Late Registration by Kanye West

September 02, 2005 | 29 Comments

The Artist: Kanye West
The Song: Touch The Sky (Featuring Lupe Fiasco)
[Launch Player]
The Album: Late Registration
Released 2005
Recommended if you like: Common, Jay Z, Mos Def, Nas, Pharcyde, Outkast

Late Registration is one of the best hip-hop albums of the year, and could become a true classic. Kanye is a strange bird, but he knows how to make good music. That is for sure.

It’s that good. I wanted to bust something great out for my return to the “Album of The Week” (now called “Album of The Moment”) and I’d planned on doing something else. But then I picked up Later Registration and was blown away.

I was a pretty big fan of The College Dropout and I had fairly high expectations for this album after hearing “Gold Digger” (what’s up with Jamie Foxx? He’s crazy talented isn’t he?) and catching a snip of “My Way Home” the other day. But this is much better than I’d ever imagined.

I won’t even try to say Kanye is the best rapper. He’s good, but not great. But it’s the way he puts it all together that makes this album so classic. It’s not typical hip-hop at all. It’s very creative and has some of the best production around. The use of samples, beats and backing vocals are great, but what’s really special is how he weaves really great music through most the tracks.

It starts with “Heard ‘Em Say”, a beautiful track with a smooth yet funky beat and some great backing vocals from Adam Levine of Maroon 5 fame. You’ll nod your head right through that (love the chimes at the end) and into probably my favorite track on the album “Touch The Sky” which has a kind of Jay Z (who makes are great cameo on “Diamonds From Sierra Leone”) meets The Style Council sound. I love, love, love the brass work here.

The album continues on from there. Not every track is great, in fact there are a few I don’t like much at all, but there is so much variety and creativity here a few misses are no problem at all. And the good stuff more than makes up for it. Kanye covers just about every style of hip-hop you can think of evoking some of the greatest in the process. And hell, I don’t know many hip-hop records where I like every song.

Late Registration is a great album and I can’t recommend it enough. One of the best so far this year.

Filed under: Album of The Moment
Keyword Tags: kayne+west late+registration

Comments

1. Geoffrey said:

Yeah, I listened to the album twice in a row last night. Really great! The sophomore follow up is always the tough one as artists tend to pour everything they have into the debut. Kanye pulls it off without sticking to same formula of the College Dropout. Lot’s of new stuff–and no chipmunk singing. (Which I loved, but would have been hackneyed on a second album.)

Excellent.

Posted on September 2, 2005 10:53 AM | #

2. Jeremy Flint said:

And who knew Jamie Foxx could sing!

Great album. I just picked it up as well. Good choice Keith.

Posted on September 2, 2005 10:55 AM | #

3. MP said:

Kanye West puts a huge stain on hiphop, his music is a trite cliche, his beats are boring huge lifts, with no creativity in the way he chops or sequences.. He used the same Love break on something like 5 songs he put out in the last year.

He had all the power in his hands to “bring hiphop back” and he ended being another cry baby capitalist.

There is nothing classic about this album, it will be as quickly forgotten as his first (what was it called?)

Posted on September 2, 2005 11:25 AM | #

4. C said:

I have to be honest and say that after listening to this over and over I think Kanye West should stop rapping. I’m not just spouting hyperbole for the sake of doing it, but the overwhelming majority of his rhymes just leave way too much to be desired.

I definitely think that he’s done a lot of Hip-Hop and for that I’m thankful but this album - he can take that back.

For what it’s worth, I think the song you chose is probably one of the album highlights.

Posted on September 2, 2005 11:32 AM | #

5. Jeff Croft said:

Nice review, Keith. I haven’t picked up the album yet, but I loved The College Dropout, so I’m definitely looking forward to checking the new one out!

Posted on September 2, 2005 11:39 AM | #

6. Chris Fehnel said:

MP, I would have to disagree with you that he is a “huge stain on hiphop”. If anything he has been nothing but a positive. Sure he may not have the best flow but he has creativity above average, especially with all the hiphop that is just a copy of itself over and over again.

I also really enjoy this album and like the maturity level being raised, but I wish he had maybe one or two more funnish songs on there…

All in all a very good effort.

Posted on September 2, 2005 01:27 PM | #

7. Geoffrey said:

Hey MP: Give us some examples of unstained hip hop. I’d love to hear what I’m missing.
;-)

Posted on September 2, 2005 01:33 PM | #

8. MP said:

You know what I really wanted Kanye West to be the “new hero” of hiphop, but he proved to be another money hungry more hype than talent son of teacher!

unstained hiphop is actually very hard to find these days..

I would have to go with (forgive me for putting links)

http://www.abbrecords.com/masp2.html

http://www.atlanticrecords.com/littlebrother

http://www.countbassd.com/v3/

http://www.halftooth.com/

http://www.emanonhiphop.com/

http://www.mrcomplex.com/

http://www.herecomesthedude.com/

http://www.wannabattle.com/

etc…

Posted on September 2, 2005 02:26 PM | #

9. Richard Kendall said:

I love the album, Heard ‘Em Say and Gold Digger are superb, plenty of other standouts. He does have the golden touch right now. Good collaborations too.

Re: Earlier comments - Maybe it’s not all original, but then so much hiphop and mainstream genre’s are the same, you can lump plenty of artist’s work together and not see any joins sometimes, but I still enjoyed the majority of the album.

I’m hearing the positive summery vibe, and when you reach for the iPod at work, that’s what I want.

Posted on September 2, 2005 03:57 PM | #

10. MP said:

Apprently my suggestions didn’t pass the gatekeeper

you guys see kanye clown himself on tv yet again?

Posted on September 3, 2005 11:40 AM | #

11. Chris Fehnel said:

What calling out President Bush? Who cares? Doesn’t he live in a world “where wings take dream” too?

Posted on September 4, 2005 10:32 AM | #

12. Alex Miller said:

It’s revolutionary. It’s a new kind of hip-hop! I love it.

Posted on September 4, 2005 06:20 PM | #

13. Jeff Louella said:

The new album is decent, but not classic. I can see why people think it is great. Most rap out today is horrible. From Lil This to Young That, rap has taken a drastic turn for the worst. I give Kanye some credit on these issues:

1) Every song is not about rim on cars.
2) He is actually just not rapping about “Ho’s”
3) He is not as monotone and actually has a flow.
4) His image is not that of a gangster. No Colors, Cornrows, Hat on with bandana under it while wearing a wife beater and a silver chain down to his junk.
5) He doesn’t have someone in the background yelling “What” or “OKAYYYY”

Kanye’s album falls short on these issues:

1) I believe he blames Magic Johnson for not curing people with Aids. Whats up with that?
2) Contradicts himself many times.
3) Why can’t rappers make albums by themselves? Every other track is featuring someone else. Rap songs are only 3-4 minutes long. Can’t you rap all the way through?
4) His skits about being broke when he makes more money than 95% of Americans.
5) He seems to blame other people a lot. What ever happened to personal responsibility? If he can make it, that should be inspiring that everyone else can make it.

I like how Kanye speaks his mind, but a lot of the time he looks like a fool. It’s one thing to speak your mind when you are educated on a subject than to just say something because it will stir things up. Kanye likes to stir things up and most of the time it easily defeated but just reading the truth.

Posted on September 6, 2005 07:47 AM | #

14. ja rule said:

K West has terrible flow in all his rhymes, maybe he should take some lessons from D O Double-Gizzle or the Dr.

All you people who give him props must be out your minds! I know it’s funny when more critics than fans like your stuff. Something must be up.

What’s really aggravating is you all give him props for being a storyteller in his beats but he just lumps all kinds of shit together, and the worst part is people think he is so great.

CLOWN WEST he should call his ass self

Why ol Tupac had to get shot? Talk about a real master who could rhyme and flow and write actual songs with good lyrics and beats.

Turn that Krap West shit off ya hear? I’m pumpin my pac.

Posted on September 6, 2005 12:00 PM | #

15. Jeff Louella said:

Haha, I personally think Tupac and Biggie were the negative turning point in hip hop. I feel they sprung a whole revolution of rap crap / Hip Pop / Pop Hop. Them themselves were talented, but the people they inspired are all crap. Puffy is running around and yelling Biggie all the time. Sug Knight is still stabbing people. It’s a complete mess. So go pump 2Pac, I hear he is back in the studio for his 8 album out after his murder. Oh BTW, I love how you use the name Ja Rule. I hear he is going to make another song with JLo and Ashanti. That’s all this world needs is more Ja Rule. ughhh

Posted on September 6, 2005 01:20 PM | #

16. Geoffrey said:

I’ve never been impressed by Tupac, though I’m sure he has talent. I just never got into his thing. Kind of weird how an art school student-turned rapper shows up with THUG LIFE tattooed across his chest. It seems staged to me. At least Kanye “keeps it real” as were, and doesn’t try to hide the fact that he’s never been “hard”.

Wanna-be pimps and thugs are getting kinda tired in 2005. I loved Digital Underground back in the day though. ;P

Posted on September 6, 2005 04:08 PM | #

17. Jeff Croft said:

1) I believe he blames Magic Johnson for not curing people with Aids. Whats up with that?

What makes you believe this?

2) Contradicts himself many times.

I love this about him. I love that his mind is never made up. I love that he is always going back on himself, rethinking what he said. Many of his lyrics feel like a stream-of-consiousness, and I like that.

3) Why can’t rappers make albums by themselves? Every other track is featuring someone else. Rap songs are only 3-4 minutes long. Can’t you rap all the way through?

And this is exclusive to hip-hop (which you seem to want to call “rap”)? Pick up a jazz album sometime, my friend. Black music has always featured other musicians. It’s a core concept of black music.

4) His skits about being broke when he makes more money than 95% of Americans.

So an artist isn’t allowed to portray an aspect of life other than his own?

Posted on September 7, 2005 07:51 AM | #

18. Jeff Louella said:

1)Because in the song “Roses” he states:
”If Magic Johnson has a cure for AIDS and the broke mother f**kers passed away. You’re telling me if my Grandmother was in the NBA, Right now she would be OK.”
To me that’s a stab at Magic. Plus Kanye has money like Magic. He just says anything to instigate and enrage the poorer communities. How about uplifting and helping the community. This whole “Screw Personal Responsibility, Just Blame The Rich” attitude has got to stop.

2)I understand what you mean. But people need to think about what they are saying before they just put it out there. It just makes him look like a complete ass when he says out of whacked stuff and then says the opposite on other songs. Lyrics don’t mean much to people any more, but it does to me.

3)I understand that collaborations have been around for hundreds of years. The thing about Jazz is that they need collaboration. Just someone playing a bass without any other musicians doesn’t work. In Rap, Every song is featuring another rapper. So the main rapper raps for 30 seconds and then the rest of the 3 minutes are other rappers. This is ok on one or 2 tracks. But today rap is 95% collaborations.

4)It’s not that they can’t portray an aspect other than their own, but Kanye seems to inflame and enrage the poor to rise up. And not in a positive way. And by “acting” like you are what your not is like Ted Kennedy acting like a poor black man when in fact he is a freaking Kennedy.

Overall I think Kanye is talented. Most of my comments are nitpicking. If you notice I didn’t say the album was bad. I think Kanye and the 10 other artists on the album do a good job. I am just tired of hearing him speak from his ass. It just discredits him.

And about the Hip Hop/Rap thing, I will quote the legendary Kris Parker. “Rap is something you do; Hip Hop is a way of life”. Rap Music is not Hip Hop. Hip Hop is not Rap Music. Rap Music is apart of Hip Hop. But so are Graffiti, Breaking, Poetry, Beat Boxing, and Clothing.

I’ve wasted entirely too much time on Kanye and Hip Hop, so this is my last post in the section. I will read everyone’s reply though.

Posted on September 7, 2005 09:36 AM | #

19. Jeff Croft said:

Jeff-

I respect all your opinions. Well said. One comment on the rap/hip-hop thing…

To me, hip-hop is a genre of music and rap is a vocal style. You can rap over other types of music besides hip-hop (see all the pop music that includes short raps). Hip-hop is a genre of music that often involves rapping, but hip-hop can exist without rap and rap can exist without hip-hop.

Posted on September 7, 2005 09:52 AM | #

20. Vince said:

this forum sucks. it sounds like a buncha white boys that has nothing better to do and is trying to understand rap or something. any person that knows a damn about rap would know that kanye is a damn good rapper. hes a damn good musician too.

and who ever the “ja rule” guy is… that is the dumbest shit ive ever heard… your name is “ja rule”. that speaks for itself. that fool went to a private school, and he considers himself hardcore? gotta be kidding me. he gets murdered by 50 cent in their diss tracks, and 50 cent SUCKS. your name lost all credibility.

Posted on September 7, 2005 08:35 PM | #

21. Chris Mewhort said:

Jeff L - KRS says “Rap is somethign we do; Hip-hop is somethign we live”… just to clear up. A quote’s a quote.

Jeff C - Hip-hop is much more than a genre of music, you’re over-looked Graffiti, Breaking, and DJ’ing (not to mention beatmaking and beatboxing). I liked hat you said on collaborations anyways.

Hip-hop lives that “family” aspect. Put people on your tracks that you believe in, and leave the people you don’t believe in off.

I enjoy this album, though I don’t htink it’s anywhere near a classic. Come on man, in comparison to The Score? Illmatic? Reasonable Doubt? The Chronic? Nahhh…

Also, that unstained hip-hop discussion was the weakest link of this post.

Good looks on people listening to hip-hop in the design community though.

Posted on September 8, 2005 05:35 AM | #

22. Dre said:

What the hell is wrong with collaborations? Isn’t that apart of hip-hop?…Musicians united as one to make a lyrical masterpiece? Personally I think Kanye’s album is like a seperate world…it takes you somewhere and he brings a lot of artists with him. I think he’s actually sharpened up his skills lyrically since his debut album and he’s more diverse with his beats. He also has certain topics that people should be thinking about. And another thing, everyday people contradict themselves, (I’m sure you all have) it’s apart of life, Kanye is just being human.

Finally, if you’re tired of the typical commercial bullshit and all this cookie cutter music being played on the radio everyday, to all those with open minds…I’d like to give you a list of artists I prefer (in no specific order) Talib Kweli, Mos Def, The Roots, Common, Saigon, Papoose, Tru Life, Joe Buddens, Nas, OutKast, and Jean Grae.

Posted on September 11, 2005 11:00 PM | #

23. Stan St Marthe said:

I agree with Vince except for the part about 50 cent. kanye’s album is one of the best i’ve heard in years. And u guys who say that he’s trying to blame Magic Johnson i dont think that u understand english very well…………”If Magic Johnson got a cure for AIDS and the broke mother fuc*ers passed away. You’re telling me if my Grandmother was in the NBA, Right now she would be OK.”………..All that is saying is that you need money to get good treatment from doctors and hospitals and if you don’t have money you’re gonna have to see for ur own ass. Have u ever seen the movie “John Q” with Denzel Washington where his son has a weak heart and needs a heart transplant but cannot get on the waiting list because they don’t have the money. That’s the same thing that kanye is highlighting he’s not blaming Magic.

Posted on September 14, 2005 09:28 AM | #

24. Stan St Marthe said:

“there’ll always be haters that’s the way it is, hater niggaz marry hater bitches and have hater kids”

Posted on September 14, 2005 01:58 PM | #

25. Phatboi said:

yo i think k west new shit is pretty good! I was surprised cuz when i heard da first single off da album, “diamonds from Sierra Leonne”, i was pretty dissapointed, but his next single, “gold digger”, i was like o snap! dis is album might actually be good and hopefully as good as The College Dropout.It is not as good but it is pretty close! But i mean name one artist dat has had a first great album then do it again, well maybe one guy named B.I.G, so yeah…
late registration starts out hella good in da beggining w/ joints like, da beautiful song,”Heard em’ say”, then my favourite track off da album, “Touch Da Sky”, then “Gold Digger”, but then it starts getting bad, “Drive Slow” is aiight, then he wastes Common’s talent on such a short song for”my way home”.then a couple of da same time of song goes by w/ da worse being “We Major” wasting Nas’s legendary flow on such a long and boring song.but then its cold streak stops w/ “hey mama”, a great luv mama song that is not suprisigly corny!
“Celebration” is pretty good,”…Its a celebration bitches…”haha
and “Gone” feat. Cam’Ron and GLC. He sampled that song perfectly.
in late registration there r some “broke”skits dat r a little bit funny, but not really neccesary and does nit fill da concept about going back 2 school.but da comment about eating cereal w/ fork 2 save da milk was funny as fuck!
o well
overalll a good album!
his next single should b “Touch The Sky”.
dat is all ive gosta say bitches…haha
pb

Posted on September 21, 2005 05:03 AM | #

26. Raheem c. said:

dat song golddiger is hot

Posted on September 21, 2005 03:25 PM | #

27. L Cat said:

Chris : “KRS says ‘Rap is somethign we do; Hip-hop is somethign we live’… just to clear up. A quote’s a quote.”

If you are going to be jerk enough to correct a quote which was paraphrased just fine, be smart enough to run a spell check on your statement. Remember… N before G, my man.

Stan - “”If Magic Johnson got a cure for AIDS and the broke mother fuc*ers passed away. You’re telling me if my Grandmother was in the NBA, Right now she would be OK.” All that is saying is that you need money to get good treatment from doctors and hospitals and if you don’t have money you’re gonna have to see for ur own ass. “

First, Magic Johnson doesn’t have a cure for AIDS - there is no cure. Second, he takes medication that is paid for by most medical prescription plans… the trick is, you have to WORK to get one of these big companies to put your name in the plan. Finally, it’s true that you get better treatment if you can pay your doctor… that’s kinda how money works.

Kanye’s implication that a poor person who has contracted AIDS must be entitled to receive drugs paid for by the American public is preposterous. It’s particularly hypocritical, because he himself is a multi-millionaire. If he feels that AIDS patients should receive free treatment, then we should all soon be hearing about the Kanye West Free AIDS Treatment Center. Most people work for a living so that they can take care of themselves, not pick up the slack for others. Like Jeff Louella said… “Personal Responsibility”.

Posted on October 11, 2005 01:23 PM | #

28. side effects of soma said:

purchase soma online cheapest soma http://pedikvkepke.otbet.ru/soma/side_effects_of_soma.html side effects of soma concert soma http://pedikvkepke.otbet.ru/soma/soma_san_diego.html and …. sleep soma purchase soma http://pedikvkepke.otbet.ru/soma/band_soma.html soma drug toxicity soma prescription http://pedikvkepke.otbet.ru/soma/soma_seeds.html buy soma online without rx cheap generic soma http://pedikvkepke.otbet.ru/soma/louis_soma.html .Thanks.

Posted on February 3, 2006 04:54 AM | #