Months later, he announced the split from fiancé Alexis Phifer, having been with her since 2002.Īmid this turmoil West announced that he would not rap on his next album. In late 2007, his mother, Donda West died after complication from routine plastic surgery, which Kanye bought her as a gift. To add context, shortly after the massive success of Kanye’s third studio album Graduation, he suffered two profound life shocks. A great album, but I want to focus on what preceeded it, 808s and Heartbreak: the sore thumb of Kanye’s discography. His most critically acclaimed album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is ranked at 58 on their list of all-time greatest albums, one below Led Zeppelin I. Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis are the only black artists to appear higher in the chart. Kanye West is #35, the highest position for a hip-hop, R&B or soul artist of an era. Out of 55,000 artists, The Beatles are #1, for all-time greatest albums. It aggregates album appearances on over 24,000 “Greatest Ever” lists or year-end charts. Best Ever Albums is a website that gauges the quality of musician’s discographies. This album kicked off an unprecedented run of quality albums. West seemed removed from the dominant rappers at the time, 50 Cent, Eminem and Nelly. It wasn’t until his debut album that people realised that Kanye could rap and carry an album on his own.Ĭollege Dropout is an undeniable classic, he produced the whole album as well as delivering rhymes that showcased a humble, down to Earth character. Initially he was confined to performing hooks. Last year shoppin my demo, I was tryin' to shine Every motherfucker told me that I couldn't rhyme People weren’t receptive to letting Kanye rap until around 2003. The vocals from Luther Vandross’ “This House is Not a Home” are sped up to the degree most people think a woman sings the chorus. His trademark style featured sped up vocals which made the voices high pitched. Kanye’s production style was built on a foundation of soul samples. Pictured: The high point of Mos Def’s lifeĢ004 – I Want You – Janet Jackson – Certified Platinum in the USA. In the video, Alicia Keys is too shy to ask Mos Def on a date… Mos Fucking Def. Pre- College Dropout Kanye West was one of the most successful producers of his time, here’s a partial list of his biggest hits:Ģ000 – It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop – Dead Prez – One of the most recognisable hip-hop beats of the era.Ģ001 – Izzo – Jay-Z – peaked at #8 on US Billboard Chart.Ģ002 – ’03 Bonnie & Clyde – Jay-Z – Certified Gold in the USA and Silver in the UK.Ģ003 – You Don’t Know My Name – Alicia Keys – Peaked at #3 on the Billboard Chart. He produced half of Jay-Z’s 2001 album, The Blueprint, arguably Hov’s best work. Kanye West first entered the mainstream music scene in the early 2000s as a hip-hop producer his talent was immediately obvious. Kanye certainly isn’t the first rapper to say something stupid… I could fill this post with arrogant things he has said, instead, I have created a quiz called “Guess the Ego”.Ĭan you match up the egotistical quote to the correct ego, Kanye West, Jose Mourinho or Zlatan Ibrahimović? It is an established fact that Kanye West is a musical genius the problem is, he’s very aware of this. Consider how many rappers currently use Auto-Tune as evidence of this. Since its 2008 release, the echoes have reverberated throughout hip-hop. Disclaimer: this blog contains a sickening amount of praise for Kanye WestĨ08s and Heartbreak is one of the most and influential albums of the last 10 years.
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