Review
Kanye West's "Graduation," released in 2007, was a true game-changer for the artist, showcasing his willingness to experiment with new sounds and themes. With Kanye himself at the helm of production, along with a few other notable producers and guest appearances from a slew of artists including T-Pain, Lil Wayne, and Chris Martin of Coldplay, the album broke from tradition. Unlike his earlier work, "Graduation" cuts back on skits and brings in a more polished collection of tracks focusing on Kanye’s storytelling prowess. It's fascinating how he chose to include only one guest rap verse across the whole album—talk about confidence in solo flying!
Musically, the album waves goodbye to traditional hip-hop beats and embraces a more electronic vibe with rich, layered synthesizers, influenced by rock groups like The Killers and indie sounds from Feist. Kanye aimed subtly to shift hip-hop’s direction with "Graduation," embracing influences that might not scream 'hip-hop' at first glance. Lyrically, it’s more than just a toe-tapping background tune; the album delves into personal and inspirational themes, simplifying the lyrics to reach broader audiences—apparently, Kanye was crafting "people's theme songs" that could resonate more universally. Despite his experiments, "Graduation" didn’t just march to a different beat but also marched straight to the top of the charts, outselling 50 Cent’s "Curtis" in a much-hyped sales battle and earning multi-platinum certification in several countries. It seems like Kanye not only graduated but did so with flying colors! - Iris
