Happy Black History Month to everyone, but especially to my fellow beautiful black people! It wouldn't have been possible for me to go the whole day without saying a few things about Kanye West's debut album as we celebrate its release 12 years ago today. Twelve years ago it was also Kanye West's gracious introduction to the world as an artist from his role as a producer with an album that put the masses onto who I'd say is the greatest artist of the 21st century. And his spot hasn't shifted. Kanye dropped the album during #BHM, an album that displayed black excellence in music. Of course, I could only be talking about The College Dropout.
I mean, *in the voice of Silky Johnson*, what can I say about this album that hasn't already been said about the Great Wall of China or Petra, one of the wonders of the world. At least when it comes to music. This is the album that everyone should hear if you want to be privy to hilarious skits, genius sampling and a dope blending of genres (including Gospel and Soul). There's iconic songs that define the early 2000's, from Slow Jamz, Through The Wire, and All Falls Down to Spaceship, Family Business and of course Jesus Walks. You can pick any of those songs and trace their impact all the way up to today's songs. Even J. Cole's Work Out pulled from The New Workout Plan, to Travis Scott's 90210 pulling from Family Business. That's how much relevancy The College Dropout has and will continue to have. It's a true classic. It introduced some artists to a new generation as well. I personally already knew about these artists being the hip-hop head/crate digger I am, but many kids in my generation were introduced to Mos Def with that nasty, realistically gritty verse he had in Two Words to Talib Kweli and Common with the rest of the LP. The College Dropout connected that generational gap for a lot of people and that's dope. Ye also showed us the musical talents of Jamie Foxx through this album, so the entire project had many pleasant surprises within it.
The College Dropout puts me at six-years-old upon its release. Maybe seven or eight by the time I heard it. And believe me, I was listening to it tough. Although I was six to eight, I understood Jesus Walks. I understood that the subject matter that Kanye rapped about were things other rappers weren't rapping about at the time. I picked up on a lot of the social commentary about the schooling system, racism and issues of poverty via this album. I was aware of the police brutality Ye had moments about, how black people were and still are treated. Being black in America, I had these conversations at a young age. I was aware of religion. I knew what it meant to people. Those topics in his songs helped stir dormant questions within myself, even if the answers would come later in life. Perhaps they'll never come. And it takes a powerful song to speak to someone on multiple levels, whether you're six, 16 or 60. And Kanye has that ability all throughout this fantastic piece of work I still bump proudly today. So I gotta love it and thank Ye for that reason alone. I also have to love the album for the purely dope songs. Like one of my favorites, Get Em High. You've got Kanye West, Talib and Common establishing their dominance in hip-hop, in our culture. They bar for bar pass hip-hop back and forth between each other while carrying it forward up the mountain. It was musical unity. It was special. It still is.
I feel so strongly about The College Dropout. It inspires me each time I listen to it. I love this album. I listen to the LP on vinyl all the time and trust me, you haven't heard an album until you've heard it on vinyl. The sound is so crisp, so warm, so inviting. That static that rips right before the music builds an indescribable anticipation to an all-time high. So you can imagine what it's like when The College Dropout's Intro follows that. So again, I have to thank Kanye West for this album. Like you, I'll be bumping it all day. Basking in its glory. *In Jill's voice* Thank you Kanye! Woooooo!
Check out some classics from The College Dropout below for free.99.
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