HAS KANYE PRODUCED ANOTHER CLASSIC IN GRADUATION?

By Lee Kasumba

When I first heard 'Stronger' I was a little nervous. I was thinking, 'Is Kanye trying to bite Timbaland’s steez?' because that track reminded me so much of Timbaland’s 'The Way I Are' record.

Though I am still not 100% sold on 'Stronger'. Just personal preference, I have never been a Daft Punk fan so even though Kanye did a good job at it, the whole daft Punk futuristic sound in hip-hop doesn't appeal to me. With that said, after listening to 'Stronger' in the context of the entire Graduation album, it made sense to me.

Overall, production wise what you get on Graduation is what you expect from Kanye, yet in this instance familiarity doesn't breed contempt. The creation of hip-hop music is built off the cornerstone of sampling. Unfortunately today most "producers" have given the art of sampling a bad name by not understanding how to use a sample properly.

Kanye breathes hope into this, because today there are few producers that can compete or at least stand next to Kanye when it comes to the art of sampling. The art of sampling lays in bringing in either two different musical genres or eras together and creating something magical that will pay homage to both the new track and the original. Still on production and style, what is refreshing is the fact that there aren't a thousand female vocalists singing the hooks on the track, which started out as a special effect in hip-hop but has become a standard.

What is clever is the way that Kanye uses the guest features; you almost feel like they were part of the beat or were sampled. I love that! Once again the way that he used features seems like it was necessary and part of the vision as opposed to trying to get more radio spins. The collaborations are so solid and well thought out that you can’t imagine any one else on the tracks with Kanye.

The Chris Martin collaboration explores a more soulful side of him, without totally deviating from why we love Chris Martin as an artist; the T-Pain collaboration makes T-Pain bearable though we have been bombarded with his voice all over radio and TV, this time round you feel you like are hearing him for the first time; and as for the Mos Def collaboration, I love the fact that Kanye has used Mos as a vocalist as opposed to just rapping. All in all Kanye not only brings out the best in the sample but in the featured artist too, which again is a rare art.

I remember watching an interview with Kanye West on All Eyes On – a popular show on MTV hosted by Sway. He was surrounded by sketches and artwork that Kanye had created and he said that he preferred making music because he could bring more to life, which is what he has always achieved.

He also made this statement "you can't mention music and not think Kanye". Arrogant as the statement is, it’s amazingly true and this sort of blunt honesty whether he is wrong or right is what you will get from Graduation. From "I Wonder" where he talks about how he admits that perhaps people may be right that he thinks he is never wrong, to “Drunk and Hot Girls” feat Mos Def which is a controversial joint that pokes at the whole groupie scenario that artists deal with on a regular basis.

His victory lap songs include “Champion” where he compares his life as a child and how his it is now. My favourite line from the Champion has to be "Lauryn hill said her heart was in Zion/I wish her heart was still in rhyming/ cause who the kids going to listen to/huh I guess me if it isn't you", because who can say that they don't miss Lauryn's presence in the rap game. The standout track on this album not for any other reason but for its sheer honesty and the way it breaks down the dynamics of Kanye and Jay-Z's relationship has to be “Big Brother”. You'll be left gasping on some, did he really say that, did it really happen?

But he doesn't use it to slate Jay-Z; this track showcases both Jay and Kanye's weak points in their relationship, which Kanye describes as a case of sibling rivalry. It's been so long since a hip-hop track has come out that is an ode to another living emcee! Even with all Jay's questionable moments in terms of how he treated Kanye and Kanye trying to take Jay Z's position in the rap game, you still get the love and respect he has for Jay Z " If you admire somebody you should go ahead and tell 'em/ People never get the flowers while they can still smell 'em". Watch how everyone will start doing tracks like "Big Brother", a turning point in a game like hip-hop which has for a large part been about self glorification and proving how "you're the realest" or “the king of New York".

Truthfully I could go on about the way Kanye writes; if this album or even just one track were taken you could shoot an entire movie. His delivery is maybe not the smoothest, then again that's never been his strength, yet the way he writes embraces life lessons, real stories which hip-hop in general is missing. Kanye continues to make magical music, simple enough to understand yet complex enough that when you listen to the rhyme constructions, the production and concepts you think – how did he make it all work together? …Is this a classic album? I don’t know lets talk about that in the future, when we have all gotten over it, and put it in our shuttles after a while, then we will know...For now, get the album, not the bootleg, the album!