i just got college dropout i picked this up after seeing the great video for "through the wire", which is in HEAVY rotation on MTVnederland - besides being fatally groovelicious, its one of the best ideas for a song ive ever heard of - the fact that its buried in the song order speaks of his confidence in the whole package - he CD is pretty stripped in its arrangement and has a nice sheen of nostalgia in the production - talib and mos are among the guests, as could be expected - this is what old school hip hop would sound like with latin touches and choirs - that this guy has produced for jayZ and other big names made me expect an overdone sound, but i was pleasantly wrong - one day and i've already listened through it four times
Dude, it's only 7 am on the east coast. I've had the CD for a few months and it's still on heavy rotation. It's probably the best concept album about the post-Clintonian disillusionment of the educated 20-somethings, ever. I liked his production on Jay-Z's The Blueprint and Talib Kweli's single, but I seriously didn't expect much from his rhyming. Much to my surprise, he has a genuine sense of humor and a grasp of irony, and he has a really distinct voice and style. If you like Kanye's style, check out his verse on Dilated People's single "This Way", and hiphopsite.com has a bunch of his mix tape stuff out, including his take on "Milkshake". Also, iTunes has the "Two Words" video with Mos Def and Freeway.
I got the cd a few dates back, and I liked it right away. His style is more soulful than most mainstream artists but fits in nicely next to Kweli and Common, etc. . . I don't like his views on education though. The last things black kids need to be hearing is "don't go to school, follow your dreams". Assuming that everyone needs to, or even can, become a pro-athlete, signed artist, or quite simply hustler is myopic. He'd be better off saying go to school to become something that makes a lot of money than just ******** school.
doesnt seem like he's saying "dont go to school" - seems like he's saying "just because you get a degree doesnt mean you're set like grownups try to tell you"
That's what I got too, and he has his tongue squarely in his cheek for much of the album. And even though he does enjoy the money he's making ("Oh my god, is that a Black Card?/Why yes, but I prefer the term African-American Express"), he's not completely comfortable with it (see "All Falls Down",
WHAT?!?! [/insert Lil Jon sketch here] Yeah, I remember her being in Renaissance Man which was like a decade ago. She looks like she's still 22. Just quickly shot over to www.imdb.com and searched her bio. She's got a TEENAGE son, whose father is Christopher Williams (minor R&B singer who is known more for his role in New Jack City).
Oh man, it must suck to be her kid. His friends must have a field day with the "I effed your mom last night" smack.
from the i did not know that department - kanye produced the alicia keys instant classic 'you dont know my name' - like jayZ said... the guy just has a great ear for soul
Not yet. But I'm going to go to Tower on my way home today. I have a long list of stuff I want to get.
WOW!!!! I'm listening right now. I'm up to "Slow Jamz." This is one of the best rap albums I've ever heard.
rap artists are usually kinda the opposite from rock artists - rap artists are generally better judged by the album, rock artists by the live show