My 20 Favorite Hip-Hop Albums EVER! #20
Written by willshoob on Wednesday, 17 of September , 2008 at 6:14 pm
Alright! Let’s stir up some mad controversy while hipster hopper Willie (lupethefiasco) counts down his favorite hip-hop albums. Sorry for not living in the 1980’s and early 90’s with hip-hop. I am all about the current in the hip-hop world, so I’ll offend a whole lot of old school hip-hop fans. But since it’s a blog, you can only virtually attack me, and you’re especially defenseless if it’s a comment because we can deny it. Muahahahaha. Anyways let’s get this shit started.
Coming in at number 20, we have Kanye West’s earliest and best album, The College Dropout.
To anyone ready to say “Kanye is now shit” keep in mind this album is from 2003. This is before Kanye stormed the VMA stage, or before he started recording songs about drunken hot girls and flashing lights. Essentially, sane Kanye makes a happy Willie (lupethefiasco). I remember buying this album when I was 10 or 11 and non stop listening to “Jesus Walks.” To this day, it’s still one of my favorite songs of his and by far his best song live. Plus, the video is really cool. So I figured for this 20 post segment I’m going to introduce the album, then disect 5 or 6 of my favorite tracks from the previously mentioned CD.
Not counting the 19 second introduction, Kanye opens The College Dropout on a very high note with “We Don’t Care.” An obvious highlight on the album, “We Don’t Care” is a song about underestimating kids in the hood. It gives an insight about how people have to sell drugs and work 9 to 5’s just to narrowly get by.
Highlight of the song: The lyrics to the chorus:
And all my people that’s
Drug dealing just to get by
Stacking money ’till it gets sky high
We wasn’t suppose to make it past 25
Joke’s on you we still alive
Throw your hands up in the sky
And say we don’t care what people say
An interlude later, we have another hit in “All Falls Down”, featuring Syleena Johnson. One of the only rap songs off the top of my head that uses an acoustic guitar. Syleena Johnson belts out an awesome chrous while Kanye raps about self conscious people, one of which is himself.
Highlight of the song: Probably one of Kanye’s wittiest group of lines to date:
She’s like fuck it, I’ll just stay down here and do hair
Cause that’s enough money to buy her a few pairs of new Airs
Cause her baby daddy don’t really care
She’s so precious with the peer pressure
Couldn’t afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis
She had hair so long that it looked like weave
Then she cut it all off now she look like Eve
Kanye West- All Falls Down (Feat. Syleena Johnson)
Another interlude (or skit) later, we have my favorite song on the album, (and probably my favorite Kanye song ever) “Jesus Walks.” Everyone knows this song. This was Kanye’s first single since leaving producing, and jesus (pun intended) it was quite an introduction. I remember watching MTV’s Punk’d when I was 9 or 10 and seeing them punk Kanye on the set of this video. I immediately gained interest and eventually bought the album.
Highlight of the song: The end of his second verse:
So here go my single dog radio needs this
They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes
But if I talk about God my record won’t get played huh?
Well let this take away from my spins
Which will probably take away from my ends
Then I hope this take away from my sins
And bring the day that I’m dreaming about
Next time I’m in the club everybody screaming out
Skipping a few songs, we have “Get ‘Em High” featuring Talib Kweli. Although I love this song, he really ruined it at the Glow In The Dark Tour. He put an effect on his voice, where it’s just him mumbling the lyrics in an annoyingly low voice. But nevertheless, it’s a great song.
Highlight of the song: Kanye trying to convince Talib Kweli to tell a girl that Kanye actually knows him:
Yo Kwe, she don’t believe me, please pickup the line
She gon’ think that I’m lyin, just spit a couple of lines
Then maybe I’ll be able to give her dick all the time, and get her high
Kanye West- Get ‘Em High (Feat. Talib Kweli & Common)
Last but certainly not least we have “Through The Wire.” This is the most inspirational song Kanye has ever recorded, and one of my favorites. This song was recorded while Kanye had his jaw sewn shut from a car accident. Kanye mentions in the song that he considers it a miracle that he survived, so it seems like he must have been going through some shit when he was writing this. Either way it’s an amazing song.
Highlight of the song: The end of the first verse:
No use me tryin’ to be lying
I been trying to signed
Trying to be a millionaire
How I use two lifelines
In the same hospital where Biggie Smalls died
The doctor said I had blood clots
But I ain’t Jamaican man
Story on MTV and I ain’t trying to make the band
I swear this right here is history in the making man
Category: Miscellaneous
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Comment by HipHop is Alive
Made Thursday, 18 of September , 2008 at 4:23 am
http://www.hiphopfrequency.com
True, Kanye knocked this one out of the park.
Comment by Creatively Boundless
Made Tuesday, 14 of April , 2009 at 3:30 pm
Some of the best rappers come out chicago
http://creativelyboundless.wordpress.com/2009/04/05/chi-town-aj-allen/
