Reviews (page 10 of 15)
I’m not into rap/hip hop, I’m also most certainly not a fan of Kanye West - I do not support his Nazi rhetoric/comments. However ignoring West as a person, and giving this album a fair shot — I was pleasantly surprised, the songs were all pretty decent and the humor sprinkled in was great. I didn’t love it as I usually don’t love rap/hip hop but it was certainly better than expected, and I would say it was good and I enjoyed it.
An impressive debut, and one of the best and most artistically satisfying hip-hop albums of all time - bringing great production, clever if sometimes juvenile lyrics, tasty samples and solid R&B hooks. Hip-hop isn't my thing, but this record is a shoe-in for top ten in the genre. It's too bad that Kanye is such an asshole.
Kanye as a human: 0/5 This album: 3/5
Whew, lot of feelings about this. It’s impossible to separate what Kanye has become from the Kanye that was, the record is hugely influential and pleasant to listen to the for the most part, some of the lyrics are deeply troubling and one cannot stop thinking about what is to come.
so torn because I used to really like this but upon relistening it is... rather misogynistic. I used to see this album as 'before he went crazy' but I fear it was there all along
I see why people like him (or liked him) the beats were cool, his style was unique with lots of story telling. The lyrical content is a bit questionable at times still, but that tends to be the case with rap music. Will probably never listen to again, but I see how Kanye inspired so many other artists at the time and got as popular as he did.
Kenye si meriterebbe 5 stelle a prescindere. L'album ha alcune mine, ma nel complesso è quel rap che non mi piace. Si salva sulle 3 stelle nonostante tutto ma non penso che lo recupererò mai.
Never listened to any Kanye before so the only track I had heard before was All Falls Down. I liked the clear delivery (I realise I sound ancient but it isn't my genre!), orchestration and guest artists. Mostly thoughtful lyrics and concept.
After having some initial reservations about listening to this due to the KW's objectionable political statements of late, i decided that he seems to have lost the plot after 2017/18. And seeings as this album was way before then it would be wortb listening to. I found it mostly enjoyable and really liked Spaceship in particular.
3 - decent
Fajniutkie. Buja. Nostalgicznie
Oh Kanye, Kanye, Kanye, what can I do with you... liked some of the production, but way too long
ai caramber, serste kanye album isch dropped - und zwar hemmer da en klassische fall vom "pink polo kanye" churzi gschichts stund ich würd sege mer chan am ye sini albe ih 4 kategorie ihteile sini early classic era wommer da mal "pink polo" kanye era nenned (bis zu 808 & heartbreak) pre kim era wo bis zu "watch the throne" gange isch the golden era (wells mini fav isch) – da ischer scho chli is crazy abgrutscht aber nanig ganz -> "yeezus" bis "kids see ghosts" und denn alles danach isch "spiral into batshit crazy" isch minnere meinig nah progressiv beschissener worde, paar gueti sache aber mostly meh stuff aber ezt zu dem schmucke ding: ich lose nöd so viel pink polo ye wellsmer zu classic und au ab und zue chli langwilig isch es hett natürlich scho paar bangers druf aber allgemein ischmers denn doch zu zahm und zwenig experimentell, was minnere meinig ja am ye sis gröschte talent isch (abgseh devo sich unbeliebt zmach weller eifach en batshit crazy nazi isch) bin froh gsi hanismer doch mal ih ganzer längi gönnt und ich hans gfühl es paar vo sine spätere crazyness züg schinet doch chli dure und au textlich hetts es paar element wonner gern mal wider ufgrift dur sini albene dure alles ih allem chani da aber keis 4ri inedrücke leider, aber für 3.5 pink polos sötts den scho lange I miss the old Kanye, straight from the Go Kanye Chop up the soul Kanye, set on his goals Kanye I hate the new Kanye, the bad mood Kanye The always rude Kanye, spaz in the news Kanye I miss the sweet Kanye, chop up the beats Kanye I gotta say, at that time I'd like to meet Kanye See, I invented Kanye, it wasn't any Kanyes And now I look and look around and there's so many Kanyes I used to love Kanye, I used to love Kanye I even had the pink polo, I thought I was Kanye What if Kanye made a song about Kanye Called "I Miss the Old Kanye"? Man, that'd be so Kanye That's all it was, Kanye, we still love Kanye And I love you like Kanye loves Kanye
I bought this at the time and like most people, could immediately tell that Kanye was destined for big things. The production and lyrics are great and it comes back with great tunes again and again. I was excited to see what he'd do next and I thought he was genuinely funny and clever. Now, if ever there's an appropriate time to dock a star for being a genuine binbag of a human, this is the one. It's hard to identify the extent to which his clear mental health issues have contributed to Kanye's artistic and personal decline but you can't just casually become a nazi sympathiser and dangerously narcissistic megalomaniac without having some serious character flaws to begin with. There are plenty of narcissists in this world and particularly in this industry, but when you combine that with these levels of wealth and influence it becomes truly dangerous. I'm sure there will be further Kanye albums to come in the list but the closing number of this one in particular struck me as an accurate representation of his career generally. For the first couple of minutes there's a great track building, but then we end up with ten minutes of Kanye rambling on about himself in a seemingly unscripted history of the man and the artist, while the beat sort of chunters along in the background, long since forgotten behind the self-obsession. I just want it be over. Please shut up, dude. You had our attention and were earning our respect but you should've stopped a long time ago.
Read some of the reviews of this reviewing the person who created it. I'm sorry but that's not what this project is concerned with. Judge the album. It's a decent album. Not really my type of thing. It's definitely well produced but it's just not for me. Stand out song - Jesus walks and Slow jams (the quick rap on this is incredible). - 3
Musicalmente excelente, lamentablemente por gusto personal disfruto más los samples qué a Kanye rapeando arriba.
Not really my bag.
don't like all the interludes, but the songs themselves are pretty good
A lot better than I expected, to be honest. Not a big fan of the language, but the music part was surprisingly decent.
3.5
Nothing overly groundbreaking here but it’s better than ‘Yeezus’ and ‘My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy’ which are also in the 1001 albums book. Big name guest rappers help to elevate this to better than average. And I will admit that there are some cool samples and beats on this as well. However, at the end of the day Kanye just isn’t that great a rapper and he doesn’t really have anything all that interesting or important to say.
5/10…hip hop
I remember this album being better. Production used to be so fucking good but dude lost his mind. Now we get …https://open.spotify.com/track/3uYDO9dPLTVrgfwg7EYXSf?si=hKB-OZTQS5Ww1_SxztqgeA
I’ll write this as if I don’t know how Kanye ended up years later. It’s too bad, cuz the creep can roll, man. Kanye was doing the best hip hop production in the game before he made himself a star, and this record shows what he could do when he saved all the choice beats for himself. Turns out he could also rap with the best. He’s a musician’s rapper and knows how a song works. He also wrote some fantastic rhymes about topics that no one else would touch, including (no way!) human vulnerability and wondering about his place in the world. I think this album could use some editing, it’d make a fine EP.
I dislike this man. I don't particularly care for his work. Still, this is a good album. Maybe the best from him.
we dont care isch e perfekts bispil vo früenem kanye. es macht sooo spass zum lose de beat isch fucking geeil es isch sozialkritik und sin flow isch easy charmant. mir hend wprklich es genie verlore. nocher zwei cooli aber nöd hammer songs. und denn halt jesus walks. scheiss isch guet. ich fang weg dem nöd ah glaube aber er het so viel liideschaft dehinder. get em high isch huere viel nöd kanye und s stresst mich mit de ziit au wenn de beat sehr cool isch. de workout plan slappt zwor aber isch glaub recht problematisch kanye. aso so women be shoppin problematisch. slow jamz isch geer nöd miis gsi ui. aso ich has kennt aber irgendwenn z vil s glich. und ich ghör eigentlich lieber de kanye. breathe in breathe out au chlii lahm. i always had a phd a pretty huge dick. school spirit skit 1 isch super. school spirit super gospelmässig. i finished school. oh you graduated? no i decided i was finished. super funny. through the wire slappt uhuere s sample isch seeeehr geil. er chans ebe. und dasers mit meeega metall i sim muul nochme umfall ufgnoh het goht chli hard. dude wär fasch gstorbe. family business cute. aber gseh langsam sochli dure hani s gfühl. wenns guet isch isch de kanye insane guet. aber het schochli e formle. alte last call goht jo e EWIGKEIT. und er redt afoch. mh. glaub e 3. well scho uuuhuere lang und d hälfti vode songs hani nur okay gfunde. die ander hälfti macht extreem spass.
HAHAHAHAHAH ICH HASSE S INTRO also we don't care und all falls down sind schomal bangers😭 space ship wird hert gecarried vom sample/vode wiibliche bgvs jesus walks au wieder sehr geil fuckkk manHO HO HO HOOO HOO HOO wett churz sege, dass ich versuech da echt nur uf d musig ihzgah und nöd uf s hütige mess vonere person wo de kanye isch muss aber zuegeh, dass ichs bis jz echt geil find get em high het wieder so es geils klavier föck ok also ich find die einzelne lieder immerno guet aber ich finds langsam echlii ahstrengend HAHAHA de ludacris okee de school spirit skit isch schona funny he die beats killet mich also rein musikalisch ischs für mich es 4i. wenn de kanye nöd de kanye wär, würdi hüfiger zu dem album zruggcho. aber han gmerkt, (ja ich han vorher öppis anders behauotet) dass ichs nöd übers herz bring es 4i z geh
I got Kanye 2 days in a row. Of all the artists to get back to back... This came out when I was in high school, and I do remember some of the songs but none of them feel iconic in the same way as other artists from that time period. I can appreciate this as a tone shift in rap, but if I didn't have that context I'm not sure I'd understand why it's here. Of course, Kanye's personal trajectory has to be put aside which many folks won't do.
Solid. About 20 minutes too long. 3/5
Fuck Kanye West's nazi ass. I used to bump this record a ton way back in the day. Some of the tracks hold up but overall the album is bloated and drags. Some of the production and mixing sound a little dated, especially a few of the features. Jay-Z's verse on Never Let Me Down sounds like it was pasted on top of the finished track; it doesn't quite sit in the mix properly. I know this is "classic" and at the time it was, but even outside of Kanye's turn to nazism this is far away from his best work.
Not really my thing, but I can appreciate it.
This album gets three stars for the beats. That's it.
Overall good album, golden era Kanye.
Not too shabby. Not my jam though, but I can see why this album became so big.
If you want to know how I feel about Kanye West as a person and how I try to separate art from artist, please go back and look at my review of "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." The short version: Kayne is a mentally ill person who seems to be completely rejecting whatever help he could be getting and has now gone off the complete deep end into fascism and sporting swastikas. I don't support him. I don't like him. And while this will likely influence my opinions of his music, I try not to let it. Now, the album: It's fine. There's some real great tracks here (see below), but it's far too long. And "Last Call"? Are you kidding me? What is that supposed to be? If I wanted to hear Kayne talk about himself for more than ten minutes I would just find literally any clip of him talking about anything, ever. That was some self-indulgent crap if there ever was some. But man when this album hits, it hits so hard. It's a great mix of genres at times, and other times it just shows off this man's clear musical genius. The production is top notch ("Jesus Walks" in particular), and Kayne's ability to take a simple musical concept (a beat, a melody, or a lyric that he seems fond of) and build on it is on full display. Look, I don't like the guy but it's so clear that he's immensely talented. It's such a damn shame to have to witness his decline in real time. I could've done without the skits. Those were unnecessary. And, at least for me, it was mostly downhill after "Jesus Walks." That's basically half ot the album I'm saying wasn't amazing. Three stars, purely because what was good was excellent. Standout Tracks: We Don't Care, All Falls Down, I'll Fly Away, Spaceship, Jesus Walks, The New Workout Plan
I’ve never listened to a full album by Kanye, but I'm familiar with a lot of his songs, and I usually like them. This album went a bit long for me. On a re-listen, I’d cherry-pick the songs and skip the skits.
Kanye sucks, this is a good album
I didn't get on the Kanye bandwagon until Graduation (and until Life of Pablo). This is okay, but I prefer the later albums.
I actually enjoyed this album a lot, even though I'm not a big fan of Kanye.
I hate what Kanye has become, but unlike Eminem's lyrics I could listen to this in isolation and be okay with it (apart from.The New Workout Plan, -1). I was going to give this a 4 but I think with the lyrics to that song, a 3 feels right.
Pretty good. Some bangers. Don't need it in my collection but good to hear for sure
Очень хорошее звучание, но из-за длины альбома и длины треков сложно рекомендовать
Very torn about this one. There is no denying he is extremely talented and really paved the way for a next generation. But he’s also a disgusting human being.
Kanye before he went crazy. But you can still see the crazy even back then… that self indulgent 12 minute last song. I only got into Kanye after dark twisted fantasy. I’d never listened to this album but I’d hear so many of the songs before. There are so many features on here too! I can appreciate it but I don’t think I’ll be going back for more listens.
Trots aan de kant voor Kanye, was eigenlijk best prima
non il miglior momento per parlare di kanye west 💀💀
As I am not really into hip-hop and Kanye West is a certified whacko, I did not expect to be entertained by this album. However I find it quite listenable and quite musical.
GD*mnit Kanye, if this is an art project, ala Andy Kaufman, time to abandon project. If it isn't, please someone help this guy. No cOsIgN WhAtEvEr tHiS Is
Kanye West: 0 Stars - Is a Nazi - Has an ego complex the size of The Sears Tower - evidently doesn’t like the North Side of CHI - is just a shitty person in general - Has made some really good music. Strong strong singles on this album. Shame that he is trash.
Nous voilà en 2004. Une année un peu bâtarde, musicalement parlant. Le grand frisson du début du siècle s'est un peu calmé, le rock garage new-yorkais commence déjà à tourner en rond et le hip-hop, eh bien, le hip-hop est en pleine crise de bling. Ça brille, ça rutile, ça parle de flingues, de putes et de grosses bagnoles sur des prods de plus en plus lisses. Une caricature de ce que le genre avait pu être. Et puis, le livre "1001 Albums" me force à me pencher sur le cas Kanye West. Kanye, à l'époque, ce n'était pas encore le demi-dieu mégalomane, le mari de star de la télé-réalité, le gourou de la mode ou le candidat à la présidence. Non. En 2004, Kanye West, c'était avant tout LE producteur. Le petit génie de l'ombre chez Roc-A-Fella, le type qui avait offert à Jay-Z des beats en or massif pour son Blueprint. Un orfèvre du sample, un type qui savait faire sonner la soul des années 70 comme personne. Tout le monde attendait son passage derrière le micro avec une curiosité mêlée de scepticisme. Un bon producteur fait rarement un bon rappeur. C'est une règle quasi immuable dans ce business. Et puis The College Dropout est arrivé. Et là, pendant une bonne moitié de disque, j'ai dû ravaler mon cynisme. Il faut le dire, le crier, le graver dans le marbre : la première partie de cet album est une putain de claque. Une claque monumentale. Kanye, ce petit con arrogant, a réussi un tour de force. Il a pris le hip-hop à contre-pied. Pendant que les autres se la jouaient caïds de cour de récré, lui, il est arrivé avec ses doutes, ses angoisses de mec qui a lâché la fac, ses frustrations de vendeur chez Gap, ses questionnements sur la religion et le matérialisme. Le mec ne rappe pas sur le fait de vendre de la coke, mais sur sa peur de ne pas percer, sur la pression familiale, sur le racisme ordinaire. Il parle de Jésus, de sa mère, de ses complexes. Putain, enfin un peu de chair, un peu d'âme ! Et la production... Ah, la production ! C'est là que le génie éclate au grand jour. C'est riche, c'est chaud, c'est inventif. Les samples de Chaka Khan, de Lauryn Hill, de Curtis Mayfield, les choeurs gospel qui te soulèvent l'âme, cette façon de triturer des vieilles pépites soul pour en faire des hymnes modernes... C'est du grand art. On sent le mec qui a passé des heures à fouiller dans les bacs, le genre de client que j'aurais adoré et détesté à la fois. Le genre de type qui te fait découvrir des merveilles tout en te faisant sentir que t'es à la ramasse. Des morceaux comme "Jesus Walks", "All Falls Down" ou "Through the Wire" (enregistré la mâchoire bandée après un accident, la légende était en marche) sont des monuments. C'est intelligent, c'est drôle, c'est touchant, ça groove. Ça te réconcilie avec le rap mainstream. On se dit que le genre a encore des choses à dire, qu'il peut être subversif et populaire en même temps. On se dit que ce disque a amplement sa place dans ce foutu bouquin. On est aux anges. On se dit qu'on tient le chef-d'oeuvre. Et puis... Et puis vient la deuxième moitié. Le soufflé qui retombe. Brutalement. Je ne sais pas ce qui s'est passé dans la tête du bonhomme, mais à partir du onzième morceau, la machine se grippe. Le marathonien qui était en tête de la course s'écroule à quelques kilomètres de l'arrivée. C'est long, mais alors qu'est-ce que c'est long... Les morceaux s'étirent sans raison, les interludes et les skits, au début amusants, deviennent d'une lourdeur insupportable. On a l'impression qu'il a voulu absolument tout mettre, qu'il a été incapable de faire le tri. C'est le drame de l'artiste qui est aussi son propre producteur : personne pour lui dire "Mec, là, tu te touches un peu la nouille, on coupe". Le flow de Kanye, qui n'a jamais été son point fort, montre ses limites. Les idées de production, si brillantes au début, semblent se répéter, s'essouffler. On passe d'un festin de roi à une fin de banquet où on ronge des os en espérant y trouver un peu de saveur. C'est flagrant. On commence à regarder sa montre. On se fait chier, soyons honnêtes. L'album dure plus d'une heure, et il aurait dû, il aurait fallu, qu'il s'arrête à 40 minutes. Il serait alors passé du statut de "très bon album inégal" à celui de "classique absolu". C'est toute la frustration de ce disque. Un chef-d'oeuvre amputé. Un sprint de génie qui se termine en footing poussif. C'est l'histoire d'un type qui a tellement de choses à dire qu'il finit par ne plus rien dire du tout, noyé dans sa propre logorrhée. C'est peut-être ça, le "syndrome du premier album" pour un producteur qui devient artiste. L'envie de prouver tellement de choses qu'on en oublie l'essentiel : la concision. Au final, que reste-t-il ? Le souvenir impérissable d'une première moitié stratosphérique. Et le goût amer d'une fin qui gâche la fête. C'est pour cette raison que je ne peux pas lui mettre plus. C'est un grand disque malade, un génie qui n'a pas su quand s'arrêter. Une promesse incroyable, mais tenue à moitié. Allez, un 3/4, et c'est bien payé pour m'avoir fait bailler pendant près de trente minutes.
This album is definitely catchy and was enjoyable for its time, bringing a refreshing energy with its uplifting production. One thing I just learned from listening to this is the term “chipmunk soul”—a production style that speeds up soul samples to create a distinctively bright and energetic sound. I never knew there was an actual name for that technique, but it definitely adds to the album’s lively and feel good vibe.
Not just another Gangsta-Rap album. But still Gangsta-Rap...
Not really an album. Couple bangers on there tho.
I will preface this by saying Mr. West turned out to be a deplorable human being so I hate to like any of this (including contributing to his bottom line by streaming this for the review). He's awful but damn, he makes some fire beats. When this album came out it was different than others in the genre and a lot of the songs are really catchy and dare I say clever. He has some undeniable talent but I'm finding it hard to separate the art from the artist and I probably would have rated this higher 10+ years ago. The first half of TCD is much stronger (Slow Jamz and prior), after that it goes downhill (plus the skits are embarrassingly laughable). This sorta sums up early-Kanye into Yeezy into the sheer lunatic he is now (publicity skits included). Considering all factors, I can't go higher than a 3.05.
It's hard not to be aware of Kanye West's relatively public and scandalous rise and fall. Despite his huge pop culture influence I hadn't heard any of his music beyond a couple of radio hits many many years ago. I had never delved into any aspect of his early career but have consistently heard from various sources that The College Dropout is a great album. I went in skeptical, but after finishing this listen I have to agree. It's a different take on rap with some pretty catchy tracks and some clever lyrics. It hits on some of the common rap tropes but mostly avoids a lot the standard gangsta rap points that never really worked for me. I had never heard a single song off of The College Dropout and was entertained from start to finish. If he was able to build off of this strong debut I can see how he quickly elevated himself to one of the biggest rappers of his era. Unfortunately Kanye has certainly had a storied history. He has done himself no favors over the past couple of years which has only served to distance himself from what may once have been a very promising musical career. At this point I think most people look at him as an off-the-rails psycho and largely ignore his music (I know I did prior to this listen). Glad I was given a reason to give this one a listen. Solid review from my end. 3.18 stars
This is the second KW album I've listened to now. I first thought my first experience was an aberration, so much so that I enjoyed it and gave the first on a 4 star review. Maybe it isn't an aberration after all as this was better than expected. The standout track was 'Jesus Walks', I might even add it to a playlist! He may not be my thing but I can understand his appeal.
Another elaborate hip hop album, deftly produced, complex and clever lyrics, which probably deserves a second listen, but which I think I may appreciate and admire, but which I don't think I'll ever really love or connect to emotionally, although the run of tracks from New Workout Plan onwards are fun and I like them, but the final Last Call is just way too long and I can't imagine listening to Kanye's rambling memories for fun again.
I've listened to this a few times and I'm not sure how good it is. He is a tragic figure really, and I know his view have been less than wholesome but, benefit of the doubt, he'd forgotten to take his meds. He did help move rap on from the ostensible inexorable bling movement, and probably paved the way for the likes of Kendrick Lamar. For that, and for some good tunes in here it's a three.
This is a good album, 3/5. I'm not a huge fan of Kanye West generally, but he does have some nice tracks. Of the 21 tracks on this album, four (4) are on my "liked" songs list.
3.5 What's with all the fucking skits? Kanye is very talented, shame he's such a shitty person.
Pretty solid album from Kanye. Standout tracks: We Don't Care All Falls Down Get 'Em High Through the Wire Family Business
I actually found myself kind of enjoying this album. I like it a lot better than Yeezus. I enjoyed All Falls Down, Spaceship, Jesus Walks, and Never Let Me Down. Kanye really does make some very interesting music. It's not 100% my thing but I can appreciate it. It's a shame he's such an awful person.
Most of vocals were clear and often humorous. Decent chill beats.
Didn't want to like this because, you know, but I actually really did think some of these songs were really good.
Ok, not great
this has some good deep cuts here but considering how good some of his discography is this is kind of mid tier (defs not near the bottom, man has probably had the biggest and most unending fall from grace i have ever seen)
Ah, Kanye again, the real struggle of separating the art from the artist. I couldn't do it for Yeezus because by then he'd already gone into ubercunt mode, but I suppose The College Dropout is him at the start of a journey where that didn't seem likely. I actually bought Late Registration but never owned or really listened to this, it's alright, has some strong moments in All Falls Down, Never Let Me Down (especially, it's great) and Two Words, but the rest is a little overblown in style, content and length. Those three tracks probably squeeze it to a 3/5 though, they're really good, but it probably says something else that they're all made better by collabs.
Surprisingly enjoyed this, but it's far too long.
This is a good hip hop record. I know it’s a pretty commonly expressed sentiment, but I really do miss the old Kanye. My biggest complaint about this record is its inconsistency. There’s some really top tier singles, a few good songs, and the rest of it feels a lot like filler. As far as the singles go, “Jesus Walks” is clearly the best track on the record, but I personally feel it still pales in comparison to some of Kanye’s later singles. It’s really well produced for a debut record, and you can tell Kanye had a very unique approach and vision when it comes to actually making music. Not my favourite Kanye album, but certainly nowhere near the worst music he’s made. 3/5
I miss the old Kanye
Blind album. I'm here to rate the music regardless of the person. This album had some okay tracks and it flowed well, and the skits were creative. I liked Dark Twisted Fantasy more though and I thought a lot of people liked this more from what they told me. Oh well. Meh.
Listened before. Good but long. Meh on the skits
There is a lot of good stuff here, and I lot of stuff not so much. I like the gospel influences, not a fan of the 'chipmunk soul'. An impressive list of collabs. If I had heard this when it came out I might have rated it higher. Probably more relevance than I am giving it credit for.
I just kinda struggled to get excited about this one, unfortunately. Even when I was impressed, I wasn’t really interested.
Kanye innit
Better than I expected - I had only listened to one full Kanye album before and I really didn't like that. This had some great production, which makes sense, and some surprisingly good stuff from Kanye. But it definitely falls short for me. Way too long. Annoying skits. And, well, Kanye.
Ja, abwechslungsreich.
Almost a 4. It felt a little long-winded, especially the last song. I didn't enjoy the skits but I don't usually in music albums, but the music was pretty great
I miss the old Kanye. Not my favorite Kanye album, but it is produced well. I found myself singing along to the chorus and singing more so than the rap lyrics. Good features, my favorite being Jamie Fox. That outro story was a little long winded.
First 9 tracks are really really great. Then the middle kinda lost me and not a big fan of skits. However last 3 redeemed the album 3.5/5 (could be a 4)
it's good but it's kanye u know (listened to on a random youtube channel) fav track never let me down for sure
It's got some good stuff. It's too long and Kanye is too weird. Will I listen to again: 10%
A fairly high quality, if slightly drawn out full-length debut from Kanye West. Aside from the "classics" (Jesus Walks, All Falls Down & Through The Wire), oddly the only track I was familiar with from this record was 'The New Workout Plan', a comically bad piece of all too common 2000's misogyny. Unfortunately, that isn't the only ugly moment on this album. This doozy comes very early on during 'We Don't Care': "The drug game bulimic, it's hard to get weight// So n* money is homo, it's hard to get straight". More grizzly bottom-feeding bars are not hard to come by. 'Slow Jamz' feels like an R. Kelly offcut. Jamie Foxx introduces what is ostensibly a smooth song for the ladies. Kanye takes no time whatsoever to dismantle that image "I'ma play this Vandross, you gon' take yo' pants off" (poor Luther passed away 18 months after this hot garbage was released, he'd had enough). This isn't to say that this record is without highlights. 'Never Let Me Down' is a notable first major collaboration between West and Roc-A-Fella boss Jay-Z, despite never being released as a single. The album finishes well with 'Through the Wire' and 'Family Business' also. Aside from the occasional (perhaps frequent) juvenile lyric, this album is notable for displaying West's chops as a producer. The extensive use of sampling throughout The College Dropout keeps things interesting, even when things threaten to fizzle out during the bloated middle of the record. Top 3: 1. Never Let Me Down 2. Jesus Walks (that sample is heavenly) 3. Breathe In Breathe Out Bottom 1: Slow Jamz Overall Score: 6.4/10
Fantastic album from start to finish.
Some decent singles but has all the annoying traits of a hip hop album
Abgesehen, dass er inzwischen ein verrückter bipolarer Antisemit ist. Kanye in den 2000ern, einfach unfassbar geiler Flow und geile selbstgemachte Beats (Ich empfehle die Doku Jeen-Yuhs) Ich kann nicht nachvollziehen, warum das nachfolge Album Graduation nicht in der 1001 Liste ist, ist kriminell. Sein bestes Album voll mit Bangern. College Dropout hab ich damals nicht gehört, aber Jesus Walks ein Song den ich viel gehört habe. Auf dem Song hat mir aber auch viel nicht gefallen, außerdem viel zu lang. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Jesus Walks
Good beats wasted on a man who thinks he’s God’s mixtape.
This one is better than 50's album but I'm also giving it a 3 because i need to re-adjust my scale. It is starting to seem like the author of this list and me don't have the same taste in hip hop music =(
Started out good, but got bloated too much by the end...
Two words is one of my favourite songs ever and this is a great album
Pretty good stuff but not my preferred style
Started well with We don't Care, but then it had that annoying Graduation day like nails being driven into my ear. a few pretty average songs and then spaceship is ok. Don't like the R&B songs on the album (i.e. Slow Jamz). I can see why it is popular, just not my style of music. Mostly painful to the ears, Won't listen to it again
pre: not a fan of kanye as a person. Never listened to an entire album, but there are a few singles I have worn out (including Jesus Walks and School Spirit from this album). Interested to hear them in the context of an album. Super mixed feelings. Any given song, in a vacuum, was pretty damn great. I like Kanye's lyrics and vocal style, and he's an inarguably great producer. As an album, I'm not sure what I would think, but my listening was so disjointed today that I didn't really get that experience. I hate the skits, as I do for pretty much every rap/hip-hop album that incorporates it (except Enter the Wu-Tang of course). And then there's the Kanye of it all. Oof. I think this would normally be a solid 3.5 for me (between "I wouldn't mind if someone else played this" and "I would choose to put this on"). I have rounded up in the past, but I think the Kanye-ness of it plus the skits are going to make me round down. Specifically, they are genre and period appropriate, but they would be a slight deterrent to me listening to the album again. I do want to listen to the other two albums in this trio though
Had high expectations and not that the album wasnt good. Just my expectations were so high and I dont feel like the whole album impressed me it was just a few songs.
meno bello di My dark beautiful fantasy, ma cosa vuoi che ti dica... prima che impazzisse era veramente un artista degno di nota. che nervoso.
Previously, when I listened to West, I figured I was missing something. It does nit satisfy like Nas, Wu, Em, NWA... So this was a chance to see what I was missing. Turns out, not much. This is not bad, but it wad not enjoyable either.
Yeah Kanye was way better before he went totally nuts into the Trump Swamp and all that. He has some good rhymes and beats with top-notch guests like Jay-Z and Mos Def so it's not terrible
It's so funny/sad how Kanye's albums act as portraits of a man's rise and fall, and how money power and fame can corrupt people. The general concept of this album is great. I love the skits and find them hilarious, and I enjoy a lot of the songs. Unfortunately this album suffers significantly worse bloat than MBDTF. Every song is about 1-2 mins too long, and many tracks on the second half of the album weren't entirely necessary. That being said I generally enjoyed the album. 3/5
Naja, Kanye West scheint ja ein recht unangenehmer Typ zu sein. Antisemitisch, Rassistisch, Nazi-Fan, Trump-Fan. Unsympathisch. Aber das Album und die Musik ist nicht so schlecht.
Probably the biggest challenge separating the art from the man when listening to Kanye. I didn’t want to like any of this, but ended up being surprised, probably due to the obvious shift away from gangsta style. A pretty strong debut. Rating down because of length, overuse of chipmunk pitch-shift vocals, and inclusion of unnecessary talking tracks that IMO actually take away from poignant messages being delivered in the actual songs.
rap
Kanye is THE character. I had listened to the classics before but never listened to a full record before (except Vultures, since my Ye-sexual friends told me to). This is way better than Vultures, but still doesn't justify all the Kanye hype for me. I acknowledge that this is a solid album, well made, and real good inside the genre, but I still don't get it. I have had Kendrick and Dre in this project and all three albums are similar in terms of quality for me. I can't put this over them. Maybe one day I'll get this album, but not Ye(t).
I find it difficult to describe and review music. Rap is even harder. Upon first listen it was an easy 2. Maybe I just don't get rap? Then again maybe I just don't like it? But that can't be true. I find myself rapping along to the really famous tunes over the years, knowing all the words and enjoying it. Maybe it's the lyrics. Maybe it's the beat. Maybe it's because it's familiar to me. Or a combination of the three. I decided to give it a second spin, follow along with the words and really listen to the lyrics, and lo and behold, it was a much more enjoyable experience. Kanye is very clever with his lyrics and flows really well. The first two tunes are the best and the quality dips as the record goes on but returns on 'Family Business'. Skits shouldn't be a thing. Minute long waffle that breaks the flow of the album and there's quite a lot on this one. I enjoyed this. Being unfamiliar with his work as a whole, I imagine it isn't Kanye's best and merely laid the groundwork for a future masterpiece. I hope there's another album of his on this list and I look forward to it.
Never heard this before. I was expecting to hate this album, because Kanye is such a douchebag. But I have to admit I really liked this. I was planning on giving it 4 stars but then I heard the final track. After 12 minutes of that self-indulgent stupid track I'm dropping my rating to a 3. What a way to ruin a good album.
FYI this is his debut album…. Def not his greatest album but all of the signs that would set up his greatest work. Ignore him as a lunatic and just appreciate the art here. Conceptually it’s amazing, lyricism is very good, and overall it’s a fun ride. There’s low and boring points in there that don’t add up to quite a great album but some of those songs like all falls down or get em high are brilliant
Came to the same conclusion I always do - that the back half is considerably weaker, dampening the experience quite a bit. Still, it's The College Dropout by Kanye West.
I mean, fire songs (except ending rant) but dickhead of a guy
This album was done extremely well it's just too damn long.
The production is bright and full of upbeat soul samples reworked into propulsive beats, goofy drops, and infectious hooks. He's great a musical collage and creating exciting beats, texture, and atmosphere - less great as a rapper, he's pretty agile but his tone is nasal and the flow is like a lesser version of the conscious rappers of the early 2000s. The verses cover a pretty wide range, from funny and sardonic to darkly angry and excoriating, announcing the themes he'd continue to explore through his work, some interesting, some overly self-involved and boringly biographic & mythologyzing- it's all there, just not yet batshit. His innovation is really pushing the very personal vulnerable self-exposition that is also very culturally of its Livejournal confessional era. Even the arrogant projection of a larger than life persona is, at this point, aspirational wishcasting that reveals the itch he'd destroy himself scratching.
All Falls Down
That last song is an insane thing to have on any album. For a debut this is good and it's a shame where Kanye went.
Kanye makes great tracks. Not a great rapper. We don't need to know what he thinks about anything. The tracks with featured artists have some great talent that elevate those tracks. Not as pretentious as his current work, but you can hear the fragility of his ego in his lyrics that would later become amplified. Hearing the sketches about school now after he made his own wacky school is pretty crazy.
Kind of a weak start with We Don't Care, but it quickly gets better. All Falls Down, I'll Fly Away and Jesus Walks are all great tunes. I love the mix of hip hop sampling and gospel in a few of the Jesus themed songs. It really is a great first album for Kanye and he quickly establishes himself as the master of selecting great samples from pop music history. The "college degree is worthless" shtick is funny at first but gets annoying after awhile. I guess that's what makes this a concept album for Kanye.
Still not the biggest fan of rap but Kanye brings some great beats
Should be called Kanye and the Chipmunks, but seriously, the features on here are insane. Hot take: Workout Plan is still the GOAT Kanye song.
Uh oh, forced to listen to a Kanye album for the first time. At least it's a 20 year old album before we knew he was insane. Already transporting me back to freshman year of college. We Don't Care: Alright this is a bop All Falls Down: I remember this one a bit, her riff is the only memorable part though Too many interludes Spaceship: obnoxious Kanye. But the song gets better after his verse. Jesus Walks: intense, melodramatic. Shooter McGavin quote? Never Let Me Down: classic Jay-Z Get Em High - Talib Kweli and Common featured but I am not a fan of this one at all. The New Workout Plan - This sounds like an Eminem song lol. Very silly and honestly fun. I would've played the heck out of this in college if I'd known it. Maybe my fav on the album. Slow Jamz- ha, forgot about this one. Jamie Foxx throwback. Respect for "she got a light skin friend look like Michael Jackson, got a dark skin friend look like Michael Jackson" Breathe In Breathe Out: Ludacris sighting! Feeling very 2004. School Spirit: whatever more skits more skits Two Words: not memorable Through the Wire: nice beat. Kanye sounds like he's trying to do Snoop Dogg? Family Business: Cute Last Call: Kanye just rambling, telling a long story about Jay Z. wrap this up. Alright this was better than I expected. I forgot how cheeky and funny Kanye used to be. Some bops on here, great party music. Could've done without all the skits, interludes, and the more harsh dramatic tracks. Would probably listen again. 3.4/5
Kanye 2004 > Kanye 2013 apparently
A better Kanye than the last. Actually I did not mind it. Lyrics are still a bit weird but not ad much as the last album
Started so strongly, really like the old Kanye, then dragged a bit towards the end. Some bangers in there though.
Interesting album. Liked it more than I thought I would, especially given the artist and his story and the fact that he is a horrible human being.
I liked "Family Business". The rest was okay. The skits in between were a bit annoying.
musikmäßig mal richtig cool, mal nicht so meins aber textlich sehr gut. und die übergänge zwischen den einzelnen liedern sind sseehr toll
Le début du génie
Hmmm better then expected ngl
Not sure how much of this album is sarcasm and how much is sincere. With that being the case, I struggle with how to rate the album. I understand I am not the audience for this genre...
I enjoyed listening to some of the song, but overall I didn't really adore it.
Good listen
This was pretty good, some real bangers in there.
Didn't care for it. Really struggling to decide if it's 2 or 3 stars. 2.5 is my real rating.
My second Kanye album. Starting to see what my son enjoys about this. Music is great. Lyrics good / funny. Need to listen a few more times. But overall pretty good for post 2000 rap. 3.5.
I just can't with Kanye. Jesus Walks is a banger, I'll give him that, but the rank hypocrisy is so annoying I can't really enjoy it. Sometimes, he has some of the best lyrics in hip hop. Other times his flow is clunky, or so self aggrandizing as to be eye-rollingly tacky. Overall, I feel like it's an uneven album. Too long, for sure, but with enough quality songs that I can't hate too much. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could.
Overlong Sample Parade. Living through this in college, it was clearly influential for future to come. Just a bit redundant. The story at the end ties it. 3.5.
I can tell that a ton of thought was put into this album. The words that come to mind are imaginative and creative. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and found it refreshing for a more modern hip hop album. I couldn't relate to all the racial themes in it, but the delivery of his message was cool. I liked the appearances by Jay Z, Talib Kweli and Mos Def. This is the first time I've listened to a Kanye album and I'll be checking out more. Was that Bernie Mac on one of the songs? Rip.
I never really listened to Kanye before he started drifting into the world of extreme right-wing racist conspiracy theories. It's a shame that he turned into such an awful, hateful person. This album was alright. There's some good variety and great beats. West broke the mold for mainstream hip hop of the time, straying away from the dominant lyrics of gang violence and toxic masculinity, and instead portrays an average person with introspective thoughts. Though to be frank, I kind of feel like he's just trying to rebel against his university professor mother a bit too much here as the key theme here seems to be how her profession is useless and he's not going to go to college. But there's no question that it was influential and it does what it does well. Personally I think that some underground hip hop still does it much better but for this to reach the mainstream was definitely significant for the time.
Unfortunately this is good
Way better than I expected. Or hoped, honestly. Haha. 3.5
Ok, I finally found a Kanye album that I can kind of get into. This wasn't bad at all. The last track of rambling anecdotes I could have done without; seems to be a late 2000s type thing to close an album with, Lupe Fiasco did something similar on Food & Liquor.
not my fav kanye by a long shot - too many skits and that last tune is just stupid long. got some real bangers though
I don't hate this, and so far I haven't turned it off. That surprised me.
I think 'Ye has always been better as a producer/artist than an MC, and that is true on his debut album here too. I do like some of the tracks that he explores spirituality (which was so different from anything else in the rap genre at the time), but overall this album doesn't rate as one of my favorites.
I generally can't stand Kanye's more recent stuff, which is just too belligerent. This one is really good though. Musically creative and lyrically thoughtful. This album explains why people are still talking about Kanye today. Fave Songs: Spaceship, All Falls Down, Jesus Walks, Never Let Me Down, Breathe In Breathe Out
I enjoyed the record at first but then ultimately there wasn't enough differentiation and development in the tunes. If I'm going to listen to something for over an hour, there better be a few different musical styles, or some songs that are more complicated and some that are more catchy and some that are slower... I just didn't get that from this. I suspect if it was cut down to 40 minutes I'd like it better.
Decent. Lots of swearing.
Ok, I'm going to park the human bag of crap that Kanye has become to discuss the music. Unfortunately this is an absolute banger. I still dont get "skits" in rap albums but Jesus walks, get em high and workout plan are a run of absolute quality along with loads of other wit and pop mastery. It's such a shame Kanye lost his mind because it feels like we are robbed of what this Kanye could have become.
No perfect tracks but a lot of memorable songs. Bit long and lyrics hit and miss. Smart and funny but difficult to detach from his future personality. 3.5
2.5 tegelt - tra miks see nii pikk ja venib. ketrab. mustadel on raske - i get it. kõvad lood ja liiga palju fillerit - tervikuna on suht nõrk ja skip'i tuli ette.
Some classics on this album. I'm not huge on Kanye, he kinda irks me. But definitely some good tracks
I dont listen normally to rap but this Album was surprisingly entertaining. Shame that the Artist ist such an asshole.
Surprisingly I didn’t hate this album
This album would get a 4, but I hate Kanye so much that his voice makes me cringe a bit.
Meh. Some great stuff here and he’s obviously a hell of a producer, but I won’t ever return to this. My ceiling for hip-hop strikes again. 3/5
I can't deny that there aren't some total bangers on this album, but man I just can't stand the skits
Some great moments, but I really don't enjoy the lyrics.
I’ve listened to a few Kanye West albums, but I’ve never listened to The College Dropout before. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was one of the albums that really opened me up to hip hop, so I had high hopes going into this album. Overall, I thought this album was pretty good. It does manage to bring a lot to the table: great production work, some solid rapping, and a unique sound whose influence can still be felt today in hip hop and pop today. I didn’t listen to much hip hop growing up, but in my mid-twenties, exposure to Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy really opened up the genre to me. I’ve always loved eighties pop music, and the experimental elements and more pop forward sounds of those albums made hip hop more accessible to me, and was a good way to ease me into the genre. Those elements that made me love MBDTF can be felt on this album too, especially on “We Don’t Care,” “All Falls Down,” and “Never Let Me Down.” The lyrics and overall themes were really great too; Kanye’s experience growing up in Chicago gives him a unique perspective to bring to hip hop, different from the usual New York and Los Angeles hip hop albums. Kanye’s experience as a producer and songwriter really shine on this album, and he’s supported well by guest appearances from Jay-Z and several others. While this album had a lot going for it, the overall result was not earth-shattering. This album’s best moments are really good, while its worst moments are pretty dull. Kanye is at his best when he’s over-the-top with his experimentation, and there’s not a lot of those moments on this album. Still, this is an important piece of hip hop music, but it’s not something I’d be quick to come back to. Remember when Kanye said “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” on live TV? That feels like a lifetime ago.
good vibe but becomes quickly repetitive. but he's a great rapper in this album
I really don't like Kanye (or Ye or whatever he goes by now). I gave this a fair listen and it is a decent hip-hop album. My dislike of him will impose a three star limit.
i knew i liked through the wire & all falls down but enjoyed the rest of the album more than i expected. 3.5
Listened to this while driving but did not want to roll my windows down while blaring Kanye The skits were kinda funny I was annoyed at The New Workout Plan but I think that was the point
It’s interesting how similar this Kanye is to the current one but at the same time so different. Lots of the same braggadocious air and genre references in beats, but this Kanye seemed a lot happier. Idk how I feel about giving him a good rating
I love Kanye’s music and I know this album is supposed to be one of his best but nothing stood out as that great to me…
Reading many of the reviews of this record raises once more an interesting question: Can I appreciate the art while disliking the artist? (Conversely, there are plenty of cases where I like the person but not the songs.) Do I stop liking the Milli Vanilli records when it turns out that it wasn't the pretty guys on the cover? Can I no longer watch movies I like if the actor did something terrible in real life? It seems like Kanye is a reprehensible but mentally ill person whose career is now (2024) no longer about music -- which I guess he can't do any more -- and now requires him to say and do ridiculous things in order to get attention. But this record is pretty good.
Garbage flow.
I can see what all the fuss is about with his early work. It's passionate and very listenable. His use of kids singing about drugs and not dying was pretty tasteless through. He definitely belongs in the loony bin.
Hate Kanye. Album was ok. Moving on.
It's always annoying when a bitch you hate makes somes bangers. Favourites: we don't care, all falls down. Not every song stood out (the last one was just him yapping for 12 minutes) but they were overall enjoyable. 3/5
I forgot black people can say the n word so I was like yo what did he just say and then I remembered he can do that. anyway I quite enjoyed this album, good beats and unfortunately he has a pretty good voice and good writing. He should definitely take his medication. Jesus Walks is actually diabolical because why the backup singers hollering the n word with hella reverb. Funny as fuck. The New Workout Plan is a pretty creative track, I don't really like it but it's cool. Not sure what was going on in the middle of the album or at the end, so that drops the score a little. Overall 3/5, Favorites: All Falls Down, Never Let Me Down
Kanye is a Nazi.
Liked songs: All Falls Down, Last Call, Slow Jamz
Jaa a, no tää oli ihan jees mutta odotin ehkä vähän enemmän. Ei sillein mitään huippu hyvää mutta kuitenkin tasapaksun hyvää. Parhaat: Never Let Me Down, Two Words
Fínasta plata hjá Kanye, mjög flott debut.. Aðeins of löng fyrir mann eins og mig sem ekki hlustar mikið á rapp og hiphop. Plús fyrir að vera ekki stútfull af gangstastælum. 3,5.
This was very popular with my hip hop friends and still considered a classic, never really did it for me but can see the appeal. This was before he went all tin foil hat.
An abhorrent antisemitic prick with bipolar is still an an abhorrent antisemitic prick. But that debate came later. This album's ok.
Another artist who got a lot better on later albums. And then got worse, but still.
Once again, he has some great songs. This was one of my favorite albums when I was student teaching. But still just SUCH a douche.
Kanye's first legit album. It's great. There are a lot of great songs and his style was infectious when he hit the scene. But he is such an idiot human, that 3 is the best I can muster.
I can’t believe I listened to the whole thing. He’s got so much more going on in the background than any other rap music I’ve heard. And one track went right into the next one and the next one and the next one and before I knew it, I was well into the album. I was amused by the humor and just stuck around. I didn’t hate it like all other rap/hip-hop I’ve heard. I’m VERY surprised.
I'm not really a Kanye West aficionado (or particularly a fan), so this is probably my first time hearing a whole album by him (and perhaps the only time, depending on whether there are other Kanye West albums in this project). It's hard to believe that his debut album is the best of (pre-unstable) Kanye West, but regardless there's not a lot of particularly memorable stuff on a surprisingly long album, and it's hard to believe that most of what he produced on this album was all that ground-breaking either (aside perhaps from avoiding the gangster-rap mode), although apparently a lot of critics would beg to differ. The songs with featured artists are probably the high points on the album (for me, at least), but even these aren't really to my taste, I'm afraid; I guess "chipmunk soul" is an acquired taste. I did enjoy "Jesus Walks (Version 2)", though, and also somewhat for "Two Words" and "Never let me down", and the backstory of "Through the wire" and West's horrible car accident is kind of (morbidly) fascinating. But it's hard to ignore the hot mess he became over the years, which means he has a higher bar to meet for being both entertaining and interesting even in his earlier work. I was really tempted to give this only 2 stars (mainly for how long and indulgent the whole thing felt), but that didn't seem fair given that he produced and wrote the whole album.
Not bad for a hip hop album
Syleena has a great voice, the production is stellar. Not very hopeful overall. A bit misogynist, Slow Jamz was fun. Got a little more hopeful and family oriented towards the end. 3*
Full of great stuff
I don't think that I had listened to a full Kanye album, maybe a few songs separately, but actually it's not too bad. People keep saying how he's talented and although I wouldn't really sit down and listen to the whole album again, it wasn't something that I would hate. I enjoyed the "Never Let Me Down" song with Jay-Z and J. Ivy the most, but yes.. it's alright.
As rap goes. this is pretty good. But that's not saying much - the competion is meagre.
(Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that neither this review or how I rate this album in any way endorses a belief in Kanye West. Additionally, I listened to this album using files I'd downloaded years ago; no streaming revenue went towards West.) I don't think I'll dread writing any review more than I did this one. Even the other two Kanye albums on this list won't be as bad as this, because it's with this I have to grapple with how I'm even going to talk about or rate his music in the first place. I mean, for all intents and purposes, I should just give this a 1 and move on. A 0, if I could. I shouldn't even have listened to the album. As of late, he's done nothing to deserve praise or fair analysis for anything he's done or will do. No matter how many "bagners" he has, at the end of the day he's a raging, far-right anti-semite, and I know it's not just me, but I find it hard to enjoy music from someone like that. I mean, he's not like Morrissey, where I'm VERY aware of his views, but because I haven't had much experience with them I'm more able to fairly judge his work. It's been way more... Y'know, Kid Rock. Kanye's decline has been in my face for the longest time now, and I've made efforts not to listen to him since at least 2019 and JESUS IS KING. Once he started pushing that "prosperity gospel" nonsense, even before he started praising Hitler, it was all over for me. Aside from some degrees-of-separation stuff like toasty digital and a Weezer mashup album, that, frankly, I should cut out as well, I just couldn't put up with him anymore. So, imagine my surprise when I come out of this, his debut, and the main feeling I have is... Sadness. Maybe a little mournful, even, for what we've lost. I mean, hearing "Jesus Walks" again, all I can think of is how he later betrayed the song's message (that Jesus walks with the downtrodden; not the rich who'd set up shops in the temples if they could) with JESUS IS KING. With "Through The Wire", I just think about how he'd later reframe one of the most important moments in his life, the car crash that resulted in his jaw getting wired shut, to be some petulant "divorced dad" shit about Pete Davidson. And listening to the extended outro of "Last Call", where Kanye explains how he even got to make this album... Gawd, it just felt tragic, knowing where he'd end up. And where he'd end up is VULTURES 1. I refuse to hear it, just on principle, but even the little I've heard about lets me know I'd hate it. Just knowing that on "Carnival"—which was a **NUMBER ONE HIT**, for some reason—that for shock value he compares himself to Bill Cosby, R. Kelly and Chris Brown... I'm tired. Writing this review has stressed me and made me feel not great and I'm tired. I'm giving this album a 3 only because in the brief moments I could look past what I felt about him as a person, it's fine. Good, but not mind blowing. I mean, I'll admit openly, there's parts I like. Even as much as new context has tainted "Jesus Walks", it's still amazing. The outro to "Family Business" is prtty damn good as well. Plus, jus', in general the beatwork is immaculate. But from what I caught of the verses... Big "Eh," y'know? And, like, did it **need** to be 76 minutes long? This isn't as bad as premo 90's CD bloat, but still. Some of this possibly could have been trimmed. He'll make better stuff later on that more justifies its length—in the brief period of time when he still made good stuff, anyway. And I hope it's a long time 'fore I ever hear him again. Fuck you, Kanye, for making me do this shit.
No way in hell am I getting through this, this sucks why would you have a one-line chorus repeated constantly throughout a song
Favourite song - All falls down
Helt ok
I think we’re all in agreement that Kanye West rates one star as a person, but it’s hard for me to understand what virtue signaling here about not listening to the album is doing to help anything. You’re not completing the project if you ignore albums you don’t like, and there were plenty of torrents for this album out there. Plenty of albums have controversy surrounding their creators and it’s a cop-out to use that as an excuse - maybe listen to the album and form an opinion first? That being said, this one is depressing as it’s actually decent and shows how troubled Kanye has become from a somewhat upstanding idealist. The production is creative and has aged flawlessly, and West is perhaps at his best wordplay-wise as he focuses on societal issues and making it on the scene rather than fellating himself. Religion, family, education - there are some weighty topics at play here, and even if the treatment is sometimes juvenile or undercooked, it’s wild to hear Kanye’s debut making 100x more sense than whatever he’s mumbled on his recent (pre-Nazi) projects. A shame that this man doesn’t get the help he clearly needs, as there’s a very clear and righteous voice coming through here that’s been gone for quite a while now.
This album definitely made me understand why Kanye was so popular, there were some fun songs and also a general sense that there's more going on in the songs than I really realised. However I didn't particularly enjoy the 12 minute long song where he just talks about how he was going to sign with one label and actually signed with another and. And not really my thing generally
It’s ok to listen to. But I won’t do it again I think.
Kanye sux real hard as a person but I can't deny the influence this album had. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy some of it. I also hated a lot of it, so 3
Kanye as an anti semite - 0 stars This album a little over 3 stars
Some of these songs I really liked but whyyy so many dumb interludes?!
First half and last few songs viby but why it gotta be so long and misogynist for
Not terrible, even though I think Kanye is a terrible person
It's hard to listen to Kanye without having an opinion about the hype--to just hear his recordings and judge them on their own merits, without his reality-distortion field around them. Is this the work of a genius? I won't weigh in on Kanye. But this is a pretty good hip-hop album with some well-selected samples that make this album stand out in the auditory landscape. I particularly liked "Jesus Walks." Overall, the album is too long. I felt like I got the message about halfway through.
Used to like it, now he’s a nazi
Not Kanye best album, a good one but a bit too long a times
Not my kind of music, but still ok.
Enjoyed it more than expected
Catchy, fresh, great production. Back before we knew how messed up Ye is, everything was looking up. Now I hate to give him streams or any attention. Great album but minus a star for all the truly terrible things he has said.
Of the Kanye albums we’ve had, this is the me I like the most. Still, it’s nothing spectacular for me.
"The College Dropout" by Kanye West is a groundbreaking album that helped redefine hip-hop in the early 2000s. Released in 2004, the album features West's trademark soulful production and introspective lyrics. Tracks like "Through the Wire" and "Jesus Walks" showcase West's storytelling abilities and social commentary. However, the album does have its flaws. Some tracks feel disjointed or overly ambitious, and the skits, while humorous at times, can disrupt the flow of the album. Additionally, West's delivery, while unique, may not be to everyone's taste. Overall, "The College Dropout" is a solid debut that laid the foundation for West's future success. While it may not be perfect, it remains an important album in hip-hop history.
It's hard to separate the modern day Kanye with the earlier music of Kanye. I'll try. This album is pretty good. Personally, I think it goes a bit long, but it's got some real high points. Jesus Walks is a great track, as is Through the Wire. But it's also got some pretty meh filler between good tracks. Not one I'm likely to listen to often, but it was a good once through.
Kanye is talented, no doubt. Great theme for an album and very creative. Still feeling the anti-femme vibes.
A lot of filler songs with someone just talking over a beat. This album is carried by 4 really good songs, the rest of the songs are average.
As huge as this was, and influential on the music of the time, it has dated quite badly with a few exceptions.
Too many damn skits! There are some good songs sprinkled throughout but the album overall is just okay. I prefer his later stuff, shame he's an asshole. Highlights: All Falls Down Spaceship Never Let Me Down Jesus Walks
While I loved the first half of this man career, including this album, at this point I refuse to give such a hateful human any more streams or support then I can help. That said I won’t review bomb this album I will rate appropriately as I move upon a time could enjoy this thoroughly.
dude likes lauryn hill a bit.
i used to love it but can’t fully endorse a kanye album anymore
Antisemitic, racist, misogynist…beyond these things holding me back from giving any sort of shit about this guy’s music like I used to…does it really belong on the list? This was the commercial breakthrough for an artist who went on to make better, larger statements; I wouldn’t call it essential in its own.
Back when Kanye was less insane, some great tracks on here, but as a whole a little too long and some of the storytelling bits are grating
This one never grabbed me like the next few Kanye albums. It also makes me sad to listen to these albums because he has slid so deep into what must be mental illness. I mean, these albums are artistically brilliant, funny, real, and are 180 from where I would've imagined he would end up. Okay, maybe marrying a Kardashian, but everything else?! Nope.
I find it hard to review given his controversies but I will say you can definitely hear how a lot of contemporary hip-hop has been influenced by this album and his early work in general. Overall, this album isn't really the type of hip-hop I'd listen to, but nonetheless crucial to the scene.
This album was not completely what I expected it to be. I expected a more complete “rap + hip-hop” than what I actually heard. As a result, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would (but not enough to become a Kanye fan). It started out promising – I enjoyed the fun beat of “We Don’t Care” (trying to ignore the frequent N words) followed by a short track with some brief (non hip-hop) vocals by John Legend for less than a minute. I also liked the rhythm (and background vocals) in All Falls Down. I’ll Fly Away then switched to a bit of a gospel sound for a short track. I got bored with Spaceship pretty quickly and then Jesus Walks and Never Let Me Down were more of what I expected (and thus liked less). This continued with most of the other tracks, which mostly ran together for me and didn’t keep my interest. The New Workout Plan and Family Business were exceptions – both were kind of fun. (I didn’t finish the monologue of the final track – I was just done)
Better than the other one, though not by much. Again the best ones are with other people. The beats and music are pretty good but the filler and the length bring it down. Kanye is nowhere near as good as he thinks he is. There are many better, Kendrick, Jay, Nas especially. Stick to producing.
#122 Mid tier 2000s rap. Not terrible. Probably Kanye's best work. 3/5: aight
the album is nice but hits a stride late with Ce Matin and everything after that is pretty good before that its a bit like noodling and rather vague lyrics.
Its Kayne. He is super talented and the album is great. However, I wouldn't have listened to it had I not been doing this project.
Meh
This was great. Several hits that I knew and a lot that I hadn’t heard before including the skits.
Good production and Happy Gilmore references only get you so far. Kanye's personality is so strong for better and for worse.
A very good album but lacks that next-level greatness
Meh. Eminem did it better and he is white 😂
Good Kanye early stuff
Couple of good ones on there, Jesus Walks and All Falls Down stand out for me.
Better than I expected ! Not heavy and quite groovy ! Found my self jigging about to it. Listen again ? Yes.
I was somewhat surprised to see this album was 20 years old now. The skits were pretty annoying and although Kanye hadn't reached late 00s/early 10s levels of nauseating, he himself was a bit annoying in places. Some good beats here and there though.
Not my fav KW set.
Surprisingly good! Quite a few bangers, but too many fillers and skits, and the last track really drags on, doesn’t it? Highlights: Never Let Me Down, Two Words and All Falls Down
Our first one (UNS)
not my thing, but 3 stars since I can appreciate the effort
I didn't know anything about Kanye West before listening to this, apart from the fact that he did the 'gold digger' song, and that he's a flaming bellend in real life. So I had no idea what to expect here. I was definitely expecting it to be way more obnoxious than it is, and I was under the impression that he was quite minimalist, but that's definitely not the case. It's actually pretty impressive how varied and broad this is in scope. There's lots of different, interesting beats and samples, and the content is also more varied than I was expecting. It's incredibly well produced, and I hate to admit that this is good, but it is. 3.5 rounded down
Some good tracks, Jesus Walks and a track that samples some Lauryn Hill lyrics, which always works. There is also some humour in the lyrics. May listen to a few tracks again.
Imaginative and very listenable but I don't dig rap
Interesting. Not my favorite genre
Pretty interesting, some amazing songs, maybe different from what I imagined
Wel prima maar ook niet helemaal mijn muziek
Jesus Walks e Spaceship super boas rimas,bom beat e nota se o cultPessoalmente a minha favorita cai,claramente,na emocional e pessoal,no caso do autor, "Fanily Business"
Picture a young up-and-coming talented producer hanging out with a young Dave Chapelle, and this is what you get. This was a very unique sound for hip hop at the time, and a lot of veterans and newcomers tried to copycat. I have often wondered if this album changed the sound of hip hop today, and morphed into mumble rap; taking Kanye’s slower pace, but not learning from his beat producing or lyrics. This album helped push veterans to do better, and brought us a few good years of T.I., Young Jeezy, Bun B and Pimp C, OutKast, Lil Wayne, Talib Kweli, etc. Not every song on here is a must-listen, but standouts for me are We Don’t Care, Slow Jamz, Two Words, and Through the Wire.
Kanye bad. Music Good.
Great lyrics, great hooks. Don't know if he was still a terrible person back then, or if celebrity ruined him.
Some catchy stuff in there but the rest seemed like self-indulgent tripe.
it’s good!! but there’s too much for me
Some great tunes on there and can see how it was really refreshing at the time of release, the filler tracks get a bit tiring though. Solid album 3.5
Kanye's an asshole but no denying his music's good
Babebibobu baboudoum
Still not really that big a fan of hip hop, but music wise, this wasn't so bad. Also I think the themes present in this album is very interesting and quite relatable to many people across many backgrounds, very refreshing to see a hip hop album where they are not pretending to be gangsters.
I'd expected it to be rubbish and it wasn't. I mean the talky bits were, but in general it was quite acceptable.
C+
What’s with the random skits in between all the songs? Waste of space on the album and waste of the listener’s time. Leave them out and keep the album short. There’s not much to this one anyway. I don’t care for the lyrics or execution much but can at least recognize his skills at producing. I’m very surprised with The New Workout Plan. This one I legitimately enjoyed. It actually reminded me early Eminem. I see a bunch of non-reviews on this one. Learn to separate the art from the artist. Notable tracks: Spaceship, Get ‘Em High, The New Workout Plan
Some are cool, some are to church for me
3.5 Stars - bit too long. Fav: All Falls Down
What do we do this album? Some many genre-defining tracks on here. Some filler tracks. So much baggage.
Great production, but way too long.
4/5
Not my thing, but it was enjoyable background music.
Not a big Kanye fan, but this has one of his best songs on it.
One of a couple of the decent Knaye records.Production is timeless but the older it gets the more deficient as a rapper he sounds, imo
This album is mostly "pleasant" and fine (except some of the skits, but a lot of Outkast's skits are bad, too). The style, though, is what I don't like. The P. Diddy, Jay-Z glitzy/flashy rap stuff However, it was fine to listen to. Honestly, not even one song really grabbed me in a way where I care to return to it. However, it was nowhere near the pain I was in listening to Eminem I tried really hard to not think about how much of an idiot he is and picture him more "hungry."
Ye boi it's kanye The man is weird but really knows how to make music
This album is not the best Kanye output to me. Don't get why it is lauded so much
Lots of classics on this. Kanye's a fuckin Nazi tho
Let me get this out of the way: Kanye is a POS that put out good albums in the early aughts. I feel conflicted enjoying these albums these days. 3* for me, rounded up..I dig what I can only dub as "melodic hip hop." Tracks I enjoyed/remembered: All Falls Down, Jesus Walks, Through The Wire
I didn't had any expectations but the album is good. Despicable guy but the music is enjoyable.
It was ok, last track should have been omitted.
The beats and overall flow of this album are pretty good. There is a lot of creativity in the rhyming and cadence to the rapping. The lyrics are the main drawback here. Not as crass as some, but there's just such a weird juxtaposition to rapping about Jesus and issues with the school system, then immediately switching to the hoes and gangsta stuff. Fav tracks: Jesus Walks, I'll Fly Away
I liked this much more than I expected that I would
- Jesus Walks - The skits 3.5/5
Good, but not as good as Kanye thinks it is.
half was good half was so so good beats but it got repetitive at the midpoint of the album felt like i was hearing the same guess the letters are the good thing,but im not from us so i dont get it too much
Kanye refining his “everyone but me sucks” shtick over some good beats
Not a big hip-hop fan, although decent album
Enjoyed the classic Kanye style.
Not really my style
Mas o menos. I don’t think people will be listening to this in a hundred years.
I initially declined to listen to this album because I received it at the same time that Kanye was coming out to the world as a nazi. However, a few years later I've decided that I owe it a listen and found that 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.
Not a big fan of autotune/modern rap. Enjoyed the songs with Jay-z. Enough on there for me to return to 2-3 songs.
Okay
this album was great when it came out. Can’t support Kanye these days, but the memories are a solid 3/5.
Standout tracks: We Don’t Care, Spaceship
It's Kanye, so you know what you're getting. Great production and sampling. Lame lyrics. Ugly ego. This album evokes memories of a time when Kanye was almost endearing, as opposed to the insufferable turd he is now. Some good tunes here, even if some are beginning to show signs of age. An impressive debut album that is unfortunately tied to a narcissistic personality.
Not me
Can’t stand Kanye and that Yeezys record was not good. This album has some likable tracks though. It’s hard to deny he has a talent for what he does.
I must have listened to this when it came out because i knew a lot of the songs. It's interesting to hear what he sounded like before becoming a walking trash bag.
Kanye is a terrible human being and I wish he wasn't talented so I wouldn't have to hear about him. But he is, and it's evident on this album. By far my favorite of the Kanye we listened to. That's not to say I enjoyed it, I didn't really. But I can see how much talent is here. Give me this 100 times over that terrible Yeezus album
No me apetece nada. Ninguna de estas canciones está entre las 10 más oídas en Spotify. Vamos a pasar una horita con esto. Coritos de niños y rap. Y veo influencias de Lauryn Hill que me parecen bien. Me guardo "All falls down" y "Jesus Walks" pero tengo que darle otro repaso, creo que también a su disco con más hits, "Graduation".
59/100
I don't know much about hip-hop but from the records that were on my list from this genre, it was one of the most enjoyable ones so far. Musically there are some quite good songs here. What I dislike about the album the most is the length - with so much lyrics it is really overwhelming to listen to it in one sitting for someone like me who is a non native speaker.
Highly grudging - as much as i don’t like Kanye I did enjoy some of this album and especially the flow over the whole thing, and the more soul influences. I think it’s probably good for a rap / hh album that’s just not what I really enjoy listening to. I enjoyed the themes of the songwriting - education, money, power.
I was expecting to hate it but i didn't. Enjoyed the rhythms some of the lyrics washed over me which was probably a good thing. Couple of songs seemed a bit egotistical. If I'd concentrated on lyrics I might have scored lower
Ignoring recent event. Not really my taste in music, so I went in with some trepidation. However, I was mostly quite surprised. There were some deeper lyrics and obvious passion to the album. Would I listen again? Probably not, but if something like this came on again, I may not instantly pass it by. Beats we're good for running to - nicely timed and album builds though the songs well. Running rating: 6/10
Mitä räppiin tulee niin mä en oo kaikkein perehtynein, mutta mielestäni varsin kelpo levy. Ymmärrän miksi tää oli iso juttu. 3/5
When Kanye is good, he’s amazing. I wish it were a greater percentage of his stuff.
Enjoyed more than i thought i would but a little too much swearing for me!!!
Not really my style, but not terrible. All the interludes were mostly awkward feeling and not funny.
This is actually better than his later works. The songs are more fleshed out and there's more energy in this compared to his rapping on the later albums which is almost lazy and the songs feel somewhat incomplete. I still don't like Kanye as I think there's better rappers out there and the fact that he's a crazy racist.
Good
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. I can see why it was so culturally important when it came out. Every song still feels fresh and it's an album I could see myself listening to frequently. It makes me kinda sad to think how talented Kanye was compared to who he is now.
I like that old Kanye