Everything was changing in 2007.

The Harry Potter series came to an end. The first iPhone was unveiled. The Simpsons got a movie. And, after a decades-long reign on the charts, gangster rap was finally toppled in favor of upbeat, anthem-driven rap. The only person capable of causing this tectonic shift in culture was none other than the infamously outrageous Kanye West. This metaphorical passing of the torch occurred shortly after West and 50 Cent went head-to-head in a sales competition, shattering records for both artists. Graduation, the album that paved the way for a new wave of rap, is a departure from West’s traditional soulful production and jazzy elements. Here, he trades in the samples for synths and electronic-powered anthems of empowerment and ambivalence. On Graduation, Kanye West dives headfirst into his newfound fame and never looks back.

Aesthetics

As mentioned earlier, Graduation is a departure from the traditional Kanye West formula. Here, his sampling widens to a larger palette of genres. Across a layer of synths, he’s able to sample from electronic, house, and even indie rock to deliver some of his most poignant, memorable sounds to date. Few artists have been able to match the immediately gripping intro of Good Morning, and even fewer have mastered AutoTune the way Kanye and T-Pain do on The Good Life. West is able to span genre and style to create a world where sample and synth reign supreme.

Best Aesthetics: Nowhere does this formula succeed more than on Stronger, a Daft Punk-sampled anthem of defying expectations. The sample, drawn from Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger is joined by a looping drum beat and humming synth combo that provide each stanza with a sense of urgency. Kanye is in his element on Stronger. He’s cocky, braggadocios, and eager to show everyone how capable he is on both sides of the recording studio.

Lyricism

The departures from previous albums continue in his written work. On previous albums, West doted on social welfare issues, income inequality, and institutionalized racism. Here, he looks inward at how far he’s come, the results of his meteoric rise to fame, and his urge to connect with his audience on a more personal level. Before the creation of the album, West frequently listened to folk music to learn the art of constructing a narrative. The fruits of his labor allowed him to create songs like Champion, where he parallels motivational lyrics with his strained relationship with his father. By the end of the song, he processes their complex relationship and finally reconciles with the idea that his father, through it all, was still a champion in his eyes. Besides Drunk and Hot Girls, a regrettably cringeworthy miss in West’s near-perfect discography, Graduation features some of West’s absolute best musings on life and inner peace.

Best Lyrics: Everything I Am may very well go down as Kanye’s most underrated song. Here, he describes how everything he isn’t — from his looks to his attitude — make him who he is. He acknowledges that he isn’t perfect, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Why would he want to be anyone else when he can be Kanye West? With just a few short bars, he’s able to remain entirely authentic while delivering lyrics that ring true to this day.

Personality

The name Kanye West is associated with a laundry list of buzzwords: egotistical, unpredictable, unstable, genius, and, yes, even fish sticks. It’s no wonder he’s so associated with these words; on the surface, many of Graduation‘s songs seem incredibly cocky. Dive deeper into their inner workings, though, and you’ll find an artist that’s finally earned recognition after years of rejection. Graduation is West’s victory lap. He proved doubters wrong with The College Dropout, provided ample evidence that he wasn’t a one-album-wonder with Late Registration, and changed the culture of mainstream hip hop with Graduation. If this doesn’t earn him the right to be a little cocky, nothing will.

Where Personality Works: If you had to explain Kanye West’s personality with only one song, it’d easily be Can’t Tell Me Nothing. This is West’s proverbial middle finger to the doubters, the people that told him he’d never make it. He walks a fine line between cockiness and insecurity, lamenting on regret while raging defiantly against his doubters. His sardonic attitude is matched with unbridled passion while he struggles to stay afloat in the drowning euphoria of fame. Over a decade later, this dichotomous approach to fame has been the onus of West’s music; Can’t Tell Me Nothing is far and beyond one of his most memorable works to date.

Quailty

Frequently described as a perfectionist on his first two albums, Graduation continues the winning streak for quality with gorgeous, uplifting poignancy. The album’s thematic approaches to fame, success, and staying true to ones’ roots is what makes Graduation so memorable. He’s able to build a neon-tinted world with word and sample alike, allowing each part to work cohesively. This sonic harmony is the crux of Graduation; the larger-than-life approach of each song makes it sound like it’s made for stadiums and arenas alike.

Highest Quality: No song on Graduation is able to grab your attention quite like Flashing Lights does. From the arpeggio-filled violin samples to the subtle twinkle of the synths, Dwele’s enchanting voice and West’s incredibly catchy bars make Flashing Lights a song to remember. West flexes his lyrical muscles to describe a girl who reflects everything Kanye represents; cocky, charismatic, and cool. Flashing Lights is West’s cognitive dissonance as he tries to cope with the idea that there’s someone in the world just like him. For a moment, you catch a preview of his next album as he realizes that he might not like what he sees.

Conclusions

Graduation, the third album by Kanye West, became one of the greatest cultural zeitgeists of the mid-2000s. West’s introspective approach to album writing paved the way for artists like Drake, The Weeknd, and even caused artists like U2 to shift their style. Through all its glitz and glamour, Kanye West carved a world of his own with Graduation, blending genres to tell his tale of fame and the effect it has on the human psyche. Graduation, symbolically, gave Kanye the stepping stones he needed to achieve fame he’d never felt before. Fame that would soon lead him on a roller-coaster ride of love, loss, and self-actualization.

Final Score: 9.0 Sparkling Synths/10

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