Kanye West Album: “Late Registration [PA]”

Everybody knows by now that Kanye West's solo debut The College Dropout was 2004's most critically acclaimed mainstream album, which earned the rapper producer numerous award nominations, including 10 grammy nominations in which he ended up winning three, and now people are calling the album a hip hop classic-with good reason, cause it was a breathe of fresh air to hip hop in a time when hip hop was dominated by popish hits and useless southern hip hop club records. However, when everybody learned that Kanye was working on a second album which he called Late Registration, we all wondered if Kanye would be able to bring it on the second album, and boys and girls, all i need to say is hell yeah, he did. Not only is Kanye's new album the most original hip hop album in years, but it is so incredible that it could compete with Common's BE for the Rap Album of the Year which was expected. This album is so full of great music at a whole new level never seen in hip hop before, which indicates that Kanye West's Decison to work with Jon Brion on production was not a mistake at all. West tackles a lot of issues on this album like his addiciton to money, girls and weed on the unique "Addiction", Conflict diamonds on "Diamonds from sierra leone remix", his actions at last years American Music Awards in "Diamonds from sierra leone", Crack in black America in "Crack Music", the Death of this grandmother and the classic track "roses" and a tribute to his mother on "Hey Mama". The only cons on Late Registration is Kanye's ability as an mc-and this doesnt take away from the feel of the album as he is still an above average rapper compared to 90% of the laughable, non talented rappers now, but we should cut kanye some slack since he is constantly trying to improve his mc skills and it shows in his rhymes. one of the most catchy lines in thi album was on his feel good track "Celebration"- "See You Kno' Ma' Style Im Very Wild' And I Vow' That Ma' Child' Will Be Well Endowed, Like Hiz Daddy, And Tell Em' That Yo' Momma' Had A Fatty, He Looked Up To Me Said,"Daddy Thats The Reason That You Had Me?", Yup! We Wuz Practicin', Till' One Day Yo' A** Bust Threw' The Packagin', You Kno' Wut Tho'? You Ma' Favorite Accident"-to me thats an amazing line! Back to the subject matter on this album, i do not think any rapper now will even imagine touching the topics kanye tackled on this album..and this shows how talented he is as both a rapper and producer.As for the skits, they are not useless as other critics would say, instead they are used for pacing and to tell a better story of the process in which kanye dropped out of college! here are my individual ratings of the songs on the album.

1. Wake Up Mr. West:NR

2. Heard 'Em Say featuring Adam Levine of Maroon 5- Melodic track, kinda emotion, but great overall: 4.5 stars

3. Touch The Sky featuring Lupe Fiasco-one of the best songs on the album, a real feel good track and a highlight in the album: 5 stars

4. Gold Digger featuring Jamie Foxx- second single, with a good message going out to all those gold digging women: 4 stars

5. Skit #1:NR

6. Drive Slow featuring Paul Wall & GLC-Nice Track, Kanye paul Wall and GLC delivers, better than i thought it would be: 4.5 stars

7. My Way Home featuring Common-wow, common brings it with his poetry, shouldnt this be on BE instead: 5 stars

8. Crack Music featuring Game- kinda dissappointed that the game did not have a verse, still has a good message and good rhymes from kanye..and i love that military style beat: 4.5 stars

9. Roses-a classic song: 5 stars all the way!!!

10. Bring Me Down featuring Brandy-wow, Brandy can still sing..this song is wonderful: 5 stars

11. Addiction-i personally love this song, and i think i am addicted to listening to it..it is the most original hip hop song this year: 4.5 stars

12. Skit #2: NR

13. Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)featuring Jay-Z-another classic song, kanye and Jay's verse are incredible- 5 stars!!

14. We Major featuring Nas & Really Doe- Now this is 7 minutes of real hip hop..kanye almost matches the mighty nas lyrically..great song: 5 stars

15. Skit #3

16. Hey Mama- kanyes tribute to his moma: 5 stars

17. Celebration- this is the best production on the album, feel good track, most funny lines!-4 stars

18. Skit #4

19. Gone featuring Consequence & Cam'Ron-Great beat, average lyrics: 3.5 stars

20. Diamonds From Sierra Leone- we've all heard this: 4 stars

21. Late- a song about being late in life, incredible sampling: 4 stars

Kayne West returns with his second solo album "Late Registration" (2005). To say Kayne West has made an impact on the music and entertainment world is an understatement, simply read the latest copy of Time magazine and you will see what I mean. Kayne West's production skills are definitely on point as beats throughout this album are excellent. The albums single's "Gold Digger" feat. Jamie Foxx and "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" are both distinct tracks, I prefer the later. My favorite collaboration on this album is the first track "Heard Em Say", Kayne West and Maroon 5's Adam Levine team up for a memorable cut. Some production help comes from Just Blaze who sampled Curtis Mayfield "Move On Up" for "Touch The Sky" an uplifting track, which has West and Lupe Fiasco shining. The next couple of tracks are good, though in all honesty I find myself listening to the beats/samples more the lyrics. The Hank Crawford sample used on "Drive Slow" reminds me of the one used on a track off 2Pac's All Eyes on Me. Kayne West helped Game out on "Dreams" so it makes sense that he return the favor on "Crack Music". Brandy laces "Bring Me Down" with some smooth vocals, while Kayne West talks about the haters. The remix of "Diamonds From Sierra Leonne" feat. Jay-Z follows. Hov's former rival Nas drops in and provides some substance on "We Major". Kayne West praises and shows his love for his mom on the dedication "Hey Mama". Consquence and Cam'Ron hook up with Kayne for "Gone" another standout, which samples Otis Redding's "It's To Late". Production wise this album is impressive, West samples and innovates well. Lyrically I find Kayne West to be hit or miss, shining on some tracks while barely leaving an impression on others. That said he remains the same rapper, and I respect him for not trying to take on another persona as some do. I recommend picking up "Late Registration" its an album that vibes well, one which fans of many different musical genres will enjoy.

No one and I mean no one could have predicted the critical acclaim that Kanye West received on "The College Dropout". Yes, Kanye was beginning to be well known as a producer by producing several tracks for the likes of Jay Z, Beanie Sigel, Scarface and others but once "Through The Wire" was made, Kanye began to become a well known producer and a decent rapper. Even after hearing "Through The Wire", I can admit that I still wasn't convinced. When I heard "Slow Jamz" with Twista & Jamie Foxx and "Jesus Walks", I firmly became a believer in Kanye's rap skills. I was definitely impressed with "The College Dropout". My favorite songs were "Get 'Em High" with a rejuvenated Common and Talib Kweli, "Never Let Me Down" with two verses from Jay Z, "Jesus Walks", "We Don't Care" and "Spaceship".

Although, Kanye sold over 2 million copies of "The College Dropout", you can tell that he felt like he still wasn't getting the respect that he deserved. He formed a record label Getting Out On Our Dreams, (G.O.O.D. music) and he slated John Legend and Common as his first two releases. If you look at the year of 2005 and you take a look at all the CDs that have been released up to this point, John Legend's "Get Lifted" is the best r&b CD of 2005 so far and Common's "Be" is the best rap CD of the year so far. The chemistry that Common and Kanye West displayed on Common's CD is definitely something to be remembered for years to come.

"Late Registration" was originally slated to come out earlier in the summer. When the release date kept getting pushed back, I grew impatient and of course I went seeking for tracks. The songs that I were hearing were real nice: Some of the titles were "Gossipping", "Drop Dead Gorgeous", "Arguing" w/John Legend, "Hey Mama", "My Way" and "Wack N....." with one of the best Talib Kweli verses that I have ever heard. Now I wasn't sure if these were going to be actual songs on "Late Registration" but these songs held me over until the CD was actually released. The 1st single, "Diamonds From Sierra Leone", was a nice intro to the CD as well. The remix with Jay Z still shows that the "retired" Def Jam president still has it. He even went as far as saying "...As long as he's alive, Memphis Bleek will be a millionaire". I am sure Kanye spent endless time trying to come up with the right mixture of songs to make sure that his 2nd release was just as good as "The College Dropout". After I wore both "Diamonds" tracks to the ground, Kanye West dropped his 2nd single featuring Jamie Foxx, "Gold Digger". Kanye had to make sure if he caught people off guard with "Diamonds" that the "College Dropout" fans would be right there with "Gold Digger", which was a smart move by Kanye.

After hearing "Late Registration", there will definitely be a debate about who has made the best rap CD of 2005 so far: Common or Kanye West. The CD starts off with a song that should be a single in the future, "Heard 'Em Say" featuring Adam Levine of Maroon 5. The song is very laid back and the track allows Kanye to actually talk about pertinent issues that are going on in the world today. Kanye has no problem saying what is on his mind on this track. "Touch The Sky" is produced by Just Blaze and sounds alot like Jay Z's "Encore" off of "The Black Album". Although the track is pretty good, Jsut Blaze should know better about basically duplicating a song that Kanye has already produced. "Drive Slow" fetaures ("The People's Champ") Paul Wall and GLC, who was featured on "Spaceship" from "The College Dropout". Kanye produces a track that works for him and the Texas bred Paul Wall. Paul Wall will definitely have people anticipating his release of "The People's Champ" on Septmber 13th, after hearing this verse. This song is one of my favorite songs on "Late Registration". Common shows up with a verse on the interlude, "My Way Home". He shows the same formula that he displayed on "Be" and on "Get 'Em High" from Kanye's last CD. Whoever thought Kanye couldn't talk about social issues of the world today, definitely needs to check out "Crack Music". Kanye displays why he is one of the best producers in the hip hop game today with this track. The Game is featured on the chorus and Kanye has an anthem for people to enjoy for years to come. Hip hop politics come into play as well on this track: Since The Game has had no problem dissin' Memphis Bleek and Young Gunz on tracks like "300 Bars", The Game doesn't get a chance to rap a verse on "Late Registration". I know The Game wishes that he kept his mouth shut because he definitely could have dropped a nice verse on "Crack Music". I am sure that Coach Carter wasn't going to let Game rap on the track after what he said about him and some of his Rocafella artists. "Roses" definitely displays Kanye's growth after only one CD. Kanye West isn't the greatest lyricist, but he is immensely talented and his is very clever with his word play in his verses. Although, she isn't given credit in the liner notes, when you hear Patti LaBelle's voice, you know it's her providing vocals as only Patti does on this track. Brandy shows up on "Bring Me Down" and while the pair don't seem as one of the best people to put on a track together, they do a decent job on making the track tolerable. Compared to the rest of the CD, the song may not measure to the other tracks but the song is still worth listening to. "Addiction" has Kanye basically bringing a humorous side to addictions that most people have, whether or not they are his own remin to be seen. I remember at one time, Kanye West was tring his best to get Jay Z and Nas on a track together. Since, he wasn't able to accomplish his task, Kanye decided to do the next best thing: Track 13 is the Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) and Track 14 is "We Major" which is a track that features Kanye West, Nas & Really Doe. Ladies and gentlemen, Kanye has outdone himself on this track. This track will definitely be the most memorable moment on this CD. Nas spits nothing but fire on this track. Although, some people slept on his double CD, "Street's Disciple", Nasir Jones shows why he has been one of the most respected hip hop lyricists for over 10 years: His last lines on this track are "Look, I used to "cook" before I had the game took, Either way my change came like Sam Cooke." This track alone is worth the price of this CD, in my opinion.

"Hey Mama" is a track that Kanye takes time out to thank his mother for the sacrifices and struggles she went through with Kanye when he was a child, just like how 2Pac created "Dear Mama". Kanye does a good job of putting his feelings into words on this track. "Gone" is another track where Kanye shows that he is more than just a producer as he delivers one of his best verses on the whole CD on this track. Although, Cam'ron has been slippin' lyrically, in my opinion, he delivers a nice performance on this track along with Consequence, who is best knwon for his performances on A Tribe Called Quest's "Beats, Rhymes & Life", especially on the song with Faith Evans, "Stressed Out". Kanye ends things with "Late", which is a nice change of pace as Kanye slows things down a bit with a nice old school sample.

"Late Registration" demonstrates that there will not be a sophomore jinx as far as Kanye's disc library is concerned. This CD also creates a nice chnage of pace from most hip hop acts that are out today. Now don't get me wrong, I know there will be people that say, "Oh!, he uses too many samples" or "Oh! he's just too arrogant and cocky". However, if you just sit down and listen to "Late Registration" without any prejudice towards Kanye and just pay attention to the music and words, then you will realize that Kanye West has created another masterpiece. If you have bought this CD and you enjoy "Late Registration" as much as I do and you have not listened to Common's "Be" CD, I am going to need you to get this CD IMMEDIATELY!!. Then you can be like me and compare the best two rap CDs of 2005 so far.

James' Top 6

1) We Major w/Nas & Really Doe

2) Drive Slow w/Paul Wall & GLC

3) Gone w/Cam'ron & Consequence

4) Crack Music w/The Game

5) Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) w/Jay Z

6) Roses w/Patti LaBelle

Before you click that "not helpful" button, you should know that I own Late Registration. I've given the album dozens of repeat listens. I'm here to review the album; don't let the "oh my goodness, only three stars?!?!" factor convince you that I'm here to call Kanye names and question comments of his about a certain president. This page is meant for reviews of the album. This is not a message board, people.

With all that said, on to the review. After Kanye's near-classic College Dropout album, and with all the media buzz he`s generated, obviously the expectations for Late Registration were sky high. Kanye is, by all means, a great producer. Tracks such as Scarface's "Guess Who's Back," Jay-Z's "Encore," and more recently The Game's "Dreams" all show Kanye's prowess behind the boards. He showed people on College Dropout that he wasn't half-bad on the mic either. Pretty excited, I hit up a local record store the day this came out, dishing out fifteen bucks for Kanye's sophomore release.

After sitting through the seventy-minute duration of the album, I sat dumbfounded. Maybe I was expecting College Dropout part two, because I was shocked to hear minimal usage of Kanye's tried-tested-and-true sped-up soul samples. Instead, the majority of the album is filled with bland, overproduced, and orchestral music that can hardly be labelled as "rap beats." I don't know if Kanye's arrogance has finally caught up with his ability to produce music, but the "beats" on Late Registration scream sheer arrogance. The entire album sounds like Kanye amusing himself with myriads of unnecessary instrumental arrangements, and most of the time, it's just not very listenable. While this method of overproduction succeeds to certain degrees on tracks like the lead single "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (remix included), over-the-top tracks like "Roses," "Hey Mama," and "Celebration" suffer. But the worst offender is easily the horrid Brandy-K. West duet "Bring Me Down," a track that sounds like it was left in the recording studio washroom circa Brandy's last album. While I applaud Kanye for being somewhat experimental, some of these tracks are simply not very enjoyable to listen to. It also hurts when one of the best beats on the album, "Touch The Sky," isn't even produced by Kanye West - it's produced by Just Blaze.

The best musical moments on this album happen when the production is a little more straightforward, as displayed on tracks like "Drive Slow," "Crack Music," and "Gone." On the feel-good single "Gold Digger," Kanye strips down the beat. The result? A number one pop chart single and one of the better rap songs of 2005. Another problem on Late Registration has to do with wasted time. College Dropout suffered from back-to-back skits, but Late Registration suffers from songs that unnecessarily drag ON and ON and ON. "We Major" could've been a great song, with a nice beat and an excellent guest verse from Nas, but the song is about three minutes too long. There is absolutely no reason not to skip to the next track after Nas finishes his verse. "Hey Mama" is about two minutes too long as well. Take away two minutes of "Mamama-ma-mama-ma, mama-mama-ma" and the song might've been decent. Maybe. Wasted time HURTS this album. The skits littered across the CD are slightly amusing at best, but they interrupt the flow of the album, unlike the skits on College Dropout that were incorporated into the album nicely.

The only real reason to purchase Late Registration is that the CD contains guest appearances from some of the best in the business. In fact, the strongest tracks on the album all contain guests. Cam'ron makes a welcome appearance on "Gone," Paul Wall on "Drive Slow," and Common shines on his brief solo, "My Way Home." The Game makes an appearance on "Crack Music," but a verse from him would've been a lot better than just hearing him on half of the hook. Also, this album would be the first time anyone could've witnessed Jay-Z and Nas appearing on back-to-back tracks, but it's only a matter of time before they actually collaborate now, considering their beef was officially squashed just last month. The potent guest appearances are the only thing that saves Late Registration from sheer mediocrity.

After a stellar CD like College Dropout, Late Registration comes as a great disappointment to me. And believe me, I was VERY excited about this album coming out. The strongest point of College Dropout - the beats - happens to be the weakest point of Late Registration, and that hinders this album a ton, considering Kanye's still somewhat-questionable mic skills. If you do buy this, make sure that the fast-forward button on your CD player is in perfect working condition. One last note - expect this album to win 56 Grammy Awards next year.

Best Moments: Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) feat. Jay-Z (my favourite), Touch The Sky, Gold Digger feat. Jamie Foxx, Drive Slow feat. Paul Wall & GLC, Crack Music feat. The Game, Gone feat. Cam'ron & Consequence, and Diamonds From Sierra Leone.

First of all, This is a place for commenting about an album not expressing idiotic views.Go vent in a chatroom!Next,to those that call Kanye a racist maybe you should ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE ALBUM first.It is coproduced by Jon Brion,who worked with the talented Fiona Apple on her second album.(He's white by the way)And it features a variety of guests ranging from Common,Nas,and Jay-Z to Adam Levine from Maroon 5(who's also white)This album has artists of different genres of music and different races,so it represents all that is good about America. The music is filled with inventive melodies and creative string arangements.What really stands out about this album is the way Kanye and Jon crafted music that is at once both complex and catchy.Check the song "Addiction" for example.Another refreshing thing about this album is that after a complete listen you'll notice there are no songs about shooting guns,selling drugs, and being a thug.Even Kanye's views on women go beyond the standard misogyny of most rap albums.Check out the beginning of his verse on "We Major." Kanye provides a much needed injection of humanity to a redundant rap genre.Standout tracks are "Heard 'Em Say","Addiction","We Major",and the bonus track "Late." All in all,there are no bad songs on here,with "Bring Me Down" featuring Brandy being perhaps the weakest moment.I definitely recommend this album for anyone who likes creative and inventive music and is bored with mainstream rap.Even people who are not really into rap music may enjoy "Late Registration." So in conclusion,to anyone reading this review,please don't be influenced by this whole "racist" rhetoric.After all,Eminem,Sean Penn,and a list of other celebrities have expressed displeasure with George Bush.I don't think they've been called "racist."