The College Dropout

Ugh, I wanted to hate it, but even my disdain for Kanye in 2026 can't take away how good this album is and what he was. Shame he turned into what he is now

sad to listen to knowing where kanye ends up. this dude is so fucking talented. funny and insightful, incredible production, great features, it's a stellar album. one of hip hop's best reduced to blabbering nazi bullshit. shame.

An idiot is making music, but unfortunately, the music is really good.

Сара 4 Марко 4

Tough listening to Kanye in 2026. 2004 he had so much promise and the tracks to back up the hype. Now he’s an antisemite fascist. Too many skits. I’m going to have to go with a 2/5. I miss the days of Ludacris guest spots.

The College Dropout is such a great time capsule of young and eager Kanye West. He'd made a name for himself as a beat maker, but making the transition from producer to rapper proved challenging. The biggest resistance from labels was due to fear of what West represented...change. They had lost sight of catching raw, unfiltered talent and focused on what was making them money right then, and they weren't dressed like Kanye. They didn't know it at the time, but they knew they'd missed their chance when Roc-a-Fella released The College Dropout in 2004 and flipped the industry. The tough guys and gangster personas had just seen the end to their days at the head of the table, opening new doors for more up and coming rappers who had no interest in the old way of doing things. If you'll forgive me giving it a nerdy label, West's debut album is a "chaotic good," weaving a path that's just shy of greatness. And don't get me wrong, greatness is there, it's just tempered by too many skits (most of which don't warrant the used space) and several tracks that don't stand up to scrutiny. Unfortunately, I dont skip skits while reviewing and they mostly hurt the score 🤷‍♂️

Subjects covered include drugs, ho's and jesus... D minus for the class clown.

Absoluto monstruo el puñetero Kanye, lastima que sea un nazi.

Long album with some classic songs here, but boy do I hate when albums have those stupid skits. Also wasn't huge on the anti-education theme of the album. Most of the songs were good, but did we really need a 13 minute "song" at the end where Kanye just tells stories from his early days leading up to the album? Especially considering the album was already over an hour long at that point.

I really appreciate the unique and diverse sounds and themes of this album. Kanye is exploring heretofore unknown styles of sampling, editing, and writing that makes his music stand out and illustrates the application of his talent and skill as an experienced producer towards the creation of his own music. While I don't appreciate what the man has made of himself, I can't deny that this album is impressive, and I don't even like rap.

Aika perus räpäytykseltä kuulostaa omaan korvaan. Ei jaksanu sanoihin keskittyä niin eipä näissä sit jää hirveesti käteen.

Niin.

Se aikaisemmin ollut Läntisen Kännin levy oli kyllä paljon parempi tämä. Oli toki töissä vaan taustamusiikkina, että varmaan jotain nyansseja jäi puuttumaan kuuntelukokemuksesta. Aika hemmetin tylsä kokonaisuus näin yhden kuuntelukerran perusteella.

Биполярное

I listened to some of it, but after 10 tracks I had to throw in the towel. Might have got 2 stars as there was something slightly different from what was typically being played in the early 00s, smoother, more soul like I guess. But also, what a prick

Not listening to Kanye anymore. Definitely liked this album back in the day.

I’m not listening to anything by this SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY!!! I give it 0

The College Dropout cuts a perfect line between the conscious and hardcore sides of hip hop. It's relentlessly optimistic and not afraid to cover difficult topics. But it's also realistic and doesn't fall into the preachy side of the conscious scene. Instead, it revels in boasts and references to popular hip hop tropes, showing you can celebrate a genre with an album that really fits in while still pushing that genre forward. It's bursting with soul samples and fresh beats. The first five real songs are basically perfect, as are "Through the Wire" and "Family Business." Every guest rapper shines, and among all the stars J. Ivy impresses the most. Both hopeful and triumphant, this manages to be the easiest Kanye album to listen to today, as it feels like a "before" - a young, hungry artist with a bright future who also happened to make a masterpiece on the first try.

Nope

First... 76 minutes? Really? Next... he's really not as funny or as deep and as intelligent as he thinks he is. Okay, the production is pretty good, but the rhymes are a bit naff. Although the brief snatch of I'll Fly Away is quite sweet. And yes, I am aware that Kanye has shown himself to be capable of being an Olympic grade arse.

Fun, feels a little dated in a very specific 2000's way.

Beats are infectious, but his rapping is uninteresting. The best rapping on the album is done by his guests. 3 stars.

I have some bad news, some good news, and some great news. The bad news: indeed, "can we or should we separate the art from the artist? if so, where do we draw that line?" is a very difficult question. the good news: the line is very far away from "guy who thinks hitler is great and wants to go deathcon 3 on the jews" so you don't need to think about this problem! the great news: I fucking hate kanye and his music so I don't even need to think about that before giving it a 1/5 anyway.

It's been two years since I last had to deal with Kanye West, when I listened to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and saw his demons. In real time, Kanye himself hasn't exactly distanced himself from the fascism and domestic abuse allegations. But we don't need to cover that today, for this album came out before most of Kanye's controversies. That's right, it's his debut record, The College Dropout. As I've said in the past, Kanye once cared about creating and producing music, and it's very evident on this record. The production is admittedly pristine throughout the whole listen, making effective use of snappy beats and sped-up vocal samples. Yeah, this and Kanye's other early albums popularized the "chipmunk soul" style of hip hop music that would flood the market over the next couple of decades, and can be ear-grating at its worst. But on here, he made it pretty easy to listen to, such as Marvin Gaye's croons from "Distant Lover" nestled into the backdrop of the sing-along chorus of "Spaceship", the second verse of Blackjack's "Maybe It's the Power of Love" used for the hard-hitting "Never Let Me Down", and Chaka Khan's anthemic chorus to "Through the Fire" reinterpreted for "Through the Wire". Plus, not every sample needed to be sped up to be incorporated well, such as Lauryn Hill's "Mystery of Iniquity" used for "All Falls Down," or The ARC Choir's "Walk With Me" over the drums from Lou Donaldson's "Ode to Billie Joe" on "Jesus Walks". As for the lyrical content... I'm admittedly torn. On some level, I get what he was going for with this record. He was trying to realize his aspirations of becoming a rapper and overcome those who didn't believe in him: his school teachers, the police, record executives at Capitol, and even his former boss at the Gap. Not to mention, he also addressed his own superficiality in the rap game on "Breathe In, Breathe Out", as well as his near-death car accident that fractured his jaw and had his mouth wired shut on "Through the Wire". Hell, even on this record, he's having to overcome the snide bars that Talib Kweli gave him for "Get 'Em High", or the self-posturing Jay-Z made on "Never Let Me Down" as he struggled to acknowledge accepting Kanye on his Roc-A-Fella Records label. There's something palatable about defying the odds to make a name for yourself, especially for a perceived nerd who dropped out of college to pursue a music career and take that risk. Yet at the same time, man, this album can also come off as very self-centered in places. His reverse psychology ploy to get his songs on the radio in the second verse of "Jesus Walks", his multiple advances toward women on "Get 'Em High" and "The New Workout Plan," with the latter track also boasting a rather cringeworthy incest joke, and, to top it all off, that nearly nine-minute monologue at the end of "Last Call". Given what Kanye would become, the signs were there. That's not even mentioning the multiple skits throughout the record that haven't aged well, or the egregious name-dropping of R&B singers he did with Jamie Foxx and Twista on "Slow Jamz". All in all, I get the appeal Kanye used to have at the beginning. The College Dropout proved influential in bringing conscious hip-hop to the mainstream at a time when gangsta rap was prevalent, and it certainly showcased the potential this producer-rapper once had, even with some glaring issues. Unfortunately, that potential has long been squandered, as this album nowadays represents a bygone era for the man.

Nazi scum. Did not listen.

Can you separate art from the artist? If the artist is Kanye West, no.

Decided not to listen to it cause Kanye

Bruh. Controversial artists on day 2. What are we doing. The highs of this album are really high, unsurprisingly I love the production, I was surprised at how many "real" instruments featured on the album and beats, it's probably all samples but I really loved the beats. But the skits and the filler man I was not a fan, the outro track was definitely a sign of what was to come in later years of Kanye. Mixed feelings but the tracks I like I'd definitely listen to again. Low-key if you cut the filler and made it a shorter album I think it'd be a killer front to back instead of a little bit hit and miss

Good album

lit no se puede votar otra cosa que no sea 5, perfeccion pura

Muy sólido álbum, excelente álbum debut. No es mi género musical favorito pero me gustó bastante y se nota la fama que tiene este álbum. Un poco sobrevalorado, pero bastante bueno.

Sin duda un disco especial, temones, temas raros, pero todos entretenidos creo. A veces la voz de kanye se me hace medio molesta, pero lo volvería a escuchar. Tmb medio largo.

This is really easy on the ear

Day1009 - for whatever good it has, the skits and filler ruin it

Kanye made great music at one point. 1 star and a skip, not giving that piece of garbage any more listens

Жестокая ирония судьбы, из всех проклятых рэперов мне понравился именно этот персонаж У него должен быть альбом - The Austrian Art School Dropout

И снова, не фанат чипманк соула, и последующие альбомы копатыча мне нравятся больше, тот же late registration точно лучше дебютника. Но альбом таки хороший А вот когда доберёмся до иизуса, хе...

graduation и my beautiful dark twisted fantasy мне прям больше намного зашли - тут 3

The College Dropout is one of the best debuts in hip hop history and, unlike his following releases, it overwhelmingly self-produced. It sounds like an artist with something to prove. After years of making beats for other artists, Kanye stepped up to the mike with his jaw wired shut (Through The Wire), an Akai MPC200 and a pocket full of Chipmunk Soul. Kanye uses samples seemlessly as if they were originally made to support his stories. He listened to The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill everyday while making College Dropout and had singer Syleena Johnson record a dead on impression for an interpolation of Ms. Hill’s Mystery Of Iniquity from her Unplugged performance on the track All Falls Down. Jesus Walks is such a jam that it defied warnings that a song about faith wouldn’t get radio play. The New Workout Plan has to be one of the few club hits propelled by violin (incredible work by Miri Ben-Ari). Such interesting topics informing tracks like Spaceship and Family Business. Kanye West dropped a scorcher and showed the world he was full of talent and promise. What could possibly go wrong? 4.5

This one holds up well for me so it'll get a 4

4★/5 10.09.2026

Yeah. It's good. very good. But man, I can't separate art from artist on this one

Fav song: Never Let Me Down

ZNakomite 5

I hate to report that I enjoyed this one

perfect 10/10, no debate about it at all

Well, here we go. I'm pretty sure I've listened to this before, but it's been a decade or so. Kanye is, of course, not all there these days. But I can suspend my disbelief for a listen to what many claim to be a top-tier hip-hop album. "We Don't Care" is solid - layered production with nice little bass-line touches here and there. I suppose we'll get these silly interludes all the way through - could become a distraction from the main tracks. "All Falls Down" - incredible (these sped up vocal samples are thematic I guess?). Okay I see what's going on now with the interludes and the not-so-subtle commentary they are providing - bold move, but it is Kanye after all - and there is a bit of questionable harmonic tuning in "I'll Fly Away." I like the intent behind "Jesus Walks" - but it's a bit too Disney for me in the plodding, chanting production. "Never Let Me Down" is a fun track, but I love the bass punches in "Get Em High" - this track grooves. "Slow Jamz" was a bit disappointing until Twista comes in. Ludacris! I'm a little lost here at the end with all these "Skits" - "Two Words" has brought me back - great production on this one. And there is that Chaka Khan sample on "Through the Wire" - another great track with great lyrical content. Okay - I've been listening to this album for an hour and he tags on a closer that is nearly 13 minutes long - with the same damn beat the whole time? This was a really incredible debut album in general - but I think he could have used an editor. I suppose that's what happens when you self-produce and don't hold your ego in check. 3 stars.

Not one I'll come back to but impressive for a number of reasons. Read "Chipmunk Soul" in wiki as a description of his sampling style and love that. One thought is I think there are hooks and then theres Kanye. He has the most songs that will stop you in your tracks. Jesus Walks stood out as one of those on this record. Overall though, a little bloated and not nearly as interesting as later stuff. Outstanding debut.

I love Kanye, I don’t care. I don’t think anyone else could make a rap song about being self conscious, tying it to white supremacy, without seeming either preachy or convoluted. You can feel his instability in every voice, but somehow that makes what he’s saying cooler and feel more true. Makes what happened to him even sadder - all falls down is party losing yourself in pursuit of seeming cool, and he basically did that w his entire life (marrying Kim) and it seems like it actually drove him insane. It’s Shakespearean. Also the rest of the album is a blast too - he takes himself seriously but is so goofy in doing so that you end up taking him seriously too. The David Bowie of rap.

Didn't grow up listening to this. Some fun tracks but overall a little dated relative to his other albums.

Great debut that showcased Kanye’s immense talents

Kanye West is... a complicated figure. I haven't personally listened to an album of his since all the Nazi shit came out in late 2022; even his apology letter earlier this year is very much a "wait and see" type thing given his history. With all of his very public drama over the last half-decade (and more), it's almost like unearthing some cultural artifact to go back to this, his debut album. Pure chipmunk soul, lots of earnest humour, a Kanye wearing his heart on his sleeve - it's a very bizarre beast, given the man he would later become. And also, it's fire. There's a reason the face of the genre basically re-shaped itself around this man.

Before he really went off the deep end… I unfortunately did not see the genius of this one. It was kinda just fine to me.

I love this album. At this point in time, Kanye is still just a young dude trying to make a name for himself, and you can tell he’s putting his whole heart into it because his pen game is about as good as it gets in his entire discography. His production chops are already apparent, though nobody would be able to guess the sound direction he’d go in just a few years later. That’s what crazy to me every time I listen to The College Dropout - this is the man who made Yeezus 9 years later, and as insane as that contrast is, you do see a logical progression between the two with each project he put out. As impressive as his evolution as a producer ended up being though, never again would we get an equally soulful, bright, funny, and optimistic album as this one. I mean damn, even the skits are a master class. This is the Old Kanye at his peak!! And for that reason, even if it’s a relatively imperfect project, it stands uniquely high among his entire catalog. Standouts: We Don't Care • Spaceship • Slow Jamz • School Spirit • Lil Jimmy Skit • Through The Wire • Family Business

This is a lost Kanye from the ages where he was getting made fun of, as he points out later, for "pink polos and a fucking backpack but everybody know you brought real rap back." This album was such a musical grenade at the time and overflowing with creativity. I feel like I have to give it a 4 in light of the albums he came up with later (notwithstanding the mental illness and you know, Nazism). I don't find myself returning to this one much because I think it's a little meandering and unfocused but his humor is on full display here and I miss that in later albums.

I remember this album coming out and everyone being obsessed with it. The soul samples, the stories, the beats. Problematic man nowadays but a genius artist.

Honestly found this pretty corny and a difficult listen at times. Some classics on it tho

Insane production. If you don’t like hip hop, give The College Dropout a try and it will give you some fresh understanding on the genre.

Kanye was my favorite rapper for years until he lost his mind.

I had a go at "separating the art from the artist", listening without thinking about the artist particularly as he now is. The music production was moderately attractive. The lyrics were moderately creative, but I still wasn't attracted to all the ideas: lazy dump on study, as though everyone can easily make $$ by other means; hypersexualised; bragging generally. Then when I got to the closer, Last Call, I was appalled. Who is interested in his dealings with various record labels? Not me, that is not relatable content, his egotism is out of control. Then after listening I had a look at the artist's bio, stuff he has said over time. What a sad, grubby, awful display. Mental health issues are part of the picture, don't excuse all the content he deployed. The person, I would rate as 0/10. The album, being a sometimes generous reviewer, I'll say is Mix of Good and Bad, 5/10.

unfortunately incredible

No streams for garbage people

2.5

This is a real, "how to separate the art from the artist" issue for me. I abhor who K. West has become, but when this album came out I would listen to it for weeks on repeat from beginning to end. It was a style of Rap that I had not heard before, with great beats, strong hooks an interesting lyrics. Over time, I began to be less into his albums until I stopped paying attention, so by the time he became so problematic it was well beyond anything he was putting out, but Graduation this an Late Registration are still albums I could just listen to, back to front with pure enjoyment. Now though with what we know bout K. West as a person, I find it harder to get the same enjoyment if I think about who is making the music. That said for the music and what the album itself is and was, it beats out the artist.

I don't need to listen to this whole thing again to rate it. Just a brilliant album. Catchy beats, great flows, witty lyrics, incisive social commentary and delivered with real heart. Through The Wire is powerful, All Falls Down is funny and brilliant, Family Business is touching and warm. There's genius on show here. Kanye the person descended into madness years ago and has said some truly awful, regrettable things, but I can't deny this record is absolutely superb, and I dearly wish we could have this person back instead of the swivel-eyed lunatic we've observed emerging over the past ten years.

Its a shame that Kanye is such a shit person, because this was such a great album, Some all time greats on this one. I'm going to give it a 3. If he wasn't a shit person this would be a 4 or 5.

No point during this 1h16m album (except the narration part of Last Call, but I enjoyed hearing the stories of they were true) did I actually think this was too long. Every song had its own vibe and it’s a great collection of songs. I never really appreciated this record beforehand, but I definitely do now. I understand why people always refer to this being the standard comparison for Kanye.

Got a few really good tracks on here. But Kanyes views on higher education is laughably the same as someone who dropped out of high school & lists on Facebook that they graduated from "the school of hard knocks."

I'm not sure how to properly rate this album. It started off one of the greatest hip hop runs ever. Love him, hate him; Kanye was popular music for like a decade plus. This album is soo close to a 5 star album, the only things keeping this album back are the skits which are very much a product of their time and the songs before/after the skits being the New Workout Plan and School Spirit. And those aren't even bad songs they fit well in the album, they just aren't the songs you revisit much... But All Falls Down, I'll Fly Away, Spaceship, Jesus Walks, Never Let Me Down, Get Em High... That is a crazy run. And we haven't even hit Through the Wire or Family Business yet. And Last Call isn't the worst 12 minute song I've ever heard... This may be a 5 anyway..

💩

Decent album, I enjoyed

You can say a lot of things about nazis but they make good albums, at least this one. There is an excellent balance between rap and pop. I did not like the inclusion of straight up religious songs and the skit tracks, are they supposed to be funny? Not really sure. Last month I listened to His las album Bully and it sounded nothing like this, this has songs that you want to come back to.

Ezcellent

"Love the art, not the artist" they say. Well in this case I love neither.

Don’t wanna like it but he’s so good.

You have to seperate this very problematic artist from his art, but where do you draw the line? At best he is mentally ill at worst a misogynistic self proclaimed Nazi. So fuck Kanye as a person, this album is good however….

This is such a good album. Not my favorite by Kanye, but such a strong debut. 9/10.

it was one of my fav rap albums of all time before kanye went berserk still a 10/10 album in my books 2nd fav rap album for me maybe

Two in a row. Same score

What happened, Kanye?

My hatred of the man really tempers my ability to enjoy his music.

I miss the old Kanye. Unbelievable beats and the bars are absolutely his best. A perfect combination of humour and introspective, hard-hitting wordplay. This is the best hip hop album of all time. So many pearl-clutching reviews on this album, have you seen some of the pieces of shit who have albums on this list? I can only assume they are being consistent with their political correctness. Anyway, I miss the old Kanye.

Fuck you, Kanye.

The song „We don‘ t care is a political & social one with intersting aspects. Graduation day… black people can have success, but they must fight for it much more than white people. I think the lyrics are quite critical in reference to the social life in the USA, specially what concerns professional aera Unfortunately, the lyrics are not very structured, no really whole phrases. Maybe this also due to the fact that this is Rap music I think this is worth of a 3.5*

It is music…

Kanye again...

Bom demais, pena que ele morreu cedo. School Skits não são os flexs que ele pensa que são.

Listens: 2.5 Standout Tracks: Spaceship, Never Let Me Down This album pre-dates Kanye's craziness and ego-tripping by a pretty wide margin, so I am not really going to get into that again like I did on Yeezus and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. So with that out of the way, I don't really care much for this style of hip-hop. Some of the beats and styles of good enough. There are some good parts where the flow of the lyrics gets going pretty well, but it's usually the featured guests that take the spotlight; Jay-Z, Common, Ludacris, Mos Def, etc. There's also a bit too many skits. Intros and Outros on a lot of songs. That could be toned down a bit and shorten the album by ~15 minutes. Some of the skits are amusing. I would be lying if I said otherwise. I do like a good skit here and there to punctuate the music. It's basically a time-honored tradition in hip-hop. Eh. 3

“If you are a fan of Kanye West you are a fan of yourself.” - Kanye West What is there to say about Kanye West that the man himself has not already said? No matter your opinion of Kanye, you cannot deny this album's excellence. A hilarious, beautiful, and all-around fantastic groundbreaking hip-hop album. No complaints 5/5! “To my fans Thank you for being loyal & patient I can’t finish the album because there’s a bee in the studio” - Kanye West

the legacy this guy has wasted in just a few years is a modern cultural tragedy

Obligatory fuck Kanye. Don't like the man and did not really care for the music either. There was some alright stuff in here, but nothing that really stood out to me. I'm not the biggest Hip Hop fan in general and when an album is over an hour I get fatigued. ⭐️⭐️

I don't care how much Kanye has demolished his reputation, this album is phenomenal. Every song has clean production, a fresh flow from Kanye, quality guest features, consistent thematic lyricism, and plenty of catchy hooks. If you can separate the art from the artist, I don't see how you give this album anything less than a 4 (skits are a little lengthy, especially the last song). I'm giving it a 5 though.

Very nice flow

Nah I'm good

Man the dude is a nazi, but this shit is so nostalgic to me(the music not the nazi shit). 5 stars baby.

This is a truly great album, and it's interesting to hear how, already with the debut, it's the distinctive Kanye sound and style. It's almost a shame, because I know his next albums are even better, and it affects my rating of this one.

i enjoyed listening to this with 3 degrees 4.5

Not for me

Bwah

I'd heard the early stuff was good but never listened to it. I really liked most of this. Difficult to separate it from who he's become though. In other circumstances could have been a 5 for me but it would need to be about 20 mins shorter at least.