The whole album is as refreshing as a summer breeze, but I don't listen to Kanye for a summer breeze. The video for "Good Morning" is my favorite Kanye video ever. With the exception of "Drunk & Hot Girls"-far and away the worst song of his career- Graduation is a fun, easy listen. "Stronger" is a blast, as is "Good Life," and a number of times I illegally drank to those songs before I turned 21 is remarkable. He's capable of greatness, but he didn't deliver it on Graduation. Most artists would kill to have an album as good as Graduation, but as I said, I hold Kanye to a higher standard. Now, Graduation is by no means a bad album, quite the opposite. As rich as they are deep, each album is an experience that means something bigger. You can trace his life and his career through his music. When you compare the heart and earnest ambition on College Dropout to MBDTF fantasy you can see how far he's come and it's remarkable. I think what makes his music timeless is how he is able to put himself into the music. He's always changing and progressing and it comes from a place of artist curiosity. Most artists find a sound, stay with it, and ride it out to the end. I've spent 40-minute car trips listening to "Power" alone and still get goosebumps. I didn't like Yeezus, but I had to respect his willingness to take a real risk, something he's done with each and every album. The way the music reflects Kanye's turmoil and reckless opulence is astounding and the result is an energy that transcends time. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a masterpiece. People hate 808's & Heartbreak but I will defend that album to the death if you've ever been through a breakup you have to appreciate it. It's a feeling he's replicated time and time again. It's a feeling that comes from an artist pouring all of themselves into each and every single aspect of the album.
There was something intangible yet undeniable and it shook my core. What amazed me most was not the way it sounded but the way it felt. I remember where I was the first time I heard College Dropout and, though it was literally a decade ago, I still get the same feeling when I listen to it today. He's proven time and time again to be the gold standard of hip-hop, so anything less than groundbreaking simply isn't up to par.
But with great love comes great responsibility.
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