By K.B. Tindal
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Select artists are hailed for their debut album and Kanye West’s 2004 debut is considered by most as a classic. The College Dropout was released exactly ten years ago today on Roc-A-Fella Records. At the time of the release, Kanye West already had the “Through The Wire” single going strong.
Kanye West was considered by most as one of the most-lyrical rappers to enter the game in a long time. When the game became obsessed with commercial topics, there was Kanye West rapping about personal struggle. Early in 2004, Kanye West touched on the people obsessed with material with “All Falls Down.”
Collaborating with Syleena Johnson, Kanye West made a classic single with “All Falls Down.” The music video was even more memorable with Stacey Dash starring as the leading lady. In the early summer of 2004, Kanye West had a minor hit with “All Falls Down,” but it paled in comparison to the “Jesus Walks” single, which is what led Roc-A-Fella Records to greenlight his rap album.
Also boasting guest appearances from Consequence, Ludacris, Twista, GLC, Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z, Common, Mos Def, Freeway, and J. Ivy, Kanye West put together a classic album that transformed him from a producer to rap’s new major star. Kanye West shared the “Slow Jamz” single with Twista and he closed the album with “The New Workout Plan” as a single. Today marked ten years since the album was released and he had Kim Kardashian there to say he is the best producer/artist of the decade.
See content from The College Dropout below:
Watch “Through The Wire” by Kanye West below:
Watch “Slow Jamz” by Kanye West and Twista ft. Jamie Foxx below:
Watch “All Falls Down” by Kanye West ft. Syleena Johnson below:
Watch “Jesus Walks” (Version 1) by Kanye West below:
Watch “Jesus Walks” (Version 2) by Kanye West below:
Watch “The New Workout Plan” by Kanye West below:
Follow K.B. Tindal on Twitter @KBTindal.
