The College Dropout

Great album

Great album that manages to carry its vibe to the very end. Kanye achieved his goal and history was made. Hard to imagine hip hop culture without this album.

Crappy person, solid album. Don’t love all the skits, but didn’t take away from it too much.

This album is funnier and more ecclectic than I'd remembered. Great production as you'd expect. Jesus Walks is still an absolute number. You can see the makings of the man we now know here. Despite that and a few unnecessary tracks / underwhelming feats it deserves a solid rating.

I dig this album. Wish I could let the kids have a listen.

First time hearing this album. It's a great album made by an unfortunate human being. Won't be listening again.

I've never heard an album from him before, this one was the first. His music is good, but it's sad to see what kanye became nowadays.

Enjoyed a couple songs, not quite my cup of tea but will listen again

Man I just can’t with this dude anymore.

Highlights: Spaceship, School Spirit Skit 2, Two Words, Last Call

Dobrze, że wpadł po sesji, bo niektóre piosenki nie zachęcałyby do dalszej nauki. Nie interesuje mnie co obecnie robi Kanye i nie powinno to mieć wpływu na ocenę albumu.

Slaps but it aint my fav Kanye album

Étonnamment intéressant. Comme quoi il y a bien à boire et à manger dans le rap. Là les samples s’écoutent, les paroles ont parfois des choses à dire et certains titres emportent tout, comme “We don’t care” ou “Jesus Walks”. Je ne me fais pas à toutes les intros, skits et c’est franchement écoutable contrairement à 99% du rap de cette liste.

Before they were good

Kanye is a mess but this is an above average hip-hop album and an impressive debut.

This album had some great songs on it, but the message becomes lost in a lot of places looking through the eyes of so many recent events with Kanye’s Holocaust denial and general insane antics.

Not usually a fan of hip hop, but like the mixture of rapped verses/sung choruses. Smooth beats, flows well. Would add to car playlist

kanyes music is good!

He’s become a flaming POS, but this is still one of my fav rap albums…

I like this album some provocative perspectives on subjects that I don't necessarily associate with rap. Intelligently and artisticly presented. The production s mostly interesting and musical and generally appeals to my musical sensibilities. 4 stars

Probably his crowning work

I'm not into hip hop so never really listened to Kanye and always kind of wondered what's the big deal with this guy. Never really got a chance to listen to his albums. Then recently all kinds of disgusting things he said I assumed I'll just skip him entirely. And now I get this on my challenge. At first I was going to skip and give it a 1 star like some people here (always enjoy reading those reviews). But then I though that I listen to and enjoy many artists that were horrible people and did some questionable things. I mean, talk about the entire classic rock genre, guys like Jimmy Page or putin sympathizer Roger Waters. So I decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did. It's probably the best hip hop album I've heard so far. I don't know much about influences in this genre so I rely on other people's opinions in this regard, but man, the music on this just flows. And it's so accessible to non hiphop heads, I can definitely see myself using it as a gateway into the genre. The lyrics are impressive and I'll be damned but I can't find traces of anything he will have said in 2022. I'm gonna tell myself that this young Kanye from 2004 was a different person and continue to enjoy this. Now let's try some more of his works.

Bold, unique, and thought-provoking.

In 2022, we can look at this album and determine that perhaps this was peak Kanye West. Entertaining, musically engaging, and overall a finely told story this is the kind of production that puts Kanye at the top of the rapper/producer listings.

It's far from his best albums for me, but it's a very solid debut from one of the worst persons in the whole world (a great rapper, though)

Hip-hop fusión. Está bien. Un 4.

Overall pretty good

vaikee arvioida tää... alku oli selvä 3.... yks kova biisi vahvisti että ainaki kolme.... sitten... parempia ja parempia laulunpykälöitä... jaha no annetaan neljä (kiva yllätys kiva antaa neljä tähteä se on positiivinen arviointi) mutta huhhuh... kuin bit koin menee vain ylös myös meni laulu lorautuksien laatu myöskin... lähellä viisi... mutta onko (sinä tiedät annoi nko neljä vai viisi tähteä mutta minä tällä hetkellä kun kirjoitan EN TIEDÄ JOTEN ÄLÄ HUUDA! ÄLÄ VITTU AINA HUUDA MULLE!! MIKS SUN PITÄÄ AINA VITTU HUUTAA IHAN TÄYSILLÄ AIVAN KURKKU SUORANA KIRKUU!! paras biisi two words

Top 3 Songs: 1 . Slow Jamz (12) 2. Through the Wire (19) 3. Gem Em High (9)

Nice debut album, flows very well.

Impressive debut album, not all tracks work equally well but still very enjoyable.

My second Kanye album so far and safe to say his image has taken quite a dramatic fall from grace in the intervening couple of months. He has effectively dispelled any doubts that he is a pea-brained shock jockey devoid of any subtlety or nuance. This record, however, is not a reflection of this fact. It’s really outstanding. It’s appeal is not immediate, but not only is there a wealth of genuine insight in his social commentary (something which I felt Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy lacked) the songs carry an infectious pop sensibility that I really enjoyed. Its mammoth length is a drawback but, without wishing to labour my criticism of Kanye West the feckless iconoclast, the end result is still a phenomenal album. Personal favourite tracks: We Don’t Care, Get Em High, Never Let Me Down & Two Words

Klassiker. Seit 2008 auf meinem Radar!

Good album. I like the idea of having a theme throughout. Lyrics are intelligent and tell a story. I knew a few of the songs before listening. “Jesus Walks” DAMN! Such a great beat and arrangement. I will be checking out some of his other albums. Sidenote: this was a refreshing album to listen to. I’ve had quite a few albums recently “this is an album I needed to listen to?” U2, Dylan… big artist with large followings. The albums were nothing to recommend to a friend. I guess I will have to check the book to see how albums were chosen.

Good stuff

I actually enjoyed this when it first came out. I still like it now. Not too sure about Kanye himself but I guess you can divorce the music from the person to some degree.

Life comes at you fast

Amazing to think that Ye was already an insecure megalomaniac with a victim complex on his debut album. The main message of the record is the dumbest of takes: "Kids, don't stay in school. Instead work a lot to make money so that your kids can afford to... go to school?". Overall, the production and sampling is off the hook with Ye being responsible for the vast majority - absolutely incredible. Apart from too many interludes/skits (why is this a thing?), the only true miss is 'The New Workout Plan' and maybe the last 8-9 minutes of 'Last Call'. The rest of the album is fully packed with absolute bangers - 'We Don't Care', 'Jesus Walks', 'Never Let Me Down', 'Family Business', and the mythical origin story that is "Through The Wire". Great debut setting the tone for hiphop for years to come.

det här var ett jättebra album! tyvärr för långt så sista halvan tröttnade jag på

Tuneful and fun and relatable, with great beats and samples, and the raw ambition (and excessive length) of many a great hip-hop album. Fair amount of Puff Daddy, innit? “Slow Jamz” is outstanding (“I’m gonna play this Vandross/You gonna take your pants off”) “We Don’t Care” and “Graduation Day” and “Through the Wire” and “Last Call” also excellent. Skits don’t add much, though one liked the spoken word outro (though it’s self-serving).

Nice surprise! Never heard before and liked it!

Nice

listened to again strong start from ye

Best album he made before he went nuts. Other than with Jay-Z

Not usually my cup of tea but the man obviously knows his way around a tune

Better than expected - some quality.

not bad.

classic album, slow jamz always a standout

Kanye West – The College Dropout Kanye’s debut album, often considered one of his best. - We Don’t Care (Intro -> Graduation Day -> Grduation Day) – It’s a song about the necessity of dealing drugs to get by. In a celebratory tone. It’s basically a big middle finger to people who moralize about how evil drugs by while making it necessary with poor socioeconomic conditions. The beat is hella smooth. I don’t really like the inclusion of the children’s voices in here, though. Ties in with Intro being a request from school faculty to sing a song for the kids and the following intermission “Graudation Day” having the same faculty member berating Kanye for singing about drugs. The sung part of Graduation Day by Jon Legend signals Kanye’s realization that he isn’t going to follow a traditional path in life. - All Falls Down – Examines the pursuit of materialistic wealth and the insecurity that drives it. What will you do if you lose it all? Sylveena Johnson’s background vocals on this are great. Beat is smooth and message is solid. Followed by the intermission “I’ll Fly Away”, an adaption of the gospel song, that represents separating from the material world, which also transitions in the next song Spaceship. - Spaceship – Shows Kanye’s discontent with mundane life and a decision to separate from it all. It’s bragging about stealing from Gap too lol. It’s not my favorite track since the background “Whoos” and repetitive beat kinda turn me off along with the lyrics I don’t like. I also don’t quite resonate with the expression of frustration from working shitty jobs, even though I have worked shitty jobs. My least favorite main track so far, but not bad. - Jesus Walks – A track actually endorsing Christianity?!?!?! It’s mostly about his decidedly un-religious lifestyle and the broken world and that God is the only one who can redeem both. “I wanna talk to God but I’m afraid because we ain’t spoke in so long” is a great line. This is actually a really incredible song. - Never Let Me Down – An interesting track that presents three different interpretations of the message of hope. Jay Z talks about how he’ll never let the rap world down with his talent. Kanye thanks his grandparents for never letting him down. J. Ivy believes God will never let him down. It’s a strong concept with a very uplifting message from everyone except Jay Z. A really incredible collaboration, though Jay Z’s verses are needlessly self-aggrandizing. So yeah, it’s two thirds of an amazing song. - Get Em High – Following up two spiritual and uplifting songs with a drug song lol. That’s Kanye. It’s got a nice beat, but it’s about a subject I’m not interested in. I don’t like Common’s verse. It’s out of place. - The New Workout Plan – The intro Workout Plan and this song mock the pressures people put on themselves with diets and working out to be perfect and attract those of the opposite sex. It’s a very upbeat track with a frantic beat reminiscent of workout tunes. The fake testimonials from women who tried out Kanye’s “workout plan” are hilarious. This is a fun one. - Slow Jamz – Fittingly due to the name, a lower-key, smooth track that nonetheless has some fast parts. Not really any particuarl meaning in here, but it sounds real nice. Guests artists on this one are all really great. I like the hand drums in this as well. I guess it’s a tribute to slow jazz and R&B given the number of artists name-dropped in it. Is good. - Breathe In, Breathe Out – A self-deprecating song about his own superficiality. Features Ludacris. Ludacris’ chorus isn’t my favorite, but it’s a decent, fun song. - School Spirit – Includes multiple skits as intros and outros. The whole cycle mocks school as the only path and place to learn. It mostly talks about it as a place to do drugs and have sex. I don’t really like this one. While the point that college isn’t the only path is valid, most of the reasoning and the alternative paths suggested really sucks. Considering the alternative painted is “don’t get an education, get money”, as if money is inherently valuable. - Two Words – A song where each beat is tied to two words, the pairs of words broadly painting a picture of racial injustice and broken America. It’s a solid concept and execution. Bass at the end is really nice though, along with the violin. - Through the Wire – Title refers to the fact that when Kanye recorded the original version, his jaw was wired shut after a car crash. I like the bongos and other percussion. I don’t like the super high pitched background chorus. Kinda grating. Concept is decent though, talking about him overcoming his car crash to carry on with his career. - Family Business – Inspired by Tarrey Torae’s (who sings on the song) family. Tarrey was a member 48 grandkids on one side and 36 on the other, so there’s a lot of family stories. It’s a nice concept, but a pretty middling track. - Last Call – Tells Kanye’s story from going from producer to famous musician, thanking Roc-a-Fella Records for signing him. It’s a mega track at 12 minutes, but the main track ends at about 4 minutes. It’s a good one. The outro is an interesting monologue about his process of creating beats and his story of using those beats to meet other famous artists such as Jay Z. It’s not as artistic or introspective as a lot of my favorite rap albums, but it’s really, really good. Jesus Walks and the good parts of Never Let Me Down are my favorite, but there’s a lot of good to great stuff in here. The beats are insane, and there’s some cool alternative instruments in here. It’s not the most consistent, and it’s a bit too long and stretched out, but it’s very good. Solid 4, maybe 4.5 out of 5.

A real bop

I was already familiar with this album, it contains one of my all-time favorite bangers "We Don't Care". But it had been a while since I had listened all the way through. Towards the end I began making dinner so I missed the end, but I loved the theme. The progression in here had Kanye as a bratty, but talented high school senior to a jaded college student. The later half of the album focused on his disillusion with the college experience and the lack of rewards available for all the time and money spent to get a college degree.

Skits are good ;^)

im surprised how much I enjoyed this album. I don't usually go for any hip hop/rap music, but i was pleasantly surprised how good this album was.

solid old Kanye. braggadocio, racial laments, weirdly catchy 00's beats

3.6⭐️

I enjoyed this album and the story it told. The first 20 minutes or so were excellent, and the variety and creativity were well appreciated. It gets kind of distracted in the middle and I had mixed feelings about some of those tracks. I think some of these tracks maybe bloated the album's length just a bit.

Kanye has never been an impressive MC but man, those beats are great. And this album is so much fun, full of life and ambition. In my book it's way better than anything Jay-Z ever produced, that guy must have been in shock.

Not an absolute masterpiece, but a very enjoyable debut that could have been a little bit shorter. I mean, the last song was very useless. Anyway, glad I took the time to listen to this.

Kanye is one of my guilty pleasure. Not is best one for sure, but still really enjoyable.

This one made me upset, as I kind of expected. The thought of Kanye just makes me unhappy...I have never been a fan of his personality and antics...but I know that he has some skill when it comes to creating and producing engaging hip-hop. So, although I struggled as I listened because of the images of him that ran through my mind, there wasn't much about the musical tracks on this album that I didn't enjoy.

To my surprise, I was very into this for the first hour. My listening notes consisted of a couple of notable rhymes: "Vandross" rhymes with "pants off" and "breasteses" with "messages."

I think its a good album?

Prefs: All Falls Down, Spaceship, Jesus Walks, The New Workout Plan, Slow Jamz, Breathe In Breathe Out, School Spirit, Two Words, Through The Wire, Family Business, Last Call Moins pref: Get Em High

Unique, creative, and catchy with a conscious message. This is the album that got me into Kanye, and this is a top recommendation for anyone trying to get into hip hop. It's like nothing else of the era, linking the golden age to modern hip hop. Kanye was already a fantastic producer years before this release, but he really outdid himself with hit after hit. Full of impactful lines like "We all self-conscious; I'm just the first to admit it." The samples are soulful, light, and enjoyable, and the skits are goofy, something to look forward to. The songs are bangers, but I admit there were 2 or 3 I didn't care for, and I felt the album was too long for comfort. Favorites: We Don't Care, All Falls Down, Spaceship, Jesus Walks, Slow Jamz, Two Words, Last Call

I remember a joke Dave Chappelle made about his friend Kayne. Dave had noticed that Kayne seemed distracted and couldn't  figure out why. It  became clear when he found out that Kayne woke up one morning and had a second mother-in-law. Too funny although  Dave eventually started to get in trouble for such jokes. Everyone knows the name Kayne but I really didn't know his music and when I would see him on a media clip I always thought he seemed too cool for school. Obama summed it up by saying: "What a jackass." Well - I like this album which must be from his pre-jackass days. Humour replacing anger makes it a welcome change from gangsta rap.  Until today,  if anyone asked what my favourite hip hop subgenre was I'd be a deer in the headlights. But after today, I'll look them straight in the eye and say: "Chipmunk soul - of course."  Glad 1001 settled that for me.

So I really don't like Kanye and his antics, but this album, with it's sampling and army of back up vocalists give it a very listenable funky soul gospel feel. It reminds me a bit of the last Kendrick offering. I especially like the "chipmunk soul" tracks, like Never Let me Down. Jesus Walks really pushes the boundaries. I expect the budget for this debut album was massive. I'll add a point for making an album with so few F-Bombs but I could have done with even fewer spoken word rants, which we seem to get too many of these days.

A very bold debut album from Kanye. At a time when the industry was filled with gangster rap, Kanye shatters all that with his soulful, self-reflective and humorous writing style. The production on this album is stellar, many different styles, layers, samples, instruments and guests are featured throughout and it all comes together as a cohesive piece. The songs are catchy, and still hold up well to this day and despite it's length, I never felt like there was any filler, or I was waiting for it to end. I have never been on the "Kanye train" and don't particularly enjoy him as a person, especially in recent years. But the man knows how to make an album. Fav Tracks: Spaceship, Slow Jamz, Two Words

Really enjoyed. Skits were funny and was a good break.

What separates Kanye from other rap artists is his sense of humor, sense of play, and his ear for good music. This is great time capsule for all of us to revisit when Kanye is elected President of the United States in 2024. It's not we haven't elected a narcissist before...

Too much filler in the album for my taste. Songs are all great but can sometimes be jarring going from a slower soul-styled song to faster beats and verses.

Really good. Not nearly as much of the self-indulgent egotistical nonsense from his later stuff. He's an incredible wordsmith and it really shows here.

Oh man, I've been waiting to see when we'd get a Kanye album, and which one would come up first. He's one of my favorite artists ever, but bias aside, this is still an excellent album. Kanye inserted himself in the mainstream hip hop scene that at the time was obsessed with proving how hard one was. Ye rejected the gangsta rap formula that was popular and just made everyday raps, talking about things like Jesus, materialism, and the accident that almost killed him. This is one of the only albums where he solely produced almost the entire thing, and it's a lot of the chipmunk soul style that made his name as a producer. After this, he had a lot of co-producers which isn't a bad thing, but the solo effort is always impressive. He's changed a lot since, but this album still sounds fresh, which is crazy because it's littered with skits, a relic of an era of hip hop that usually sounds dated. Some of the skits here are actually pretty good though, keeping in line with the college dropout theme, but they add about six minutes of runtime and I really don't find them vital. Nevertheless, it's a classic album, and perhaps my favorite part is the closer, "Last Call." Who would have the audacity to make a 12+ minute song about their rise to success on their first album?? The answer could only be Kanye West. I don't think I could give it a perfect score because of the skits (and because of the very unfortunate censorship of the School Spirit sample, thanks a lot Aretha Franklin), but it's very close. Excited for more albums from Yeezy. Favorite tracks: Last Call, Through the Wire, Jesus Walks, Spaceship, Two Words, All Falls Down, We Don't Care. Album art: As far as his catalog goes, it's fairly weak. But it's definitely become iconic, and the bear imagery carried through three albums. Is Kanye secretly a furry? Why is no one talking about this? 4.5/5

Kanye has a good commentary on modern education and how much influence our culture puts on it; he also talks a bit on his faith and how he feels like he can't talk about it on his songs; tracks like Jesus walks and all falls down stand out for me and the talking bits in-between add a good deal to the album.

I think this was my first exposure to Kanye.. was this his first album? I'll always remember jesus walks and all falls down

Surprising entertaining - I didn't expect it to be so varied & interesting.

As unlikeable as Kanye is, he is a genius, this is a great album, maybe slightly on the long side.

Encapsulated an era of mainstream hip-hop where it appeared to be going in an interesting and innovative direction, but sadly it didn't. The first half of this album slaps, but it gets silly towards the end - chipmunk soul aged horrendously.

Kanye's remarkably consistent: Dropout was already overstuffed but has the magic. This time through I continued to miss the factor that sets the bear albums apart for so many, but find it hard to dislike a Kanye project.

Kanye sets the stage for the albums that’s are to follow while also showing he’s more than just a producer. Great features permeate throughout.

I don't think any other artist could produce anything as unique as 'Jesus Walks' or 'Through the Wire.' The use of skits was too excessive, I found myself sitting waiting for the music to start again. His personality is clearly represented throughout. This album marked the industry shift towards mainstream hip-hop, lyrically inoffensive (for the most part) with soul beats.

Once again, a great rap album marred by unnecessary skits and whatever that 1w minute spoken word outro was. The degree skits were actually kind of fun, but still not what I want from an album. The actual songs were bangers though.

So obviously Twista is the best part of this album. My only suggestion would be: More Twista. All modern Kanye baggage aside, this is a pretty good album.

Remove the skits (though they weren’t THAT bad) and the 12-minute finale and you’ve got an awesome album.

It's pretty good, I feel like the famous songs hold up pretty well.

Drug dealin' just to get by

Kind of proves the persona couldn’t be separated from the music from day one. The genius is real, but man the self-absorption is too. Really great though.

stack the money till it gets sky high

Well, I guess I had to come across Kanye eventually. A lot of people love him, a lot of people hate hi, his general conduct explains the latter and to be fair I think this album showcases why the former is true. That's not to say I'm a Kanye convert - I wasn't expecting to be but I was somewhat hoping to have the epiphany that his fans seems to experience with his music. Certainly, I find this a *lot* more interesting musically than any of the other hip-hop or rap that I've tried off this list - the compositions are complex and varied and would actually be worth listening to even without a vocal track (which is not something I would say of the earlier albums I bounced off). That said, I think I have to begrudgingly admit that I just don't enjoy rap as a vocal delivery style. For whatever reason, when lyrics shift into that spoken-rather-than-sung register, they just do not penetrate into my brain without serious conscious effort and I'm sorry but while TCD is lightyears ahead of something like The Chronic in terms of the depth and complexity of its lyrics, I just do not think that anything Kanye says is worth quite the endeavour. I think I've also had more than enough of 'skits' on hiphop albums. Being funny or incisive in a song is one thing but it's harder to pull off when you don't have music supporting you and you're a musician, not a comedian or philosopher. The School Spirit skits were especially obnoxious, wasting way too much time on a very belaboured, and not very funny joke. All that said I still think this is the best hiphop I've heard and it's not really even close, though my personal enjoyment of the genre (or lack thereof) puts a pretty hard ceiling on the score. I thought long and hard before clicking 3 or 4, but gave the singles another listen and the instrumentation won me over.

Very good. Star deducted for talking too much on 'Last Call'.

This was the first time I actually listened to a Kanye album. I quite enjoyed this one, with 11/21 songs standing out to me. I feel like melodious rap with a story tends to turn my ear more often than not. The themes of racism, family, materialism (in the form of traditional distractions and surprising, academic degrees), and religion were enjoyable to hear through the metaphors and melodies.

Yllätti todella positiivisesti.

I liked this a lot! Kanye really has a gravity about him, where I feel like I interpret a lot of the generator’s other rap/hip-hop selections in context of what they mean in context of things before/after KW's big deal albums

siiiiiiiiuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

No pensé que un disco de este wey podría gustarme así. Hay que dejar de lado detalles del mismo Kanye, de sus invitados y de su estilo, pero musicalmente es un muy muy buen disco. El detalle que me costó más trabajo al final, fue el último track, que dura casi 13 minutos y son básicamente de Kanye contándote una anécdota.

Love me some nightcore rap

4.0 - At his best, Kanye is able to channel his enormous ego to stoke some incredible artistic output (e.g. the unmatchable "MBDTF"). Sadly, that same ego can also be his downfall, as evidenced again and again in recent years. Both sides of his ego are apparent here, though this record has considerably more hits than misses. "I'll Fly Away" is a spiritual hymn that flows beautifully into "Spaceship." "The New Workout Plan" is witty and fun. "Get Em High" is an arena-ready banger. The collabs are pretty remarkable, from Common to Talib Kweli to Jay-Z...However, the record isn't without its warts. The "School Spirit" skits are pretty lame and on "Last Call", Kanye fully indulges his ego by sharing his backstory. To be honest, I enjoyed the 13 minutes of storytelling where he recounts all the struggles to break out as a rap star. But, really, who wants to listen to any of that more than once? And at 76 minutes, why not just release that last track as a B-side? All in all, he's poured so much into this record and it's mostly great.

This was very good. Even though this is his first album, Mr. West already has a signature style. Thank you Kanye, very cool.

This had some bangers on it for sure. Need to go back and listen to it more when I’m on rap kick.

Makes a more than pleasant change for Gangsta Rap lyrics. Nice.

I have to give it up where credits due, this album kicks ass.

Reading the details on the background of this album was just as interesting as the album itself and it's a pretty good album. Kanye who had been recognized as a great producer couldn't get himself a record deal at the time since he wasn't "gangsta" enough. This debut album was recorded over a four year period where midway through he was in a very bad car accident leaving his jaw wired shut which motivated him to finish the album and produced some the best songs on the album. Another major theme and, hence the album title, was his decision not to go to college which disappointed his Mother and led to another string of songs. The combination of not getting a record deal, dropping out of school and the car accident fuel the content of these songs which cover family, racism, higher education, religion and Kanye himself. The star of the album is the top notch production. The flow of the album is smooth but sprawling at 116 minutes long and I'm not sure if there is any reason for the song order. There are a number of guests including JAY-Z, Ludacris, Talib Kweli & Common, Mos Def & Freeway with the best of those songs being "All Falls Down" with Syleena Johnson and a soul acoustic-based song. Other song highlights include "Slow Jamz", featuring Jamie Foxx and Twista and more straight-forward soul-pop with some rapid rapping (Hey an Al Green mention) and "Through the Wire" which describes his experience and comeback after his car accident where his jaw was wired shut. There are a lot of good songs here and this quite an achievement leading to an extraordinary future, whether you like him or not. It does take a lot to get through though, which, I think, could have been edited to the same effect.

I once had a friend compare Kanye to Beethoven. I like this album, but I’m not sure it merits being broadcast in deep space as the best humanity has to offer, despite the inclusion of the song Spaceship on the album. Jesus Walks is a good early example of Kanye’s transgressive combination of of sacred/religious themes and profane language and themes, which I find interesting as a religion scholar. Also, knowing some of his nonsense since 2004, including support for Trump, the sort of victim mentality in that song of “oh now no one’s gonna play my record because I mentioned God” is both sort of funny and irritating (because obviously millions of people played his record—it’s on this list, after all). KIMYE out

Well, what can you say about Ye that wasn’t said before? This one has solid tracks. Like it!

Great overall album, very easy listening and good for everybody, not just Hip Hop fans, since it's a great combination of Hip Hop with some singing, some soul and R&B etc

There is a startlingly stark difference between this freshman album and everything else Kanye has released. There is an energy and hunger here that's utterly lacking in everything else I've heard from him. It's good. I mean, duh, right? This is the album that rocketed him to stardom, after all. But I'm surprised at just how good it is. The lyrics are great, subject matter is relevant, and the production is on point. There are several unexpected musical twists and turns that are just wonderful. Missing is the bloated ego and disingenuous subject matter of his later work. Instead, there's a bare honesty and energetic aggression to these songs. The word I keep coming back to is 'hungry." The Kanye we get to see on this album is hungry for recognition and it drives him to great heights. The real question isn't, "How is this album so good?" The question is, "Why is nothing Kanye has put his hands to since this album even close to this good?"

Objectively great, although it doesn’t make my rotation

Génie mais trop long

Les morceaux transition un peu relou mais sinon c'es cool.

chouette mais la dernière track est interminable c’est un podcast le bail

Saved Prior: All Falls Down, Jesus Walks, Slow Jamz Off Rip: Spaceship, Never Let Me Down, The New Workout Plan, Through The Wire, Family Business Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: It's honestly weird listening to this seeing what has become of him. That being said, there are some great songs on here with the iconic Kanye production style (Spaceship is so good, astoundingly underrated) but not everything goes all the way to excellent (special shoutout to that preachy ass feature by J. Ivy on Never Let Me Down, free skip the second he starts his bullshit). Much has been made of the skits, but they didn't bother me as much as they seem to bother others people. Good album, but he would definitely go on to make better. And worse.

His infinite arrogance makes me want to hate him but his music and lyrics, I must admit, are fantastic.

Ma evo ne znan haha mislin krenila san slušat i bile su mi dobre pisme, al nisan bila baš zadivljena i onda kako su išle jedna za drugom bilo mi je sve bolje, tako da ne znan jel to do toga šta su mi te prid kraj pisme više moj đir ili mi je tribalo duže da skuzin da su mi top haha zbog toga evo 4 ipak da ostavin mista za čiste peje

There's a lot you can criticise Ye for, but this album isn't one of them. I'd probably act like a dick if I'd released something as cohesive as this, too.

So. What to do with a problem like Kanye? It becomes more and more difficult to review or listen to past works of people who become more and more known for their antics on the Hollywood gossip column than their records and tours. Still, and Kanye's swagger just reminds me more and more of Chad Ochocinco Johnson, where there he keeps saying"hey look at me, I'm still here, remember me?" Chad Ochocinco Johnson just got older and lost a step, where as Kanye? Kanye's life got intertwined with the Kardashians, and everything he released afterward doesn't... quite feel right. But. There was a reason both of them became famous before. It's different than say, watching old footage of OJ Simpson. This album and the next few afterwards have some great and I mean great stuff. "Two Words" is just... wow. The Workout tape song is pretty funny, and the skits aren't bad. But those skit interlude kind of things always grate on me a bit on albums. They do not warrant a lot of relistens. (The only one I ever liked was Fishbone's "If I Were A... I'd") I can see West's flow and lyrical sense. It is something to behold. He has definite skill, and this first album shows where he's going. "Last Call" did tend to ramble on, but so does Kanye. Best track for me was "Two Words"

Pretty good, dragged a bit towards the with too much record company stuff

First time I've really listened to any Kanye songs. There's a couple that feel a little dated, but I can see why he became so popular if this was his debut album. Added it to my library, glad I came across it.

not the best Kanye album despite what tryhards may say Definitely good though

It’s a game-changer of an album for the fate of hip-hop; really helped bring in a new era. And not to mention it introduced the world to the crazy ego of Kanye lol. It is definitely bloated; not every track is a winner; there are too many skits for my taste; and Kanye is really hit or miss on his bars for me. But even given all that, the strengths of this album, the boldness and openness of his lyrics, the great features, they all pull this album back up. What really secures the fourth star for me is the production: few people ever match Kanye’s ability to flip a sample.

Ne znam jesam više iznenađena s Kanyeom ili sobom sta mi se ovo bas svidjelo. Nikako my usual đir ali sviđa mi se sta nije neki hard rap neg bas za đuskanje. I još vristi 2000te.

In 2004, Kanye seems very socially aware. I like some of the songs but others just aren't my style. Most of the other artists on the album seem out of place. Above all of that, it is a very inspiring album. I've actually listened to this album more than once today - the topic of college degrees and how it relates to intelligence is all the more relevant in 2022. This album opened up a new part of my mind.

Classic hip hop album.

My opinions of Kanye aside I actually really enjoyed this album. There are a good number of his iconic early 2000 songs on here but as a whole I really enjoyed it.

The best of this album IMO: - All Falls Down - Jesus Walks - The New Workout Plan - School Spirit - Two Words - Through the Wire - Family Business 3.6/5

i wouldn’t really call myself a kanye fan, this album was alright, 7/10

The narrative intro on this album is really engaging, I'm hooked. Jesus Walks comes in like a bomb on the first third of the album. I think the album feels bloated in the middle. Get 'Em High is pretty bland. The New Workout Plan is pretty fun and very influential. Slow Jamz kicks ass. I really like School Spirit. Through The Wire is really impressive. Last Call is nuts and I love it.

I really love Kanye's respect for the album format, they always flow really well and have a nice narrative. Not my fave album of Mr West's but still a great one and he is undoubtedly one of the best/ most influential artists of the 21st century

When I was a lad, and failed presidential candidate West was just a rapper and producer, I bought the Twista album which also had Slow Jamz on it. That album is rightfully nowhere near this list, and I probably should've bought this one instead - it's much better. Plenty of good tracks that seamlessly skip between styles and themes. The album goes on too long, but as it's Christmas week I'll still give it 4 festive stars.

I never understood all the hype around Kanye. While I did enjoy this album second time of listening I still think it’s over rated. Fun fact though: he wrote and mumbled Through The Wire after falling asleep at the wheel of his car, but still manages to frame himself as the victim. The guy is a joke, but I get that he was a reasonable talented joke at this stage of his career.

A classic for a reason

Great album, too many skits though

Genuinely enjoyed it, I understand why Kanye had a old fan base that I was ignoring

Not a huge Kanye fan but gotta respect the album

It's catchy and the rhythms definitely make you move involuntarily.

Undeniably a talented musician. Good album from before widely known that what he was being taken advantage of who knows. Jesus walks is a good nostalgia track

Fuck Kanye

Debutalbum fra Kanye West. Faktisk fedt, og med en frisk lyd. 3.5

9/10 Why isn't Kanye's other stuff even half as good as this?

9.0

How does one appreciate the art without considering the artist? If you're going to marry the two opinions together, do you consider who the artist was at the time of the creation of the art, or what you know about their whole life? This album made me struggle with this idea, because it is a great album but I'm not much of a Kanye fan nowadays. Every song on the album is a winner. So many great collaborators and the tracks themselves are as enjoyable to listen to (in some cases moreso) than the rap itself. Holding it all together is the clear narrative of the impact poverty on a generation. And yet some of the songs still convey hope and celebration. It's an album that hits on so many levels and I really enjoyed revisiting it. Who knows. Maybe I'll see what Kanye has been up to since then. Maybe.

Kanye West's debut album was sensational! It's certified four-times platinum and won Best Rap Album of 2005. This was Kanye's big break, because most record labels weren't interested in signing him as a rapper and only saw him as a producer. Finally, he landed a record deal and created this banger of an album. The album has a message for everyone by discussing issues from all parts of life including education, religion, careers, family life, self-consciousness, and independency - to list a few. He has the touch of a thorough producer and the rap skills of a gangster. Love him or hate him, Kanye West made history with this music, and is still creating sick beats and spitting rhymes to this day. This debut album may be his best/most famous work so far...

I really liked listening to it. His best lyrics.

Nice, but long

A hilarious and extraordinarily produced album. A cracker that apart from a few missteps (The New Workout Plan) stands the test of time.

Metal Wires!

-it's nice coming off his latest albums to be reminded of what made Kanye fucking KANYE! I don't need to write much of a review for this album we all know it slaps.

Great debut album.

True Rating: 75

Lots of different styles. Very melodic even though it's a rap centric album. Wide range of vocalists keep it really fresh. Fucking acoustic guitar solo in Slow Jamz!!!!!!! First half of the album until Slow Jamz is a lot more enjoyable to me than the second. Slow Jamz is the highlight of the album Some of these songs sound like they're improvised and I love it. Overall, loved this album way more than I expected.

Ah, gospodin West. Početak. Odličan album, ali po meni nije ni blizu njegovim najjačim albumima. Jesus Walks tho...

Es nota que venia de ser un productor d'èxit, per com bé que sona i totes les col.laboracions top al llarg del disc. Més enllà del personatge, que ja aleshores apuntava maneres, el disc és molt bó, amb uns quants temes que destaquen entre el millor del hip hop 00's, especialment 'Jesus Walks'

Could be a 5 if there were less skits and he cut the “The New Workout Plan”…which did not age well and ruins a pretty well thought out and socially conscious piece of art. Favorite tracks are “All Falls Down”, “Spaceship”, and “Jesus Walks”.

Haven't had listened to Kanye's first album yet. All Falls Down and Jesus Walks as highlights. Will definitely give it another listen.

This album surprised me. This is highly intelligent, creative and trans-stylistic postmodernism. The blend of sometimes 3 different styles with a mix of Frank Zappa-esque orchestration. A sharp edge between Hip Hop and Pop (7/10) Favourite Tracks: Jesus Walks, Spaceship

The only good Kanye album.

A Kanye classic. It holds up. The hits on this album are all memorable. Not his best album, but reminds me of how great he was earlier in his career

I don't like Kanye that much but you have to admit the man has talent. Some great songs, lots of variety.

some really nice songs, wouldn't mind listening to more

Lekker viben 4/5

Good Tom - I enjoyed this alot and made me apricate kanye more. made me self reflect on my degree

We don't care, All falls down, Jesus walks, and through the wire are probably my favorites off this album. This isn't my favorite Kanye album, but it's a good one for sure. I really love it when Kayne gets into his uplifting bag. He kills it when he is in the right headspace. This Album gets recommended for sure.

Great album. Have listened to it before. Bring skits back in rap albums please. Highlights: Slow Jamz, Through the Wire, Never let me down

Kinda positively suprised. Not my type of music otherwise

nice

DEECE

I’ve always been put off by Kanye’s persona, but I quite enjoyed this.

Kind of a Kanye fan now

Crazy that this was his debut! Will probably take more listens for it to fully sink in but this has gotta be one of the more impressive debut albums within the past few decades!

One of my favourite albums. it was so new and interesting when it first came out, loved how he chopped up the samples, had never really heard anything like it before. Jesus walks will forever be a tune.

Iconic Kanye album, some good features and bridge of new rap and old

Like the sample based songs (chipmunk style). Didn’t like synth based songs.

Послушал первые 5 треков, ничё такие

It a nice hearing rap album with smart texts and enjoying music.

Very surprised! Did not expect to like

old banger but not very hype just chill yep

Great album, but needs some editing.

A stone cold classic debut. The pitched up soul sample Kanye production is on full display. He's got something interesting or funny or hypocritical or clever to say on every single track. The skits are a bit corny, but it's 2004 and skits were still a thing at that point in hip hop. Seems like Kanye was insecure/aggrevated by higher education, eh? You can almost draw a line between some of the "think for yourself" messaging here and full on MAGA and "slavery is a choice" Kanye 15 years later. Kanye's contradictions are what elevates him above other rap legends for me. It really comes home on the tracks with Jay-Z. Where Jay-Z uses his verses to basically say "I'm the best", Kanye rolls through racial profiling, fate, and godliness in the same space. Plus he's more musical in his delivery, and I'm a sucker for melody. A

Bit long, but plenty of bangers

Good tunes. Annoying voice/face combo

Point deducted for being kanye

I prefer the later day stuff after he went crazy, but this is still really good.

Pre-MAGA Kanye was brilliant. With a little less misogyny and religion, this would be a 5.

Tres bon album avec beaucoup de musicalite 4.5

I liked his voice and sing-song style

Dang. What a record. So many great tracks. Back half drops off a bit.

Favorite Kanye West album. 7-8/10 1. Never Let Me Down 2. Slow Jamz 3. Through the Wire

Pretty darn cool if I'm honest

But fuck Kanye

Veel tussenverhalen. Wel leuke nummers, og Kanye

Skits were weird. Weird anti-intellectualism. A few bops

the features on this album and through the wire 😙😙

alleen maar bangers, dik album

Mostly fun early 2000s vibes, innovative styles (sampling, skits), clever lyrics, and some important messages throughout album. But also some offensive and derogatory language.

false

Classic Ye

Kanye made arguably the best two rap albums consecutively before falling from grace.

Rather unexpectedly, I quite enjoyed this one.

Fantastic. Timeless rap sprocket with some very 2000s rap.

Didn't realize Kanye was so spiritual for so long. Dunno if I'll listen again, but definitely an interesting one.

I think I get it now...

8,5

It can be easy to forget that there was a time before Kanye was (publicly) the guy that President Obama called an asshole. Sure, there are shades of what was to come, and he spends a lot of time bragging about his flow while getting best by the features on the same track, but what was so refreshing about this album is that rap had been pretty well settled into the gangster braggadocio groove for quite some time, and then here's this guy rapping about not wanting to work at The Gap anymore and copping to a bit of Impostor Syndrome. All of that, and it sounded incredible, because of course it did. Best track: Spaceship

Honestly, quite enjoyed this. I liked hearing some songs I hadn't heard in a while, and the style was pleasant to listen to. Lyrical content comes with the rap genre territory.

Damn, this was way more enjoyable than I expected this to be. It sounded like Kanye was having so much fun and every track was catchy. Very different from his current output.

The skits 💀 All of these songs are good! Not all to my taste but solid vocals and production Obviously I already know Jesus Walks but fuck this song is incredible! (what went wrong Kanye 😭 where did this Kanye go?!) Okay so some of the weird in song jokes/skits are kind of funny ... could have done without the TWELVE MINUTE LONG Song at the end Faves - All Falls Down, Spaceship, Jesus Walks, The New Workout Plan, Through The Wire Overall - a great album! I really enjoyed this

deep sigh what an album, still good how did he go from there to now 💥spaceship 💥jesus walks 💥never let me down 💥get em high 💥two words

I can see why people think Kenye is a genius but I can see why he's off putting. This is a debut & "most humble." He gets props from me because he's from Chicago. This is a very long album. I want those 12 minutes back from having to listen to Last Call. I don't care. I don't care about their fancy pants shoes or hats. Shut up! Don't care. 3

Several really good songs, and some clever wordplay. Super inconsistent, however.

Not 100% my cup of tea but jesus walks is great

Polubiłam ale nie potrafię docenić tak jak inni

God, the skits are so annoying. The music’s good though

Jesus Walks Never Let me Down Slow Jamz

All Falls Down Spaceship Breathe In Breathe Out Two Words

Music is good; but not a rap fan

People have hyped up this album for so long but I'm kinda underwhelmed. Really could't decide between a 3 or a 4 but I had to stop listening halfway through that last rambling song. So many of these tracks overstay their welcome.

I'm still not terribly familiar with Kanye's catalog but I was impressed by the previous Kanye album in this project (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) and I know I've heard "Jesus Walks" before. Like that other album, this one has a very impressive guest list. And just like with the other one, listening to this, I get it now. I see why everyone was blown away by him at the time.

nie noj ulubiony cos tam git cos tam nie

Kieltämättä hyvää räppiä.

I can respect the man’s craft and there’s some good stuff on here, but it’s very convoluted. The ego has always been his biggest enemy.

Yeezus! Interesting, hadn't heard this album before it's enjoyable and unique enough though I don't love Kanye music 3/5 + (why no Jew talk?)

- Umm, it’s good, that’s for sure. Not my thing though

Separating art from the artist here... I don't really listen to or like rap/hip hop. However I can appreciate that this is very good. He is a good rapper. Each song is unique but still flows well together and the writing and rapping is also great (i think.. im not exactly an authority) i stopped paying as much attention in the latter half... 12 minute long final song is diabolical. however it was (unfortunately) objectively good. just not my style i would never listen again even if it was by someone unproblematic

Rappers and intro sketches go together like peanut butter and terrible sketches. This is a long album, a bold choice for a debut album. I am not loving Kanye's or the children's singing on We Don't Care. All Falls Down is a great song, one of my favorite hip hop songs of all time. We should have seen him eventually losing it. Jesus Walks is another good one. He's undoubtedly talented. I like Jay-Z, but I like Kanye's verse on Never Let Me Down better. Get Em High is a jam. Kanye, Talib Kweli and Common is a crazy group of MCs on one track. It would have been cool if the three of them had done an album collaboration like Talib did with Mos Def. SKETHCHES!!!!! Why?!? A lot of featured MCs...I don't think they were calling them collabs yet when this came out. Apparently he's not a fan of college. Mos Def too...he has Blackstar on different tracks. Through The Wire is a cool concept and it's crazy that we was able to rap that well while his jaw was wired shut, the Chipmunk singing through the track is annoying as hell though. A 12:40 "song" to end the album? The internet existed when he did this...nobody needs a 12 minute interview over music to end an album. This album just lost a star...this is so stupid.

Solid storytelling but mediocre sound

intro– he sounds like goofy we dont care– how many times can one man say 'man'??? how can a profesh singer be so pitchy?!?! graduation day– girl i js gwaduwado. pure background music. PURE lift music all falls down– dont pmo whys it actually alright 🤬 ?!?! nvm theres a woman in it thats why 🥳 ill fly away– no idea spaceship– lowk bangin 😓 what is that beat i HEARRR jesus walks– lowk bangin too damn. its the beat again i swear its not kanye

Um clássico de um artista que não gosto tanto. Legalzinho, mas nenhum supera Graduation.

I liked it. Kayne's still not super-confident in finding the kind of refined, Kanye's-special-sauce sound that he would uncover later in his career but it has legs. The College Dropout, while being great in its own right and an excellent stepping stone towards true music greatness, fails to reach the kind of wild highs we would arrive at in, say, MBDTF. Part of it is definitely that he's leaning a lot harder into his own traditional rapping ability here, which has always been good but has never quite matched the heavenly level of his ear for clever production. Also the skits kinda suck. Fav tracks: We Don't Care, Spaceship, School Spirit

Not the worst rap album. Thats the highest praise I can think of.

2026.06.09

At the end of the day, he's just a gay fish who used to be married to a hobbit and didn't take his meds while hanging out with MAGA Nazis... go swim little guy! This was the only album by him I actually listened to (thanks to Limewire) and he was pretty revolutionary before he lost his marbles.

Another Kanye album I really wanted to dislike. But sadly I quite enjoyed it. Not as much as the other one I reviewed for this but pretty listenable with some great samples made into catchy songs.

Im a fan of Kanye’s music, and he’s a musical genius. This album has never really done it for me though

послушал несколько раз за выходные. Как по мне, относительно средний альбом. Хотя, как я узнал из описания, один из 3лючевых рэп-альбомов. Возможно потому что тут по минимуму гангстеров, наркотиков и прочей тематики, свойственной рэпа.

great

Through the wire

nicht so gut wie das andere, mehr classic rap und halt kanye west...

lot of really great songs on this but man theres a lot that shouldve been cut as well

it’s a very nice album and i would rate it higher if i didn’t despise kanye as a person

And here, in fact, is the album that first made gangsta rap wither! Got it back to back with Get Rich Or Die Tryin'. It was Kanye West who pushed stories about the plight of black villains out of fashion, giving way to calm and even instructive stories about family, religion, choosing one's path, and conscious consumption. This was superimposed on sped-up samples of old soul. The problem is that the album is overloaded with fillers. Instead of three skits mocking achiever syndrome, they could have used just one. The last song is a twelve-minute mash-up of the artist's career history and thank-you notes to friends; it feels like a cartoon added onto the rest of a VHS tape. Yes, the dude has been going downhill lately, but that's no reason to dismiss his older works. We're not — pun intended — westoids, are we? "- Kanye West?! You're my hero! - Do you like my music? - You're a musician?.."

Easy listen - not Kanye’s best

My first real listen enjoyed most of the album…have to try more

Great highlights like Thought the wire, all falls down, we don't care and slow jams. But too much filler and too many annoying skits about degrees. Could have been a 4 or 5 just by cutting the run time in half

Meer fan van het latere werk van Kanye, maar het valt niet te ontkennen dat dit een erg sterk album is. Net geen afgeronde 4 sterren.

Kanye is uiteraard een groot trendsetter geweest voor hiphop en pop in de zeroes. Dat maakt dat ik ook enigzins verbaasd ben hoe slecht grote delen van deze plaat agen. De context van Kanye zal er ook wel mee te maken hebben, maar los daarvan zijn veel van de beats en flows op deze plaat zo duidelijk 20+ jaar oud. Highlight van de eerste Kanye platen, inclusief deze, is wat mij betreft hoe hij de featured artiesten verwerkt in de nummers. Dit zal uiteindelijk natuurlijk culmineren in de briljante platen met Jay-Z en Cudi, maar die kwamen niet uit de lucht vallen als je deze samenwerkingen hoort. Om mee af te sluiten: Fuck Kanye. Sla je lokale nazi.

the more melodic/layered tracks, some of which are definitely highlights, work better than the more traditional hip-hop ones, probably because neither kanye’s lyrics nor his flow are particularly interesting. it’s a bit too long and uneven for its own good, but I do get what the fuss is about.

i will stress: i do not like or care for kanye west as a person. but i can separate art from artist, to a degree. i found this one to be perfectly fine, though its length really threw me off. by the mid point toward the end, i just got really tired of the song length. i'd say all the really good ones are on the front half of the album, and then unfortunately the middle chunk of the album didn't capture as much of my attention. the skits i found just okay, if a little grating since they were all back to back. i'd prefer if they were spread out over the album. basically i didn't start paying attention again until we got to through the wire. however, for a debut, it's definitely a stellar start-- kanye's lyrics have always been highly praised by critics, and he really flexes that prowess. they're dense with great flow, and the wordplay / rhyming scheme in some verses is pretty fascinating i probably would have liked this way more if it weren't for the length, which is largely inflated by the very last song on the record (a whopping 12:41 runtime....). highlights: all falls down, jesus walks, through the wire, family business.

not a fan

I don’t like him, I rarely enjoy rap and there’s too much justification provided for the parental advisory sticker. That said, there is something to this music that has pushed and reshaped the genre. For that there should be some acknowledgement despite West being a terrible human being.

eu odeio tudo o que esse mano representa, e me afetou o suficiente pra eu odiar a arte dele, principalmente pq essa bosta que ele representa ele enfiou na arte tbm já tinha ouvido esse álbum em 2022 ou 2023, antes da merda bater no ventilador em níveis maiores (ou antes de eu saber das polêmicas dele) é bem produzido obviamente, ele tbm influenciou todos que vieram depois - mas isso é óbvio e ele não merece vanglória nenhuma a essa altura não muda nada na minha vida e não mudou nada quando eu ouvi, só pensei que era legal 3.5/5 / 7/10 arredondo para 6 pela bosta que ele é

It’s kind of wild to revisit this, everything about Kanye is already kind of there, we just didn’t notice it. Terrible misogynistic rhymes and homophobic jokes and lame sex puns, a refusal to take responsibility, etc. but mostly it’s realllllly HS. The music is insanely good though, but the lyrics aren’t and it goes on forever.

Beginning was really good, but then the album proceed to become kinda meehhh, 3.5+

He is a very talented rapper and producer and that is demonstrated on this album, where his ego doesn't lord it as much as some of his others. Just not my thing.

2000's rap, making me think abt high school musical. Chill. Will probably not listen to the whole album in one shot again, but some songs are cool

It's good I fear. It's good like Sandman, and Father Ted, and Rosemary's Baby, and all those other pieces of influencial art that suddenly leave a bad taste in your mouth because of who made it. Oh well. Atleast you can say that this was the peak.

Everything on this album is great except that last song. It is also a testament who how far that Kanye has fallen. I guess that is what happens when you fly to high you will be burned.

listened before already and have loved, like absolute classic. if you are having a good day either put this on or if you wake up one morning and feel it being a good day, put it on

Surprise like from me. Never listened to Kanye, but I will go back to this one from time to time.

In 2004, I was separated from my first wife. I was teaching yoga full-time, and taking care of my son half the week. I was pretty much alone in Albuquerque; I knew folks from yoga, but felt like I needed to keep my yoga life separated from my social life. I'm forever grateful for Kristine M, my elder by a decade but a fellow movement person with whom I shared a lot of creative touchpoints back on the east coast. I was listening to the Black Keys, delta blues, Wu Tang Clan,my lifetime hits, etc etc... but not Kanye. I learned about him much, much later, when he was making Yeezy's famous, and before he was cancelled etc. This does have some agile wordplay, some challenges to the boundaries of hiphop at the time, and some good grooves. Relative to Wu Tang, Kanye is an also-ran.

Högt och lågt på denna

Några låtar står ut, men senare album nådde helt klart andra höjder.

Några grymma låtar men resten fångar mig inte tyvärr.

Han har talang ändå.

Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Very Good - People criticise Kanye's rapping but I really don't mind. Of course the production is the real highlight though. There are absolute bangers here. I think the second half loses a little steam but still an incredible album.

digno, me gusto. aprobado. la verdad muy cambiante, no lo termine todavia, pero essta muy bueno la verdad

me senti um pouco afetado por escutar esse álbum enquanto ia pra faculdade

Iconic. Some great tracks, that had a huge cultural impact. However the seeds of the mans downfall are lain across the whole album. Anti science shit leaking through the tracks... I think education is important.

The beats are cool but there’s something about this dude that just doesn’t vibe with me and I don’t think it’s just because of his public persona. There’s just a cold, crassness to him that I think would feel sociopathic even if I didn’t know he was actually that. His sexual lyrics especially lend credence to that for me. Most rappers are misogynistic but there’s something particularly cringey about Kanye’s brand of it. Perhaps if he cared more about his college classes and less about partying and getting lad he’d know it wasn’t 300 Romans, but rather Spartans who fought the Persians. (Not that he doesn’t have a point about the College grift).

My grad school roommate in Philly introduced me to this album. It was definitely an experience, but (like most people, I presume) I have mixed feelings about Ye… he’s a talent for sure, but “complicated” is an understatement.

The album is a reminder why Kanye was popular. The album has a sense of humor. The talking between songs messed up the flow for me. I did like the “I’ll Fly Away” interlude. “Jesus Walks” is my favorite on the album. I also enjoy “the New Workout Plan” and “School Spirit.” “Last Call” is far too long for me.

Claramente no es un mal disco pero no se si es porque personalmente detesto a Kanye pero no veo la genialidad de la que todo el mundo habla y de paso lo aburrida que me sentí a veces por la excesiva repetición de ciertas canciones. Rescaté par de canciones no mucho más. Pero no está mal

I love his music, but he has better albums

I miss the old kanye

Kanye West may be the most overrated figure in music. He is neither a genius nor a visionary. His production is often clunky and cheesy. The record is alright, but that's about it.

Very good

Por gusto personal 2,5 estrellas. Entendiendo su importancia y su influencia, 3,5 estrellas

Nice hooks, and nicely produced album with lot's of featuring artists. Because I'm not familiar with the genre and artists sometimes it was hard to keep track of this.

It was a better album than I was willing to give credit for based on Kanye as a person

Before Kanye became (or at least went public as) an anti-Semitic right-wing nutjob, he was a pretty good rapper. Not something I'd really seek out to listen to, but I don't mind it. "Spaceship" and "Slow Jamz" were the highlights for me.

The best of the Kanye albums on this list and the only one I could really see myself returning to. Crazy that a late 20s Kanye is less of a megalomaniac than Kanye in his 40s.

I don't think I can review this in good conscience, at least not without the knowledge of what Kanye West has become hanging over the proceedings. it would bias my judgement. voting a 3 here, but if I could give no score I would.

это странный реп и пение мимо нот… люди любят продакшн ай гес

Kanye visste utan tvekan hur man samplar soul för att få till ett snyggt sound. Det märks inte minst på denna debut som soloartist. Jesus walks, slow jamz och inte minst School spirit är riktigt bra. Dessutom många gästande artister som i stort sett genomgående bidrar positivt. Samtidigt lider han av hip hopens bristande omdöme. Bara för att det ryms 70 - 80 minuter på en CD måste inte dessa till varje pris fyllas. Allra minst usla små sketcher (eller för den delen work out-tips). Komiker är ytterligare en bana som Kanye inte ska slå sig in på. Han måste väl ha fyllt sitt mått av felval i livet med råge redan. Nedskakat hade det kunnat bli en 4a.

The College Dropout har inte åldrats söärskilt väl Det är inte alls så bra som jag tyckte det var när det kom. Jag har främst tre invändningar mot The College Dropout. Skitsnacksspåren mellan låtarna är riktigt jobbiga och gör skivan onödigt lång. Kanye borde låta bli att sjunga. Allt för ofta låter det som Black Eyed Peas (inte minst i The new workoutplan). Det här drar ner betyget ordentligt. Spaceship är riktigt bra, i afrofuturistisk tradition om rymden som frigörelsemetafor. Men bäst blir det när Common och Talib Kwali eller Ludacris tar över micken. Här är beatsen också tyngre och skitigare. Överlag är det gästerna som gör skivan lyssningsbar. Att ägna en hel skiva åt utbildningsförakt får mest Kanye att låter som en bortskämd snorunge som tycker det är orättvist att inte hela världen dyrkar honom som det stora geniet. Svag trea.

LIKEIT

I don't agree with Kayne but this album was quite good and I see why it was popular.

Pretty good. Family business is my favorite. Never listened to Kanye before and i’m fairly impressed. When the artist puts so much of themself into their art you really can’t separate it from the artist nor should you. It’s sad how he ended up. It tints all of his work knowing that the success he raps about will sour and he’d become a real life villain. Dude has serious fucking problems but I can’t deny he was talented.

As pretty much every other reviewer pointed out, Kanye West is an awful person. However, I'm determined to listen to every album on this list and rate without bias. To be transparent, he did not receive any streaming revenue from my listen because I use new pipe to listen to all of my music (I hate ads just like everyone else). And honestly, I'm sure he's not the only artist on this list who is controversial or hated. My first exposure to rap/hip hop on this list was OutKast, and I liked the musical diversity and uniqueness in that music. This album also has some good and unique instrumentation and beats/sounds (there's violins) and the rapping is not about the typical subjects, but serious issues that aren't cookie cutter. The guest appearances shine, especially the female vocalists ("All Falls Down" as one) and the use of harmonies. I'm not into the skits that seem to be common in these types of albums. Speaking musically, I thought it was good, definitely for a debut album. Mental illness is unfortunate and always seems to take down creative individuals.

finna dropout

A challenge to get through. As I was settling into a song, I'd get taken right out with the most ignorant of lyrics. There's clearly some creativity here, but this didn't live up to the hype for me.

Being a middle aged white guy, I don't listen to rap anymore. If I do, it's what I listened to in high school. This came out when rap was phasing out of my life. I never bought it, but Jesus Walks was a banger...still is. And while I liked listening to this, it's got two things that I grew to hate about rap music: 1. Skits 2. Features Maybe a skit here or there is funny but...ugh, just play the songs. And as far as the features go, I didn't play this to hear... J. Ivy? He was terrible. GLC and Consequence? Jay-Z was fine but the rest of the features on here were just mediocre. And I get it, that's what rap is these days and has been for a long, long time....part of the time it doesn't even seem like it's about the artistry and what a rapper has to say but instead it's about how many features they can cram onto an album. I want to hear a Kanye song to hear Kanye's voice and his lyrics, not anyone else. So those two things and it's too long. Can definitely trim some songs off this thing and make it tighter. Giving it a 3 cause I enjoyed a lot of it but I know I won't ever play it again.

To be this genre, it isn't bad. But it's not my genre.

Thought this would be a tough 75mins to get through but was half decent

- i'm going to try really hard to give it a fair shot. but jfc this guy - favorites: spaceship, jesus walks - rating: 2.5/5

interestingly powerful

Se me hizo raro los interludios y despues las canciones tan largas. All Fall Downs sigue siendo el mejor tema que tiene, lo escuche anoche jugando y ahora estudiando y no siento que otro tema destaque. eso si Last Call es plenamente aura como cuenta la historia.

Paeans to the chip on his shoulder. Disappointingly compelling at points 3.4

meh. no está mal, pero no hay ningún tema q me haya volado la cabeza. No me gustó, ni me disgustó, tampoco lo volvería a escuchar. le pondría un 5/10 pero no puedo

Good. Certainly one of the better rap albums I’ve heard on the list. Worth a second listen.

Number: 82 Date: 03/25/2026 Artist: Kanye West Album: The College Dropout Year: 2005 Genre: Conscious Pop Rap Rating: 3 Notes: Before: ======= OK, I've already had one Kanye album which is plenty. Per policy: "“An artist shall be represented on The List by no more than one album, except where multiple albums by that artist demonstrate materially distinct artistic character and historical significance. Where two or more albums by the same artist are determined to be substantially similar in style, scope, or cultural function, only one such album may be included, with preference given to the earliest released work.” During: ======= 3 Intro 4 We Don't Care 2 Graduation Day 2 All Falls Down 3 I'll Fly Away 3 Spaceship 3 Jesus Walks 2 Never Let Me Down 1 Get Em High 3 Workout Plan 2 The New Workout Plan 3 Slow Jamz 3 Breathe In Breathe Out 3 School Spirit Skit 1 4 School Spirit 3 School Spirit Skit 2 3 Lil Jimmy Skit 3 Two Words 3 Through The Wire 3 Family Business 1 Last Call ----------------------------------------------------- 2.4 WEIGHTED AVERAGE After : ======= 2 my personal rating 3 suitability for this list 4 impact ----------------------------------------------- 3 composite rating

Some good bopping tracks on this, which makes it quite fun but the braggadocio gets a bit lame after a while. Fun in places though.

Okay, hip hop isn’t really my thing but i could listen to some of these from time to time. Fav might be “Two words”