Kanye West - Graduation (Album)
» Kanye West has a screw loose - February 20, 2009
Ah, September 15th. In case you’ve been residing at the bottom of a creek bed for the last several months, that was the day that Kanye West and 50 Cent went head-to-head with the release of their third albums, Graduation and Curtis (respectively). With it came all the boastful big claims, childish name-calling and general bids for hip-hop supremacy that the punters were expecting from such a big show-down. It was a day that re-established hip-hop, in a year where album sales have been underwhelming and big releases have been few and far between.
One of the fortunate aspects of reviewing an album a month after its release date is the benefit of hindsight. We now know that Kanye kicked 50’s butt, with first week sales of Graduation hitting almost a million copies in the U.S. compared to 50’s paltry 691,000. The dust has settled and the speculation is over. Which leaves us with just two questions; one, will 50 Cent really retire now? And two, does Graduation live up to the hype?
It took me exactly four listens to really begin to enjoy this album. It was on that fourth listen that I finally stopped questioning what West was trying to say, what message he was hoping to impart for the greater good by releasing this album, and simply allowed myself to listen to the music from a commercial viewpoint. That, essentially, is the essence of Graduation- it’s 100% commercially-friendly, production-heavy listening, wrapped up in pretty Japanese packaging; so if you’re searching for a moral, search elsewhere. Kanye’s quest to become the highest-selling artist of all time will not take place on the basis of lyrical brilliance. It will, however, take in some killer singles ('Stronger', 'Flashing Lights'), some perfectly chosen samples (Steely Dan on 'Champion' is a killer), and a whole lot of name-dropping (Louis Vuitton, anyone?).
Graduation doesn’t quite stand up to the high standards we’ve come to expect of West since 2005’s Late Registration. On the one hand, the skits are gone (plus), and it’s a whole lot shorter (double plus); but let’s face it, Kanye was going to have to go a long way to surpass 'Diamonds from Sierra Leone' or 'Gold Digger'. Moreover, 'Good Morning' is a disastrous choice for an opening track- boring sample, childish lyrics and slooow as a wet week. Thankfully, the tracks immediately following make up for it; 'Champion' is easily an album highlight, and 'Stronger' is commercial gold.
Sure, there’s the soppy awww-moment shout-out to mentor Jay-Z on 'Big Brother'. And sure, the album is peppered with a few instances of very clever word play; kudos are certainly due to any man who rhymes Apollonia with Isotoners, and on a hit single at that. 'The Glory' deserves a mention just for being damn good music. Still, one can’t help wondering if it’s all just for show. For all the posturing and publicity, this is just another album about chicks, money and fame.
But then, why stray from the formula when the sales keep rolling in?
