Rank the Best Kanye Singles...

[Lament]

I still get goosebumps every time "We Don't Care" starts. And his verse about working at the Gap in "Spaceship" is one of my favorites from his whole career.

[verb_to_trust]

The skits and that last track with Jay Z always seemed to keep it from being one of my favorite hip hop albums. Imagine if Family Buisness was the last track instead? I remember buying the album not knowing much at all about Kanye when I was 19 or 20 just because I felt like I could relate to the album title. I managed to finish college in spite of these feelings though guys, dont worry...

[Kevin Davis]

"College Dropout" felt like manna from heaven when it dropped in 2004, into the world of Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz and "Right Thurr" -- fresh yet instantaneously classic, musically deep but accessible, intelligent but goofy, dorky but effortlessly cool. I remember for a while it was unclear whether to lump Kanye in with the Jay-Z's of the world or with the Commons, guys that back then (and maybe still are, I haven't heard the term for a while) called "conscious rappers." He had songs like "The New Workout Plan" but he also rapped about stuff like the shortcomings of the educational system and poor black turnout at the voting booth, and Talib Kweli and Mos Def were guesting on his shit -- the album (and its follow-up, to a lesser extent) is driven by a sense of conscience that's rarely since been so unambiguous, one which belies the reputation he would go on to develop for himself as a fit-throwing, hand-wringing primadonna.

Looking back on it, with the gained experience of five more albums all tinged with varying shades of darkness, "College Dropout" feels quaint -- an (increasingly, by virtue of its rarity) precious glimpse of the great and powerful Yeezus when he was still working crappy jobs at the mall and sharing a bed with nine of his cousins, before his ascent to self-proclaimed deity went and complicated things. It's an album that makes you long for simpler times but also marvel at how far you've come. And I maintain that no folksinger has ever turned in a version of "I'll Fly Away" that soars like this one.

[verb_to_trust]

Yeah New Workout Plan is whack too...

[Kevin Davis]

I remember not knowing much of Jay's stuff when I first heard "College Dropout" and thinking, "This guy is supposed to be the best rapper alive?" His verses on that album are really lousy. Thankfully he redeems himself on "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," and -- later -- on "Monster," "So Appalled," and the "Power" remix.

[verb_to_trust]

I've never been into Jay Z. Cue Ether by Nas.

[Kevin Davis]

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/new ... t-20140616

[Mike]

So Yeezus is pretty good, huh. The ending to New Slaves is great, especially following such an abrasive first part. I dig that contrast.

[William Bloke]

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/kanye-and-lebron-preview-chuck-klostermans-i-wear-the-black-hat-20140616

That was a great read. Thanks.

[Lament]

So Yeezus is pretty good, huh. The ending to New Slaves is great, especially following such an abrasive first part. I dig that contrast.

New Slaves is probably my second or third favorite Kanye track (at least these days). That dynamic you're talking about is totally thrilling to me, no matter how many times I hear it.

[LoathedVermin72]

I remember not knowing much of Jay's stuff when I first heard "College Dropout" and thinking, "This guy is supposed to be the best rapper alive?" His verses on that album are really lousy. Thankfully he redeems himself on "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," and -- later -- on "Monster," "So Appalled," and the "Power" remix.

Man, I hate Jay's verse on "Monster" so much.

[Kevin Davis]

Are you a Jay-Z fan in general, LV?

[LoathedVermin72]

Are you a Jay-Z fan in general, LV?

Reasonable Doubt is a classic album, but I've never really gone any further than that. Generally speaking, I like him and think he's a good rapper. I just hate that verse a lot. I don't think that song is anything amazing thematically or even musically, but it's all about the raps for me. Rick Ross's brief but potent intro is awesome (I just love his voice in general), Ye's verse is also awesome, and Nicki Minaj's verse is one of the greatest moments in music ever. But Jay-Z brings the song to a grinding halt. His flow is awkward as fuck, and sounds totally at odds with the pace the other three set. I seriously fast-forward through it every time I listen to the song now.

[verb_to_trust]

Are you a Jay-Z fan in general, LV?

Reasonable Doubt is a classic album, but I've never really gone any further than that. Generally speaking, I like him and think he's a good rapper. I just hate that verse a lot. I don't think that song is anything amazing thematically or even musically, but it's all about the raps for me. Rick Ross's brief but potent intro is awesome (I just love his voice in general), Ye's verse is also awesome, and Nicki Minaj's verse is one of the greatest moments in music ever. But Jay-Z brings the song to a grinding halt. His flow is awkward as fuck, and sounds totally at odds with the pace the other three set. I seriously fast-forward through it every time I listen to the song now.

Nicki Minaj's verse greatest moment in music ever? Gtfo

[Kaius]

Maybe he means it is one of his 1000 greatest moments ever.

[LoathedVermin72]

Yeah, I said "one of," dude.

[verb_to_trust]

My statement stands

[LoathedVermin72]

I really don't see how anyone could dispute the degree to which she crushes that track. Her delivery is brutal.

[Kevin Davis]

Are you a Jay-Z fan in general, LV?

Reasonable Doubt is a classic album, but I've never really gone any further than that. Generally speaking, I like him and think he's a good rapper. I just hate that verse a lot. I don't think that song is anything amazing thematically or even musically, but it's all about the raps for me. Rick Ross's brief but potent intro is awesome (I just love his voice in general), Ye's verse is also awesome, and Nicki Minaj's verse is one of the greatest moments in music ever. But Jay-Z brings the song to a grinding halt. His flow is awkward as fuck, and sounds totally at odds with the pace the other three set. I seriously fast-forward through it every time I listen to the song now.

"Reasonable Doubt" is probably my all-time favorite rap album -- I was hoping you were familiar with it, otherwise it would have been my pleasure to recommend it.

Jay is an immensely talented emcee with an extremely inconsistent discography, but in addition to "RD" I think "The Blueprint" is pretty essential (a lot of Kanye's breakout tracks as a producer appear on that album), and I really like both "In My Lifetime Vol. 1" (the only album that still retains occasional residue of "RD"'s narrative melancholia, though it does veer pretty heavily into pimp/hustla bullshit at times) and "The Black Album." His whole big pimpin', party-on-a-yacht side is pretty much obnoxious to me, so he has entire albums that I pass on, but when he's on, man.

[LoathedVermin72]

Are you a Jay-Z fan in general, LV?

Reasonable Doubt is a classic album, but I've never really gone any further than that. Generally speaking, I like him and think he's a good rapper. I just hate that verse a lot. I don't think that song is anything amazing thematically or even musically, but it's all about the raps for me. Rick Ross's brief but potent intro is awesome (I just love his voice in general), Ye's verse is also awesome, and Nicki Minaj's verse is one of the greatest moments in music ever. But Jay-Z brings the song to a grinding halt. His flow is awkward as fuck, and sounds totally at odds with the pace the other three set. I seriously fast-forward through it every time I listen to the song now.

"Reasonable Doubt" is probably my all-time favorite rap album -- I was hoping you were familiar with it, otherwise it would have been my pleasure to recommend it.

Jay is an immensely talented emcee with an extremely inconsistent discography, but in addition to "RD" I think "The Blueprint" is pretty essential (a lot of Kanye's breakout tracks as a producer appear on that album), and I really like both "In My Lifetime Vol. 1" (the only album that still retains occasional residue of "RD"'s narrative melancholia, though it does veer pretty heavily into pimp/hustla bullshit at times) and "The Black Album." His whole big pimpin', party-on-a-yacht side is pretty much obnoxious to me, so he has entire albums that I pass on, but when he's on, man.

RD is so good. "D'evils" is one of my favorite songs ever. The other albums you mentioned have been on my to-do list forever. I should get around to those.