"Two Words" features commentary on social issues and features Mos Def, Freeway, and the Harlem Boys Choir. 1 Debut", "Kanye West, Nicki Minaj Score Big Debuts on Billboard 200", "Jay-Z & Kanye West's 'Throne' Sells 436,000, Debuts at No. She later said, "It was drummed into my head that college is the ticket to a good life... but some career goals don't require college. It was his first honour from the Recording Academy in eight years, and his 22nd career Grammy. [28] Reviewing it for The A.V. Find Kanye West discography, albums and singles on AllMusic. [51] The College Dropout remained at the second spot behind Feels Like Home for two consecutive weeks, with 196,000 units sold in the second week and 132,000 in the third week, respectively. [13] Throughout the album, West touches on a number of different issues drawn from his own experiences and observations, including organized religion, family, sexuality, excessive materialism, self-consciousness, minimum wage labor, institutional prejudice, and personal struggles. [49][50], In its first week of release, the album sold 441,000 copies and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, being held off the top spot by Norah Jones' second studio album Feels Like Home. Washington [US], March 9 (ANI): Amid his divorce from the American reality TV star, Kim Kardashian, rapper Kanye West has started working on his next music album. [12], The Life of Pablo was released in February 2016, and made history by becoming the first album to top the Billboard 200 predominantly from streaming, while also having the second-highest total of first-week streams for an album. The College Dropout is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. The accident inspired West; two weeks after being admitted to a hospital, he recorded a song at the Record Plant with his jaw still wired shut. [85] Rhapsody named it the seventh best album of the decade and the fourth best hip hop album of the decade. "The Design Evolution of Kanye West's Album Artwork: "Kanye West × The Heavy Hitters, Get Well Soon (2003) – Clinton Sparks' 30 Favorite Mixtapes", "Kanye West: How the Rapper Grew From 'Dropout' to 'Yeezus, "American album certifications – Kanye West – The College Dropout", "Kanye West is 'humbled' by fans as his debut turns ten", "The UK's Official Top 40 biggest rap albums of the Millennium revealed", "Does Kanye West's 'The College Dropout' Stand the Test of Time? West had already taken pictures dressed as the Dropout Bear - which would reappear in his later work - and Duvauchelle picked the image of him sitting on a set of bleachers, as he was attracted to the loneliness of what was supposed to be "the most popular representation of a school". [20] It was revealed by Plain Pat that there were around three other versions of the song, but West disliked them. [75] The staff of Mojo said its exceptional hip hop production was miraculous during a time when hip hop's practice of sampling was becoming "increasingly litigious",[70] and those of URB deemed it "both visceral and emotive, sprinkling the dancefloors with tears and sweat". [10] Compilation album Cruel Summer released with his label GOOD Music in September 2012 debuted atop the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The image is framed inside gold ornaments, which Duvauchelle found in a book of illustrations from the 16th-century and West wanted to use to "bring a sense of elegance and style to what was typically a gangster-led image of rap artists". The album was promoted with singles such as "Through the Wire", "Jesus Walks", "All Falls Down", and "Slow Jamz", the latter two of which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. [5][35] The song features singer Syleena Johnson and contains an interpolation of Lauryn Hill's "Mystery of Iniquity". Washington [US], March 15 (ANI): American rapper and record producer Kanye West won his first gospel Grammy, for his `Jesus Is King` album. According to Variety, though just for a moment, but it has made him the most awarded hip-hop performer in Grammy history. He sells his first beat to local Chicago rapper Gravity for $8,000. He also crafted hit songs for Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson. [92] Dagsavisen listed the album eleventh in its list of the top forty albums of the 2000s decade. Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming, This page was last edited on 5 April 2021, at 16:13. I remember listening to, (performed by Twista featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx), (featuring Mos Def, Freeway and The Harlem Boys Choir), (Extended version featuring Fonzworth Bentley), Recording Industry Association of America, (Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go, "500 Greatest Albums of All Time: #464 (The Blueprint)", "Road to the Grammys: The Making Of Kanye West's College Dropout", "Kanye West: The Man, the Music, and the Message.(Biography)". After much delay Kanye has finally released his highly anticipated "gospel" album. Studio albums: 9: Live albums: 2: Compilation albums: 3: Video albums: American rapper, musician and record producer Kanye West has released nine studio albums, two collaborative studio albums, one compilation album, two live albums, one video album and four mixtapes.West has sold 21 million albums and 100 million digital … Club, Nathan Rabin observed in the music "substance, social commentary, righteous anger, ornery humanism, dark humor, and even Christianity", calling it "one of those wonderful crossover albums that appeal to a huge audience without sacrificing a shred of integrity". Peak chart positions for albums in Germany: (To access, enter the search parameter and select "Search by Keyword"), Peak chart positions for video albums on the Top Music Video chart in the United States: no u, highest-certified music artists in the United States, Recording Industry Association of America, "Bluesfest review: Twenty minutes late, Kanye West still captures massive crowd", "Kanye West – Chart History: Billboard 200", "Kanye West's Sales Triumph, By The Numbers: He Thumped 50 Cent In Almost Every Market", "Kanye Edges GNR, Ludacris For No. 11 days … ''Jesus Is King'' gets Kanye West his first gospel Grammy. At that point he was like, 'Ok, Well let me see what you do on this song.' [64] "Spaceship" was planned to be the sixth single, but Def Jam decided to move on from The College Dropout's promotional campaign to begin marketing West's next album, Late Registration (2005). [42] "The New Workout Plan" is a call to fitness to improve one's love life. [34] Garry Mulholland of The Observer described it as a "towering inferno of martial beats, fathoms-deep chain gang backing chants, a defiant children's choir, gospel wails, and sizzling orchestral breaks". "[132] Today commented that "The College Dropout, stood out in the rap landscape because of its atypical prose. [31][32], The album begins with a skit featuring a college professor asking West to deliver a graduation speech. "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. [1] All nine of his studio albums have been certified at least gold in the United States. It avoided the usual plotlines about sex, money and violence and touched on everything from his faith to his fears of failure and other crises from his life. [8], In November 2010, West released his fifth studio album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with the fourth-highest ever digital first-week sales. [5] In August 2005, West released his second studio album Late Registration, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 860,000 copies. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart", "Kanye West Earns Eighth No. (C) 2008 Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC The lyrics are mostly critical of the working world, where West muses about flying away in a spaceship to leave his boring job, and guest rappers GLC and Consequence add comparisons to modern day retail environment with slavery. Music Talks Most Memorable Studio Sessions With Kanye", "Kanye West on His Next Album, Designing Yeezy, and Kobe Bryant", "No Reading And Writing, But Rapping Instead", "Kanye West Collaborating With Lauryn Hill on New LP", "Common, John Mayer Drop in to Preview Kanye West's Dropout", "15 Things You Didn't Know About Kanye West's "The College Dropout, "The 100 Best Kanye West Songs: 24. Information on Kanye West. Graduation is the third studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West, released on September 11, 2007, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records.Recording sessions took place between 2005 and 2007 at several studios in New York and Los Angeles. [2] As of November 2020, West has certified 24 million equivalent albums units in the United States,[3] placing him among the highest-certified music artists in the United States, West's debut album The College Dropout was released in February 2004, it debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200,[4] and was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in June 2004. His catalog is so strong … Rapper Kanye West on the cover of Time: Will rap music shed its "gangster" disguise? For a time, he acted as a ghost producer for Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie. [88] In 2006, the album was named by Time as one of the 100 best albums of all time. [134] "It feels like that album birthed an entire sub-genre", Max Weinstein wrote in retrospect for Vibe, going on to say, "The palette of emotions was so broad, the depth of topics so searingly relevant, that it was bound to make an impression on any artist that heard it. [35], On "Jesus Walks", West professes his belief in Jesus, while also discussing how religion is used by various people and how the media seems to avoid songs that address matters of faith while embracing compositions on violence, sex, and drugs. American rapper and record producer Kanye West won his first gospel Grammy, for his 'Jesus Is King' album. [4] Serving as an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, West produced records for other artists from the label, including Beanie Sigel, Freeway, and Cam'ron. The following list is a discography of production by Kanye West, an American rapper and … [44] The song "Last Call" is about West's transition from being a producer to a rapper, and the album ends with a nearly nine-minute autobiographical monologue that follows the song "Last Call", however, is not a separate track. He has been influential in the 21st-century development of mainstream hip hop and popular music in general.. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West was first known as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s, producing singles for several mainstream artists. [54] The album had sold 2.3 million units in the United States by November 2004. [19], The song "School Spirit" was censored for the album because Aretha Franklin would not allow the rapper to sample her music without censorship being promised. '"[16], West began recording The College Dropout in 1999, taking four years to complete. [55] By June 2014, the album had become West's best-selling album in the US, with domestic sales of 3,358,000 copies. [65] At one point, "Two Words" was also intended to be released as a single, and a video for the song was filmed, and later uploaded by West online in 2009. It was a large-scale commercial success, becoming West's best-selling album in the United States, with domestic sales of over 3.4 million copies by 2014 and was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2020. It has been an eventful two decades for West, who first became known as a producer, particularly for his work on Jay-Z’s 2001 album The Blueprint. [5] "Family Business" is a soulful tribute to the godbrother of Tarrey Torae, one of the many collaborators in the album. The triumph of the second album was tarnished somewhat by Kanye West's first major national controversy in September. [26] It was regarded by Pitchfork critic Rob Mitchum as a "flawed, overlong, hypocritical, egotistical, and altogether terrific album". Kanye West. [3][5][6][7], Although he had attained success as a producer, Kanye West aspired to be a rapper, but had struggled to attain a record deal. [93] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. [11][34] The chorus and instrumentals sample a pitched up version of Chaka Khan's 1985 single "Through the Fire". Following multiple delays, West released his ninth studio album Jesus Is King in late-October 2019. https://www.popdust.com/kanye-west-best-albums-2649734599.html 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Ye, "Kids See Ghosts & Dierks Bentley Debut in Top 3 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart", "Kanye West's 'Jesus Is King' Makes History On Hot Christian Songs, Hot Gospel Songs Charts", "Kanye West's 'Jesus Is King' Arrives as His Record-Tying Ninth Consecutive No. [136] Music journalists such as Meaghan Garvey, Andrew Barber, and Erika Ramirez also connected to the album during their formative years, with Barber saying in a roundtable discussion for Noisey, "I could identify with this project the most because I was in college at the time, and I felt like an underdog in my own life. [28] The next track, "Graduation Day", features Miri Ben-Ari on violin,[33] and vocals by John Legend. [89] In its retrospective 2007 issue, XXL named it one of the magazine's "XXL"-rated releases; this perfect rating had previously been given by the magazine to only sixteen other albums. [1][2] The group released their first and only studio album World Record Holders in 1999. If you're reading this thank you for your support, much love! [6] Record companies ignored him because he did not portray the gangsta image prominent in mainstream hip hop at the time. [135], With the album, West began to develop a following of listeners who could not relate to lyrics glorifying gangster lifestyle but still enjoyed rap music and connected more with his musings on family and love. [6] On his personal blog in 2009, West stated he was most inspired by The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and listened to the album every day while working on The College Dropout. Washington [US], March 15 (ANI): American rapper and record producer Kanye West won his first gospel Grammy, for his 'Jesus Is King' album. [36] Gospel hymn with doo-wop elements "I'll Fly Away" precedes "Spaceship", a track with a relaxed beat containing a soulful Marvin Gaye sample. He's been gathering beats for years. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. [83] Dutch magazine OOR named it the seventh best album of 2004. For Kanye to make an album called [The] College Dropout it was more about having the guts to embrace who you are, rather than following the path society has carved out for you". [59][60] As of 2018, The College Dropout is the fourteenth highest selling rap album in the UK in the 21st-century. [47], The artwork for the album was developed by Eric Duvauchelle, who was then part of Roc-A-Fella's in-house brand design team. We were not disappointed. [17], Kanye West performing at Singfest in Singapore on August 5, 2010, The album is not considered by music journalists to be "a Kanye West album, per se", as Jake Uitti of. [9] Watch the Throne, a collaborative album with Jay-Z, was released in August 2011 and broke the US iTunes first-week sales record. 50 in their best albums of 2000–2004. Because it was a two-bedroom apartment, West was able to set up a home studio in one of the rooms and his bedroom in the other. He next sold a beat for $5,000 to Jermaine Dupri for his debut album, Life in 1472. CHANNELZEROTV.COM presents Kanye West's "Through the Wire", winner of the 2004 Source Award for "Best Music Video". [79] The album elsewhere topped year-end lists by Rolling Stone,[80] Spin,[81] Vibe,[82] and PopMatters. West took a minimalist approach for the project, which was present in all of the songs and … [6], West brought with him to the studio a Louis Vuitton backpack filled with old disks and demos to the studio, producing tracks in less than fifteen minutes at a time. Saint West. Best of Kanye West: https://goo.gl/2FXUVWSubscribe here: https://goo.gl/AgJE59Music video by Kanye West performing Homecoming. Months after Dupri's LP release, he landed a track on Ma$e's Harlem World group album The Movement. 1 in Australia Following Sales Recount", "Kanye West's 'The Life of Pablo' Debuts at No. [131] Raul Verma of The Independent said "West is charged with proving mainstream hip hop has a conscience with his nourishing messages of substance flying in the face of the amoral majority perpetuating clichés of guns, girls and bling. The production of The College Dropout was primarily handled by West and developed his "chipmunk soul" production style, which made use of sped-up, pitch shifted vocal samples from soul and R&B records, in addition to West's own drum programming, string accompaniments, and gospel choirs; the album also features contributions from Jay-Z, Mos Def, Jamie Foxx, Syleena Johnson, and Ludacris, among others. Intent on pursuing a solo career, he signed a record deal with Roc-A-Fella and recorded the album over a period o… https://worthly.com/entertainment/highest-selling-kanye-west-albums-time 1 on Billboard 200", "Pink Earns First No. [5] On the song "School Spirit", West relates the experience of dropping out of school and contains references to well-known fraternities, sororities, singer Norah Jones, and record label Roc-A-Fella Records. [6] However, West decided to use the opportunity to review the album, and The College Dropout was significantly remixed, remastered, and revised before being released. A widespread critical success, The College Dropout was praised for West's production, humorous and emotional raps, and the music's balance of self-examination and mainstream sensibilities. "All Falls Down" contains interpolations of "Mystery of Iniquity", written and performed by, "Jesus Walks" contains samples of "Walk with Me", performed by The ARC Choir and ", "Never Let Me Down" contains samples of "Maybe It's the Power of Love", written by, "Two Words" contains samples of "Peace & Love (Amani Na Mapenzi) – Movement IV (Encounter)", written by Lou Wilson, Ric Wilson and Carlos Wilson, and performed by, "Family Business" contains samples of "Fonky Thang", written by, "Last Call" contains samples of "Mr. Rockefeller", written by Jerry Blatt and, Eric Duvauchelle – art direction and design, Stephanie Reynolds – art direction and design, This page was last edited on 4 April 2021, at 19:11. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart", "Official: Kanye West's 'Yeezus' Sells 327,000; Debuts at Number 1 on Billboard 200 Chart", "Kanye West scores Number 1 album with Yeezus", "Kanye West's 'Yeezus' Rises to No. Jay-Z, West's colleague, later admitted that Roc-A-Fella was initially reluctant to support West as a rapper, claiming that many saw him as a producer first and foremost, and that his background contrasted with that of his labelmates. I was uncertain of my future. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. [94] NME placed the album at 273 on its 2013 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[95] while Rolling Stone ranked it at 74 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2020. [62], Four of the singles released in promotion of the album became top-20 chart hits: "Through the Wire", "Slow Jamz", "All Falls Down" and "Jesus Walks". [131] In 2005, comedian Chris Rock attested to listening to The College Dropout while writing his stand-up material. The song features Jay-Z, who rhymes about maintaining status and power given his chart success, while West comments on racism and poverty. Find Kanye West … [46] This action greatly displeased his mother, who was a professor at the university from which he withdrew. [8][10], West's breakthrough came a year later on October 23, 2002, when, while driving home from a California recording studio after working late, he fell asleep at the wheel and was involved in a near-fatal car crash. Intent on pursuing a solo career, he signed a record deal with Roc-A-Fella and recorded the album over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. 2 spot less than a year after releasing his first gospel album, “Jesus Is King.” West brought in $170 million in 2019, making him the year’s highest-paid musician. [61] The album has sold over 4 million copies worldwide. [25][26][27] Music journalist Kelefa Sanneh wrote, "Throughout the album, Mr. West taunts everyone who didn't believe in him: teachers, record executives, police officers, even his former boss at the Gap". Then we did the 'I'll Fly Away' join". [76] Dave Heaton from PopMatters found it "musically engaging" and "a genuine extension of Kanye's personality and experiences",[35] while Hua Hsu of The Village Voice felt that his sped-up samples "carry a humble, human air", allowing listeners to "hear tiny traces of actual people inside". [129] West instead created a space in the mainstream for rappers to express themselves and black identity without resorting to hip hop's prevalent theme of gang culture. Saint … It sold more than two million copies by the end of the year. It was his first honour from the Recording Academy in eight years, and his 22nd career Grammy. Don't let society tell you, 'This is what you have to do. The record was hailed by Kelefa Sanneh from The New York Times as "2004's first great hip-hop album". 1 Debut on Billboard 200 Chart", "Kanye West – Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums", "Kanye West – Chart History: Top Rap Albums", "Kanye West – Chart History: Billboard Canadian Albums", "Canadian certifications – Kanye West", "Kanye West: How the Rapper Grew From 'Dropout' to 'Yeezus, "The UK's Official Top 40 biggest rap albums of the Millennium revealed", "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums", Australian Recording Industry Association, "2005 Certification Awards – Multi Platinum", "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Albums", "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Kanye West)", "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart – 15 October 2007", "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2008 Albums", "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West", "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2011 Albums", "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Albums", "Kanye West's new album is called The Life of Pablo, and here's the track list", "French album certifications – Kanye West", Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique, "Kanye West Reportedly Announces New Release Date for 'Jesus Is King' Album", "Kids See Ghosts | full Official Chart history", "Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 5/20/2012", "Jay-Z And Kanye West Receive Platinum Plaques For 'Watch The Throne, "Kanye Announces 2 New Albums, Including Kid Cudi Collaboration", "Kanye West's New Sunday Service Choir Sings... A Lot", "5 Things We Learned from Kanye West's 'Jesus Is Born' Album", "Kanye West Apparently Plans To Release A New Album, 'Jesus Is Born,' On Christmas", "Chart History - Various Artists - Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums", "Danishcharts.dk – Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer", "Dutchcharts.nl – Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer", "Lescharts.com – Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer", "Kanye West – College Dropout: Video Anthology: Kanye West", "Kanye West × The Heavy Hitters, Get Well Soon (2003) – Clinton Sparks' 30 Favorite Mixtapes", "Kanye West – Can't Tell Me Nothing Mixtape", Fame Kills: Starring Kanye West and Lady Gaga, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kanye_West_albums_discography&oldid=1016140059, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [3] The Blueprint has been named by Rolling Stone as the 252nd greatest album of all time and the critical and financial success of the album generated substantial interest in West as a producer. The album became West's first to top Top Christian Albums, and Top Gospel Albums charts,[16] and made him tie Eminem as the only other act to have nine successive studio albums debut at number one the Billboard 200. On May 1, 2013, Kanye West tweeted "June Eighteen," leading to speculation about West's sixth studio album. In September 2007, West's third studio album Graduation debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 957,000 units in its first week, becoming the fastest-selling album in the US since Late Registration, and breaking the record for most digital albums sold in a week. I think that's when we did 'Last Call.' Who is Kanye West? Diddy. "Fade" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). Updated: Mon, Mar 15, 2021. "[137], Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[34][138]. [8] After a series of meetings with Capitol Records, West was ultimately denied an artist deal. [56][57] On November 23, 2020, The College Dropout was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/11/5/kanye-west-album-ranking Kanye West performing at Singfest in Singapore on August 5, 2010. The singer later recounted recording with West for The College Dropout at the Record Plant: "I get in, go in the booth, start vibing out on 'Spaceship' and finished it up. From then onwards there was no looking back fort West and he gave to the entertainment industry best hip-hop music in the form of ‘The College Dropout, ‘Late Registration’, ‘Graduation’, ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’, etc. Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [35][37] "Jesus Walks" is built around a sample of "Walk With Me" as performed by the ARC Choir. [39], "Never Let Me Down" is influenced by West's near-death car crash. [34] West called upon Johnson to re-sing a vocal portion of "Mystery of Iniquity", which ended up in the final mix. I would much rather listen to any other Kanye album than Jesus Is King.