College dropout grows up

by Chris Chavez

Daily Lobo

A year after dropping out of college, Chi-town rapper Kanye West returns to school with his new album Late Registration.

In a little over a year since his debut album, West has been established as rap's premier artist, producer and lyricist. West's seemingly rapid success is due to his emotional accessibility to his listeners.

West, in both College Dropout and Late Registration, deals with subjects everyone can relate to. From car accidents to materialism, from Jesus to low wages, College Dropout offered radio singles that did not apply to mainstream rap standards.

West's first single from Late Registration displays that West has no intention to conform to the thuggery, chauvinism and misogynistic themes that dominate rap music. In "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," West gives listeners four straight minutes of rhyming without a chorus or hook, and displays his lyrical, political and personal growth since his last album. In the song, West raps about how the public's materialism, along with his own, helps to fuel the diamond-driven conflict in Sierra Leone.

West raps, "Over here it's the drug trade/ we die from drugs/ over there they die from what we buy from drugs/ I thought my Jesus piece was so harmless/ till I seen a picture of a shorty armless."

In "Gold Digger," West showcases his uncanny ability to think outside of the box. It features Jamie Foxx, who previously worked with West on fellow Chi-town rapper Twista's hit single "Slow Jamz." With "Gold Digger," West samples Ray Charles' classic "I've Got a Woman." What makes the song exceptional is that Foxx sings the sample as Ray Charles. As gimmicky as it sounds, the song proves to be one of the album's highlights.

Late Registration picks up thematically right where College Dropout left off. Bernie Mac is back as West's nagging professor from West's last album. Listeners are taken along as West pledges the "Broke Phi Broke" fraternity. The skit allows West to comment on the struggle between the haves and have-nots in society.

Fans of College Dropout will initially be caught off-guard by the direction of West's new album. Gone are the bass-line, sample driven, break-beat hip-hop sounds that were the backbone of College Dropout. Late Registration is still grounded in rap music, but West displays his artistic growth by using live instrumentation throughout the album.

The combination of live instrumentation and thought-provoking lyrics allows West to bridge the gap between musicians and rappers and expand rap's musical boundaries.

Late Registration proves it is possible to achieve street credibility, commercial and critical success, and develop personal artistic experimentation and growth on a single album without having to sell out beliefs.