Reviews (page 10 of 14)
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
Not too bad, not at all my kind of music. I found it easy to listen to but not special
I expected more of a rap album and was surprised that this had a lot more R&B feel. Liked it more than I thought I would. Too bad he lost his mind.
He's a better producer than lyricist. Feel like I'm talking about a different guy to current Kanye
I wanted to hate this...but it was actually quite good and I can see why it is on the list. Kanye came across as an amusing guy and the tunes were interesting but there is the artist vs art argument agian which is tricky ( my very next album was MJ's Thriller so some interesting morale quandaries this week ...
I hate Kanye and this album isn’t that good either
It’s a 3-4
Always a great producer. He's also a dickhead. Debut album is full of decent tunes even if not a favourite genre of mine. I will always hate skits. Its. It's too long too.
dnl
Family Business escuchable. Me ha parecido un rollo. Igual si tradujera las letras ....
Not a fan of this music.
Classic... Way better Rap Opera than the streets album. Oh how far we've fallen from grace, hearing Kanye through gritted teeth is inspiring, hearing Kanye act like a crazy fool, annoying. The art is still good though, 3 stars for chipmunk rap.
My first Kanye album and all I can really say is that it was okay. It's crazy to think that 20 years ago Kanye was a real human being with actual coherent thoughts. The lyrics are good and the concept is good. It feels genuine. I feel like the album drops off after the halfway point. The last song especially didn't really do anything for me in it's 13 minutes. Also didn't care for the skits, I never do. They do add to the entire album as an experience but I wouldn't listen to them again. All in all I thought it was alright. Maybe the next one will be better. Score: 60 Art: 60
It's a good debut. I miss the "George Bush doesn't care about black people" Kanye.
I really wish Kanye wasn't so controversial. He does have talent
good album but hard to digest as the artist has gone off the rails.
Listened to this before and it feels really long for some reason. Jokes on you, I made it past 25 by now. Quite a journey. Like the intermissions. Interesting concept album. + All Falls Down + Two Words
Ja varför inte. Förstår varför folk tycker om ye för hans musik, men har som person är ju lite kontroversiell.
Jag tänkte ge den en fyra men fan ta honom.
Good fun!
gg
It's some early Kanye. He writes some good instrumentals but its hard to separate that from his cringey lyrics and personal life
I'm really not into hip hop. And I can't say I'm in love with this album. But as much as I want to rate this 0 stars for Kanye being a complete ass-clown, I really don't hate it either.
Catchy I suppose.
Overall I agree that this is an important cultural album, it launched Kanye into stardom and redefined hip-hop at the time of its release. Looking back, it has its faults: the album is overlong and includes annoying skits that balloon the run time. Absolute classic tracks though, and definitely deserves to be included on this list. It's hard to not let current news impact your listening to an album, Kanye's recent Nazi shit is unforgivable. But I still try to separate the art from the artist, and keep the time frame in mind when listening to these albums.
This is a really good album that is brought down by some crappy skits and a stupid Kenny Powers-esque autobiography at the end. It's fairly simple production but also catchy and does a great job of getting that foot tappin. Lyrics are decent but Kayne was never a poet. Highlights include Jesus Walks, Never Let Me Down, All Falls Down, and Workout Plan.
I don't think you're likely to hear Jesus Walks from your local church choir. Fuck Kanye West as a person but he can make music. This is nowhere near my style and I won't be revisiting this one in the future, but there's plenty to enjoy in here for a listen or two. I'm not really a lyrics guy so my problem with a number of these tracks is that the music is extremely repetitive within one song. Just the nature of the genre I suppose. I will say that Kanye's beats are at least pretty good on a number of the tracks, and there are definitely some tracks that mix up the sound more than just changing who is rapping. There's a lot of filler tracks in here that probably make more sense if you're paying attention to the lyrics, but really just serve as a distraction for me. I think my favourite is Never Let Me Down, and the lowlight is certainly Last Call which is a garbage self-aggrandizing jerk off that lasts for seemingly 3 or 4 hours. Boy does Kanye seem to have contempt for higher education. As an alternate universe Patrick Roy might say "I can't really hear what Kanye says because I got my two degrees plugging my ears."
Really good album, had heard most songs before, but listening to them again was even better. Production and lyrics on point as usual from Kanye, I just hoped the features were a little bit better for me, but overall a good project.
HL: "Two Words", "Jesus Walks", "Through the Wire", "Never Let Me Down", "Slow Jamz" 3.5 Pretty strong debut despite the filler, lyrics weren't as obnoxious as I feared from other Kanye releases, and the big features (Jay-Z, Ludacris, Mos Def) don't overshadow his own contributions. May I also say that, uh, fuck this guy & what he's become March 6, 2023 Note to self: revisit Enter the Wu-Tang & Illmatic, two past 3-stars I might rank more highly now.
Reviewing this is so complicated. This album changed rap when it needed to be changed. The music is phenomenal and a lot of the rapping is really, truly amazing. But a lot of the content has aged very poorly with a lot of sexism throughout. Reviewing this record in a vacuum is really difficult as Kanye has now allowed his mental illness to ruin his career. This was an achievement in the genre. And it's been sullied. One other thing to note. The final track on the album, "Last Call" is a complete waste of time and there is no excuse for it to be almost 13 minutes long.
My first time listening to Kanye. Was shocked at how many songs were unique and different. Enjoyed this more than expected.
Ok 3/5
Sample legend. Think higher of the album after watching Yeezus. His nuts mentality been around since the beginning. Sot All Falls Down Jesus Walks Through The Wire 3.5/5
Clearly a huge record and tremendous breakout for a hugely important artist... in a genre I really don't understand well haha Kanye is obviously one of the elite hip-hop producers/writers ever. He's also someone who has, in the intervening time since this record was released, developed some serious mental health issues that make it hard for some to consume/understand his music now. All Falls Down continues to resonate despite the passage of time and oddities of the author.
always heard this album was a classic but it was kinda meh, his other stuff is way better School Spirit was sick and I've always liked Last Call
It’s a shame Alvin, Simon, and Theodore did not get any credits on this album. -2 stars.
Highlights: "Through the Wire," "All Falls Down," "Slow Jamz," "Family Business," "Jesus Walks" Enough has been said about this too recently, and most of it's accurate. Here's more anyway. Kanye is our John Lennon, in a bad way. I get that murder rap was out of control and he was right to look for something affirmative, but it only kind of excuses the way he talks out both sides of his mouth about materialism as his alternative expression of masculinity, which he makes more palatable by balancing against racial commentary. It feels like Kanye understood that Jay-Z had a lean-out neo-conservative neo-respectability politics he agreed with, but it had become too dry, too much straight-laced inventorying of assets, and it just needed a raving lunatic like him to evangelize. A weird thing about Kanye's lyrics here is that he's somehow his most sympathetic and insightful when he is angriest. The way he draws lines in the sand and shuts others down can be very cutting. I don't want to do scrying about how we might have read his MAGA meltdown into this stage of his career, but his vision of the world's ugliness at least is much more coherent than his solutions. It's the music that puts him in history. His corrective to hip-hop was rehashing the kind of things people like Fugees, Mos Def, and Kweli were already popularizing. It's the music that gives it weight. The gift to us is his perennially counterintuitive use of distortion on aux percussion and the lean into the incongruity while chopping samples, turning that into a source of impact. And at 80 minutes, there are definitely still dead spots. Ivy's verse on "Never Let Me Down" is abysmal. I can't really find the Conscious Rap message behind the misogyny in stuff like "The New Workout Plan." The super compressed acoustic guitar tracks sound very dated and corny. This album is only really a breakthrough for his personal brand. For pop music, it's more like he'd synthesized all his influences into a strong capstone for the impact he'd already had.
This was fine, didn't mind it. Trying to separate the art from the artist and not let the fact that Kanye is a garbage human being influence my rating.
I'm not listening to this.
Some cool beats, multi-layered tracks and interesting guest artists but not an album I'll need to revisit again.
It’s alright, early signs of that troubling Kanye arrogance.
It's very rare that I find rap music bearable to listen to, so this being the rare listenable rap instantly gives it a lot of bonus points in my book. Now, the horrible skits and the agonizing slog of the last track take some points off again. And of course the fact that Ye is a horrendous pile of shit -turned car accident is not factored into this rating at all.
A surprise for sure. Was not expecting to be wowed by this album — especially considering the recent actions of West — but this album really impressed me. It gave me mental whiplash trying to reconcile the themes and quality of the music in this album from ‘04 with how he speaks and acts nowadays. The beats had me bompin while on my walk to listen through this and I was surprised at the themes present in this album which feels wild bc I’d never actually listened to any of his music before and certainly wasn’t planning on it before committing to listening to every album on this list. Still. He sucks ass as human now and that’s a fact. Antisemitic, egotistical nazi man does not have any respect from me and I was able to find a way to listen to this without giving any money or engagement to this fuck. Never really listened to a whole lot of rap before. My knowledge of the genre is sadly pretty limited. Hope i can find more like this, by better people
Prefiero los discos que vienen después, pero Jesus Walks es una tremenda canción
Started off weak got better got bad then got better then got bad again. Some great tracks, rhymes and some horrible ones. The one about the guy getting degrees felt at first like he had a point coming but it turned out to be nothing. This track is one that would sound smart to dumb people. Beats are good, Lyrics are 50/50 good/bad.
What happened to this guy? Rating this album in 2023 is like rating the Cosby Show. Can you critique the art without taking the artist into account? I am afraid I can not. I can say that Kanye may have been the titular artist on this album, but a LOT of others contributed to why this album is as good as it is. I can respect it as a very strong Rap/R&B album with memorable, insightful lyrics, but I don't think Kanye could do this alone now or then. His bravado is misplaced, and today, his mind is sadly not right. Here he sounds like a spokesman for the common man, a voice for the minoritized, but today - he is a misinformed, racist, hating bigot. The album is good, but the experience of listening to it is mediocre now, which is the worst word Kayne ever wants to hear.
Totally not my vibe, but that doesn't mean it's a bad album. It's just an okay album to me at best though. As for 2004 the production doesn't sound dated, so there's that.
Love him or hate him, you gotta admire Kanye’s chutzpah with this album. But the religious songs on the album are a bit of a schlep. 3/5 for the scmuck whose schtick has gotten old. Mazel tof
This one was slightly better than the 2010 album I listened too, but just made me want to listen to the album with the hits (college dropout?) Still can’t disassociate the music from the man.
Was going to roundup to a four, but, well you know…
A reminder that ye was once up and coming and may have earned his "musical genius" self proclaimed title. Its a really good album, but I cant give it anything more than 3 stars in light of who he is. 3/5
With how much Mr West has been in the news recently I approached this with some apprehension. So I’m pleased to report that although there were some very good bits much of the music was average with a tendency to being disjointed and derivative. The lyrics were uncomfortable with a strong flavour of personal victimhood and conspiracy thinking.
Kanye West was better back when he believed in God before proclaiming to be one.
I wasn’t expecting to like this but it was OK.
3/5
It's hard because I love this album but I hate who Kanye has become. I'm just gonna be neutral and say 3/5
I hate him but there were some good tracks tbh. More basic than his other stuff maybe tho?
Early kanye is best
I really need to get this off my chest before I dig into the album. This would have been under an hour an, had it not been for the skits and “Last Call”. Just putting it out there. I was pretty underwhelmed during the first songs, nostalgia telling me, that I should expect more. Then “All Falls Down” happens and my curiosity awakes. Kanye’s strongest card is his productions and beats and while most of the album isn’t as experimental and progressive in its ideas as his later material, there are still tracks that ranks among his best in this. I’m of course talking about the insanely great duo of “Jesus Walks” and “Never Let Me Down” (and the later on “Through the Wire” as well). On the Pablo-track “I Love Kanye” West exclaims: “I miss the old Kanye”. Personally, with the exception of a few tracks, I actually prefer the newer Kanye.
The album is alright. It is long and several of the songs are unnecessary. Jesus Walks carries the entire album. If that song was not on the album it would have gotten a lower ranking.
Mycket välproducerat men ganska slö rap? Gillar i princip men inte min stil tyvärr
uh uh uh, what happened? Kinda stagnant
Pretty solid album, first kanye album, very long with too many skits in between I really enjoyed Jesus Walks, We Don't Care, and Never Let me down it just had too much filler in between
Notable Songs: We Dont Care Great 6/8 on Spaceship Graduation Day I'll Fly Away Jesus Walks
Better than expected
I'm aware of Kaye's significance as a performer / producer before nosediving off of the pier of sanity. However, I don't get the hype. 'The College Dropout' is a decent hip-hop album with some standout tracks (the ones with features from other rappers outshine Ye's solo stuff), but I'm not convinced this is a remarkable album. It does belong on this list, so a 3.5/5 is the best I can do.
I’m not entirely sure why Kanye is rated as a ‘genius’ producer - compared to, say, Dilla or DJ Premier or Pete Rock. Matters not. He is a good entertainer and (judging from the collabs here) a good man manager. Fun album with more than a few pointers to the future. (‘Never Let Me Down’, for instance, with a killer 16 bars from ‘Hova)
Respect the music, but dislike Kanye.
There are other Kanye West albums that I think are completely awesome, but I don't know why, I'm having a hard time liking this one. That said, it's definitely good stuff.
Hmm. Kanye West is a complicated topic, so there was some trepidation to tackle an album of his today. However, since it was his debut album, I decided to listen as though it were 2004. I'm glad I got to do that and find out why he came to fame. I enjoyed this album much more than expected, and appreciated that it brought personal, creative, and humorous themes to hip hop. There are brilliant moments. I didn't love it all, though, and the nine minutes of monologue in "Last Call" were particularly trying and redundant.
Parts of this I thought were great, other parts meh
Here's another polarizing artist. There seems to be an equal number of folks that either love and despise KW. Personally I have never sat down to properly listen to his music because I've been turned off by his obnoxious public persona and all the bullshit that he spews. But I must admit that this is a well written and produced album that's jammed packed with good songs. So since we're rating albums and not the douchebag that produced them I'm separating the two and giving this 3 stars. It still doesn't change my impression of him and I still probably won't listen to his music, but I must acknowledge his talent.
The start of the Kanye era. I thought this album was solid, but didn't captivate me throughout the 1hr+ playtime. The production is really tight, especially considering this is the first studio album release from Ye. Not exactly up my alley, but it's a respectable album. I found the first half to be much stronger than the latter. Fave tracks: We Don't Care, Slow Jamz
I quite liked this, in the main. It's accessible and listenable, even if the 'chipmunk soul' thing does go full Alvin at times. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: All Falls Down Date listened: 07/07/22
Vond Dark Twisted Fantasy beter, maar dit kon ik ook wel waarderen.
3/5
Meh
Some pretty catchy songs but just way too long and too many skits
Not bad
*Not* one of the best Ye albums (for that early "college trilogy", *Late Registration* is certainly the strongest effort of the three), but this is how Kanye West came to be known for the wider world, and it's easy to understand why hip hop fans all over the world are still holding this album close to their heart. This record is mostly notable for two things: first, it broke the domination of gangster rap in the rap genre, and secondly, it promoted that "chipmunk soul" sound whose ripple effects can still be sensed today in the realm of "urban music". Too bad some of the songs and intentions are not fully formed yet. That being said, there are a few killer tracks on this record that are still holding out very well today, including that wonderful "Jesus Walks", with its unmistakable gospel stomp. It's not Ye-as-an-insane-genius yet. But it's still a worthwhile proposition. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 910 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 49 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 26 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 19
I get the influence Kanye has. His role in hip-hop history. How he created a new lane, one that wasn't gangsta or conscious/backpacker when that was really all there was. I just don't think it's that great. Kanye was always pretty averagely rated as a vocalist and extremely overrated as a producer. He has some great moments, there are a few great songs on here, but people act like everything he touches turns to gold. There have been a number of producers who have done it better. Being an important historic footnote isn't necessarily and indicator of quality. This album is just average. For every Jesus Walks or Spaceship, there's a mediocre track like Workout Plan or Slow Jamz.
This was much better than I expected. I always had an (apparently incorrect) opinion on Kanye and his music. Most likely due to his “antics”. But, I knew Jesus Walks slapped and it turns out a lot of this album does too! Still not overly keen on the skits but the beats and rhymes were decent. 3.5/5
Eh, it's ok. I listened to this over a few days so it's a bit hard to be totally objective about all the tracks but there's certainly some bop along bits and some awful bits. Spaceship and Jeses Walks are the standouts for me.
Kanye before he lost his damn mind. It's pretty enjoyable but Kanye isn't really the best rapper. There's some fun wordplay, it's not trying to be "hard", and a lot of the beats are great. The skits are even pretty good for the most part. And yet for some reason I'm just not super into it. I give it a 3, I think the follow up was better. It's a very strong 3 though.
Ok, well, this was a lot less grating than "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy". I guess I can see the appeal - even enjoyable in parts! Minus one star for Kanye being a knob, and "The New Workout Plan" being fricking awful. Fave track - "Jesus Walks"
it's some hiphop. by Kanye. Fuck that guy. But other than that, it's listenable
Very creative and proves he's more than just a media clown. Will never listen again though.
This is the good era of Kanye, before we knew he was batshit crazy. Don't like the guy at all, but this is still 3 star worthy.
My first Kanye album. I liked it more than I thought I would, did has some great beats. Not my favorite hip hop album, but definitely a fun listen.
Letkeetä menoa ja parhaat biisit oli oikeesti hyviä ja palasi vuosien takaa mieleen. Kolmonen tuntuu olevan vähän alakanttiin kun vertaa mille kaikelle sitä on tullut jaettua, mutta ei silti millään täytä nelosen vaatimuksia.
Wasn't terrible, but I struggled to get into the album overall, I'd say. I liked a few songs, and I can see the impact and significance this album has had on hip hop / rap since it came out.
Disco debut de 21 canciones, 1 hora y 16 minutos donde se nota el estilo de Kanye: todo en grande, todo Kanye, Kanye, Kanye, Kanye, Kanye, haste el punto del hartazgo. Los tracks de pura conversación, que sí, son característicos del género, se sienten como demasiado. Kanye no me gusta, no es mi estilo y este disco no lo volvería a escuchar completo. 2.5 que iba a bajar a 2 porque no me gusta, pero no es un mal disco, está bien hecho. Se queda en 3.
All I really know about him is that he’s a celebrity-enabled psych case study. It seems to me that before he was so huge he really had some interesting things to say. I didn’t expect to save anything, but Spaceship did it for me. All Falls Down was excellent too. Even so, I guess even in this debut album he ran out of complexity a few tracks in. “Always said if I rapped, I’d say something significant. But now I’m rapping about money, hoes, and rims again.” Ok bud, very self aware but are you going to do anything about it? Jay-Z almost never has anything to say except how spiffy we ought to think he is, and that track seems to start the downturn. Workout, Slow Jamz, Breathe etc. sound nice but amount to nothing interesting. Through the Wire is a classic. Very mixed bag.
Kayne West loves Kayne West. And that really comes through. I hate to admit it’s not a bad album. Overall really easy to listen to.
Too long, but decent as background music.
Estilo hip/hop con rap de un cantante con mucha influencia. Por lo general, diferentes sub-estilos dentro de las propias canciones del disco. Muy para entusiastas del género en sí. Pasable, sin más
All I really know about him is that he’s a celebrity-enabled psych case study. It seems to me that before he was so huge he really had some interesting things to say. I didn’t expect to save anything, but Spaceship did it for me. All Falls Down was excellent too. Even so, I guess even in this debut album he ran out of complexity a few tracks in. “Always said if I rapped, I’d say something significant. But now I’m rapping about money, hoes, and rims again.” Ok bud, very self aware but are you going to do anything about it? Jay-Z almost never has anything to say except how spiffy we ought to think he is, and that track seems to start the downturn. Workout, Slow Jamz, Breathe etc. sound nice but amount to nothing interesting. Through the Wire is a classic. Very mixed bag.
There are some good beats, good background singers. Thank goodness these songs are short. Some of the short "transition" songs are good like "I'll Fly Away". But it's not my cup of tea.
Bouncy and from a moment in time. Cohesive social commentary with enough little nuances in the lyrics to make you go back and listen. Kayne's struggles are wrapped in ego and hidden in plain sight.
Hey, this guy's pretty good! Who knew?!
I wanted to give this a 1 or a 2. I really wanted to. However, I admit that while I don't like Kanye as a person or really like much Hip-Hop/Rap as a genre, this is not bad. Maybe pretty good. Some songs even slap! So, I am begrudgingly giving it a 3. If it had been trimmed up a bit and some of the lesser material (especially at the end) pulled out, it might have made it to a 4.
Meh
Not a fan of the guy, almost didn't listen, but I did like the album.
i mean it's okay but yeezus is better
I haven't listened to much Kanye so glad to have the opportunity to do so. From what I know though, this feels like a rough draft of the "Kanye sound". Lots of filler/skits and a bunch of tracks that don't need to exist, also maybe too many collabs but... when it's your debut using others as a hype-builder just makes sense. Production-wise it's quite good, pretty impressive a lot of this was on his own at parts, you can tell he is a perfectionist and I can appreciate it. I hope the next 2 albums are on here because from what I know they are a bit better.
Minus 1 for the spoken word guff. Minus 1 for the excessive length
Good
Has some redeeming qualities; love the instrumentation for the beats, can't get enough of those strings. It does go on a bit though, with a lot of unique tracks albeit, but still a bit long for my taste, at a staggering hour and twelve minutes!
Great samples and a couple of great songs, but the album is too long and loses its grip halfway through.