“I swear this right here, history in the making, man…”
Today marks the 10 year anniversary of producer-turned-rapper Kanye West’s debut album, The College Dropout. Easily one of the best projects in the past 10 years, The College Dropout set a new bar for new emerging and existing artists. As of recently, Kanye has been in the spotlight for his rants, paparazzi encounters and outrageous interviews. What some people may tend to forget is that Kanye is and has always been an artist. Expression through various forms of art (music, fashion) is all the man can do – and he does it well.
The College Dropout was nothing short of a classic. From the carefully crafted beats that sampled old soul tunes (“Through the Wire”) to the content of his rhymes (“Jesus Walks”, “All Falls Down”), Kanye West showed the world that he was ready and headed to the top. What really set the Chicago MC apart was that he delivered songs with more emotion and different subject matter from that of other popular rappers at the time. The track “Family Business” is definitely one to remember aside from the other radio hits we all know of (“Slow Jamz”).
“I woke up early this morning with a new state of mind
A creative way to rhyme without using knives and guns
Keep your nose out the sky, keep your heart to God
And keep your face to the risin’ sun“
It’s worth noting that the stamp of approval and backing from Hov and Roc-A-Fella Records helped Kanye jump straight into the spotlight, but on The College Dropout, Kanye shines through on “Never Let Me Down” with his big brother.
The College Dropout performed incredibly well commercially and went on to sell 4 million copies worldwide. It’s impact on the hip hop game does not go unnoticed. Many of today’s popular artists have credited their success to Mr. West’s change on the game. Honest rhymes and well crafted stories have become a commonality in the current hip hop landscape (J.Cole, Drake etc.).
Kanye’s debut album really made him a staple in the game and he followed up with some great projects including 2013’s Yeezus. The headstrong MC doesn’t show any signs of slowing down and as he continues to evolve and we’re excited to see what he does next with his music. Q-tip stated in December, that he and Rick Rubin will be producing his next album. Could this be a return to soulful sound and style of College Dropout or will they create something entirely new? Only time will tell but we look forward to what Yeezus will bless us with next.
