I thought I'd edit this review because I felt that I dwelled too long on the negatives of this album and did not say much about its good points. It's more of a rewrite and I guess I better balance the ying and the yang...
Late Registration is Kanye West's follow-up to the greatest hip hop album in recent years that is College Dropout. His debut album was a breath of fresh air to the hip hop and even the pop scene and his sophomore album aims to keep the scenes on its toes.
I really enjoyed College Dropout and so as soon as I got this album, I listened for hours with great expectations.
I like this album..but there is something remiss about it and I'm going to put it down to Kanye's rapping. I still stand by my earlier opinion that his rapping is mediocre (especially in comparison with his guests) and I think that this brings the quality of Late Registration down.
Kanye tries too hard to be intelligent, witty, political or profound and ,more often than not, falls flat. And with esteemed guests as Jay Z
(though I don't like him, I admit his rhymes flow effortlessly), Common and Nas, West's poor lyrics show up more. Many of the themes he explores in his individual tracks are well-meant, but he doesn't satisfy with his lyrics. There are some rare gems though, where you appreciate his wit and thought. "A" for effort, "D" for rapping performance!
Another thing is the interludes. The skits are in the same anti-college mood as in the College Dropout. This time he targets the uselessness of fraternities. Although it was funny in College Dropout to a point, I became very weary of these skits and in Late Registration they are just plain tiresome.
Having said all that, the music is superbly produced. I don't usually have that to say after listening to an album but Late Registration shows a new depth and maturity in Kanye West's production.
Granted, much is Jon Brion's (co-producer) influence but the partnership is amazing. Even in the tracks that I was not fond of, I cannot deny that the production was immaculate and polished. If you imagine listening to College Dropout and add to each track extra vocals, percussion, extra beats, more instruments, all put together perfectly and you have Late Registration! The tracks are, as a result, more complete and full sounding than those of College Dropout.
Here's an overview of each track:
1. Wake Up Mr West (Skit)
2. Heard 'Em Say with Adam Levine (Maroon 5) - Good opening to the album. Well put together from the piano loop and chords to the bass line and the falsetto singing from Adam Levine
3. Touch The Sky with Lupe Fiasco - another impressive Production. Catchy hook and Fiasco is really good in this..never heard of him but good!
4. Goldigger with Jamie Foxx - has Foxx singing modified lyrics to Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman" throughout the song. OK
5. Skit 1
6. Drive Slow with Paul Wall+GLC - sounds acid-jazzy initially. Kinda mellow and flows on by.. Nice if you're in the mood for it
7. My Way Home with Common - Common is always good. Shame Kanye can't follow. I like it for common's rapping
8. Crack Music with The Game - love the beats in this. Quite straightforward but not really a fan of Game
9. Roses - Nicely layered track about his dying grandmother. Sometimes quite heartfelt lyrics. Nice and shows another side to West.
10. Bring Me Down with Brandy - Brandy sings well in this and Kanye is slightly better.
11. Addiction - I don't like this one. Just can't get myself to listen to it more than a few seconds..
12. Skit 2
13. Diamonds from Sierra Leon Remix with Jay-Z - Jay-Z works quite well with Kanye. I like!
14. We Major with Nas+Consequence - This is one of the best ones. Nas is up there with the greatest rappers of all time and shows his class in this. The long outro is Brion's addition to the song and works well.
15. Skit 3
16. Hey Mama - I liked this...a lot..until my friends kept on singing and rapping it and now it has kinda lost its appeal. Loved it while it lasted! Very catchy and some brilliant rapping from kanye.
17. Celebration - not bad but the choir singing is a nice addition but not enough to make it much better
18. Skit 4
19. Gone with Cam'ron+Consequence - listen to this in stereo! the piano comes in from the left and strings from the right...or the other way round....? Cam'ron is really good in this
20. Diamonds from Sierra Leon - I like this! This is the track where Kanye has both his best and worst lines! Listen out for them and you'll see.
21. Late - nicely produced
In all all the tracks have amazing and more complex beats than before in College Dropout. Given that Kanye always uses unsual beats, this is quite an achievement.
The guest appearances are impressive though. Jay-Z, Nas, Game, Common, Michael Gondry (director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind) in the remix of diamonds etc and they make this album a bit more interesting.
A solid album in all but seriously let down by Kanye's rapping. He tried too hard and it's such a shame that he doesnt have the lyrical skills to deliver.
7.5 out of 10
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
For haters eager to see Kanye hit a sophomore slump--no such luck. Late Registration can't ... more
replicate the novelty of last year's College Dropout, but otherwise, this is an impressively more mature and labored-over album. Lyrically, Kanye's only improved...
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Aug 29th, 2005
(Sep 2nd, 2005)
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