big Brother are always on repeat. 9/11 will be Mr. West’s day.
September 6th, 2007 at 8:19 am
this album is way out in left field crazy!!i should have waited for the release but i couldnt help it.i cant stop playing I Wonder…as for 50 that i get money single was bananaz..i cant hate on anybody doing thier thing…as far as the whole 50 vs. kanye thing, da da da da da thats what the fuck you sound like..lol just enjoy the music n be happy your alive damn it!!!
September 6th, 2007 at 12:01 pm
rap sucks. after 20 years there’s no where else to go with the genre. it’s turned into a joke. learn how to play an instrument
September 6th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
*cough* top 10 mc’s list *cough*….diss track with wayne *cough*….took tha risk of makin a punk song *cough*…duzn’t scream about money and hoes all tha tyme *cough*
lmao…i betta not here 1 person tryna say i’m lame 4 dat coughin shii,im a 23 yr. old dj so trust me…..I KNOW MUZAK!! and i bump dat kanye shii all day and i play i amusement park err1ce in a while
September 6th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
and i get 10k a week for playin wat ya’ll callin gayduation and i still don’t play barely no 25 cent tracks
September 6th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Kanye and 50 are two different kinds of rappers……
Go support whoever you like…….
Then go support me……….
loud.com/ALI1ONE
Chicago, IL
September 9th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
If 50 gets better first week sales I’m going to put his bullet-count to double digits and kill em if Graduation doesn’t do it itself.
September 9th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Songs To Listen To:
I Wonder.
Flashing Lights.
Big Brother.
Cant Tell Me Nothing.
Stronger.
Homecoming.
Songs To Skip:
Barry Bonds
Drunk & Hot Girls
overall, the songs are fiyaaaa. wud have been 5/5 had he removed barry bonds and drunk & hot girls and replaced them with some real bangers but overall, the album is great, the flow and beats are great and different to hip hop we listen to today. Thank You Mr. West. Copping 3 albums.
September 11th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
KANYE GOT A BANGER RIGHT HERE THE WHOLE ALBULM IZ ON SOME SOUL SHIT HIZ ALBULM WAY BETTER THEN 50 SHIT BUT 50 GOT SOME SUCKKA ASS FANS THATS GONNA WEST COAST MEAT RIDE HIM , HIS ALBULM IZ WACK I HERD IT LAST WEEK I DIDNT EVEN BURN IT BUT HE GONNA SELL MORE THAN YE BUT FUCK IT
September 14th, 2007 at 10:32 am
la la la la la la 50cent is a bitch kanye west cd is the shit
September 15th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Kanye West owns 9/11.
The Blueprint(produced)
Graduation.
He nearly dropped 2 classics on the same date