Kanye West: The College Dropout

Being great at one thing is rare but greatness in multiple categories is almost unheard of. Kanye has been criticized and ridiculed for his behavior over the past 15 years or so. One thing that cannot be questioned is him being a unique, genuine genius as a lyricist, producer, and fashion designer. Many call him crazy but the impact that he has left in the rap game should never be under-appreciated. Love him or hate him, he is undeniably one of the greatest rappers to walk the earth.

Kanye was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. His father, Ray, was a photojournalist for the Atlantic Journal, while his mother, Donda, was a professor at Chicago State University. Ray and Donda filed for divorce in 1980 and Kanye moved Chicago, Illinois with his mother. For most of his childhood, Kanye would spend summers with his father and live in Chicago for the remaining seasons.

Kanye’s interest in rap music sparked when he was in his tween years. No I.D. was the name of a producer and DJ in Chicago. The two of them formed a relationship and shared their passion of music with one another. Kanye claims that No I.D. was his first mentor and a significant influence in becoming a rap artist.

Unlike many other modern rappers, Kanye was an excellent student. He attended Polaris high school, graduated and attended Chicago's American Academy of Art on a scholarship. However, his time as a college graduate was short lived as he dropped out at the age of 20 to follow his passion for music production.

Kanye did not drop out of college to become a rapper necessarily. His original vision was to be a producer, creating beats for major artists. Kanye is infamously known for his use of 808s. 808s are short for the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, an electronic drum or beat machine. It has a very distinct sound and is very popular in modern rap music production.

Kanye worked on his craft for years. In one of Kanye’s songs, “Spaceship,” off his debut album, the College Dropout, he raps, “You can't fathom my love, dude, lock yourself in a room Doing 5 beats a day for 3 summers.” It took Kanye a significant amount of time to create his iconic and perfected sound.

It wasn’t until 2001 that Kanye got his first break. Legendary rapper and businessman, Shawn Carter, better known by Jay-Z granted Kanye the opportunity to produce a few songs on his album, the Blueprint. The album turned into an instant classic and is critically acclaimed by many. Shortly after the release of the album, Jay-Z’s label, Roc-A-Fella Records signed Kanye to a record deal.

Below is a video of Kanye playing beats for Jay-Z and free styling over his own beats. Jay-Z’s reaction shows the true genius of Kanye’s skillset in music production.

Three years later, Kanye released his debut album, the College Dropout. Immediately, Kanye West was put on the map. The album sold over 3,000,000 copies, going triple platinum and was nominated for ten Grammy awards. Just like that, Kanye West opened a door into stardom and the rap game was forever changed.

Next week, we will cover one of the few true lyricists in rap music today. Joey Bada$$ and the Brooklyn rap group, Pro Era.