One of the best debut albums ever made.

Before this album, Kanye West didn't become the ruler he is today. He was the acclaimed producer of Blueprint who served up hit tracks one after another. But his real dream was to become a rapper and that was a difficult task. In an industry dominated by gangsta rap and hardcore rap, it was hard for a backpacker like Kanye West to shine. But those troubles are furthermore reason why College Dropout is one of the best debut albums ever. Why? Because he overcame them with one HUGE leap.

Kanye isn't the gangsta/hustler type. He is the average guy who has something to say. He discusses various topics like college education, his drop out, materialism, consumerism, religion and its role in music among others. Not expected of a normal rap album because it sounds too normal. But that is the beauty of the album. West fearlessly dares to rap about things that don't include money, crack, girls, or clothes. And he does it with his own style that is powerful and engaging. He can be funny and serious at the same time. Lyrically, he isn't half-bad. He is able to interest his audience throughout the course of the album.

And the production? Oh man. The beats are surprisingly so catchy yet inventive. Jesus Walks features a pounding club peat and chants that accompany his messages of Jesus and lack of God on radio simply because there is no profitability. And The New Workout Plan features a booty shaker that is laced with Middle Eastern violins.

West's wordplay is still to be developed and some songs feel like filler tracks. Nonetheless, College Dropout is an outstanding achievement by one so normal to most of us yet so unique to his fellow rap peers.… Expand

I think his rap is trash its not what he truely feels. He doesnt rap about real life like JAy z and Nas

Terrific album, lots of tracks make you nervous at first, thinking that it must lose it's stride along the way, but College Dropout delivers, it is a classic album, and in my opinion one of the best debut albums of all time. Kanye let's the audience get perspectives on life that are thoughtful and heart warming, my favourite track is spaceship. Kanye West rises to fame with this album for a reason.… Expand

A near flawless start to one of the greatest album trajectories of this generation, College Dropout is the record that established Kanye West as a force in the music industry. He may not be the greatest rapper, but he knows how to use his sampler and revamps classic soul songs to make enjoyable modern hits.

The second greatest rap album ever, surely the best debut, but the Blueprint is by far a better album. This now makes Kanye not just the greatest producer ever but he is the current best rapper, now Jay-Z has quit the game.

Shit is real...its fire man...His songs r stuck in my head all day...N his lyrics r nice...Im luvin Kanye

I am an amateur rapper and producer and the way he raps and the way his beats rock just make me wanna do it more.

Best Album of the year

I LOVE THIS!!!!! I am SO tired of all this THUG CRAP in hip hop today. Kayne West bravely downplays that without losing street credibility. Finally, a major release who remembers what KRS would call, "Real Hip-Hop"!!

Definitely one of the better hip-hop albums to come out in a while. The beats are fantastic, the flows are smooth, and the message isn't about thug life.

best hip/hop cd since "all eyez on me" period.

I cant help it, I have to give it a 10! This cd is awesome. It delivers great life into all the beats and Kanye doesn't bring the same gangsta flow as everyone else.

this cd is off the chain, i dont even have to skip tracks because they are all phat! He brings back what lyricist are really about!

his style surpasses every rapper in the game right now. his lyrics are real and they'll impact any listener.

Not many CDs are u able to listen to all the way through....not many albums touch on what is trendy and what is contoversial .....there are very few hip-hop albums that can reach everyone... this one does. Kanye is a true lyricist and beatmaster and as said on the last track "ya'll niggas are stupid for not signing" Chi's finest.

The best album of the year. possibly the best freshman album ever. Can't wait to hear his next one.

College dropout is by far the greatest hip-hop album this year..he lyrics are sick they the truth.Hes bringin a new style to the hip hop society,im tired of hearin the same shit all the time like 50 does! Wow you got shot nine times congrats... kids go buy this album its worth 20$ of ur drug money as for hov you should have neva left the game cause now kanye takin ur place keep it up roc a fella you the best label out there Gunn K.T.Q.… Expand

This cd was tight. i relly lik jay-zs part in da cd. if you dont like dis you sum hataz

This is a GREAT ALBUM, got the ADVANCED VERSION from the net and I still bought the RETAIL VERSION to SUPPORT this great artist as to labad's comment dont like it? then dont buy it... hater. 10 stars from me! this ALBUM is a HIT!

album is much deeper than just any average album

AMAZING

My Husband has the best album EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!

lauren hill should of been on that all falls down. that version is hot! but all in all k. west is a genius, but of course he would be, look who he's rolling with. it's the ROC in the building

One of the best rap albums ever to be released.

This is the best CD of 2004 so far!

It is excellent. Kanye rules Through the wire n slow jamz are amazing

It has songs on it that I can listen to with my mother and my 9 year old sister. Some of the songs aren't for everybody but I love the cd. I listen to it everynight before I go to bed and in the morning before I leave home. It is just awesome I haven't gotten tired of it yet.

Family Business and school spirit the two best song on this album yet the only one's mentioned r jesus walks and the other 1's people should b given a chance to hear these they r great oh and kayne west is fit

I love all the songs on this cd!!!!!!!!

I think Kanye is a musical genious.He has something to say that is actually meaningful, unlike other rappers who just want to talk about how much they have or how much they can get. I couldnt agree more than i do now on well Kanye is doing as an artist,role model,and man.If hes there somewhere .... Hello from NY to you Kanye. Rachael R.

Being the best hiphop album since Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty, College Droput gave me renewed faith in a genre beset by soulless "bling bling" fakers. A must buy if I ever heard one!

this is an awesome album! it's good to see someone supporting the Man above!

the best

Jesus Walks is my anthem 'nuff said -Chris

Killin y'all n****z on that lyrical s**t Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips

This rap c.d. is so fuckin diff... how can it not get a good mark? Every song is awesome either its by lyrical beats or themes its all good.

Has some good beats, and listenable subject matter. However, the sped up soul jacks (beats) get tiresome and receive way more credit than they deserve. Kanye's lyrical ability is non-existant, though you can pretend like you're not listening.

This cd was really nice one of the best of 2004

the shti for real....

WOW. Now if I could give halves it would just be like a 9.5, because of the skits taking up such valuable track time. But aside from that, this is the most refreshing Hip Hop album in a long time, and Kanye West is one of the few mainstream artists people should welcome with open arms.

A Hip Hop Classic.

I hope this brings a certain change in hip hop,black music has had its ganster stage. Its goin back to a soul full tune, and a blues style beat, and singin about things that can change in life, positive as well as the the negatives. And the positives are not just 'bling' and rollin on 21's which frankly bore the life outta me, who wants to sing about gold and chrome? Well i cant relate to it as a listener. … Expand

Kanye West's College Dropout album displayed real life struggles with the mantality of reaching out to the youth. He reflects on the difficulties, yet also, the love passion , and thanks for the life he has been given.

Incredible work. Kanye West is not one of the top rappers around, but he delivers an amazing message and knows how to make beats fit his style.

Best cd i've ever listened to

this Cd is the freshest look on hip hop since eminem came into the game. kanye delivers the beats and the rhymes to be recognized as one of the top names in hip hop today

AMAZING I love this album the best album of 2004 already-fact!! Without a shadow of a doubt, its a classick. The new kid is on the block and he's shining dude he's shining!!!!---Cop dis disc-no regrets. KW

This is a great album- from the beginning to end Kanye mixes great beats with even better rhymes. Although very much mainstream it has a different feel to the music and thats what makes it great.

NICE

rehashed, uninivated,....boring!

best hip hop cd of the year.

This album is totally different than what hip-hop is right now.Kanye West is talking about things he wants to talk about and not neccasarily what people think theyre going to hear. He shows he can not only produce but drop ill lyrics also.

This CD is fantastic, it just has one glitch. He left out some of his better songs from the mixtape off this CD. Like the Good, Bad the Ugly and Drop Dead Gorgeous

...Im just trying not to dropout...but he is speaking the truth

This is an amazing CD. Kanye is a genius.

cd is straight fire

Lyrically, dude is wack. I think that hip hop fans are soooo starved for somthing that is against the norm (bling bling, money, cars clothes) that when someone comes along with something slightly different they jump on it. Unfortunately sampling an entire song, speeding it up, and placing mediocre lyrics on top doesn't not a classic make. While I'm glad West doesn't talk about the typical things that most rappers do, he is still inevitablely wack.… Expand

Its HOT

This is simply an amazing cd. Kanye has a wild sense of humour, as well as a deep, spiritual side, which comes off on tunes like ?Jesus Walks? and the mind blowing ?Never let me down?, which features Jay Z. ?Spaceship is a tender lilting number of escaping from the cares of life, we?ve all been there. ?Slow jamz? and Through the wire? feature Kanye?s signature style of helium influenced sped up vocals, set to a great groove, and great 80s samples. Other standouts from this dazzling debut are ?Two words?, ?The new workout plan? with it?s disco outro (and hilarious tips on how to get in shape for your man, complete with testimonies of satisfied females) and the 12 minute plus tale of Kanye?s journey to a record deal, set to a gentle groove, interspersed with sax, delicate keyboard tinklings, and a killer hook. Awesome! … Expand

ONE OF THE BESTS!

this Cd is freaking tight, i dont get tired of listen to it, and is one of them albums u can liten all the way through, u dont have to skip songs or anything cuz all them songs are hot, album is THE hotest in 2004

This is a great album, I'm white and usually stick to 60's Rock, but every song on this Album kicks ass. Atleast borrow it from someone, You must hear this Album.

i was sold when i first heard "all falls down" on the radio. "through the wire" was iight but "all falls down" was lyrically beautiful. From then i knew that the whole album had to be like it....and basically it was... Let's start from the beginning.....the intros were hilarious. well.. now that i think about it....i better start w/ the cons of the album cuz the pros will take me all day.... 1)get em high -- kanye's part in this song is pretty good, and so is the first have of talib's....but after that the song goes down...WAY down. Common really SUCKED in this song--the lyrics don't really make any sense and it makes him song really bad....same with talib but not as bad. 2)some ppl seemed not to like the new workout plan....i figure that if u have a good sense of humor then u'll love this song cuz i do. true this song does seem kinda outta place...but then again where else would it have gone? 3)one thing that got on my nerves in "school spirit" and "through the wire" was that they were edited! now there's just somethin w/ me and edited songs they just get on my f**kin nerves!!! (u know what i'm sayin!?) 4) through the wire -- funny the first single of this album was one of the worse songs of the album. first it was kinda edited, and second it sounded like they did nothing to the song...just played the same video version. the quality even sounded like it was recored from a television rather than a recording studio...that was just a little thing that kinda pissed me off (as u can see i pay too much attention to little things) 5) it just kinda felt like there were too many interludes and skits....although there kinda wasn't...it just feels like it (7/21 songs were skits/interludes if that gives u a better idea) 6) personally...if i had only heard jesus walks from kanye....i wouldn't have signed him either :-) funny when i'm reading over these cons they dont' even sound all that bad...and really they arent'...i just pay way too much attention to detail. with the exception of those cons this album was fantastic. kanye is lyrically brilliant and he puts a lot of thought and feeling into what he says. One thing that i must mention out of the general (i'm sorry that this review is somewhat general than others i've done....i mean i just can't explain really how good some of these aspects r) is the last two songs and the outro. This was the best part of the cd and i'd have to say the one of the (if not THE) best endings of a cd that i've ever heard. Family business is the best song on the cd that is just heart touching and awesome (yes i said awesome) song. after that "last call" is a nice outro song where he flos to a hot beat and the choirs in both songs r great and 8+min outro is very nice to listen to...and i've found myself listenin to it a lot more than just once. in short (lol kinda funny after writing all this), the college dropout is nearest to perfect that u'll hear for this whole year. the fact that i gave this a 10 doesn't mean that this album was perfect...but this album has sentimental value that exceeds its lyrics, beats, and production.… Expand

Just deeeeeeeeerty.

from his style to his music, all original

This cd is almost perfect with songs that are simlply deeper than the regular hip hop album some of the songs are gritty and need some polishing like the song with Common, common just dont do it for the song all in all i think its one of the hottest things made not as good as maybe jayz's blueprint or reasonable doubt or maybe biggie's ready to die but give him a chance he is hot

its alllllllll good!

awesome

KANYE WEST IS THE CRAZIEST, FUNNIEST, DOPEST and the most CHEERFUl RAPPER EVER... COLLEGE DROPOUT is the best album of 2004..woRDD

Now I usually like the rock music. Actually no; I usually ONLY like the rock music. But this album is so good! I heard Jesus walks on TV and absolutly loved it. No more rappers 'talking' about cars and 'bootys'. This has made me have a new found respect for hip-hop music!

This album was the BOMB!

Whether you agree with Kanye's political views or not, you have to agree that he can articulate his points very well and sell them to the targeted audience even better. His lyrics along with his new spin on hip hop have brought him to the top of the industry for a good reason. He is uniquely fantastic.

simply amazing. covers an amazing variety of subjects with fresh beats and rhymes. worth listening to simply to justify dropping out of college. one of the only albums i've listened to lately with an actual thesis that is proven.

genious!!!

i think it was the coldest cd of the year

There is alot of filler but even with it there are still 14 or so legitimate(and mostly good)hip-hop tracks. Hands down, one of the best rap albums of the year.

Kanye West gives you something different from ordinary rap/ hip hop. He has a perfect balance of songs. From songs Spaceship to Jesus Walks to Slow Jamz, he gives different flavors of music. There were times when I thought there was room for improvement, lyrically on a few songs. Kaywe West gives incredible production as well. Technically I'm giving the album 9.5. This album leaves you urging for more Kanye. 2.We Don't Care 8/10 4.All Falls Down 9.5/10 6.Spaceship 10/10 7.Jesus Walks 10/10 8.Never Let Me Down 9.5/10 9.Get Em High 7.5/10 11.The New Workout Plan 10/10 12.Slow Jamz 10/10 13.Breathe in Breathe Out 7/10 15.School Spirit 9.5/10 18.Two Words 10/10 19.Through the Wire 9.5/10 20.Family Business 10/10 21.Last Call 10/10… Expand

very good!! only b chance i got the album

Kanye sucks. What the hell is wrong with everyone, saying this is such a good album? It's just incredibly, mindblowingly, fantasticly boring! OH my god it's so boring! It has one song with a few good rhymes, but I don't remember the title, and I don't really care!

One of the best albums ever made! Kanye is sick!

Amazing. When I first heard Kanye I thought it was just another solid rapper coming up. But the production on this album is far above great and the lyrics are more than solid. Kanye is the best well-rounded rapper, or maybe even music artist in general, of today.

this was an amazing cd, it expressed itself with a lot of humor!!! it made me feel very excited wen i listened to it.Thankyoun kanye u rok my world!!! luv ya xx

Excelent songs

It's the best album what i heard in my life, i love this album, the song are various, the featurings are terrible!!! (Sorry for the fault i'm French )

This is the best album in the freaking world .. and the best artist also !!!! kanye west .. a true singer not like all the other bitches who dnt even write there songs..

I like this very hot.

wow

no doubt pipz... tha album iz dope.. kanye got crazy drumz.. but his not as an mc.. his creatz crazyass jamz fo other artist.. lik jigga.. but his not tha best mc out there... HIZ A GUY WHO TALKZ IN HIS Jamz creatively..

this cd is ridiculous.

best album so far of 2004. this album is PERFECT. the lyrics r great. go get his album now. if you dont like kanye west college dropout. then u are not fan of hip hop or dont know what the definition of hip hop is. go get it now and support him

This CD is banging, best of the year so far. Kanye West created a classic CD and his songs are very varied. This coming from a producer/rapper. 50 cent aint got nothin on this.

PERFECT!!!

Great Album...Kanye West should be consider one of the best thing in hip hop now.

future classic

my faith in music has been wavering lately. it is now restored.

A refreshing change, but vocals are off point sometimes and production couldve been better. Definitely something for the future but he could easily go really mainstream, blurg :(

i love this album .

The fact that Kanye does not rap about money and cars and bling bling does not mean he is a "pioneer" as some choose to call him. This album is a big dissapointment, since it was expected to be one of the best hip hop albums this year. It's boring, uninspired, and unoriginal with songs about drug dealing and beating up your manager...it's all been said before.