DISQUS

Magz · 2 years ago

Thank you!

James · 2 years ago

Great review. I personally like Kanye's music better. The gangsta shit don't work for me

Gstraw · 2 years ago

Whatever dude, 50 kicks ass! Thanks for the mp3!

Kimmie · 2 years ago

I bought Kanye's album on iTunes this morning. Its great! Burn to the ground Fiddy!

JJ · 2 years ago

Sweet review Luis!
I personally will buy both. Like you said they are both great artists and 50 is good for those boring long traffic jams in LA, so is Kanye I guess. But I'd listen to Kanye when I want to enjoy the music.

John · 2 years ago

I think its funny how Kanye's music sounds epic, but in reality its talking about something stupid.

Anonymous · 2 years ago

They both suck. All hip hop/ rap music is shit!

Jordan · 2 years ago

What was that? Hip-Hop sucks? Then why are you even reading this? Go back to Stereogum, no wait, then Stereogum posts hip hop. Sorry bud you're screwed

Rob · 2 years ago

Kanye sounds like a horny robot.

50 sounds like a horny idiot

PJ · 2 years ago

Rob, I second that.

Damien · 2 years ago

I agree, but I enjoy Kanye's beats. He's briliant

travis · 2 years ago

Kanye is the best producer alive!

Rodney · 2 years ago

@Travis: you expect me to take your opinion seriously?

Beef · 2 years ago

Kanye was won Best Rap Album of the last 2 years at the grammys!

He must be good right?

Tibi Puiu · 2 years ago

All this hype around 9/11 for 2 lousy albums, their both mediocre albums, as hip-hip goes lately their pretty good. This weeks best album is "Strawberry Jam" from AC.

Craig · 2 years ago

Or Hot Hot Heat

Lazyass · 2 years ago

@Beef: Does that suppose to mean anything? Grammy for best Rap Album isn't sayin much.

Jack · 2 years ago

When it comes down to it, Kanye's is better than 50's. End of story

Darren W · 2 years ago

like that he widens his pallet out to include all kinds of strange collaborations. Most hip-hop acts only "feat." other hip-hop stars and the sum total usually sounds like the parking lot after the topless bar has closed for the evening.

Is the album great? Well, no. It's good and it will turn lots of heads, but one hopes Kanye's school-themed trilogy doesn't go 4-peat. He needs to move on and move out. This is a closing statement to an idea and anything afterward, based on the same premise, will be strictly running on fumes.

Early prediction: it'll sink "Curtis"s battleship. Not that it'll make a damned bit of a difference...

DwD

Hobag · 2 years ago

Kanye is obviously gonna sample Arcade Fire next. *yawn*

Rogerthat · 2 years ago

He should sample "The Smiths", really...I'm waiting that.

Luis · 2 years ago

no, The Beatles. :/

Geoff · 2 years ago

Holla @ that Luis! x]

Christina · 2 years ago

Who gives a fuck about these two, AC and HHH have albums out too!

Christina · 2 years ago

haha
http://cache.idolator.com/assets/resources/2007...

Sherwood · 2 years ago

To be honest, it doesn't seem like he tried very hard. On the last two, he made very clear his quest to make it to the top, and here he's made it to the top and is content to tell everybody how great he is.

The problem is that Kanye, like Jay, is enjoying the good life so much that he doesn't really need to come out and blow everybody away... he's content to fuck around, and thus the "did he really sample that?" songs that are abundant on this record. There's nothing as infectious as 'Touch the Sky' or 'Gold Digger', but everything is pretty solid and listen-able.

I kept wishing for a great hook in every song, only to find none- Can't Tell Me Nothing's got an almost-great chorus and Everything I Am is a really heartfelt tune.

So this one, in my mind, doesn't come close to matching Late Registrations highs, but it never hits that albums lows (and there are quite a few), although coming dangerously close with the disappointing Mos cut "Drunk and Hot Girls".

I think this album shows that Kanye really isn't a killer emcee, and he can really benefit from having back-up. He lets himself be the star of this one, and it doesn't always work out because the beats are slow and the rhymes aren't usually free flowing. Still, it's a decent album and I'm only picking out its flaws because West undoubtedly didn't give a whole-hearted effort, and who can blame him? He's got lots of money, as he makes clear.

Liam · 2 years ago

Kanye West doesn't care about black people.

50 Cent isnt really black

Mike DUH! · 2 years ago

"graduation" is great. kills "late registration".

and "flashing lights" is the def. an early favorite...

Gorge · 2 years ago

Fuck 50 Cent!

Him · 2 years ago

Fuck you.

Kanye blows

Magz · 2 years ago

Kanye is on the iTunes Top 10 UK, no sight of 50 :)

Jordan · 2 years ago

Hmm..

50's presales - 339,000

Ye's - 319,000

I personally like Ye better but those are solid numbers, hopefully that will change.

Michael · 2 years ago

Graduation is great, "flashing lights", "champion", and "homecoming" are amazing.

Jazzy · 2 years ago

I totally agree with Sherwood! You are so right!

Fran · 2 years ago

This album is full of singles! Champion, Good Life, Barry Bonds, Flashing Lights, Homecoming, and The Glory. Damn were never gonna hear the end of Kanye!

JHizzle · 2 years ago

Its funny how most of the comments here are about Kanye.

Kevin · 2 years ago

I could care less about 50 Cent.

Kanye West's album is really fun. I like it, Homecoming is so catchy! Chris Martin is the excellent pop hook vocalist for rap music!

Lovehurts · 2 years ago

I have new found respect for "Can't Tell Me Nothing" its one of the few jems on "Gaduation". 50 Cent's opus has a whole lotta high points as well... tough choice.

Jazzy · 2 years ago

I just bought Graduation, I love it!

Crystal · 2 years ago

Great review, I like Kanye's album a lot

Luis · 2 years ago

Curtis #1 on US iTunes :/

Luis · 2 years ago

Graduation #1 on US iTunes.

Barack · 2 years ago

I loved Kanye's album, it really is a "holy shit!" album

Leon · 2 years ago

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