Record Review: Kanye West - Graduation

September 10, 2007 by Ben  Send to a Friend

Rating system
0 stars - Complete and utter garbage
1 star - Best just not to ever press play, save your ears for another day
2 stars - Not completely atrocious, but one you’ll probably forget about as soon as it’s over
3 stars - Good, but not great, likely with some excellent songs and others you’ll skip right through
4 stars - Damn good album, one you’ll definitely want to enjoy again and again
5 stars - Instant Classic

Kanye West - Graduation
3 Stars

It takes a special kind of asshole to intentionally release a new record on 9/11. And it’s no surprise that Kanye West, with an ego larger than Larry Craig’s wide stance, fits the bill. West marks his third entry into his educationally-themed discography (What’s next - “Gotta Get Dat Ph.D, Son?”) with Graduation. Those looking for a record marginally better than the lackluster Late Registration will be relieved - Graduation is a superior record with a few moments that hip-hop hipsters will definitely appreciate, but West’s debut record is absolutely blinding when compared to the matte finish of his latest work.

Indie kids are likely to get all googly-eyed at “Stronger,” which uses the backbeat of Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” But once you get past this “innovation,” you’ll quickly realize that nothing about this track is original or great - not the backbeat, not the chorus constructed around a cliche (”What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”) and certainly not the confusion-inducing lyrics peppered throughout the song. “You can be my black Kate Moss tonight?” What does that even mean?

West’s lyrical quality is all over the place on this album. When he isn’t abusing cliches (see above), he can be found delightfully twisting them to make something snappy. On “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” he pinches an old favorite - “life’s a (bitch), but it depends on how you dress her,” pinning responsibility on those fate-based, karma-driven personas. It’s too bad the track itself isn’t up to par here - the producing is overdramaticized and underqualified, like hyping a Kia Rio with $10,000 rims.

“Good Life,” featuring T-Pain, is a delightful surprise. T-Pain finally proves to listeners that he doesn’t have a vocoder permanently embedded in his larynx (See “Can I Buy U A Drank” and “Bartender”). Maybe it was Kanye’s simplified approach to this entire record that had the young rapper dropping his trademark, but thank God he did - expect to hear this one through your little sister’s radio, as it’s got “single” written all over it.

“Homecoming” with Chris Martin is another shocker. But the pairing is more than a genius example of cross-cultural marketing; it’s legitimately impressive. A piano jazzes up the track while a chorus of cheering people echoes in the background. Martin tones down the falsetto to match Kanye’s style, and it absolutely works - even though it’s a bit trite to hear the British Coldplay lead singer croon nostalgically about Lake Michigan.

Like the lyrical quality, the production is also erratic. While West really streamlined his record and left the hyping and cockiness to his lyrics, the record is afflicted by insufferable inconsistencies. “Barry Bonds,” is backed by a tired street beat, while guest Lil Wayne chirps like an obnoxious chicken on the track. The introduction to “The Glory” is looped so callously that I thought the track was skipping when I first heard it, and as fun as this track is, it’s just an old Michael Jackson beat paired with Kanye’s enhanced speed vocals (ie: “Through The Wire”).

Ultimately, Graduation is a frustrating record to review. Tracks like “Homecoming” and “Flashing Lights” showcase Kanye’s genius, but there are plenty of head-scratching embarrassments combined with disorderly production to siphon some of the enjoyment away from the album. West’s latest is marred with inconsistencies and flaws - you’ve been warned.

Thanks Ben, at least we got the greatest music video of all time out of this album:

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