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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Album of 2005, August 30, 2005
Everybody knows by now that Kanye West's solo debut The College Dropout was 2004's most critically acclaimed mainstream album, which earned the rapper producer numerous award nominations, including 10 grammy nominations in which he ended up winning three, and now people are calling the album a hip hop classic-with good reason, cause it was a breathe of fresh air to hip hop in a time when hip hop was dominated by popish hits and useless southern hip hop club records. However, when everybody learned that Kanye was working on a second album which he called Late Registration, we all wondered if Kanye would be able to bring it on the second album, and boys and girls, all i need to say is hell yeah, he did. Not only is Kanye's new album the most original hip hop album in years, but it is so incredible that it could compete with Common's BE for the Rap Album of the Year which was expected. This album is so full of great music at a whole new level never seen in hip hop before, which indicates that Kanye West's Decison to work with Jon Brion on production was not a mistake at all. West tackles a lot of issues on this album like his addiciton to money, girls and weed on the unique "Addiction", Conflict diamonds on "Diamonds from sierra leone remix", his actions at last years American Music Awards in "Diamonds from sierra leone", Crack in black America in "Crack Music", the Death of this grandmother and the classic track "roses" and a tribute to his mother on "Hey Mama". The only cons on Late Registration is Kanye's ability as an mc-and this doesnt take away from the feel of the album as he is still an above average rapper compared to 90% of the laughable, non talented rappers now, but we should cut kanye some slack since he is constantly trying to improve his mc skills and it shows in his rhymes. one of the most catchy lines in thi album was on his feel good track "Celebration"- "See You Kno' Ma' Style Im Very Wild' And I Vow' That Ma' Child' Will Be Well Endowed, Like Hiz Daddy, And Tell Em' That Yo' Momma' Had A Fatty, He Looked Up To Me Said,"Daddy Thats The Reason That You Had Me?", Yup! We Wuz Practicin', Till' One Day Yo' A** Bust Threw' The Packagin', You Kno' Wut Tho'? You Ma' Favorite Accident"-to me thats an amazing line! Back to the subject matter on this album, i do not think any rapper now will even imagine touching the topics kanye tackled on this album..and this shows how talented he is as both a rapper and producer.As for the skits, they are not useless as other critics would say, instead they are used for pacing and to tell a better story of the process in which kanye dropped out of college! here are my individual ratings of the songs on the album.
1. Wake Up Mr. West:NR
2. Heard 'Em Say featuring Adam Levine of Maroon 5- Melodic track, kinda emotion, but great overall: 4.5 stars
3. Touch The Sky featuring Lupe Fiasco-one of the best songs on the album, a real feel good track and a highlight in the album: 5 stars
4. Gold Digger featuring Jamie Foxx- second single, with a good message going out to all those gold digging women: 4 stars
5. Skit #1:NR
6. Drive Slow featuring Paul Wall & GLC-Nice Track, Kanye paul Wall and GLC delivers, better than i thought it would be: 4.5 stars
7. My Way Home featuring Common-wow, common brings it with his poetry, shouldnt this be on BE instead: 5 stars
8. Crack Music featuring Game- kinda dissappointed that the game did not have a verse, still has a good message and good rhymes from kanye..and i love that military style beat: 4.5 stars
9. Roses-a classic song: 5 stars all the way!!!
10. Bring Me Down featuring Brandy-wow, Brandy can still sing..this song is wonderful: 5 stars
11. Addiction-i personally love this song, and i think i am addicted to listening to it..it is the most original hip hop song this year: 4.5 stars
12. Skit #2: NR
13. Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)featuring Jay-Z-another classic song, kanye and Jay's verse are incredible- 5 stars!!
14. We Major featuring Nas & Really Doe- Now this is 7 minutes of real hip hop..kanye almost matches the mighty nas lyrically..great song: 5 stars
15. Skit #3
16. Hey Mama- kanyes tribute to his moma: 5 stars
17. Celebration- this is the best production on the album, feel good track, most funny lines!-4 stars
18. Skit #4
19. Gone featuring Consequence & Cam'Ron-Great beat, average lyrics: 3.5 stars
20. Diamonds From Sierra Leone- we've all heard this: 4 stars
21. Late- a song about being late in life, incredible sampling: 4 stars
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33 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sigh... I Knew It, August 31, 2005
Call him egotistical if you want, but Kanye West delivered it well and plenty with his debut "The College Dropout." In terms of sound, his album probably did the best job in 2004 when it came to interspersing the gritty throwback sound with a bit of contemporary catchiness that appealed to both critics and fans. The unique edge he implemented into songs of other artists, as well as his own, earned him ten Grammy nominations and three winning statuettes. Success was inevitable, and in some ways, so was ego-inflation because "Late Registration," Kanye's sophomore album, pales in comparison and just lacks. Lyrically, there isn't much of an overwhelmingly high expectation, although it is deemed a bit inadequate considering the fact that he isn't really saying anything much besides the empty braggadocio. What happened to the introspection of "Jesus Walks" and "All Falls Down"? In terms of his flow, nothing has dramatically changed, which would mean it is still suspect. The collaborations primarily seem wasted, as most of them aren't highlighted by anything outstanding and become nothing more than just the result of "the art of reciprocation" (Kanye produces one of the collaborators' songs, and they appear obligingly on one of his tracks). The aspect that really surprises me is the production, which for the most part, sounds stale... or rather indistinctive. It leans more towards simplistic and passive sounding, almost lazy and uninspired. The only real highlights of the album are "Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix)" (I'm wondering what the point was to include the original version as a bonus track), "We Major," "Drive Slow," "Gold Digger," and "My Way Home." If you include songs that sound good but are pretty hollow in every other aspect, then I'd also include "Touch The Sky" and "Crack Music." But other than those aforementioned, everything else is pretty lackluster. There is an old saying: "You get 25 years to write your first album and only 1 year to write your second." This is evidently the case when it comes to "Late Registration" because despite it's own title, this registry sounds more like a rushed effort rather than a late one.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real Talk, September 11, 2005
GREAT GREAT GREAT... Man listen i aint goin to front to you like Im just a Kanye West fan. Personally, with the combination of his cocky attitude and flamboyant persona in conjunction with an "okay" debut album "College Drop Out," I found myself questioning what Kanye was really tryin to do... The first album to me jumped all aver the place and really didnt have a constant smooth direction.. I kinda felt like he was trying to get too many points of view across on the first album(almost like he wasnt expectin to make a second) TOO RUSHED!! Lyrically on the frist album I agreed with the reviews especialy dealing with his lyrics, although he talked about contreversial topics I kinda felt like lyrically he was lacking. But this cd I have to say he stepped his game up!
This album is head over heals above his debut album and also over alot of music that is out this year and over the past decade.. Instant Classic!!.. Man Im a hood dude and everything but Im soooooo tired of everybody being sooo gangsta and selling drugs like thas all we can do or thas all we can talk about as black people..
I believe Kanye West is the realest rapper out, real not necissarily meaning you gotta talk about being poor or robbin or killin or stealin or slangin.. Too me that struggle has become artifiacial, and commercial(who woulda ever thought killin and slangin would be commercial), but real on saying exactly what evrybody else really wanted to say, but couldn't say it, and not necissarily couldn't say it but even if given the oppurtunity wouldnt say it(perfect example was his comments on Katrina, he said what everybody else was dancin around sayin, but thas a completely different subject).. The 2005 2pac Shakur representing a paradigm shift leading rap into the future, where you can be accepeted for just being you and real and true to yourself, and not necissarily doin it becasue you seen or heard it. The perfect combination that we've all been waiting for(admit it or not).. That explosive lyrical mix of Jay-z and with a soulful Outkast vibe and/or a take em to church John Legend and political soldier in Common.. Just a fantastic mix of all them in one. Lovin it!
P.S. I can't front I am very much so looking forward to hear an entire compilation of John Legend, Common, and Kanye. Kanye you need to make that happen if you aint already doin it.
P.S.S. Anybody and Everybody who tried to fond somthing wrong with this c.d. listen to it again.
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An Amazon.com Best of 2005 selection.
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
by Kanye West 
