Say it quietly so the rabid fans and braindead internet discourse do not come knocking, but the early years of Kanye West are excellent. It remains a reminder of what West was capable of. His braggadocious and wild attitude is nothing new but back in the days of debut The College Dropout, he had the material and minerals to back it up. You can hear the hard work playing out on We Don’t Care – the whole through is a collective decade plugging away and producing the work of others. This is a major turning point in how artists were viewed in the media, and how West was once an against-the-grain artist who had sharp perspective and personal experiences which were as touching as they were definitive for the story unfolding.
Much of the love to come for The College Dropout is for the sharp and well-layered production. Spaceship may not be the most lyrically essential for West but for GLC and Consequence, it makes all the difference. There is a sense from West on this record that his own stories and momentum are secondary when it comes to collaborations with the likes of Jay-Z, Common and Jamie Foxx. Big draws for a first album. The likes of Jesus Walks and Never Let Me Down indicate where West would go decades on – though it is doubtful whether he planned to take up the gospel and start expelling his former talents. Jay-Z, J. Ivy and West is a masterful piece which gives another autobiographical slice of West. He claims he is “born to be different,” and with the talent shown from The College Dropout to Graduation, it is hard to disagree.
Beyond the lyrical abilities, the technical skill and flourish for sampling keep West unique. Burt Bacharach, Marvin Gaye and Michael Bolton all find their words used here, covered by the likes of Luther Vandross and then sampled years on from its release. Sharp work like this should be no surprise to a man whose background is stuck in the days of production – though car crashes and Through the Wires would mark a momentous turning point. There are patches of indifference but not through a lacklustre sense of material or production, just tests of what is whirring away well for West. Through the Wire stands out as one of the finest pieces he will likely ever put to tape, and follow-up Family Business marks an exceptional turn.
Artists hellbent on proving their worth are like dogs in a corner, and the feral bark back present from West on this is a stunning turn. The College Dropout is a gamble in every sense of the word. A form like no other and the backing of big names is enough to warrant a gamble, and the rest is history. West plugged away for years to get to this point and though he would go on to improve his form exponentially, the debut efforts are narrative-driven, trendsetting and essential listening. Closer Last Call feels not just like time at the bar but a hit back at those who expected a flop. West says as much with the massive collision toward the end, a biting triumph from a man who, at this time, was keen to take risks.
