Graduation (Parental Advisory) [Digipak] [ECD] - Kanye West

Advantages: All the songs will grow on you
Disadvantages: Few collaborations

"Graduation" is the most anticipated release by Kanye West. It is the third studio album by the Roc-A-Fella artist and has so much pressure to succeed as it competes aganist the sales of 50 Cent's "Curtis" which released on the same day as this. The later artist also claims that if Kanye out-sells him, he will stop making albums. Kanye differs from many Hip Hop artists if today as his style is very different to everyone else, this isn't just in his ...
...the glasses shown on the album cover on occassions as well as clothes which are worn to fit the body. He isn't too bothered bout having ice on his wrists either, as he would rather add a plastic retro watch to his arm to remind him of his youth. The name for the album follows Kanye's life as the previous albums, "College Dropout" and "Late Registration", did. So this appears to be the final one associated with school/university life by the sound ... Read review

Advantages: Most talented guy in the public light right now
Disadvantages: Some tracks

Just incase you haven't heard, Kanye West and 50 Cent are trying to do something apparently good for 'hip hop' by releasing their albums on the same day and see who gets the largest sales. My general impression is that Kanye will come out on top, but 50 has put more than just his pride on the line by saying that if his album, 'Curtis', fails then he shall never bring out a solo album again. I'm sure he had his fingers crossed, just as Eminem did ...
...feud is great for record sales when you consider we live in an age of downloads. Now why would I think Kanye would do better than 50 Cent? Let me introduce you to 'Graduation' the album. Kanye was lucky, he was born with his stage name already in place, that's some inspired parenting as they named him Kanye Omari West as he was born on June 8th 1977. The world began to fall for Kanye back in 2004 when he released his debut album, 'College Dropout', ... Read review

Advantages: Outstanding Charisma, great beats
Disadvantages: No stand out songs, such as 'Gold Digger'

...5 times more pre-orders for Graduation than Curtis. After listening to each album i believe the announced figures go hand in hand with the quality of each album. Graduation is simply a better hip hop album, better lyrical content, better beats, generally a solid effort, unlike 50 Cent's worst effort yet. But let's focus on this album. Starting off with 'Good Morning'. It sounds like the perfect intro, a slow, melodic beat with good flow from Kanye ...
...next, 'Champion'. Kanye oozes charisma in his flow and delivery, rapping about his childhood, growing up from modesty to riches. As cliched as it sounds, i enjoyed this track just as much as many others and lyrically wise, Kanye shows why he is possibly the best around right now. Number 3 is the smash hit 'Stronger', while the commercial sound stands out, it isnt about money, cars and girls (well, girls a little bit, but not in any boring, silly ... Read review

Advantages: some amazing songs with excellent lyrics and great production.
Disadvantages: some bad songs with rubbish lyrics and mediocre production

'Graduation' starts off well. 'Stronger', the album's first release, becomes more likeable with every listen. Kanye asks "does anyone make real shit anymore?" which is rather ironic when uttered by a rapper who endlessly recycles music himself. When was the last time he made "real shit"? And does this addiction to the sample not then necessitate some limit to the accolades he can be awarded as an artist? Still, on the 'Stronger' track, Kanye dabbles ...
...hip-hop classics, he opts for Daft Punk and produces an interesting and upbeat song that is Graduation's stand-out track. Another noticeable track is 'Good Life', featuring the singer T-Pain and borrowing heavily from Michael Jackson's 'PYT' (see para's 1 & 2). An infectious, enjoyable song, the production is on point and, as the lyrics demand, you immediately want to "throw your hands in the sky" and break in to dance. So much so that Kanye is ... Read review

Advantages: different to others yet amazing quality
Disadvantages: not as long as previous albums

...sold. It is predicted that Graduation will surpass 750,000 albums, with 437,000 albums being sold on release day. In the Rolling Stones magazine that had a feature on the kanye/50 battle, fiddy was quoted as saying "He's never been able to generate a fraction fo the interest that I have". Now who will be eating their words?! ... Read review