graduation?

[frank lyon]

I spent a lot of time in the car with this album over the weekend. Overall, it's not bad. These tracks stand out:

Track 1: "Good Morning"


Track 5: "Good Life" (with the "pretty young thing" sample)

Track 12: "Homecoming"

[The Marrvel]

I was a little disappointed. Most of these tracks would have been fillers on his previous LP's.

[PhonoquO]

i think this is kanye's best solo work to date. i enjoyed listening to this album start to finish. there was good continuity throughout the album

[mintyfreshbeats]

i thought it was really well done. The only tracks I'm not crazy about are "I wonder" and "Drunk and hot girls" Mos Def's part on the latter track was nice though, I enjoy his singing almost as much as his rapping.

I've heard some negative feedback on the homecoming track with chris martin (coldplay), mainly based on the fact that part of his verse was already out on his track "home" from several years ago. doesnt bother me, i like the piano part as well.

big brother is dope, i like the somewhat inside look it offers on their relationship.

the drums on stronger were beefed up by timbo, nice touch. i think they changed a synth line towards the end as well.

champion may be my favorite song on this album. the singing part is a nice touch as well.

i didn't think i would like "the good life" feat. t-pain, but that track is a banger. i would bet on it hitting #1.

[Versatile255]

i like every song except for drunk and hot girls that shoulnt even be on the album but its only 13 tracks which is bad. on the other hand 50 album is fire.

[cynic one]

Originally Posted by beat you down

so far, i like the cover better than the tracks.
how do you guys feel about this one?

Cover reminds me of old flyers for raves I used to go to 8-10 years ago :p

Not feeling 'I wonder'...cheesy synths.

The rest is decent though....liking the album. Drunk & hot girls is tight...I'm cracking up listening to it right now.

[modistylee]

Stonger is a nice concept, but when I heard it on a club sound system recently I was craving the original..it just doesn't sound as good slowed down like that and with the repatitve vocoder lick, versus the more dynamic line in the DP track.

Maybe recently seeing Daft Punk absolutely destroy it live jaded me as well!!

[Sirocco]

i didnt know it was out yet how do i listen?

is there a secret?

[thashine]

Get over it.. It's Trash!

[KevWest]

I'm lovin the album. it is something very different but what has Kanye done that isnt.

[MERC476]

I haven't stopped listening to this album since I got it. Cant wait to buy the official. Granted, I agree that the production could've been a little better but he definately made some songs out of some decent beats. Just my opinion of course. As for the 50 album, I hope the bootleg that I heard is not the actuall songs that's gonna be on the album. If it is, there's no way he will outsell Kanye. Again....just my opinion.

[mix-it-well]

HUH this is out yet?!

[CWsounds]

Am i the only one really digging 'Flashing Lights'?? That might be my fall jam...

[t.dizzle]

Just so y'all know, there are a few badass dudes that hang here that worked on this record. Mike Dean produced and mixed like 3 or 4 joints. Ken Lewis works closely with Kanye, although I'm not exactly sure of his affiliation with this particular album. Maybe Soundeq, too...? Just FYI.

[earwolf]

Originally Posted by MERC476

I haven't stopped listening to this album since I got it. Cant wait to buy the official. Granted, I agree that the production could've been a little better but he definately made some songs out of some decent beats. Just my opinion of course. As for the 50 album, I hope the bootleg that I heard is not the actuall songs that's gonna be on the album. If it is, there's no way he will outsell Kanye. Again....just my opinion.

cosign all of that

[Versatile255]

Originally Posted by CWsounds

Am i the only one really digging 'Flashing Lights'?? That might be my fall jam...

yeah thats my song right there thats one of my favorites. but truth is 50 has more potential hits for more vids and them street bangers is fire to me i like it better. but not by much just a lil better.i hate the fact tha its just 13 songs on kayne though and i know he was recording alot of tracks.

[The Beatsmith]

I think it's pretty mediocre, bar 3 songs - stronger, can't tell me nothing, and barry bonds. I still think he can't rap very well.

Wish he would stop going on about louis vuitton and versace,etc , too

Just not impressed.

[PhonoquO]

like i said before, the album has continuity that the majority of new releases don't. If feels like an album and not just a couple singles slapped together with filler.

[soundeq]

Originally Posted by t.dizzle

Just so y'all know, there are a few badass dudes that hang here that worked on this record. Mike Dean produced and mixed like 3 or 4 joints. Ken Lewis works closely with Kanye, although I'm not exactly sure of his affiliation with this particular album. Maybe Soundeq, too...? Just FYI.

Yah BUY GRADUATION! buy 10 copies!!! haha, they make good early holiday presents!
shit buy 100! I'm gonna go buy 50's too, very interested to hear what he has been doing in the studio. I'm reserving judgement till I get the "offical" cd.

Yah I mixed or co-mixed about 7-8 records on this bad boy... Not sure how the final credits got done (you know how that is!) and the main tracking engineers on the project were myself, and Anthoy Killhoffer. I still haven't seen the final artwork yet, I'm waiting like ya'll till sept 11th! To all the assistants lurking out there that are curious about credits, man I submitted the names, let hope they make the album artwork!

Mike Dean has some smashin' mixes on here as well.

I'm not gonna say who did what yet, your gonna have to check on the 11th

[MarkusColeman]

@Andrew

I'm gonna support Kanye too. thumbsup
one of the few promos I liked this year.
Curtis was a real disappointment, Graduation is a nice surprise. thumbsup
good luck! haven't you worked with Phil Greiss recently. or was it Ken?

[Sirocco]

Originally Posted by MarkusColeman

@Andrew

I'm gonna support Kanye too. thumbsup
one of the few promos I liked this year.
Curtis was a real disappointment, Graduation is a nice surprise. thumbsup
good luck! haven't you worked with Phil Greiss recently. or was it Ken?

Finally found it/ Listened to it 3 times....straight. I am pretty sure this trumps any hip hop commercial release so far this year.

[frank lyon]

I see a Grammy.

[Sirocco]

Originally Posted by beat you down

so far, i like the cover better than the tracks.
how do you guys feel about this one?

Biz Markie is a smelly animal (i know from personal encounter). Everytime I read one of your posts I just have to squint my eyes to remove him from the picture.

[The Marrvel]

wow, i wonder if u guys got a different version than i did...

i love kanye west, but this album is kinda boring to me. i think Finding Forever and Ear Drum were MUCH better. He still doesn't have me convinced as being one of the best emcees. Plus the tracks seemed sort of "filler" to me.

[The Beatsmith]

Originally Posted by The Marrvel

wow, i wonder if u guys got a different version than i did...

I was thinking the same thing....

If MC Joe Bloggs made this album, and not kanye, it wouldn't get anywhere near as much love

[jbuehler]

I think the best way to judge this Kanye record is to think, "Would I like this if this were made by a no-namer?".

I say this because Kanye is one super self inflated dude. He is charismatic as **** and just seems to always get away with blowing his own horn. He is also VERY intelligent.

Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with doing what you do and loving it. I am just saying, don't buy the hype. This album feels like hype to me.

I have always thought Kanye was overrated but than again he writes some memorable raps about.....himself....

And than again....I am a whitey....so maybe I should just stay out of this one and go back to listening to Sage Francis...

[beat you down]

Originally Posted by The Marrvel

...i think Finding Forever and Ear Drum were MUCH better...

yeah, after finding forever i was really looking forward to graduation. i never was much of a west fan, but his stuff on finding forever is fresh.
i'll give it a couple more spins before i decide if it's hot or not.

[linndrum9000]

Loving this album. Cant wait till the 11th. Im really liking Kanyes new sound with all the synths. I know its a cheezy question but does anyone know what kind of synths were used on this album and who played the synths? Im just wondering how he went about incorporating all the synth into his music.

[Sirocco]

Originally Posted by linndrum9000

Loving this album. Cant wait till the 11th. Im really liking Kanyes new sound with all the synths. I know its a cheezy question but does anyone know what kind of synths were used on this album and who played the synths? Im just wondering how he went about incorporating all the synth into his music.

its not easy lacing synths on these old soul samples! it was REALLY well done!