Reviews
Kanye West
Late Registration
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Add to del.ico.us.Review Date: 2005-10-01
In hip-hop you usually have artists/groups who get no respect from the hardcore hip-hop heads, but are massively popular like Dmx, 50 Cent, Master P, Puff Daddy etc. Or you have the more underground groups/artists who don't have the exposure or the records sales but are universally acknowledged as being ridiculously good musicians like Common, Blackalicious, Madlib, MF Doom, Talib Kweli, and K-OS. It isn't impossible to be an artist that transcends the barriers and is able to get respect from both sides, but the people who have been able to do it are few and far between. And usually those who have done it can only hang around in that high esteem for a short time, Nas would be an example of that. Scoring 5 mics on his debut album, and being hailed as the next prodigal son of hip-hop and then never coming remotely close to those heights ever again. In a way Snoop Dogg falls under that category too.
Since I started listening to hip-hop in the early 90's I think only four artists come to mind that have been able to achieve this enviable status of getting love from the hip hop heads, and still being able to dominate the mainstream charts and record sales. They are Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, and the Hova Jay-z. Of the four only Jay-Z and Pac were able to pull this off for an extended period of time (though Biggie never really had a chance). As far as I am concerned it is time to add Kanye West to this elite list of hip-hop superstars.
The cards were all stacked against Kanye being able to live up to the inevitable hype with "Late Registration". For one the decision to release singles off his first album literally right up until a few months before the new album dropped was almost suicidal. For two, his rigorous schedule left him very little time to pull off the level of quality that the fans would be suspecting. And for three people would be scrutinizing this album, and looking for a reason to hate on Kanye. If there was any drop off in quality or even if it was just as good he would never have raised himself into the above mentioned group. In spite of that, "Late Registration" thrives, and goes to a higher level than "The College Dropout" did. This is a superior album in basically every way.
The main improvement is Kanye's rapping skills have improved significantly. His lyrics are better, and because of that he relies less on getting by with catchy beats and fancy choruses. For two, not that he is established he can make more grimey, more underground sounding beats and know that he is still going to get love on the radio and MTV. And thirdly, this is Kanye's show completely. Sure he brought other people in to help here or there but at this point nobody is telling Kanye what to do. Not even Jay Z. Jay Z never made an album this good, and he knows it. When I see Jay Z parading Kanye around like he is the manager for him I just laugh. Jay Z had a great career, and will definitely release more albums but this is certainly a case of the student surpassing the master. Wake up Mr. West!
When I heard Kanye was collaborating with Adam Levine of Maroon 5 fame it kinda made me puke in my mouth. I mean I could see why Levine would want to do this, but how would it be beneficial to Kanye? I guess now I have learnt not to doubt Kanye because "Heard Em Say" is a solid track and almost certainly is going to be released as a single. Adam Levine basically is the chorus bitch here, using his falsetto and doing what usually has been done for 15 years by anonymous female background singers in hip-hop. The beat is actually rather minimal, just a kinda methodic drum/bass part, and some gentle piano sprinkled over the back. Not being afraid to rap over a more minimal beat like this is a sign of a rapper who has confidence in his flow, and i really don't know as brash as Kanye is that he really had that confidence with the first album. A good way to start the album, not the best song but for those who prefer the more blatantly catchy Kanye tunes it will likely be a favourite.
Ok I need to get the singles out of the way right now. "Gold Digger" is a fucking dominant song, with a disgustingly sweet beat, and one of the best samples I have heard in my entire life. You might question the motive in sampling Ray Charles, but you can't question how great it sounds. If you are living under a rock this song is about how very often black men with money end up with hot white women and how broke black men do not get that same benefit. I think he has a point. Kanye sometimes says the shit that nobody else says, but everyone thinks. And that is part of why he is so loved, and also hated at times. The saxophone worked into the beat isn't at the forefront, but I pick it up everytime. This is quite a contrast to the last song I talked about because the beat has so many layers, and must have took forever to fine tune. Not that either way is really better, but this is definitely the better song. I can listen to this song 10 times straight and not get even the slightest bit tired of it.
And now i'll do the other single, "Diamonds From Sierra Leone". This has kinda like a hip-hop James Bond feel to it. Most of my doubts about the new Kanye album dissipated when I heard this track the first time. The sample reminds me of something on Moby's "Play" except with a whole lot more balls. This song isn't quite as good as Gold Digger but the difference isn't significant. The forever-ever-evah-evah-evah part of this song even tops Outkast's version of the same lyric. I like how this song has a kinda triumphant feel to it. It pumps you up when you listen to it. The remix version on the album has Jay Z showing up which had to be expected. I actually think he hurts the song, i've never been huge on Jay Z and this hasn't changed my opinion. Jay Z shouldn't need to pick up on Kanye's scraps, and Kanye shouldn't need to lean on Jay Z. Just my opinion, but i'm right.
If Gold Digger isn't my favourite than "Addiction" is. This is a softer hip-hop song with some great lyrics.
"Why everything that is supposed to be bad makes me feel so good. Everything they told me not to is exactly what I would. Man I tried to stop, i tried the best I could. But... whats your addiction? Is it money, is it girls, is it weed? I've been afflicted by not one, not two, but all three."
The song goes back to a more minimal beat, combining some toned down bass, a little bit of what almost sounds like cracked out chimes, and some hand claps. Again the sample reminds me of the era often sampled on Moby's "Play". Kanye makes some of his most intimate, and most intriguing music when he strips it back. Songs like this just weren't really present on his debut.
Ok i'm feeling decent tonight so i'm going to keep going. "Hey Mama" picks up the same kinda vibe as the previous song and keeps the momentum. Everytime i hear this song I find myself saying "You know I act a fool". In hip-hop it is a tried and proven technique to make the confessional, thankful shout-out to your momz and Kanye does exactly that on this song. The beat is again turned down a bit and mixed with la-la-la's almost the entire time during the song while Kanye showers praise on his mom. The old stoner in me appreciates the chill in songs, just a bit more than the flash. And so a song like this or "Addiction" gets a bit more love than a flashier gangsta rap style song like "Crack Music" or "We Major" (which sounds a bit too much like a Jay-Z outtake).
Rather than talk about another song let me talk about the skits. Kanye had some hilarious skits on the first album, and he picks right up with that here. From the beginning bringing in Bernie Mac as Kanye's old teacher with the awesome line leading into the first track "Wake up Mr. West!". Following into the second skit which is basically a fraternity of broke brothers preaching and getting excited about how poor they are, this carries over into the next skit which is a tongue-in-cheek upbeat chant about not being able to get anything they want in life. And the last skit where the fraternity meets and outs a horrible imposter Mr. Kanye West who has money and hangs out and pretends to be broke and gets booted out of the fraternity. Some people might view these as offensive but those are the same people who criticized Kanye for encouraging kids to quit school. In other words, those are what we like to call haters.
I consider "Late Registration" to be basically an essential album that should be in your collection. If you are into hip-hop, or even if you aren't into hip-hop. Kanye's music is accessible enough that it can appeal to all types. I'm sure as many as 5 or 6 of these songs are going to be released as singles, and plenty more than that could be if he really wanted to. A few songs on the album don't reach the astronomical heights that the majority do and those are "Touch The Sky", "Bring Me Down", and "We Major" but those songs all still scored over an 8 with me. Kanye at this point moves past Dangerdoom into hip-hop album of the year although the two are going to have a photofinish. I reserve the right to reconsider come top 10 time. Mr. West is here to stay, and all the haters better get used to it.
Score: 9.2
Probably around .3 higher than what I woulda scored The College Dropout which is still a classic hip-hop album. There isn't much room left for Kanye to go up, but I said that after the last album. So i won't write off the possibility that he will get even better from here.)
- Dan