I haven't loved hip-hop lately, but yesterday at work a friend lent me Kanye West's album to listen to on my shift. It's amazing! I really, really loved it, and I don't say that after hearing an album for the first time. He's not exactly the best rapper, but I love what he had to say and a lot of it was funny, and the whole thing was positive. Not corny or preachy in the least, but it was just really refreshing to listen to. Has anyone else heard it yet, and what do you think of it?

I heard the album for the first time yesterday, too and I'm buying it. I am really digging Jesus Walks. In that song he says:

"I wanna talk to God but I'm afraid cuz we ain't spoke in so long." Mad props.


Glad for any opportunity to hear someone rap about something other that the usual.

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

It is good so far, i heard couple trax off of it this weekend!

I know, I love "Jesus Walks", too, and I can't get enough of "Through the Wire" and "We Don't Care". I was crackin' up when I heard he said, "You know the kids gon' act a fool when you stop the programs for after school when some of them dyslexic, and they favorite 50 Cent song's 12 Questions..."

theVelvetRoper said:

I dig that one, too. The fact he's from Chicago is icing on the cake.

I posted this elsewhere, but it fits in this thread so I'll post it again:

I don't like the title of Kayne's album: "College Dropout." I don't think that's the right message to send to a bunch of kids watching BET or listening to his music. Yeah, yeah, free speech, yadda, yah. But something isn't right about its message: "hey, I'm a college dropout and I'm doing alright." The implications of that are too deep for kids in the inner city who already don't see college education as something feasible, let alone attainable! ::vent:: Hate on me if you want.

JANFAN4L said:

No, I ain't gonna hate on you. I never looked at it from that aspect.

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

He's trying to say that it doesnt matter if u do or dont have the "education" because when u get out in the real world, it may take a very very long time just even find a job in your feild (like me in Graphic Design, although i cherished going there, it aint easy lookin 4 a damn job in it). I guess most people do go 2 college and end up not even working the field that they want 2. While saving money and maybe even in investments is or can be the right way to go. "Stack the money until it get's sky high".

hmmmm..i started to buy this the other day when I bought Courtney Love's cd and I had about 3 people telling me it sucked.I know he's not the best rapper,but I thought his samples might be fun and easy to listen to.(sometimes you don't always want a challnge)Is the song by Twister on there?

theVelvetRoper said:

Great album. Kanye is a really good hip-hop producer. He's also a pretty good lyricist, but he needs work on his delivery. I heard that his stage presence is pretty bad, but nevertheless, the album gets a from me!

okaypimpn said:

I like Kayne as well, but is all of his music samples? I heard a track called, "Never let you down with Jay Z, and there is a track with Dirt Mcgirt (Old D B) His beats are cool, he's sounds like a mature rapper with morales,- It's a nice change from the 50 cent - i'll murder your whole family type stuff, LOL.

JANFAN4L said:

I wholeheartedly agree.

goat2004 said:

Most of his music does incorporate some type of sampling, but that's what classic hip-hop was built upon!

that damn "Kaney's Workout Plan" THAT SHIT IS SOOOO FUNKY!!! It doesnt even features samples in the song. That is the JAM!

paisleypark4 said:

Yes! Not to mention that funny ass interlude before it. Those chicks with all of their "guuuurrrrllls" had me rolling!!!!

rockwilder said:

Yes.

okaypimpn said:

I know! I love when it breaks in2 the "workout plan" part! Those girls...especially in the middle of the song.. "I dont have 2 fuck with ray ray broke ass no mo!"

paisleypark4 said:

Another one I love is "Family Business". I can relate to it right now.

I also love "All Falls Down."

Although Syleena did a good job singing the hook, the first version with Lauryn Hill's sampled voice was waaaaay better!!!!

okaypimpn said:

I didn't hear Miss Johnson's version but I agree about L-Boogie's

Harlepolis said:

Wht takes away from it is that you can tell Syleena was trying to sound exactly like Lauryn and pulls it off pretty well. She didn't even try to make it her own!

okaypimpn said:

that was some1 else???

paisleypark4 said:

Yeah. Originally Kanye used Lauryn Hill's sample of "Mystery of Iniquity" from her Unplugged 2.0 album, but she wouldn't clear the sample, so Kanye re-did the song with Syleena Johnson's vocals over the track. If you listen closely to the end of the song (the last phrase Syleena sings) you can hear where they buried Lauryn's vocals but kept the applause.

Also on the original version, Kanye ran out of breath on his last bar and was like "Keep that shit right there. The part where I ran outta breath." Pretty funny 'cause he kept it real!

okaypimpn said:

im gonna listen 2 the original 2day and c man! I havent pulled it out since I DL it a long time ago. Thanx 4 lettin a brutha know!