TYF Column: Ten Years Ago We Met Kanye West with “The College Dropout”

 One of music and pop culture’s enigmas has got to be Kanye West. 50% of the people hate him, the other 50% love him. There might be some people in between that love his music but dislike his public image and what he has to say, which is understandable and why he remains an enigma. For most, ten years ago we first heard of him with the release of his debut album The College Dropout. For others, they already knew of West and his production work for artists like Alicia Keys, Jay Z, Janet Jackson, etc. In a time when hip-hop meant that artists had to portray a gangsta image in order to get a record deal, Kanye West broke the mold by crafting an album entirely produced by himself with a soulful approach to rapping. The album title alone being a statement of what society expects us to do: go to school, get a degree, get a job, start a family, etc., Kanye West dared to be different at the time with an album that could easily appeal to non-hip-hop fans. In a way, The College Dropout changed hip-hop by exposing us to sampling made right, excellent crafted production and lyrics that were relatable and provided social commentary.

Starting off with “Through The Wire” and Kanye’s accident that had him perform this song with his jaw still wired shut, this was only the beginning of the persistent Kanye West that we know today that always wants to get his voice heard. Keep in mind, when he first started, not many record companies would believe that he could be successful as a rapper. Some other singles from The College Dropout were “Slow Jamz” and “All Falls Down“, but the one that impacted the most and to this day I consider the song that got Kanye the most attention with his debut has to be “Jesus Walks“. Whether it is the gospel beat, or the lyrics that talk about how the media dismisses topics as religious faith over sex and drugs, I can tell you that I know my fair share of non-religious people who sing this song to the top of their lungs.

As you can probably tell, a lot has changed in ten years. Music wise, Kanye West keeps evolving by trying new things (808s & Heartbreak, Yeezus), but still remains true to his approach to production and thought-provoking lyrics (Graduation, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy). However, it seems that nowadays his public persona has overshadowed his talent, starting off with the infamous VMA debacle with Taylor Swift, his extremely talked about relationship with Kim Kardashian, the notorious BBC Radio 1 interview and Sway’s radio show interview, give people a lot to think about Kanye West completely disregarding his creativity. It is hard out there to be a Kanye West fan. From his beginnings as a producer to nowadays fashion designer, as a long-time Kanye fan, I believe he is certainly misunderstood by the media and the majority of the people. But have you listened to “Last Call“? My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in it’s entirety? “Hey Mama“? “Diamonds from Sierra Leone“? For once, can we forget about what he says and embrace that he’s one of the most creative artists of the decade?

As of now, The College Dropout remains a game-changer, a trailblazer in hip-hop, and throughout his career we’ve seen (and heard) Kanye and his music evolve,  if his enigmatic personality gets in the way, hopefully it’s to craft great albums for the years to come.