The College Dropout

and of all the time i could get this album it had to be just as i'm into kanye (also for the record as he dropped cousins, man if i could review that). had this review come a year earlier it would be many stars lower but here we are. and it's his first album too. TRACK BY TRACK 1 WE DON'T CARE. it's incredible how catchy this song is, just so uplifting despite the lyrics, which is entirely the point. such a great opener and no i'm not reviewing the skits. rare kanye lyrical W. 10/10 2 ALL FALLS DOWN. it might be slightly starting to click, it's a great song. who cares if its overrated, also this hits different after having heard the lauryn hill performance it samples. 9/10 3 SPACESHIP. gorgeous song. literally as i am writing this a funeral is being planned so this is hard to both write and listen to, such an emotional beat and lyrics. sorry if these are cut short, i love this album and this really should be the perfect time to write it since i've been listening to it so much lately. 10/10 4 JESUS WALKS. a very cool song about... jesus? still it's a very cool song and a very cool beat, that's pretty much all to it to me. 8/10 5 NEVER LET ME DOWN. this is probably one of the most 2000s sounding songs i can think of. the rapping is great but it's an alright song. 7/10 6 GET EM HIGH. it is a very cool beat but kanye does absolutely nothing with it. actually the only memorable part of this song is the beat and kanye saying "gotta catch the beat, yeah, catch the beat". 7/10 7 THE NEW WORKOUT PLAN. the hardest a song has ever harded. the video is great too and it honestly upsets me that this kanye is gone. this song is so self aware and touches on subjects of the objectification of women and self images that the modern kanye is the complete and utter opposite of. still it's a crazily catchy and hard song. 9/10 8 SLOW JAMZ. such a chill and pretty song, a great sample and absolutely insane rapping from twista who kind of makes the song. 9/10 9 BREATHE IN BREATHE OUT. breathe in breathe out. uhh breathe in and breathe out. pull your sleeves out and breathe in and maybe breathe out. pull your breathe out and your sleeves breathe out. that's all i can ever remember. this song is pretty annoying. 6/10 10 SCHOOL SPIRIT. alpha step. omega step. kappa step. sigma step. yo!!! anyway cool song. 7/10 11 TWO WORDS. man this still floors me. what an incredible and hard ass song. crazy hard beat and amazing performance especially from mos def. not much else to say just incredible. 10/10 12 THROUGH THE WIRE. fuck. this is by far the most emotional kanye song, the guy is so genuine, likeable and its already just a great song. amazing sample, so catchy and so many quotable lines. also he doesn't even sound like himself (obviously because his jaw was wired shut, was that because of the cousins incident?). just incredible. this is my favourite version of kanye. 10/10 13 FAMILY BUSINESS. we lost this guy. this last four track run is stunning. bring this kanye back, kill the clone. 10/10 14 LAST CALL. la la la la. la la la la la la la. what a closer. this is just stunning man. the playful brother of mortal man. and no it's not just a cool beat with a long ass interview over it afterwards. it's one of his best songs with a genuinely interesting anecdote afterward that stops me everytime i reach for the skip button. 10/10 such an endlessly fun and giving album, it just makes you sad that this is the same guy that just dropped WW3 and has CUCK on the way (to me in the future, did that shit ever come out? did he change the name again?). one of his best and most consistent, which is so impressive for an album of its length. 9/10

"Never Let Me Down" is a real standout. I'd never listened to anything but the singles before.

Never heard a Kanye album in full so when people say they miss the old Kanye, I get it now. Like REALLY get it now. Great beats, great samples, great album. Enjoyed it all the way through and I thought the skits were hilarious.

Kanye to bardzo chory człowiek z obrzydliwymi poglądami. Ale obiecałam sobie za każdym razem oddzielać płytę od twórcy. A ta płyta jest dobra! Zabawna, z pomysłem, dobrymi featami i no taką zabawą z samplami i bitem, że ociera się to o geniusz. 7.5/10

-listening to this the day Ye hops on Twitter to reveal he used to suck his cousin’s dick… this man is uhh the gift that keeps on giving -I had heard this album once before in high school but I appreciate it much more now. truly genius and definitely helped to shape the sound of modern hip hop. maybe a bit long but in this case it’s allowed to be -RIP to the version of Kanye West that made this -Favorites are All Falls Down, Jesus Walks, The New Workout Plan, and Slow Jamz

A classic

Great album ofc but hard not to think about how terrible KW is while listening

Kanye has a reputation for being unapologetically himself and it definitely shines through in this album. The album highlights Kanye’s progression to fame and denounces traditional ways to making money like going to school (almost too much). This album was funny and hard and told a good story.

Young Ye - het sehr Spass gmacht es ganzes Album vom Kanye durezlose - au en Künstler woni immer nur vom Noah, Basil, Soma etc. ghör, aber selber immer biz berüehrigsängst gha han. Defür das Album vo vorne bis hinde und obe bis unde berüehrt, gstreichlet und kräbbelet. Viellichts wird sogar bald eis vo sine neue Albe duregstreichlet. Vier Streicheleinheite am rechte Ohrläpli

Credit where credit's due. This was a great debut and has held up reasonably well, unlike the man himself.

Solid hip hop album.

sorry sorry sorry sorry

Bangers!

Kayne really changed the game. Genius producer, clever rapper.

Can't believe how old this shit is. I liked Kanye's music, didn't love it, but I did bump it. Kanye is a crazy dick now. It will be interesting to relisten to this with my recent bias of him being a Nazi. It's a fun listen. Kanyes flow is a bit shit and lyrically hes not always interesting but he's just a really good song writer. The album The actual production is a little rough but it the album has a DIY feel and spontaneity that makes it all work. SLOW JAMZ stands out to me because it has an actual rapper on it. Anything with relieving kanye of some rapping makes the tracks infinitely more interesting. It's light hearted and fun and was played at every party I went to in college. I miss the old Kanye. Probably a light 5 downgraded to a solid 4 because Nazi.

Arguably the best debut rap album ever. Docking a star because he has since become a full blown nazi nutcase.

Kanye is a massive piece of shit. He is a product of unchecked ego and unchecked mental illness. He has too much money and too much influence. And somehow along the way he became anti-Semitic (what?). He hasn't put out a good album since 2016. I wish people would stop paying attention to him so he would stop getting the spotlight. But once upon a time, he was a really good producer and rapper. And he put out a series of albums that will always be discussed in the the greatest of all time conversation. This is the album that kicked all that off. It's amazing to me that this is his debut, but obviously a lot had been cooking under the surface for a while. I've listened to Jesus Walks more times than I can count. But I'm not overly familiar with this album as a whole. Man, it pisses me off to say but it's really good. He can rap. He can make a beat. He's got some amazing guest spots. And despite the length, I wasn't tired of it by the end. It's just got banger after banger. It's a hip-hop classic. Someday, after everything with Kanye is over, someone will write a really interesting book on how he went from this to where he is today.

i thought this would be a no skip album 5/5, but honestly not every track hits definitely see how its considered a classic, but also i dont support nazis lol

Lieblingstracks: I'll Fly Away und Spaceship Super Übergänge zwischen den einzelnen Songs

7.5/10. The instrumentation is great, and Kanye West can rap really well. Also, remember to separate the art from the artist.

I can’t bear to write a single thing about Kanye but yes, unfortunately still a great album.

Got me through some hard and good times back then and this album will always be a masterpiece to me.

It's too long. Too many skits. Still, there's some excellent stuff on here. And, more than most, the vaudeville does at least seem to add to the overall arc of the thing. There's some good ideas here, exploring the tension between loading up on conspicuous consumption, vs lifelong education. Kanye doth protest too much... you can tell he wants to be a good student, a church boy, a family man. Be he also wants to push miracle whips and chase women. I rate him highest when he's not trying too hard to be hard. The best tracks are more reflective and vulnerable ones (spaceship, family business). An interesting listen for sure.

Shame he's a tool, but the album is great even if a bit stupid. Loved the School Spirit + Timmy skit

good, but maybe not as mature as my dark twisted fantasy

Classic before he went crazy

I’m upset that Kanye is actually good

A lot of people are going to trash this album and reviews due to Kanye's character, and I don't blame them. But just for a minute, I'd like to talk about the art independent of the artist in this case. College dropout was undoubtedly a game changer for rap. Kanye's unique style when it came to be making, and his creative wordplay with lyrics made him an instant success. This is significant because rap had gone through a couple different iterations by this point. If you've been listening to any rap on this album generator, you might have come across some '80s or early 90s hip hop like Public Enemy or Run DMC or you may be found yourself listening to '90s gangster rap like Biggie or Mobb Deep. Kanye took a sound more reminiscent with less mainstream hip hop like Black Star or Tribe Called Quest (both referenced on this album) and made it the most popular style of rap. If you went to college in the early 00s, Kanye was likely part of the soundtrack of your life. As far as the album itself. I don't think it's Kanye's best work, but it is indicative of his style (meaning you could listen to College Dropout and "get it"), and some of his best work, like "Jesus Walks" is on this one. But, the album is a bit too long, not just because of the skits, which I get are just a part of rap albums but they're not good here, but also because many of the songs just go on for too long and become quite repetitive. Also, I think the second half of the album is much better than the first, for whatever that's worth. Now, back to Kanye the artist. He's lost his mind for sure, and I can't think of anything he's released in the last ten years that's worth mentioning, but do we dismiss the first few albums of greatness? Well, I understand the sentiment of not giving him money via streaming, but let's say you had a ripped copy of this album somewhere, does it hold up? I'd say it does, but it's also rough to listen to knowing what we know about Kanye now. And, his massive ego and his misogyny are already present on his first album. Plus, we're not just talking about generic rap ego (like "I got more money than you" type stuff) but almost equating himself to God, which he does unabashedly and very obviously in his later work. All in all, I do think this is a great album and it's worthy of this list, but due to issues with who Kanye is as a person, I think it's a one and done for me, despite being such a huge part of my early 20s.

Seems this guy is a complete trainwreck. But separating the art from the artist, this album from 20+ years ago is a very solid record. Real and raw. I liked it. Based on the comments, it seems he’s jumped off the rails since this release - but nonetheless worthy of a top 1,000 album.

It's truly great - albeit with some filler - and was groundbreaking at the time, but wow is it depressing to listen to now. Loses a star because of that.

It’s hard to review this album with everything this man has said and done. Even though this was all before that. I never understood the hype around him, after listening to this album it makes a little bit more sense. Just based on the music it’s very good, also for not big rap fans. Still it’s hard to listen to him. Because this is a music platform I’ll give the rating just based on the music.

I got Yeezus last week, so I'm going to skip over ranting about how Kanye being a nazi makes it really hard to evaluate his work. This album definitely feels a bit dated now, as a lot of early 2000s stuff does, I will also say that I prefer his more synthesize-heavy work that came after this. However, as a debut album for a rapper/producer, this is really good and deserves it's iconic position in hip-hop history. Kanye got better from here, and then he got a bit worse, and then he got a lot worse. It's best just to enjoy the music and not think about it too much 4/5

Hubo un tiempo, bastante largo, en el que Kanye era el Rey Midas y todo lo que hacía era brillante. Tenía un horizonte despejado y disco tras disco construía una carrera espectacular. Este, su debut, fue el primer peldaño hacia el infinito. Mejor que Jay-Z y Kendrick Lamar??? Gran pregunta... por cierto Lauryn Hill ya estuvo antes contando cosas personales y reflexivas en clave Hip-Hop... All falls down (tercer sencillo y mejor tema del disco) a lomos de Lauryn Hill, Through the Wire (primer sencillo) en clave Gospell Hip-Hop y Chaka Khan, Jesus Walks (cuarto single) es sencillamente imponente. Slow jamz (su primer número 1) sigue reluciendo como el primer día (colaboran Twista y Jamie Foxx). School Spirit innova con ese sonido "chipmunk soul". Two Words con Mos Def, Freeway y The Boys Choir Of Harlem es una maravilla. En su debe podríamos poner temas como We Don't Care, The New Workout Plan, Breathe In Breathe Out, "amily Business o Last call, que se hace larga con sus 12 minutos (4 de canción y el resto speech innecesario). Aún así un imprescindible por méritos propios.

Horrible person getting trashier by the day. That does not change the quality of the album though. I have never listened to a complete Kanye album before, and I never understood the hype. I get it now. I still don't enjoy him as a rapper, but the beats and the production - and even some of the lyrics - are just above and beyond.

eu escutei eric clapton. e pantera. e mais 3948392 filhos da puta nazista/racista. vo ouvir todos os albuns memo e ser sincero fodas. infelizmente é um album revolucionário brutalzaço, tudo nele é top. não é meu preferido mas bom demais. kanye é maluco nazista pau no cu dele.

fuck

If you're protesting this album because the artist is a nazi - I see you, understand where you're coming from, but challenge you to listen to this through once and put in effort to understand the messages and influence of this album. If it makes you feel better, you playing it once isn't getting him rich. Whatever streaming platform you're listening to it on underpays their artists anyways. If it still bothers you, put your money where your mouth is and donate to a nonprofit. Actually, if you're not making a monthly reoccurring donation to a nonprofit that benefits some sort of marginalized community, particularly a local nonprofit to you, then your protest is likely performative. This album is so damn good. Undeniably so. I have to admit, The New Workout Plan has been on my workout playlist for years. Through The Wire was literally recorded with his mouth wired shut from facial reconstructive surgery after a car accident two weeks prior to recording. And to sample a queen, Chaka Khan, is just iconic. Slow Jamz, Breathe In Breathe Out, All Falls Down, Family Business....So many great songs from this album. I would listen to this album more regularly if he weren't a nazi.

I hope Kanye never reads this but I fucking love this album Taking off a point for the rambling tho

Hoo boy... Seperating the art from the artist is particularly hard on this one in lieu of the recent events. That being said then this is about the greatest album, not the greatest people... And in that aspect this album is really strong. I've never heard it before but found myself going back to listen to my standout tracks multiple times Standouts All Falls Down Never Let Me Down The New Workout Plan Through The Wire 4/5

hey remember when kanye was a good person? i was Not born yet. anyways this album is really good

Know very little about the hiphop timeline, but this felt different than other rap albums I’ve listened to — almost felt more honest and the persona put forth was more real. Kanye gets a lot of hate nowadays for his personal life, but this album was pretty solid. Production was great, lyrically strong and I enjoyed the sampling, background choruses, etc 3.5/5

Kanye is a sick man. But that doesn’t change the reality that the music is the highest quality. Still I’m not taking a self-described Nazi to the desert island. The rhymes are political, creative, tight. The musical backing is great. Still the seeds of Ye’s illness are apparent. Between some if the amazing tracks, are lazy and indulgent tracks. At times, he’s riding the line between revealing the lives of his characters (eg, the kids choir — which is hella funny) and exploiting them. Looking back with 20:20, it’s clear that sometimes (eg, Slow Jamz) he’s mocking his subjects. He might not have meant that at the time — but that’s where it went. Too bad, because this Kanye is super-talented and has important things to say. It’s a 4 — would have been a 5 with some more editing discipline.

крутой альбом, тем более для первого альбома ого

Kanye was truly a mastermind before everything went downhill

too many skits, too many songs. but the highs are some of the highest of the decade.

The skits bog it down, which is why Graduation is superior. Kanye really is the best at this though.

Dude is a huge jackass but this is a great album

Listening to the most misogynistic song I’ve ever heard “wow, this is troublingly classist”. I dunno, this album was a big part of my youth, not sure what the fuck I’m supposed to do with his albums now.

Fuck you Kanye

A masterful piece of work. He's a terrible man mind.

Putting to one side that the guy needs serious help, he made some great music. Personally I prefer late registration, MBDTF and yeezus to this, but this is still great. Beautiful production, clever wordplay and I've always liked his rapping style, it sounds different to pretty much everyone else around

pretty neat. my kind of hip hop

Personality aside, can't deny Kanye is a great rapper. Solid debut, with some great songs I've never heard before.

Really catchy tunes and great lyrics - would def not have listened to this so great to hear it - cheers !

8/10

I saw Kanye in concert in 2014. It was pretty cool. It was a few days after the 10th anniversary of this album so he played a lot from this album. He also yelled about Charlamagne a lot. Weird how no one pays attention to him anymore. Anyway, fuck nazis.

Great melodies. Good story and lyrics. But I can't fully enjoy it due to Kanye's latest behaviour. Guess I can't fully separate the art from the artist. Thereflre the max score I'm willing to give this is an 8. Fuck Kanye.

Amuugy faszos

Bangers and fun, I like his newer stuff better.

Well damn. Didn't think Kanye's debut would slap like this. Baller beats all the way through. On the weaker tracks, Kanye's Flow, the beats and the occasional feature carry you through. The strong tracks are instantly recognizable classics. The album is dripping with innovation and delivers good story telling, all "without using knives or guns". Only criticism: could have been condensed a bit more. 4.5/5

I miss the old Kanye... When he made charmful beats. Also, this album could be a little shorter

BEATS ARE EVIL. I've already heard most of them, but the ones which I hadn't heard surprised me at how good they are (spaceship, breathe in breathe out). Rapping is obviously good probably Kanye's best ever (unfortunately). Hooks are pretty repetitive but often good. Features are also good. Quite a lot of songs shouldn't exist and the skits are not needed at all and all pretty terrible (besides the guy with the funny voice). Overall around 8/10

Authentic, smart, and listenable.

Oh how far he has fallen

Tough to rate with the usual metrics due to skit tracks. I like a lot of this but it’s not my favorite Kanye. Slow Jamz was a fun throwback. This album had some BOPS! Family Business is my fave though. I was gonna say 3 stars but we upgrade to 3.77 on vibes alone. It’s GOOD.

Hiphop klassieker. Pionier van de moderne hiphop productie. Af en toe nog opvallend scherpe social commentary voor iemand die tegenwoordig de draad volledig kwijt is.

First time listening to this entire album, shit fucking slaps. Not a huge fan of his later stuff, but Imo this is prime Kanye. 4/5

Even het boek erbij. Volgens mijn 2006 editie meldt Kan West dat als hij met een beatje eronder de oude soul naar het nieuwe millenium brengt, het net is alsof God dat doet. De man was blijkbaar toen de weg al goed kwijt... Dat zijn wel meer goede artiesten. Dus laten we maar eens luisteren. Het verrast me. Het latere album dat we kregen voelde zo afgeraffeld. Maar dat is nu helemaal niet. Misschien het voordeel van een debut plaat. Alle energie en creativiteit zit dan nog in een artiest. Leve de debutjes! Dit plaatje wordt gekenmerkt door rustige rap. Niet zwoel, maar vooral ongeforceerd. Zonder naar de teksten te luisteren voelt het daardoor 'echt'. Binnen die stijl wordt aardig afgewisseld. En dan luister het plaatje makkelijk weg. Je mist wel een mooie uitschieter of iets onderscheidends. Waardoor het maar een hele krappe 4 wordt.

Ik moet altijd even moed en zin verzamelen bij een hiphopalbum en dan met name als ze weer dik over het uur heen gaan. Dat is soms best een opgave, al heb ik ze ook meer dan eens met een 4 beloond. Ik hoor dingen waar ik me aan stoor: veel te veel skits. Gebruik van autotune (het blijft redelijk binnen de perken gelukkig). Maar ik hoor ook goede dingen. Prima flowende rap, swingende deuntjes en beatjes. Goede samenwerkingen met andere artiesten. Als je dan toch samenwerkt, zorg dan dat het wat toevoegt. Dat doet Ye wel. Zoals gewoonlijk luister ik niet naar de teksten, maar volgens mij gaat het over normalere zaken. Over logischere onderwerpen. Dat hij tegenwoordig wat op hol geslagen is, nemen we voor dit debuutalbum voor lief. Ik kan hier prima naar luisteren. Ik ken er geen hitje van helaas, maar ik wil de 3,5 best wel weer afronden naar een 4. Ben benieuwd of er ooit nog een hiphopplaat een 5 gaat scoren bij mij.

Podrán decir lo que quieran de Kanye West, pero carajo, el tipo sabe como hacer música.

I once again hate how good of an album this is for how bad of a person Kanye is. Ugh. The beats here are great and the mix of styles is soooo impressive. The production here is amazing. I normally hate skits too, but these were good. The School Spirit / Lil Jimmy Skits were pretty funny. I can't believe this a debut album. Pretty impressive. "Last Call" was such an ehhh way to end an album tho. Actual Rating is a 4.5. Perfect Songs: "We Don't Care" , "All Falls Down" , "Never Let Me Down" , "The New Workout Plan" , and "Through The Wire" Liked Songs: "Slow Jamz" , "Get Em High" , "I'll Fly Away" , "Spaceship" , and "Jesus Walks"

His peak I fear

This was the first rap album that I owned I think? Haven't listened to it for ages, but it still holds up pretty well; there's definitely a few tracks that aren't great but the singles are really strong. I don't like skits at the best of times really, and there are too many on this album, but Kanye does them a lot better than most (particularly the School Spirit ones). Solid 4/5.

Should really be a 5/5 but I hate skit interludes and there's like seven interludes on this record

I try really hard, but every time I try to listen to Kanye's music I can't stop thinking about what a horrible person he is. That aside, this was actually not that bad. It shows that this was early Kanye before he went complete bonkers, so this feels much more humble than his later works somehow. The album didn't start out that strong for me. I don't think I really get Kanye that well, or modern rap for that matter (if you can call 2004 modern). It turned at 'Slow Jamz', followed by 'Breathe In Breathe Out' which I think had a really cool riff. The whole school skit section with 'School Spirit' in the middle was actually pretty well done. Usually skits don't add much value but here Kanye portrayed some self-distance. The three last songs were good as well, with 'Through The Wire' being a classic. In summary I think this will have to get a weak 4 to me. It seems very widely praised, and I can understand why to some extent, but it just doesn't sit THAT well with me.

There are two kinds of people. Kanye, and Kanye’s other personality.

Jesus Walks

This is a really great, classic album. Kanye is a fantastic producer whose sound is so recognizable and had such a massive imprint on the sound of hip hop in the 2000s. His rhymes are clever, creative, humorous, thought-provoking and personal. At a time when most rappers where putting out songs to inflate their ego and image as thugs and ladies’ men, Kanye is on some real shit here. And the soul!!! This is a rather long album and I’m sad to say I think it suffers for it. Some tracks fall flat for me, sound pretty dated, and just bloat the album - namely “Never Let Me Down”, “Get ‘Em High” and “Breathe In Breathe Out”. One could also argue the number of skits and interludes is too damn high. None of the skits on their own are particularly bad or tedious, but they also serve to bog down an album that’s chock full of excellent songs. There is, of course, the nearly-13-minute “Last Call”, as well; I really enjoy hearing Kanye tell his story of producer turned solo artist. But again, it’s just… so long. I really want this to be a 5 ⭐️ album and with a stronger editorial hand it absolutely would be. Unfortunately, there are a handful of skips on it that prevent me from giving it full marks. But it really is an excellent album. 8.5/10

Want to hate it. I really can't. Damn it, it's actually really good.

This album is an hour and 16 minutes of pure copium about dropping out of college. Glad it worked out for him though.

Ok, memes aside - this stuff is pretty dope. Młody Kanye, zanim mu odjebało, wiedział, co robi. To są dobre bity i bardzo zgrabne teksty. Dużo dowcipu, gierek słownych, to jest po prostu dobra płyta. That being said - jestem wyedukowanym białasem, a Kanyemu odjebało i został jakąś dziwną karytaturą nazisty, także nie jestem w stanie patrzeć bezstronnie na album, który do przesady gloryfikuje robienie szmalu jako jedyną wartość w życiu i nie tylko krytykuje system edukacyjny w Stanach (do czego ma absolutnie pełne prawo, bo to jest chory shit, teraz jeszcze bardziej, niż w czasach albumu), ale podważa sens edukacji w ogóle (aż dziwne, że jeszcze nie wszedł w komitywę z Trumpem). W tym sensie ten album jest toksyczny.i destrukcyjny, co nie jest obojętne. No i druga sprawa, że o ile nie utwór nie jest o tym, że edukacja jest bez sensu, to jest o przedmiotowym ruchaniu, co też nie jest dla mnie cool. Muzyka i flow tego albumu są naprawdę mocne. Ale jest on koszmarnie niekonstruktywny i destrukcyjny w swoim wyrazie. Ale oceniając muzycznie i konstrukcyjnie zasługuje na cztery imo. Nawet jeśli nie mam zamiaru go więcej słuchać, ani polecać.

This is an iconic album for so many reasons, but it’s bloated with skits and multiple skips. Despite the skits and skips, there’s too many great tracks on the top half of this record to not give it a decent rating. Tempted to go 5 stars, but the back half really waters it down in my opinion.

It’s interesting to go back to this after everything he has become.

I respect anyone who refuses to engage with Kanye’s music on moral grounds. Just like his hero Michael Jackson, the challenge of separating art from the artist is unavoidable, especially when considering the scope of his influence. The College Dropout marked his official debut as a solo artist after years of crafting hits for icons like Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Alicia Keys. This felt like a cultural reset, redefining hip-hop with its groundbreaking sound, relatable themes, and crossover appeal. Hailed as a classic debut, the album broke from mainstream hip-hop stereotypes by embracing vulnerability, humour, and middle-class experiences. With its trademark soulful samples and deeply personal storytelling, it struck a chord at the time. Tracks like "Jesus Walks" and "All Falls Down" have become timeless, cementing their place as influential and widely celebrated anthems. In retrospect, the album isn’t without flaws. The skits, amusing at the time, haven’t aged as well and feel excessive, taking up a disproportionate amount of runtime. Out of the 14 tracks remaining a few lag behind the standouts, but even these imperfections highlight Kanye’s burning ambition and potential. From the start, it was clear this was a generational talent. At its heart, The College Dropout is Kanye’s most grounded and accessible work. Its sincerity resonates even as his later albums ventured into experimental and polarizing territory. This debut laid the foundation for Kanye’s transformation into one of music’s most innovative—and controversial—figures. My relationship with Kanye is complicated. He dominated my listening habits for years, regularly appearing in my year-end top artists. And justifiably so—his decade-long run from this debut to 2013’s Yeezus was extraordinary. While I have albums I favour (and some I am ambiguous about) within his discography, his overall influence during that era is undeniable. However, his actions in recent years—from spreading dangerous conspiracies to making repeated anti-Semitic remarks—have tarnished his legacy. I'm sure he doesn't care but I haven’t revisited his music regularly in a while, reflecting my discomfort with his behaviour. Yet, hearing songs from this era instantly transports me back to a time when his music was simply a source of joy and inspiration. I would gladly return to 2004 if only to experience this Kanye again. Despite its imperfections, The College Dropout remains a landmark release—a defining statement from an artist just beginning to show the world the heights of his talent. Did/Do I own this release? On Mp3 Does this release belong on the list? For its cultural impact Would this release make my personal list? MBDTF all day every day. Will I be listening to it again? For the most part, I'm avoiding Kanye these days.

Solid rap album. It's a shame Kanye lost his mind, he's very talented.

We Don't Care All Falls Down Jesus Walks Slow Jamz Through the Wire

5 beats a day for 3 summers, it's the quintessential album of someone who proved themselves through grind and effort. To this day, still one of his best albums and is near top marks, but it is a bit bloated with some of the skits and 12 minute outro. This is the old Kanye people miss, the Kanye before he lost his mother, before he went off the meds, before he lost Kanye and became Ye. His current abhorrent actions will continue to degrade and spoil his legacy and catalogue, but this is his most 'innocent' stage of his career like Jackson 5 was to Michael Jackson.

Jesus Walks has always been a track that I've been ashamed to like. I'm now ashamed to like a lo more.

Kanye keeps surprising me every time. I avoided hin cause although his producing skills are amazong and his knowledge of music is vast, I just dont like him. But music speaks louder than idiocoracy and his rants and crap. This guy is a producing machine and a musical genius. Apart from all the gospel and praying, I understand its part of who he is and his culture. Not my thing but I get hebis pouring hisbheart out in each and every single song he records.

When Kanye was good and not mental.

Interesting lyrical content and musical stylings.

great but not his best

Hahahahahaha, you fool. I've already listened to this album!

Lekker man. Staan echt lekkere nummers op. Erg onder de indruk. Vind wel het stuk met die School Skits de vaart eruit halen. Is daarna ook weer moeilijk herstellen. Last Call is ook uhhhhh wat.

Als een debuutalbum is het een easy 5, maar in absolute zin is het niet perfect en zijn z'n latere albums meer deserving van een 5, dus ga ik bij deze toch voor de 4

ja fucking goed album, al is mbdtf mn favo kanye

Jesus Walks bestes Lied von Kanye ***** Witzige Skits The New Workout Plan crazy aber gut Through the Wire auch top

75/100, good album. Some standout tracks, with some less good fillers.

Dude sucks

Look, I hate who Kanye has become these days: anti-Semitic, misogynistic, Trumpian, to say the least. But before that, he was a damn musical genius. This album is a masterpiece and it's a shame that I'm never listening to this ever again because of how shitty of a person he is.

Hate to be that guy but listening to this today made me very nostalgic for a time I was excited to hear a new Kanye album when it dropped.

fucking kanye

4.5/5. It lulls in the middle section a little bit for me, but it’s still so good. This would be the album of a lifetime for 99% of other rappers and producers. Hard to be a Kanye apologist nowadays but this is as good a a reason as any.

Honestly, a pretty great debut hip hop album, if also a reminder that there's not much that reveals character like success.

too bad kanye is such a terrible person. reluctant 4 stars

I was in between a 3 and a 4 for this one, but I have to go with 4 here. A lot of good stuff in here, nothing that blew me away, but certainly kept me interested throughout the album.

Some of his best on this one including All Falls Down, Jesus Walks and Through the Wire. This album may be closer to a 3, but I'll bump it up since I enjoy the hits so much and discovered a few new tracks I liked.

Crazy hooks, wild beats and punchy lyrics

the gospel-sounding 'i'll fly away' was a nice suprise, mens voices with a piano accompianment. upbeat music is very different to what i usually listen to, but not bad tbh i don't normally like rap music, but this is a lot more melodic than i thought it would be

I knew how good Kanye is but I've never listen to a full album until now and I've realised how much I've been missing out. Super fun listen, maybe slightly too long but it keeps a high standard throughout. Not even his best stuff either. We Don't Care, Through The Wire and All Falls Down are proper bangers.

I love the old Kanye.

Hella good. It’s crazy where he came from to what he is now.

If I separate the art from the artist, this is easily a 5. In 95% of cases, I can do that (e.g. The Smiths) - but for some reason, I just can’t hear Kanye’s voice and not associate it with who he is. But, credit where credit is due - not just a great rap album, but a great pop album thrown in there alongside. I’ll give it a 4 because I can’t allow it to be on my favorite albums list. But I can’t deny it’s great.

I know a lot of people refused to listen to this and as a Jewish man I certainly have no love for Kanye and understand he is the worse kind of anti-semite imaginable BUT I still have this a listen. ( Honestly i would have to refuse Eric Clapton albums based on how screwed up his world view is but I still listened to his stuff.) All that being said, this is an amazing album. Kind of reminds me of how I felt about Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of ... when I first heard it -blown away by the versatility of the music. Production values are through the roof and I really liked every single song. Hard not to give it 4 stars based on merit and based on just enjoying it. He is still a primo douschbag but he made a classic album.

when he’s not too far up his own ass, he’s a genius

Lots of hits on this album. Still not exactly my taste, but pretty solid.

For a debut album, it does great. The use of pitched soul samples is excellent, beats and production are good, lyrics and features range from goofy one liners to harder hitting verses, it's a solid debut and a good showing of what would come later in his career, and why he would be considered one of the better producers in hip hop. Obviously with his controversial history (especially as of late) I can see people wanting to avoid his works all together, however I knew a friend that had the CD from ages ago and asked to borrow it. I'd give the album a 8/10.

This plays a little long and there is some filler here. Not really any specific callouts but this album has a good vibe and style, and is really strong for a debut. Not quite a 4 for me but I’ll round up. 3.75/5

Really a shame he went off the rails because this was pretty great.

I’m annoyed by how much I like Kanye. An incredible debut. Hard not to like it despite the man behind the music. I don’t think it fully reaches the highs of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, but it’s darn close. 4.25/5

Banger, not to my current taste

This was great. Minus one star for it being made by Kanye.

(I won't be rating skits or interludes) Track 1: We Don't Care (9/10) I love this song. It's a perfect introduction to Kanye as a rapper, and his rhymes flow perfectly with the creative beat. Track 2: All Falls Down (9/10) I love the acoustic guitar in this beat! Syleena Johnson's vocals also add a lot to this one. Track 3: Spaceship (8/10) This one is a good showcase of Kanye as a singer, even his rapping is melodic. The featured artists also understood the assignment and I actually like the second verse more than Kanye's. Track 4: Jesus Walks (10/10) Kanye's first masterpiece. I'm not even religious but Kanye has a way of making his faith feel authentic. Or at least, he used to... Track 5: Never Let Me Down (7/10) Kanye did some producing for Jay-Z before this so it made sense for them to collab on this album. It works pretty great but I don't love Ivy's verse. Still a good song that shows what Kanye and Jay-Z can do together. Track 6: Get Em High (7/10) A low stakes, fun song to jam to! Talib and Common we're legends at this point so it shows how much influence Kanye already had. Track 7: The New Workout Plan (8/10) The type of song that makes me laugh and dance in equal measures. Hilarious. Track 8: Slow Jamz (8/10) Pretty decent until Twista shows up and demolishes Kanye. The only thing that sucks is that it's just a song about sex but it's not really sexy at all. Track 9: Breathe In, Breathe Out (6/10) The rhymes weren't good enough to go with the decent beat, still enjoyed it though. Track 10: School Spirit (7/10) Good story to go with this one! Not the best but definitely Kanye lol Track 11: Two Words (6/10) I think this album could've had a couple songs cut and it would be better. This is one of those songs I'd cut cause it was nothing special. Track 12: Through the Wire (7/10) The lyrics made me laugh which brought it up a point. The beat is nothing special really. Track 13: Family Business (9/10) Oh man, this one got me. Kanye is at his best when he gives off a vibe of authenticity, which I totally got from this song. Loved it. Track 14: Last Call (10/10) I honestly love that this doubles as a great album closer and a behind the scenes look at the making of the album. Great stuff, I could listen to it forever and never get bored. Overall: 8/10 Look, I have no love for Kanye West the human being. He's arrogant, antisemitic and disgusting. I do, however, have a lot of respect for him as an artist. I think it's important to be able to separate the art from the artist because if you can't do that then you might as well stop listening to music, or watching movies, or looking at paintings, etc. because so many artists are shitty people. I'm not saying that other people should listen to music that makes them uncomfortable, because it's truly up to the individual what they want to listen to. I just disagree with that mindset. Looking at this album for what it is, I think it's a borderline masterpiece. The only reason it isn't getting a perfect rating is that it's a little lengthy and I wish he cut out one or two of the weaker tracks. I still love this album despite hating Kanye and his politics. Fav Song: Jesus Walks Least Fav Song: Two Words

This was much more R&B-leaning than I expected a Kanye album to be. Kind of glad that this is the first Kanye album I listened, I feel like I learned quite a bit about the man and his upstart on here. I liked a lot of the songs but I wasn't really wowed by them.

Yooooooooooooo, dik hoor

Quite liked this

Uhhh…. Ummm …. Hmm ….. outdated list huh?

8.5/10

Lovely debut from Kanye West, feels like a very cohesive record, some of my all-time favorite Kanye songs come from this one, so it's a soft spot for me. Even though, I do not think it is a perfect album.

Bit of a short review today as Monday has been busier than usual. I think this is album that I respect the creation of more than the product itself, how personal it feels and the years of commitment it took to get it made. Obviously Kanye is a very controversial figure nowadays but I'd like to imagine people can appreciate the success story that this album was. All of that is not to say it's not a good album or anything either. It's such an easy listen with how goofy and fun a lot of it tries to be. I feel like a lot of artists these days use the soundscape of old soul in their hip hop as a form of window dressing. It feels insincere. In this case it was such an early case and still feels more innovative with how it was sampled and altered that it really feels like it set a new direction for rappers to take.

I'm hearing most of this album for the first time and it's is awesome. Great instrumentals, lyrics and vocals. The little interstitial tracks are fine Particularly enjoyed We Don't Care, Spaceship, The New Workout Plan, Two Words

Gay-Z and cockefeller records never imagined when they signed Kanye just how schizophrenic he would become. A real time display of the failures of the American mental health system. Thank you Ronald Reagan for closing all the insane asylums, without you Kanye would have been safely locked away in some inpatient facility and never let anywhere near a recording booth. I have no particularly strong feelings about this album other than it’s just good music. No one song jumped out at me as a stand out hit but maybe I just wasn’t listening properly. The one detriment to this album in my view is the 12 minute rambling story about something that happened when Kanye was working at Best & Less, which is odd considering I didn’t think that franchise existed in America?

Family Business aka music Bundy Bogans play at funerals. Aside from this track I had very little exposure to this album and I had only heard that song cause I once was talking to a fat bogan chick about music out the front of fat Louis and she held her phone up to ear yarning about how family means everything to her and even though she hates her cousin who crashed her commo she still loves her.. Anyway great album. Jesus Walks is huge highlight but so are all the others in my fav tracks. 8/10 Fav tracks - We Don't Care, Graduation Day, Spaceship, Jesus Walks, Get Em High, The New Workout Plan, Slow Jamz, Breathe in Breath Out, Two Words, Last Call Least Fav - Family Business

Gonna just open with my rating, 4/5. Not my favourite Kanye West Album but it set the bar by raping through the wire (GOATED BIT OF WORK THAT ONE). That said the thing I did want to focus on is his commentary on how hard it is to be a black man working etc. He correctly points out how fucking shit is having to work so much and still walk away with so little and how big crops/brands make all the money and have all the power. And its so interesting seeing all this commentary early on in Kanye's career, I know he expands on these thoughts too, Diamonds From Sierra Leone and New Slaves. But where did that take him? Yeezes and his other dog shit lines of clothing. People give him shit for being Anti-semetic but I hate this man for just being a fucking sell out. He was arriving at the right points like yeah consumerism is fucked and is holding back black people, then starts selling more shit to them. Clearly Hova from Cockafella records hit him with his black capitalism shit and Mr West ate that shit up. Anyway Fuck Kanye, everything after life of pablo is shit, old stuff is pretty great, including this album.

Hip Hop isn't really my thing but I perked up during All Falls Down and when Jesus Walks came on I had a 'I finally get it' moment. It goes without saying the production value here is incredible, but the album does feel extremely early 2000s for my taste (derogatory). The lyricism is fantastic especially on basically every track on this album. The album has an extremely strong opening string of tracks, the middle of it fall off a bit after Jesus Walks up and really picks up again on Two Words. The end of the album more than makes up for a slump in the middle. Great album, a super solid 4/5 for me. Looking forward to seeing more Kanye in the future. Favourite line: "The doctor said I have blood clots but I ain't Jamaican"

Good album, not sure why I haven’t listen to it before some great tracks

Aguante burzum

It's a good album, but I would say it tails off towards the end. It gets very self-indulgent and somewhat repetitive. But it is a very good album.

it's just good

This first chapter in Kanye's rap story is pretty incredible. So much vision, perseverance, boldness. Knowing what he would become, it's hard for me to not want to separate the art from the person. But he pours so much of himself into his music. What does it mean to separate the art and the artist? I don't know. I appreciate this album. I appreciate young Kanye. Art is crazy. Life is crazy.

It's a classic- my first time listening to this album as a whole, and I think KW did so well in building the college dropout world through each song on the album. This album is special to me not because of the songs, samples or the lyricism (even though they're so rich!)but because of KW self-belief to even get to that moment when he made this album. The passion is dripping off the body of work, and he sounds like he belongs. It's brilliant and something I'm taking with me when considering my music. The passion has to be pouring and for me, it is.

Jesus Walks slaps. The songs are melodic and richly textured.

Much better than I expected! Lots of silly skits, which reminds me of rap albums from the 90s.

Dammit, this asshole's music is catchy. I still refuse to listen to him these days other than this project, though. Fave Track: Never Let Me Down Rating: 4

7.5/10

Clearly a massively inspirational album for artists like Watsky and Logic. I really enjoyed this

Like the other Kanye album, would be a 5 but he made it. On a side note, thank you Jonah Hill for making Kanye cool with Jews.

Don't love Kanye but these are some bops

Kanye West 👎 The College Dropout 👍

A pretty good album, I liked Spaceship, Slow Jamz, Two Words and Last Call.

Incredible stuff on this album. Some of the skits are stupid, and this probably would have been better with cutting some songs out (1 hr 16 minutes is a long 'un). I will always be excited when this album comes on, even if Kanye has gone fully insane.

he was hungryyyy

Very 2000s sound, I really liked a lot of these songs! The album was just too long for my liking with all the skits, and some songs were way longer than they needed to be 4 ⭐️

As time went by, I changed my mind about this project. There are thoughts that stayed with me, and others that changed. But here is my review of Kanye's first project. The College Dropout' is Kanye West's first album. A Chicago artist who was already making a name for himself in the US for his production appearances on albums by artists such as Jay-Z. The latter releasing 'The Blueprint' where he shines in full. February 10, 2004 arrived and Kanye West finally debuted. The College Dropout' was released, an album that to this day would be considered one of the best in Hip Hop. Why does it stand out so much? It came out at a time when what was most popular with the public was Gangsta Rap and guys like 50 Cent. Kanye West, on the other hand, was a normal guy who wore pink polo shirts and loved his mother. This was the key to Kanye West's success. That and his self-esteem. What makes this project so great lyrically is that it's where Kanye West knows how to best blend his comedy with his interpretation of life. Where these two can coexist without clashing. Kanye West speaks as if he were one of us, with experiences that could happen to anyone. Songs like 'Through the Wire' stand out for how they speak of such delicate subjects with such versatility. It is also the album where we see Kanye West having fun with his music. Having a good time. Doing what he loves. In terms of production, I think it's his most interesting album, playing a lot with samples and jazz/soul/nu soul bases. That's what catches you the most of the project, the beautiful variety of instrumentals he has. There are some tracks that I connect with less than others, as is evident in basically any project, but overall it's a very complete album.

Really good stuff. Watch the documentary on Netflix if you want to know more about the stuff Kanye when through to get the album made. Doesn't detract from what he has become now. But this album on its own is good. Only didn't like the 12 minute ending song

horrific person. excellent album

Favorite: All Falls Down Least Favorite: Workout Plan

There are some really great songs on this album, but the first few songs, the last track, and the skits hold it back from greatness. Still a very good album, though.

im so im so im so northern california

-1 for nos addiction

The person Kanye wouldnt get a single star, he seems like a first class douchebag. The rapper Kanye is quite alright, with a little help from his friends it works. The producer Kanye is what makes this record. The soul and Motownsamples hits a sweet spot for me, that gangstarap never will.

I've never been particularly impressed with Kanye's flow and wordplay, this album is proof his rapping ability is his weakest especially when compared to his features. This album is a great showcase of why he gained his popularity as a producer and why he's been so successful with his projects going forward. Memorable beats, great sample flips and impressive mix of instruments and genres. Also, fuck Kanye West.

Guy is a lunatic now but good album

Rating the album and not the person, College Dropout is a cohesive vision that helped shift rap to the conscious and self reflective version that I enjoy. Amazing beats, guest artists, and overall feels like a work that West put his heart and soul into.

I miss the old Kanye

the new workout plan - such a good song possibly the album that changes my life

Fav: Two Words Least Fav: Get Em High Not bad for my first hip hop album of this project

This is absolutely some of Kanye’s greatest work. My favorites were “All Falls Down” and “Through The Wire”

Damn you, you racist pig. Why do you have to make decent music?

I’m a middle class white English guy who had never heard of Kanye apart from the somewhat embarrassing clips and news articles you see online. I don’t think I’m his typical demographic. I certainly never listened to his music. But wow! That was great! It didn’t feel like a typical album, it felt like a show. Each song blended in with the next nicely. It was very immersive, there was lots of variation on the style of music as the album progressed. I’m not sure I agree with some of his lyrics, but it’s an entertaining listen.

Tunes

- Ach, da war die Welt noch in Ordnung. Kanye war der neuste heißeste Scheiß und galt als upcoming underground Künstler. - Erinnere mich noch, dass Alina das Album viel gehört hat, vor allem All Falls Down und Through The Wire. Erinnere mich ebenso, dass ich den Typen damals irgendwie cooler Fand als Nelly, P-Diddy, Neyo usw. - Es mag nicht sein künstlerischer Höhepunkt sein, dafür bestimmt aber sein psychischer. - Stimmiges, rundes und seichtes Album 3,75/5

3.7/5. Listened 1x. Enjoyed much more than the previous one listened to.

Drops a star only because I get a bit bored of the interludes and skits but it is the style of this kind of album and is made up for by the absolute gems on here, the production is insane. Ye's mad, but that's why he's a genius.

there's a reason why this launched his career

It’s too bad he’s gone around the bend crazy, because this is a really good piece of work. Rating this on its merits and not his jackassery.

I surprisingly really enjoyed this album, not one for Kanye but this was good

Dk

this was a bit better than i was expecting. ive always found kanye to be pretty mid and this didnt really change that but some of the humor was actually pretty funny and theres some unique beats on here. 7/10

Regardless of what you think about him as a person, Kanye West has always been quite the genius when it comes to rap music and The College Dropout shows this, even from the very start. The lyrics could range from quite a lot of different topics from religion to education and many of the lyrics in all of these songs were really smart and cool sounding like he wasn't afraid to talk about what he wanted to talk about. The production here was also really good and even the skit tracks fit really well. This one might be along one at a 76 minute runtime but it did more than enough to keep me interested. This truly is a great one. Best Song: Two Words Worst Song: Breathe In Breathe Out

The first thing I remember about Kanye is the video for All Falls Down and the girl from Clueless walking around in it with hard nipples. Anyways This is classic Kanye, in my opinion he has not changed his style and delivery. If you find yourself a late blooming Kanye fan, you can rejoice in knowing that album 1 follows the same lines as whatever set of songs you liked later on in his career. Choice cut: The New Workout Plan

Not bad but still an overrated artist imo

Today, instead of having a great, interesting rock album ruined by vocals that I just don’t enjoy, we have a great, interesting rap album ruined by vocals I just don’t enjoy.

There's a lot of opinions about Kanye and his controversial appearences. But all that aside, this album rocks. It's so freaking well produced. The album is loooong and full of Top tracks: We Don't Care, All Falls Down, Never Let Me Down, Get Em High, Slow Jamz, Breathe In Breathe out, School Spirit, Two Words, Through The Wire, Family Business and Last Call. It's one one of those albums that just don't feel like an debut album, even though its Kanyes first in his own name.

I miss the old Kanye. A classic record from a very divisive celebrity. As time has gone on it’s been harder to separate the artist from the art with Kanye. As someone who used to be a fan of his music I got used to ignoring his antics outside of his releases for a long time. Of course that all stopped once he got into the Nazi/MAGA bullshit. His music started going downhill and into overly religious territory too for my taste so he no longer had anything that I could connect to anymore. The last Kanye West album I truly enjoyed was Yeesus. Every album before that was phenomenal with the highlight for me being My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The College Dropout was the “backpacker determined to prove himself as a rapper and producer” era of Mr West. I remember seeing the MTV thing that aired talking about Kanye as an emerging artist. That was where I heard about his car accident and rapping through his mouth being wired shut for Through The Wire. Pretty incredible story and showed his determination. His trademark production style that he honed for Jay Z and other rappers shines here on this debut.

Apparently it's not too tricky to rock a rhyme that's right on time; everybody's doing it now. So now that rhyming in time is a given, the focus shifts to the beat and what you are saying. "I'm a spiritual being, an instrument of God, so pass that joint so I can go give her that dick all of the time, motherfukka." -- Paraphrased quote from Kanye West Not really sure where he's coming from, but his production and flow is definitely cleaner than his lyrics. "School Spirit" is a sure to be played at the mentioned fraternities, despite the relevant dig at higher education in "Lil Jimmy Skit" where the goal is to be the smartest dead guy without money to leave one's family. 1/3 serious, 1/3 satire, 1/3 self-righteous, The College Dropout has something to say, even if tongue-in-cheek. "The New Work Out Plan" is just funny from concept to execution. This album opens the door wide to whatever possibilities rap can become after the gansta rap of the mid-nineties. "We Don't Care", "Spaceship", "Through the Wire", and "Family Business" are highlights here. I can appreciate Kanye telling his story on "Last Call"; so if you don't know, now you know.

This is undeniably great. First and only Kanye album i don't find utterly unsufferable.

One of Kanye’s best albums. Love it

Hadn't listened to this one for a bit. I really like it, except the skits are dumb, and it's too long. Those drag down what could have been pretty much perfect. 4.25/5

ngl i liked it better than i expected

Good album. Takes me back to my growing up years.

This was a great album at the time!! It holds up even though Kanye has not. It’s a little bit long which is why I give it a four.

Although I really don’t like the artist and his behavior, I gotta admit that this concept is really fun and entertaining to dive into…

It's hard not to compare this to the CeeLo Green album from the same year, 2004, because I just listened to that one before this. You have 2 hip hop artists with large egos trying to make it on a competitive scene with their distinctive soul style. Unfortunately for CeeLo, Kanye actually has the talent. As flawed as he is, and insufferable now, Kanye was undeniably fresh. The way he layers sounds on sounds on vocals is magical. My favorite tracks: All Falls Down, Jesus Walks, Through the Wire. Honorable mention to School Spirit, which isn't as deep in the lyrics but just fun to listen to. Respect to Kanye for bringing his religion into his music in a way that doesn't turn me off.

Not really a rap or Kanye West fan, but my husband’s excitement that I would be listening to this softened me a little. I have to say that I did actually like it and some of the lyrics were pretty funny. "Oh my God, is that a black card?" I turned around and replied, "Why yes But I prefer the term African American Express" 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

El 5 solo es para Elvis

I'm not here to talk about the character and beliefs of Kanye West (especially after recent years). This isn't the place for that. Instead I'm going to separate the art from the artist for the moment, transport myself back to 2004 and analyze Kanye's debut studio album. I've always been fond of this album and the whole "Dropout Bear" trilogy. This era of Kanye is him at his artistic best in my opinion. The production is top-notch, which makes sense given Kanye's history as a producer. Very soul and gospel-inspired too, given the samples featured throughout. This was also the height of "chipmunk soul" in hip-hop, which featured those noticeable sped up and pitch shifted samples of the aforementioned soul and R&B. (I was today years old when I learned that this style of hip-hop had that name. Pretty apt name I guess!) Kanye has always been socially/politically conscious and introspective in his work and the see the start of that here. The stretch of "Jesus Walks" immediately followed by "Never Let Me Down" are good examples, with the former focusing on religion and its lack of representation in media/music in favor of more "marketable" content. The latter, along with "Through The Wire", recount Kanye's experiences and reflection on life after enduring a near-death car crash during production. There is a lot to this album. The skits and what essentially amounts to a monologue in the finale "Last Call" bloats the album a bit. Some big names in the hip-hop industry lend their talents nicely here, though. It's still high quality and served as an announcement to the hip-hop world that Kanye West was more than just a solid producer and could rap about some thought-provoking content while having a little sense of humor. I wouldn't peg this as my favorite in the "Dropout Bear" trilogy, but it's still pretty damn good.

Good lengh and diversity in songs. They are all memorable songs, with great features with other artists.

Listening to this now, it's a bittersweet feeling. He was crazy talented, but it sucks that his brain broke like that.

Kanye's best work

Separating the art from the artist is tricky, especially when said artist makes very personal music. Kanye wasn’t particularly problematic at this time, he was a breath of fresh air in the mainstream when this album came out. As an obsessive underground rap nerd, he bridged the gap in a way few did. I listen to the bulk of the albums in this project at the gym in the morning. The gym I belong to is at the Jewish Community Center. His turn to maga nazi was tough for me as a longtime fan, but his early work is still very important to me.

Tirando uma ou outra faixa de transição, as faixas musicais são ótimas. 4/5 Destaques para: Jesus Walks que é uma das musicas mais clássicas do Kanye

this makes me nostalgic for when kanye wasn’t unsupportable. the skits hold this one back could i write poetry to this? y

This album is amazing. The beats are great, the lyrics are clever. I understand not wanting to listen to Kanye because of things he's said and done, but I think he's having severe mental health problems. He's not dealing with his issues, and he doesn't deserve a platform NOW. But this album was obviously recorded by a different person.

Yeeeeeee? Okayyyyyyy Some bangers, some not bangers 4/5

Strong album I think. I feel like this album is way before the line where Kanye became more problematic, so I'm still willing to back the music. Jesus Walks was my favourite track.

Man, if only this Kanye could still be here today. I really enjoyed this album for the most part - despite him seeming like a braggadocios, annoying frat boy at some parts. "Jesus Walks", "All Falls Down", "Slow Jamz", "We Don't Care" and "The New Workout Plan" - all great songs.

Before he was the Kanye that everybody knows today he was a pretty good rapper. Kanye it seems is not a very good human being but I tried to put that to one side when listening to this album. I haven't heard this album in years I bought it just after I had bought his 2nd album and it is a really good album his lyrics focus on his life growing up, his love for his mother and having his jaw wired shut (something a lot of people which he had done now). I prefer the 2nd album but this one still has some great tunes on in with Jesus Walks and Through The Wire being the highlights as well as the hits. Whatever has happened since back in the mid 2000s Kanye made some good music.

A classic that was on a constant loop for me in my early 20s, but now it’s hard for me to listen to these songs. Did we cancel ‘Ye or did he cancel himself? That’s always worth asking in these debates over cancel culture. If he’s still deserving of your attention, by all means, rock that “School Spirit.” But he’s lost mine.

Once again, one to see without the rose tinted nostalgia glasses. "sounds like Kanye West" was the first thought on my mind upon first listen. But then again by reading I understand that this was his first album and that it formed a massive building block on top of which this genre has continued building. Even the "BBL DRIZZY" Tiktok latest owes the "chipmunk soul" to this album. Fascinating! One to come back to - cannot give it 5 because it hasn't haunted me, but perhaps it's one of those that I wish I could've voted 5 on...

*3.5*

I mean, so good. But difficult to listen to.

It's a very good debut album. Kanye establishes himself well to the audience. The production is quality and very well thought out. Obviously there are some absolute stone cold classics here but they didn't immediately stand out to me as a new listener. Overall good album.

Really like this album. I love early Kanye. The production, the beats, some good turns of phrase. The sampling and use of the human voice as its own unique instrument is always good. However, it's a shame he became the type of person he spoke out against within this album.

Setting aside the fact that Kanye West is a horrible human being, his talent as a musician cannot be denied. I'm not a fan of the hip hop genre, but I forgot my dislike of rap entirely while listening to this album. The melodic backing tracks made it easily digestable for a non-rap fan like me. Strangely enough I even heard some soul influences in there, which I really enjoyed. I didn't even mind the skits, they really fit the overall vibe of the album. Lyrically, we get some interesting stories about Kanye pre-fame which are intriguing to hear considering the (awful) person he's become now. Overall, this album is not something I'd listen to again, but I recognise its quality and significance.

nostalgia

I accidentally split this album over two days and I think that benefitted my appreciation bc this album is long, but the last half is so charming and personal that im glad i had a fresh attention span for it. Through the Wire is great. Currently listening to the runout of "Last Call" 20 years later. Well. It's a good album at least. It was a 3 yesterday, but it's a 4 today.

There's an incredibly tight 55min album in here. I still remember being transfixed by the Through the Wire video and it might have been one of the first rap songs I had fully memorized. It's a bummer to know what Kanye is like now, but this album still feels fresh and interesting to listen to.

I know this isn’t a popular opinion at the moment, but I have always been a fan of Kanye’s music. I was in high school when this came out and I was instantly hooked. I think he is a very talented, yet troubled person. I hope he gets the help he needs because his music is special and so is this album.

mjög góð, of löng. uppfylliefni. 4,5.

Jesus Walks is a fave. And for all his shortcomings, Kanye can drop a beat.

Enjoyable, with a sense of humour.

This would have been a 5 if dude wasn't a nazi now.

Not my usual kind of thing, but it is a very good and unique album. Kanye may have ruined his own reputation by being a bit of a madman, but he made some good music.

4.5

Talented. Too bad about the mental illness though, Ye know?

Ignoring West's current behaviour, this is still a good listen. Overlong and too many skits but there's some strong stuff here

it’s a good album with great production. it’s hard to separate the art from the artist here though given what we know about kanye now. will not listen to this again but happy i did a full listen at least once on my own.

a fun infusion of pop and chipmunk soul with Kanye's storytelling abilities, plus a twinge of sadness tied to his recent albums. good album.

Yoooo

"I don't know about sex but I bet I could count the change in your purse very fast." After yesterday the world clearly decided to prove to me Kanye West is actually good. Packed up and cooked listening to this (didn't need a repeat dog incident) but I actually had a bop, and a laugh. Idk how much persecution he's getting for talking about Jesus in America tho

4/5

Spoiler alert - Graduation Kanye is my favorite Kanye. I prefer Kanye’s message and personality in this album, but his overall abilities as an artist (producing and rapping) are not to the level of graduation, 808’s, and MBTDF. He still has some of his highest highs in this album in songs like all falls down, we don’t care, and slow jamz. The album in general is clearly more elementary though and has some weaker songs. Kanye is corny as hell, but still so arrogant that it works. He shows more humility in this album than later albums though, talking about how people didn’t think he could rap and how he had to prove himself. Jesus walks was one of the biggest middle school anthems for us. I could see Kanye looking back at this album and cringing at some of the songs though. With all of that in mind, this album has one of my favorite Kanye lines - “Some of them dyslexic, their favorite 50 Cent song 12 questions.” In spite of him not rapping to the same level of some of his peers, he is one of the goats of 1 liners like that.

Early Kanye is so much better than the later “head up his own arse” Kanye.

Fáránlega góð debjú plata. Ekki besta stöffið en samt drullu gott hjá honum. Through the wire og All falls down eru helvíti góð lög. Þetta skit dæmi er mjög leiðagjarnt.

Solid hip hop classic. Not my favourite but produced to the max. Deserves a place on the list, whatever your opinion of Kanye.

Альбому вот двадцать лет было, насколько я понимаю. И это очень забавно, на самом деле. Кане Вест вот этим самым альбомом убил моду на вот этот разбавленный ар-эн-би начала двухтысячных, на все это однообразие, да банально разбавил всю эту хип-хоп риторику о тяжести гангста-жизни в любом городе на земле будто бы. И вот двадцать лет спустя визуальная мода возвращается в начало нулевых, поп-хоп уже лет пять (десять?) стоит на месте, даже последний альбом Кане Веста в этом смысле лучше не делает, а повторяет те же самые шаблоны, что и все остальные. И более того, некогда революционер, сейчас взрывает головы другой совершенно выдающейся (очередной) поебенью: люди буквально забивают хер на всё, что этот человек позволяет себе говорить и делать, из-за битов? Так получается? Для меня то, как Кане Вест бьется со своей отменой, конечно пример вот этой новой революции, когда можно сказать абсолютно непростительную хуйню, не признать своих ошибок, и тем не менее продолжать купаться в славе, забираться на топ-1 билборда или чего там, развивать какой-то ритейл-бизнес и всё прочее. Человек, который постит извинения в соц. сетях, а после в музыке выставляет всех тех, кто повелся на эти же извинения, дураками. Человек, который не первый раз оказывается в абсолютно диких скандалах. И всё это прощается релизом новой, довольно стандартной музыки с на новом уровне кринжовыми барами. Как при всем при этом, заслугах двадцать лет назад против "заслуг" вот сейчас, можно разделять артиста и его творчество, каким бы хорошим оно ни было? Лучшая песня - Jesus Walks.

Bit long but lots of bangers

Was I expecting to enjoy this? Nope. But I did. West's lyrics remain fun and impressive for the duration of the album. Skits on rap albums are hit or miss -- and these definitely missed. Another miss is the final track "Last Call," which is a 12-minute poem/monologue about West finally breaking into the music industry. But everything else was pretty good.

I can see why Kanye is so revered. The highs on this album are very high. The beats are just incredible, with a lot of great samples. But, this album suffers from bloat, especially that 12 minute song to end it

Don’t like the guy, but have to admit this album is kind of awesome.

Pretty wild listen. I see why people liked it so much.

Have I heard this album before? Yes Highlights: We Don’t Care, All Falls Down, Spaceship, Jesus Walks, Never Let Me Down, Slow Jamz, School Spirit, Two Words, Through The Wire, Family Business Favourite Song: Never Let Me Down Rating: 9.4/10 The production on this is amazing, so rich and soulful. Kanye himself raps with so much personality and there are great features littered throughout. So many hits, possibly his best.

4. Listened previously

Good album

This album is a real listening exercise in separating the art from the artist. I want to judge the album without having my opinions of Kanye influence it but it's hard when his personality is so pervasive throughout. Regardless, this is one of the best produced albums you will ever hear. The lyrics bounce between juvenile and deep, but there some incredible tracks on here that elevate the hip hop of its time and still don't feel dated.

Yeah he’s a dick but this was good

*THIS REVIEW DOES NOT CONDONE THE RECENT WORDS/ACTIONS OF THE ARTIST GIVEN IN RECENT YEARS* An excellent debut, with great beats, and awesome guest features.

Great album from Ye before he became extra crazy

I hated how good this was.

Putting personal feelings about Kanye, especially in recent years, aside: this is a fantastic debut album. The production is stellar, the features and skits perfectly complement the songs, and Kanye has some of his strongest and funniest bars throughout the record. Is it my favourite Kanye album? No - there’s a fair bit of filler towards the middle (I’ve never cared for The New Workout Plan for example). But songs like All Falls Down, Never Let Me Down, Jesus Walks, and Through the Wire show the hunger and passion that early Kanye had in spades and, while it goes a bit long, Last Call demonstrates a humility behind the bravado - all aspects of his personality that made him such an undeniable force in hip-hop that have sadly been missing for the last few years

starting to get some of the hype all falls down never let me down slow jamz school spirit two words

It’s a really impressive first album. There are certainly some reasonable cuts that could be made, particularly in the back half, and I don’t think anyone would really miss New Workout Plan or School Spirit, but there are a lot of real hitters. Through the Wire, We Don’t Care, All Falls Down, and Jesus Walks are all incredible. With the benefit of hindsight, things like chipmunk soul and the sort of benign topics he raps about are also super influential to artists that came after, and especially to those he would go on to produce for.

Amazing album, probably his best Great beats and witty lyrics at times 4.5

Incredible debut album

Man, it's too bad that the crazy eventually completely won the battle with talent in this dude.

I came into this biased against Kanye as an artist and a person. I will devote the beginning of my review to expressing my annoyance at the huge number of people who are coming here to call Kanye a nazi or an antisemite, state they refuse to generate him 0.04 cents in streaming revenue and then leaving a 1. The point is to listen the album and rate THE ALBUM. If you don’t want to listen, skip it. As much as he should be dragged for expressing his dogshit opinions, he is also wildly mentally ill and off his meds, ya know? Anyway, this thing is a fuckin’ banger. I always genuinely thought Kanye was lame and overhyped, but this thing is really fucking good. The production is really solid, hooks are good, rhymes are tight. The only reason I’m not giving this a 5 is because Kanye himself is objectively a below average rapper (boring flow - I can name 10 better skilled rappers off the top of my head) and the skits on here add nothing (possibly subtract).

I like it fine. It's pretty good. But it was kind of the beginning of the end of hip hop

heavy rotation in my car

I'm not a fan of rap but I have to say this album did connect. Most rap are words spoken (or some verbal means) with plenty of profanity to a beat. This album had all that but also had musical sense.

Love this. Never tire of it. I wish he wasn't such a wierdo.

Thoughts before listening: Kanye from when he was still interested in putting out smart, fun hip hop bangers. This is a fun album with lots of iconic songs. Kanye is insufferable now but I still enjoy his early albums. Review: This album is great...even if Kanye is like the worst person ever now. So many great songs and even the skits tend to fall on the right side of funny where as most rap album skits are cringey as hell. "We Don't Care", "All Falls Down", "Spaceship", "Jesus Walks", "Through the Wire", and "Slow Jamz" are all very good songs that are getting added to the playlist. 4-stars.

Kanye West worked his ass off to break through in the music industry, then dropped one of the greatest debut albums in rap history. And 20 years later, look what he’s become. There are a lot of tragedies in the history of hip hop. Most of them sadly end in death. But instead Kanye’s story was one of a steady decline into paranoia, celebrity excess, mental illness, and hate. Kanye is culturally significant for a lot of reasons, many of them dubious. But “The College Dropout” is why Kanye is musically significant. I can’t stand him now, but I can’t deny the brilliance of his start any more than I can deny the lunacy of his present. “College Dropout” treads a fine line, with Kanye walking in two worlds - one of hip hop’s excesses of dope and bling, and one of consciousness and social critique. The writing is self-aware and filled with references and call-outs. The guest spots are well placed. Kanye demonstrates his rapping skills with a great flow and often seems to be having fun. And there isn’t a hint of auto-tuned vocals. It’s surprising that he had such a difficult time getting an opportunity as a rapper and not just as a producer. His talent and skills are evident throughout “The College Dropout.” If only things hadn’t gone steadily downhill after “Graduation.” He is now a terrible person dealing with likely mental illness, but I can’t imagine completely missing out on his early work because of who he’s become. There are a lot of terrible people in the history of popular music. I don’t know how to rank or compare their different crimes and aggravations, but my bar is higher than this for flat out refusing to even listen to the music. I’ll definitely judge it with caveats, through a different lens than I would have when it first came out. I’ve deducted a single star from other artists who turned out to be awful people - how do Ye’s shenanigans and hate compare to that? Musically, in a vacuum, this is a five star album.

Kanye is nuts but this debut album is quite good

I always avoided anything 'Kanye West' related as I've been under the impression he was a cunt. Those fucking awful Kardashians he hopped into bed with made matters worse. His gradual decline into being a mentalist added more fuel to the fire. In summary, he is a cunt, he's got more cuntier over time, the Kardashians are also cunts, but this is a great album! I'm very torn, I guess the only take away here is cunts can make good music.

This was frustratingly pretty solid. Kanye is a horrendous person but the beats were largely good, except for the pitch shifted singing which I've always hated. Kanye actually had really good flow on this, and there were a few lines that were unexpectedly self deprecating, really worked against the general self promotion. For the genre it was quite light on guns and girls, I even laughed at the college skits. It was still overproduced, too long and not very varied but far better than expected. 3.5.

For me, Kanye West is 808s and Heartbreak, and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Yeezus is cracking, I like Watch the Throne with Jay-Z, and would pick and choose songs from his earlier albums. So I've not listened to his first three "academic" albums in full. The College Dropout was very, very solid. Jesus Walks and The New Workout Plan stood out most. Regarding skits, I do not understand the re-listen value. Last Call was very interesting, but I wouldn't listen to the story again. 3.5 stars. Bad boy bonus, of course, but this isn't a 5 album.

I've listened to "my dark twisted fantasy" before, but not this. I think this is better. He sounds down to earth here, not completely full of himself. I really think he's got some sort of mental issues, which make him like he currently is so won't say anything more about that..... He is a gay fish though. Hilarious that he actually seems still not to understand that joke. Think he actually mentions it in a track on the twisted fantasy album. Anyway, this is actually good and I will be back. I think Jesus walks is the highlight. 3.5

graduation day, spaceship, the new workout plan, two worlds my first time listening to this album and i can't deny how amazing his music was. it's sad what his untreated mental illness has done to him...):

good album can't deny that Jesus walks, New workout plan, all falls down

Peak Kanye

In 2024 I oscillate between Kanye’s a garbage human and I hate him, and Kanye’s clearly need mental health help and isn’t getting it. Either way, I don’t much like the guy. I’ve never listened to his music before he went off the deep end and I certainly wasn’t planning on listening if it wasn’t for this project. I listened through YouTube as to not generate any streaming revenue for this guy. That said, this album is really really good. If you separate the art from the man, which I absolutely think is possible, then objectively this album is one of the best hip hop albums. He’s still a garbage human being.

I like this album a lot. Workout plan is hysterical. Two words is my fave.

Jojojaoaja

Obligatory Kanye is horrible, which means that this will be my only listen-through for this album. With that out of the way. This is an incredibly impressive and fun hip-hop album which samples heavily from soul music while showcasing Kanye’s signature heavy percussion and grand string arrangements. His flows are all great, and I love the ground covered by the lyrics as he moves back and forth between being funny and introspective. Overall I think the album is pretty great, and the fact that it was his solo debut makes it even more impressive. My only quibble is that I do think it’s bloated, with some forgettable tracks and wayyy too many skits. 4.5 leaning 4.

First Kanye album I've ever listened to. Pretty good.

Solid early Kanye.

doidera

Lots of good songs, including "Slow Jamz" with Twista

This album was hit or miss for me. Some songs I couldn't stand, and some will be in my regular rotation for a long time. Overall I'm glad I listened to this album.

Kanye, before all of the controversy or maybe at least most of it, had a real spark. Juxtaposed vs his later albums it is shocking. Kid from Chi who want to talk about black power and God to... Whatever you may say he is now. This album is a primer on mid early 00s production. You can tell what items he has kept to himself for his inevitable debut. This album only lulls in a couple of tracks and really only carries a couple of consistent faults: a few too many skits (though some are great) and Kanye poorly singing one too many hooks. Remarkable how well it held up and how it transported me back to that time. I miss the old Kanye, straight from the 'Go Kanye Chop up the soul Kanye, set on his goals Kanye

Being honest here, Rap doesn’t really have much to it musically, just a good hook and a base line is all you need, and then it’s all about the lyrics. Kanye’s lyrics are good, he has some important things to say, and says them well. As Rap goes this is among the better stuff.

Really hard to separate the art with the artist with this one. Production value is really high. I can just listen to it without caring about the lyrics, I guess.

Really wish he didn't decide to be evil.

Interesting. Recognised more than thought I would. Would revisit.

Going to try and separate the art from the artist on this one. I find 2024 Kanye to be a mentally unstable insane person who does and says horrible things and someone who I couldn’t support. That being said, this album is a fantastic hip hop album and very nostalgic to my high school days.

All very good + several bangers

It’s a great album. I’m never a fan of skins on albums, they just date the album and hurt the replay value for me. It loses a star for that

my favourite kanye album

This album is pretty interesting

Never really listened to kanye and dislike the person he is but this album surprised me

I know one song of this, Jesus walks, and it's not a bad one. I'm expecting more from him, since this is one of his best albums(so I've heard). The first song was an intro, weird voice and not literally but still mentioned the album name. Oh wow second song is so good. It has an RB vibe but better. Oh now rap, it's so smooth, idk how. There is a jazz like sample also. The chorus is veery good. Kids? Chaotic song indeed. The fact that kids sing that drugs part makes it more iconic. Also song meaning is to break through society ideals. There was two trainsitions already wow. Into the third song, I've heard that voice actually it's a meme I think. The operatic woman voice is idk what it is. Ouuu such beats. I love it. Little classical RB (to me at least). 4th song is also vibey, it's smooth rap again. Like I would rap with him, that kind of vibe. There's an RB woman voice with him rapping (excepted from Kanye). Also I'm not a fan of him(I only know 13 songs of him). Bridge was without the main bass and beat, and it kind of slayed(first time using this word for an album). I like his parts when he sings along with that woman, it's unlike him so. A transition to the 5th song, a slight one. It's giving temptations, the start(Black men vocalising basically) oops it was an interlude, well it wasn't bad. 6th song(loving it so far). The rap is less smooth but still a good one. There's vocalising in the background and woman singing after that. Kanye isn't rapping for now I think. The other two did a satisfying job at rapping I must say. I quite loved it, the gospel made it better too. 7th song, the one I know, it's giving him I think. I love the way that woman says "jesus walk". There's black woman vocalisation along with Kanye rapping, perfectt. This was as good as expected. 8th song and JAY Z. also there's ivy I sense she's an RB singer. Jay started the rap. Kanye has a better style of rapping I think, jay has a voice that I can't find nice to hear. Greaat, going well, it changed the vibe twice I think, the bridge and stuff. 9th song has an classic hip hop vibe. No samples or added voices just plain rapping. That woman's short rapp was very good. Not the other guy's one. It was low key monotonous but not bad. 10th song is mean girls talking smth, nothing much. 11th song has a Latino piano vibe. I love it. The violin, the beat. I like the little epicness in this song. Kanye has some fun rhymes too btw. The woman voice comes and praises Kanye. Same with another woman. I am liking this more and more. The mean girls continue talking in this song, not mean girls apparently. The best changed fully. I love the last part of the song. The end sample is so out of place. 12th song Starts with the talking then comes RB's girl vibe. That Michael Jackson joke was funny. It's chill for a too long time. I liked that rap tho. Ohh Twista came in fasst. I love him for that verse. I don't like the chorus. Basically the ending is boring. 13th song, I rap along with him, it's so fun. Ludacris has an amazing hook. Kanye's verses are good but not as catchy. I liked this because of the overall catchyness. 14th song, it's an interlude, he's talking. Great transition to the 15th song, which has a sample instantly going on and his rap which I low key already like. I didn't like this one as much as the other ones, it was too repetitive I think, but the lyrics were interesting somehow. 16th song is the continuation, a motivational message is what I'm hearing. WAIT, 17TH SONG IS THE PERSPECTIVE OF THAT MEN'S CHILD, oh a father trauma continued and he also wanted to become a nerd basically, I think Kanye is showing us why dropping from college is a valid idea? Idk seems like it, I love this skit quite a lot, it's unique. 18th song, it's nothing different, I don't catch the lyrics to be about what was a problem in the last three song. But there is the vibe in the room with us. He says two words and actually says two words after it, fun. The choir makes it better, little more dramatic. There is some instrument at the end, it sounds too good. 19th song, it's a vibey song, but not catchy or interesting. He raps in a satisfying way in all the songs, so that's the bare minimum for Kanye now. I want to check the meanings, but I'm too lazy. 20th song, is about his dead cousin(?) for now at least. The children singing is enjoyable in a weird way. He talks about his family basically. It wasn't bad, just not sure what it was exactly. 21th, whaaat 12 minutes? What has he has to say? It was jay z at the start. The song is gonna be about his life story, wow. I'm not gonna write his story here, but it's interesting. It's about him fully and like he has a point, but he's still a bad guy overall from what I've heard so who knows. He said how he used a sample for the first time. He's telling a story of him and jay z, I'm hooked. He wasn't accepted instantly and actually worked for today's title I guess. Not gonna say a lot about this song, but I want to, it was great and too good, I loved that it was storylined. Basicallyyy Imma rate this 4 stars, it was fun, especially the last song. He raps in a very good way, can't get enough of it, the samples were great. However it's not a 5 star album, because hip hop is not my main genre, plus Kanye is a shady person, also there were some songs that were not as good. Overall I loved it.

Obviously a good album, but not peak kanye yet.

Kanye's music used to be so fun, serious themes with a silly presentation.

It's not written for me, but I appreciate the musical talent and wordplay behind it.

amazing favorite tracks: Slow Jamz, All Falls Down, Get Em High

Before Kanye lost his damn mind, he was one of the most creative and innovative rappers/producers out there. To say this one changed the game would be a huge disservice. He created a genre with this one. And it is a shame he isn't doing it anymore, because this was an amazing debut. 9.2/10

I really hate how much I am enjoying this album. I still hate Kanye as a person and overall his later music. Ah, this last song is the Kanye I know and hate...

A masterpiece from a maniac. His 2nd best, next to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Bom, começando aqui a ouvir e já começo com essa pedrada. Já havia ouvido antes, claro, e é ótimo poder revisitar músicas que você já não ouvia há tempos. Sempre que acontece, eu gosto e ainda mais quando as músicas são boas assim. Sabe, tem coisas sobre esse álbum que são muito valiosas que são: 1) Uma saúde mental do Kanye mais em dia (definitivamente mais em dia do que hoje); 2) A criatividade LATENTE, TANGENTE, PULSANTE que ele tinha nessa época; 3) O homem canta muito bem, obrigado; 4) Os feats, aqui, estão até hoje, entre os melhores da carreira dele; 5) Produz muitoooooooooooooo, dá pra ouvir detalhe diferente toda vez que for ouvir, são muitas camadas de tudo. Infelizmente para muitos, esse continua sendo o melhor disco dele.