Graduation-Kanye West review

I'm back to review a quite interesting album: Graduation by Kanye West. This album was half of what was called, "The Revival of Hip-Hop) in the sales race between Graduation and Curtis by 50 Cent. Kanye ended up winning the sales race, and also had more successful singles. Kanye West was in a position where he had a semi story line, depicting a gangsta like character who dropped out of college, (The College Dropout) then attempting to come back, (Late Registration) and finally graduating.(Graduation) What's interesting about this is it strayed from his previous styles of many skits, and off topic tracks. Kanye almost depicts a rap opera, with every track making sense. The opener of Good Morning shows a man that just barely made it through, Champion is the celebration song, and Stronger shows the hardships he went through. The album has gone double platinum and has spawned three Top 40 hits (Stronger, Good Life, Flashing Lights) with Stronger and Good Life reaching the Top 10, while Stronger topped the chart. Graduation however lacks consistency; a problem relevant in many rap albums. His strong songs are extremely strong, (Good Life, Can't Tell Me Nothing, Flashing Lights) while his weak points are very weak. (Drunk and Hot Girls, I Wonder) While the album lacks an element of consistency, it shows some things Kanye had never done before, and ventures out more musically, as seen in Homecoming and Champion, as they venture into pop-rock and R&B respectively. Then, what makes it good? The overall outlook of the album. It will take you a few times, but you end up finding a diversity of feelings, especially in the honor track to Jay-Z in Big Brother. Overall, the album conveys a strong, yet fun rap album that has party tunes, and songs you just might want to think about. Yet overall, for any hip-hop fan, or music fan for that matter, this is one you have to check out.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

1. Good Morning

2. Champion

3. Stronger*

4. I Wonder

5. Good Life*

6. Can't Tell Me Nothing*

7. Barry Bonds

8. Drunk and Hot Girls

9. Flashing Lights*

10. Everything I Am

11. The Glory

12. Homecoming

13. Big Brother