1. Kanye West

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. ' Released: May 15, 2007.

' Released: July 31, 2007. ' Released: October 2, 2007. ' Released: November 12, 2007. ' Released: February 18, 2008 Graduation is the third by American rapper. It was released on September 11, 2007, through.

Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at, in, at and in. It was primarily produced by West himself, with contributions from, as well as, Brian 'All Day' Miller, and. It features from artists, including, and of. The album's cover artwork was designed by Japanese contemporary artist.

Inspired by bands and, Graduation marked a departure away from the ornate, -based sound of West's previous releases toward a more anthemic style of rap music that would function well while he was performing in large arenas. Toward this end, West incorporated sounds into his production and dabbled with, while from a wider spectrum of music genres. Lyrically, the album is more introspective in comparison to its predecessors, as West dedicated much of Graduation towards analyzing himself and conveying his ambivalent outlook on his newfound fame.

It continues the education theme of West's previous two studio albums, (2004) and (2005). The album debuted at number one on the US, selling 957,000 copies in its first week.

It produced five singles, including the international hits ', ', and '. The coinciding release dates between Graduation and fellow rapper 's generated much publicity over the idea of a sales competition, resulting in record-breaking sales performances by both albums. The outcome of the competition marks a turning point in, when the dominance of in mainstream hip-hop was brought to an end. Graduation received acclaim from most critics and earned West several accolades, including his third. The album has sold 2,700,000 copies in the US and has been certified by the. Contents.

Background Graduation is the third installment of Kanye West's planned of education-themed studio albums, which West subsequently later deviated from due to the events surrounding the conception of his fourth studio album,. The album demonstrates yet another distinctive progression in West's musical style and approach to.

After spending the previous year touring the world with Irish rock band on their, West became inspired by watching open the stadium tours every night to incredible ovations and sought out to compose rap songs that could operate more efficiently in large stadiums and arenas. In West's attempt to accomplish this 'stadium-status' endeavor, West incorporated electronic into his, which also finds him utilizing slower, being influenced by the, and experimenting with. Kanye West was particularly influenced by, a subgenre of that first originated in his hometown of, in the early 1980s.

West has stated that growing up, he would listen to hip-hop music at home or in his car, but when he felt like dancing, he would attend a house club. While he rarely listened to house at home, he still felt it was an important part of his culture and background.

West further broadened his musical palette on Graduation by not limiting himself to his customary use of and from classic records and instead drew influences from a far more range of. Along with house music, Graduation contains samples and music of, and. Also, for much of the third studio album, Kanye West modified his style of and adopted a dilatory, exuberant in emulation of Bono's operatic stylings. West altered his vocabulary, he utilized less of the percussive, rhythmic in favor of the more smoother, melodic sounds. In addition to U2, West drew inspiration from other bands such as and for the and of his songs.

In terms of lyricism, he simplifies some of his rhymes after touring with The Rolling Stones on their concert tour and discovering he could not captivate the audiences as well with his most complex lyrical themes. West made a conscious decision to abstain from the widespread recording practice of excessive albums saturated with and and instead comprised Graduation with significantly fewer tracks. He also chose to scale back on the, limiting himself to just one single guest rap on the entire studio album. The stylistic divergence and desire for a leaner, more economical studio album was a creative reaction that was brought on by the and that West had been listening to around the time of the recording of his third studio album. West cites the bands, and singer-songwriter, whom he also looked towards for songwriting inspiration, for being among his favorite musicians and having considerably profound influence on the sound of Graduation. Largely due to all this and the inclusion of the layered electronic synthesizers, West believed that his record took hip-hop in a different direction. But he also acknowledged the fact that the differences did not right away and without a doubt make Graduation a good album.

However, he felt it was a representation of the music he was listening to at that time. Recording. West's experiences on arena rock tours such as U2's Vertigo Tour (pictured) inspired his direction for the album. Kanye West began working on Graduation immediately after releasing his second studio album.

By late September 2005, West had already completed three songs for the album, which he intended to contain a total of twelve tracks. Around the time of the recording of the third studio album, West would often listen to songs written by and singer-songwriters and in hopes of developing methods to augment his and abilities. The former musician had been recommended to West by multiple of his friends, including English disc jockey, all of whom claimed his music and the way he dealt with the press reminded them of Dylan. Kanye also listened to his most favorite bands, including, and, in order to gain new ideas on how to make his hip-hop production style more stadium-friendly. Additionally, West would often test his new songs on his, in his office, in and just about anywhere people might listen to his music.

He would then make adjustments to the tracks based on feedback he received, repeating the process as many times as necessary. In comparison to previous albums, Graduation features fewer from other recording artists.

West elaborated that it was a fully conscious decision to keep his guest vocalists at a minimum, saying that, 'When I hear the records of my favorite bands – The Killers or – you only hear one voice from start to finish.' Singers and, New York rappers and ALBe. Back, and famed hip-hop record producer are featured in individual tracks primarily to deliver and. However, though he originally intended for Graduation to be completely devoid of guest rap verses, West decided to invite rapper on the track '. At the time, the two MCs had been working together, with West contributing to the production of Lil Wayne's sixth studio album. As for the absence of, West explained, 'There's just serious songs, and.

No special effects or antics. And no fake!' West instead decided to record two earthy musical in place of the hip-hop skits. He incorporated and percussion into both. However, for unknown reasons, the two musical interludes were omitted from the studio album. Many songs on Graduation contain provided by of the Australian group. The collaboration came about when West met her bandmates Angus McDonald and Daimon Downey at a diner in while touring the country with around November 2006.

Seeking musical inspiration, West asked McDonald for ideas, who in turn suggested that he be introduced to Mitchell. Upon meeting Mitchell after she arrived at where he was recording music during the tour, West had her sing over a vocal track and quickly took a liking to her voice. U2 singer and guitarist also complimented Mitchell's singing while visiting the studio.

Some time later, Mitchell received a call from West who asked if she could travel to in to begin recording tracks for his third studio album. Mitchell later admitted that while she previously didn't know who Kanye West was and never really cared for hip-hop music, the collaboration has changed her views.

Contributed vocals to several songs on the album. During an interview with, West revealed that he had worked with, the lead singer of the British band Coldplay, on a song entitled ', and that it just might possibly be released as the for Graduation. The collaboration occurred the year before when Kanye West and Chris Martin met one another during an impromptu jam session at the in,. West had just finished performing at a show that had been held at Abbey Road and the band just so happened to be recording their music in the recording studio at exactly the same time. The song in itself is actually a re-vamping for 'Home (Windy)', a track that originated from a tape dating back to the year 2001. It was made available two years later under the new title 'Home' on West's 2003 mixtape Get Well Soon. And also on the advance copy of West's debut studio album, which due to a was never released.

This original version possesses Kanye West's once trademark classic vocal production style, with singer on the chorus, which contains lyrics that are different than Martin's. This is due to the fact that Chris Martin asked Kanye West to change the song's lyrical content. Widely considered by and listeners alike to be the most radio-friendly track on Graduation, West defines the studio album's third single ' as the song with the most 'blatant '. The track features vocals from singer, who utilizes the voice technology of. West had previously experimented with the technology on his debut album for the background vocals on the songs ' and 'Never Let Me Down'. During his brief stay in, West sent through sixteen different of 'Good Life' over to their recording studio for the process. West admitted that he actually did not really care for the single, but he was pressured into releasing it by his record label.

However, West has since clarified that he doesn't retain any lingering animosity whatsoever towards his record label in regards to this. Graduation started taking definite form around the time of the filming of the for its second single ', whereas prior West had been 'aimlessly making songs.' The music video was directed by famed music video director, film director, and screenwriter. The imagery of music video inspired West to take his album in a more direction.

After the filming of the music video, which began before West had even written the song's second verse, he returned to the studio to redo parts of 'Stronger' and various other tracks he recorded for the album, watching films such as for more ideas. West mixed the track seventy-five times, as he could not seem to get the to sound precisely the way that he wanted it to, amongst other issues. He worked on 'Stronger' with eight different and eleven different around the globe and recorded over fifty versions of the track.

Still feeling dissatisfied after hearing the hit single inside a compared alongside 's 2007 single ', which was his favorite hip-hop at the time, West enlisted the record producer to assist him in redoing the. The third studio album also sees the return of composer and multi-instrumentalist — who had played an integral role as the co-executive producer on West's previous studio album Late Registration — for the track 'Drunk and Hot Girls.' Kanye claimed that one day, while listening to 'Sing Swan Song' by the German band, he heard the words 'drunk and hot girls' rather than the actual 'drunky hot bowls' lyrics. Rather than rap, West instead slowly sings along to the sinister song's dreary original with warbled vocals.

Kanye features vocal during the chorus with guest artist, who just after his voice experiences a four-second, also delivers the song's -filled bridge. More than any other song on the entire studio album, the epic stadium-rap 'I Wonder' was the most influenced by U2. Kanye West cites it as one of this top three most favorite songs from Graduation. Kanye imparted that he had sought out to make the hip-hop variation of the rock band's '.

West reportedly heard the which was used for the track while shopping for furniture at and spent many weeks working on it. Kanye has also said that he wrote the song while thinking of performing it onstage in front of an audience of over 50,000 people.

With this in mind, he placed a significant amount of concentration on speaking at high with fewer wording and initially delivers his defiant lyrics in an intense vocal style. West raps the song's three verses using and rhyme schemes. He each in each word in the first verse. West then transitions to a faster, more fluid for the more intricate second and third verses. West considered the release of 'I Wonder' as the album's fourth. But he instead chose ', which he refers to as the 'coolest' track from the studio album.

The track 'Everything I Am' features turntable by famed record producer The hip-hop for 'The Glory' was originally made for West's associate, close friend, and fellow hip-hop artist, whose seventh album was being produced and recorded by West simultaneously with Graduation. As was the case with both their previous albums, certain tracks that West originally crafted for Finding Forever that Common declined eventually ended up on his own studio album. 'Everything I Am' was yet another song intended for Common but was passed on, a fact which West addresses within the opening lines. The record features turntable contributed by famed hip-hop record producer DJ Premier. After West had played the for 'Everything I Am' over the phone for DJ Premier and asked him what he thought of it, DJ Premier then replied that he enjoyed the lyrics and the innovative beat and offered to scratch over it.

When working on the track, and while following the numerous instructions that were supplied by West, DJ Premier took seven different styles of scratches, including, then cut all of them up into different, and scattered them all throughout the track, providing West with many different ideas to choose from. While written by West, who envisioned its concept and chorus while riding an elevator, the soul-baring Jay-Z dedication ' stands as the only song on Graduation that he didn't produce.

The production of the track was instead handled solely by record producer. According to West's cousin, singer, Jay-Z became quite emotional after West played a part of 'Big Brother' for him in the studio for the very first time. During an interview with, Kanye West himself recalled that it was 'a very serious moment.'

When asked for his opinion, Jay-Z replied that he considered 'Big Brother' a fair portrayal from a little brother's perspective. Jay-Z went on to say that he also thought that the song was 'brilliantly written' and believed that it was West's best song since ' as far as structure and emotion. Although 'Bittersweet Poetry' appears as a Japanese on Graduation, it was actually one of the very first songs crafted for Late Registration.

After seeing the 2004 biographical film together, Kanye West and musician decided to collaborate on a record and immediately went back to a recording studio to compose the song 'Bittersweet.' This wasn't the first time West and Mayer collaborated with one another. The two previously worked together to make ', the third single from Common's sixth studio album, which came about when Mayer went to visit West at The Record Plant in Los Angeles. In the end, because Kanye West felt that their song did not coincide well into the overall soundscape of his second studio album, it was subsequently unincluded. Composition Music and style With Graduation, Kanye West made a departure from the warm samples of The College Dropout and the lush orchestration of Late Registration.

Motivated by impulses, West ventured towards a more atmospheric imbued with elements that explores. The musical progression arose from West touring the world in 2006 with the bands and.

The change also came about from listening to music that encompass genres such as, and especially. House music is a subgenre of whose can be traced back to Kanye West's hometown of,. The productions of the tracks on Graduation are also unique in that they brandish musical influences. According to Jayson Green of, West had developed a fascination with, a European form of electronic dance music that branched off from American in the 1970s. Going further, a columnist for claims that the album's hip-hop would be 'European-club-worthy' were they stripped of the. Most importantly, Green perceives that Kanye West had developed an affinity with electronic. Music critic comments on the incorporation of synthesizer sounds.

From a musical standpoint, he views Graduation as 'an album steeped in, in all their richness and variety.' Mark Pytlik of surmises that the album exhibits a new electronic production style, especially electronic. By contrast, 's Andy Kellman argues, 'Though the synthesizer use marks a clear, conscious diversion from Kanye's past productions, highlights. Are deeply rooted in the Kanye of old, using nostalgia-inducing, elegant and, and.' West retracted much of the rich that had characterized his previous studio album Late Registration. He had them replaced with heavy, electronic with tendencies at loud throughout Graduation.

West injected synth-, beats, - rhythms, and a wide array of into his hip-hop production. All the while, West buried his signature and deep beneath the decomposing layers of synths into the bottom of the. Graduation contains an variety of vaguely familiar that were artfully manipulated by West. Though he continues to use vocal samples, West now gleans them before also pushing them underneath the synths, causing them to 'sound like trapped in a huge machine, not like organic, subliminal connections to a mythical past.' As always is the case with his productions, West neither relies nor settles simply on samples alone. Instead, there lies a discernible sense of grandeur evident within each track.

Even in new, unfamiliar musical surroundings, West retains both his self-assurance as well as his close attention to sonic detail. Hence, the album contains a plethora of random, semi-audible sounds that are challenging to notice during the first few listens.

The sounds range from keyboard to crowd to guitars and act as a supplement for the atypical samples and the layered electronic synths. West filled the corners of Graduation with enough subtle flourishes and studio to warrant a repeated, close, and careful listening experience. According to from the, the album's subtly dark tone was a byproduct of the inevitable toll placed on West as an artist, 'an innovator in a genre that he must at least partially destroy to renew', torn between his devotion to hip-hop tradition and his 'restless artistic drive': Graduation 's intricate musical environments take a while to comprehend, and at times they seem at odds with West's confrontational lyrics.

But this contradictory music makes sense when heard as an attempt to express an internal struggle – between the Kanye West hip-hop made and the West who can't be contained by it or any other genre. It's hard to stop running with the crowd, even for a trendsetter. But West is on the verge, and moving forward. Despite the predominant synthetic attributes and the overall aesthetic, the emphasis placed on organic that had accentuated Late Registration remained a significant factor on Graduation. Similar to its predecessor, Graduation wasn't restricted to the confines of conventional techniques typical of traditional. Instead, West continues to implement sudden musical within the multi-layered and express meticulously composed, and. For his third album, West produced songs that combine hip-hop with anthemic and continues to employ his skill in layering keys, strings, and vocals to coax the out of samples.

According to Sean Comer of 411Mania, Graduation is an ambitious album that demonstrates West's attentive ear to the blending of, evocative and their potential to rest comfortably alongside effective samples. Through acting as his own producer, West manages to maintain quality control over the album's music to ensure that 'his productions build momentum even when they revolve around a handful of repeated samples and nearly every song on Graduation is memorable for both its and its overall sound.' And as the album progresses, its and the glossy sheen of its polished, synthesizer-driven productions become harder and denser with every track. Under the belief that his sophomore effort had been far too indulgent, poorly arranged, and oversaturated with unnecessary sonic accoutrements, West took measures to streamline his third release. West fashioned Graduation to contain less ornate production, made the studio album completely devoid of, and the record in such a way that it produced a tighter, more cohesive package. Production. 'Stronger' is built around a vocal and also features West's forceful exhibited on the album.

Problems playing these files? Graduation opens on a sparse note with ', beginning with an, metronomic beat and a thumping melded with a simple, synthesizer. The drone is drowned by the music that arrives at the chorus, which is a conflation of synths and an astral backing crafted from a non-verbal vocal sample of '. 'Good Morning' eventually with the voice of Jay-Z reiterating lyrics from 'The Ruler's Back', the rapper's own opening track of his sixth studio album. The production for ' features intermittent and - and expresses a slight influence, eschewing guitars and trumpets in favor of breezy synths.

During the, West raps over a constant loop of the words 'their eyes' while the hook is formed from the question, 'Did you realize, that you were a champion?' Both phrases are recontextualized from a line lifted from '. The song also sports a -inspired delivered by in a distinct vocal style. The soul-fired track 'I Wonder' starts off with its piano-based, which contains samples of 'My Song' by British poet.

It then proceeds to morph into a myriad of interlaced synths that are impacted by snare drum strokes and ethereal. During the bridge, the changes and the song adopts a heavy that emulates the of its synths.

The composition then enters an instrumental passage and finishes off with a sweeping string arrangement. 'Good Life' utilizes multi-tracked, interlocking vocals that harmonize with guest singer T-Pain's voice.

The song's is based on sampled keyboards from by, with the slightly decreased and the raised to the point its sound resembles squealing shrieks. ' is built on a moaning bass line and Gothic organ, while punctuated by wailing sampled from 'Long Red'. 'Drunk and Hot Girls' exhibits a sluggish pitched with the of an. It contains a mix of orchestration and detuned electronics with elements of 'Sing Swan Song' by band.

West claimed that while listening to their song, he heard the words 'drunk and hot girls' rather than the actual 'drunky hot bowls' lyrics. Rather than rap, West and guest artist Mos Def sing along to the song's melody.

Opening with a gradual, rising crescendo of symphonic, 'Flashing Lights' emits synth twinklings before transforming into a moderately-paced, synth-driven beat. After the, in which Mitchell's processed vocals repeat the titular four times, West raps the two verses, each one followed by the sung by Dwele coupled with the hook.

Following a, the song enters a passage where its heavily manipulated hook echoes in and out before the draws the composition to a close. 'Stronger' is built around a sample of '.

By being composed using nothing more than a, a vocal sample, and turntable, 'Everything I Am' stands as the third studio album's most production. West marries a beat to gentle piano chords which are accentuated by soulful cooing sampled from 'If We Can't Be Lovers'. The low-key track has a scratched hook by formed with the vocal sample, which contains the line, 'Here we go again', that is lifted from '.

With its thick, heavy pattern, 'The Glory' is an up-tempo number which revisits the '-' that once defined Kanye's early production style. It displays a sped-up and vocal sample of 'Save The Country' by accompanied by uplifting strings, keys, and an all-male. Frontman sings the chorus and supplies a gospel-style piano while West raps over heavy yet buoyant drums on '.' The chatter of a noisy, crowd can inexplicably be heard lurking in the background throughout the track. The Jay-Z ode ' begins with West uttering the words, 'Stadium status.,' backed by a, pounding, a distorted and plinking piano keys. Around mid-verse, the track adopts synths that mimic the of the.

Before the second verse, additional enters; including a heavy, metallic, and. The studio album's final track 'Good Night' exhibits the production characteristics of West's next musical evolution.

West juxtaposes the, mechanical sound of an beat with the more elegant, traditional sound of a classical piano. Lyrical themes. Dropout Bear being pursued by a monstrous cloud within the interior artwork of Graduation. West collaborated with Japanese contemporary artist to oversee the art direction of Graduation as well as design the cover art for the album's accompanying singles. Often called 'the of Japan', Murakami's surrealistic visual art is characterized by cartoonish creatures that appear friendly and cheerful at first glance, but possess dark, twisted undertones.

The collaboration between the two came about when West visited Murakami's studio in during a brief trip to in the midst of touring the year before. The album's expresses colorful, pastel imagery influenced by Murakami's affiliation with, a movement influenced by and. Its production process took place over the course of several weeks, with West constantly visualizing new images and emailing the ideas to Murakami and his team.

Bringing the educational theme expressed by West's previous albums to a close, the visual plotline of the images contained within the lead up to a graduation ceremony that takes places within a fictional college institution situated within a futuristic metropolis called Universe City. Murakami explained the metaphor behind the artwork saying: The cover is based on Kanye's theme of student life. It's a place of dreams, of righteousness, a place to have fun. It's also occasionally a place where you experience the rigid of the human race. Kanye's music scrapes sentimentality and aggressiveness together like, and he uses his to unleash this tornado that spins with the zeitgeist of the times. I too wanted to be swept up and spun around in that tornado. — Takashi Murakami The artwork's storyline centers around 'Dropout Bear', West's teddy bear mascot.

The illustrations chronicle Dropout Bear overcoming various obstacles in an effort to reach his college campus in time for his graduation ceremony. The story begins on a rainy day with Dropout being awoken by his and running out of his apartment to his car, modeled after a. When the car's engine dies, he is forced to find an alternative means of transportation. Dropout attempts to hail a cab but it speeds right past him, soaking him with puddle water. He then tries to get onto a but just misses it as it pulls away. Left with no other options, Dropout is reduced to pursuing his goal on foot.

As he races down sidewalks, populated by multi-eyed, living mushrooms, Dropout is pursued by a monstrous rain cloud that attempts to swallow him whole. Eventually, Dropout Bear arrives at the university and makes it to his ceremony just in time to stand before his colleagues, a wide variety of anthropomorphic creatures like himself. The visual story concludes with Dropout Bear being shot out of a cannon from the university into the sky into another stratosphere on the back cover. The cover art for Graduation was cited as the fifth best album cover of the year.

The designs of the album artwork were later brought to life by Takashi Murakami through the use of within a three-minute animated for 'Good Morning'. Publicity over the album's release date pitted West in a sales competition against rapper 50 Cent (pictured). While hosting a listening session for his second studio album Late Registration on August 3, 2005 at, Kanye West revealed that he wanted to schedule the release of Graduation sometime around October 2006. Several months later, on March 28, 2007, West appeared on the Los Angeles radio station. He said that he was working on his third album and Common's seventh album and rapped a few lyrics from one of his songs in. On May 11, it was announced that the release date for Graduation was September 18.

West debuted the album's 'Can't Tell Me Nothing' on the New York radio station on May 15. He then released a free onto the Internet on May 27. The mixtape features preview clips of songs that would appear on Graduation and showcases various artists signed onto West's record label as well as collaborations with other unaffiliated musicians.

It also contains ', the debut song of, a supergroup West formed with and. At the end of May, pushed forward the release date for Graduation up from September to an unspecified late August date, a decision that West first announced on the introductory track of his Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape. On July 19, the album's release date was changed once more and moved to September 11, 2007, the same US release date as rapper 's third studio album. When first presented with the proposal of his label moving the release date of his album yet again as well as the idea of a sales competition between him and 50 Cent, West initially expressed his indifference towards the thought, saying, 'When I heard that thing about the debate, I thought that was the stupidest thing. When my album drops and 50's album drops, everybody wins because you're gonna get a lot of good music at the same time.' However, then Def Jam president and CEO welcomed competition, feeling that it would be prosperous for hip-hop and the date became permanent. The album's release generated much publicity over a sales competition with 50 Cent's Curtis.

Three months that were prior to the September 11 release date, West extended his gratitude towards 50 Cent for the enthusiasm and excitement the friendly competition had produced. Though confident that he would emerge victorious, West said that he would be perfectly fine with losing to 50 Cent, saying that he'd rather, 'be #2 on that day rather than come out and be #1 on a day nobody cares about.'

In an interview for, 50 Cent expressed his view on the idea of a sales competition, stating 'It's great marketing — for Kanye West. But I sell way more records than Kanye West, and I generate way more interest than Kanye West. They think they can match us up, but they'll find out when that week goes by and the sales come back.

This is no rivalry.' 'Mine will sell and his will still be on the shelf,' 50 Cent tells ROLLING STONE'.

On August 10, 50 Cent confirmed during an interview with that he would end his career as a solo recording artist if Graduation were to sell more copies than Curtis in the. However, 50 Cent later retracted his statement within an interview due to his contract agreements with and. But most retailers and radio programmers interviewed pick Kanye, whose current single, 'Stronger,' is Number Six on BiIIboard's Hot 100 -while none of 50's four singles have climbed higher than thirty-two. 'In hip-hop you're only as good as your last hit, and Kanye's got the bigger hit right now,' says Bruce St. James, program director for Phoenix hip-hop station Power 98.3. Promotion. West performing before a crowd at on August 18, 2007 in Chelmsford, England.

West spent a significant amount of time promoting Graduation during his trip to the. On August 17, West guest starred on the British comedy-variety show. He played preview versions of the songs 'Big Brother' and 'Champion' from his forthcoming third album while making an appearance on DJ 's radio show on August 18. Later that day, West performed at in before an audience of over 50,000 people and again played new material from Graduation as well as a tribute of 's hit single '.' He then held a secret concert with singer for an audience of over five hundred fans and invited guests at in London, England on August 20. The guests were greeted by staff members wearing graduation robes and in reference to the title of West's third studio album Graduation. At the end of the concert, a shower of silver and ticker tape reading Touch the Sky fell from the ceiling onto the audience while the actual ',' which was the fourth from Late Registration, was played on the speakers.

After he returned to the United States, West joined 50 Cent onstage for a surprise performance before an audience of over 20,000 people at a show held on August 22 in during and 's tour. West performed for a benefit concert raising funds for and promoting sponsored by his charity foundation on August 24 at Chicago's. At the concert, he provided live renditions of songs from Graduation and gave the audience a sneak peek of the early production stages of his fall. On August 28, West hosted a studio album listening session for Graduation at in. There Kanye West explained his influences and aspirations for the album and played songs over taken from a variety of futuristic, including, and. Two days later, on the morning of August 30, the of the album onto the Internet. In a survey conducted by Billboard, results displayed that an estimated 44% of readers predicted that Graduation would sell more units over 50 Cent and.

Projections for first week scans based on early store sales reports indicated towards the 575,000–700,000 range for Graduation, while Curtis was projected in the 500,000–600,000 range. Critical reception Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating 79/100 Review scores Source Rating B+ B− A− 6/10 8.7/10 Graduation received widely positive reviews from critics.

Kanye West

At, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an score of 79, based on 32 reviews, indicating 'generally favorable reviews'. Critic Mark Pytlik complimented the accessibility of West's sonic experimentations, finding it impressive and innovative how he assembled seemingly disparate elements on the songs., writing in, dubbed him 'the most genuinely confessional MC in hip-hop today' and said, 'bouts of narcissism aside, Graduation contains killer pieces of production'. 's Jayson Greene said it 'serves as a document of West's maturation' and, 'musically, at least, it's the most accomplished thing he's ever done.' In Rolling Stone, Nathan Brackett wrote of West's evolving and increasingly experimental, genre-bending production and said although he lacks Jay-Z's 'formal mastery', West has 'grown as a writer. Given the lousy year hip-hop has had, the music needs his spazzed-out, neurotic creativity more than ever'. From wrote, 'West plunders the best samples and meticulously layers every track with enough surprises that there are thrills and discoveries a dozen listens in.' In a less enthusiastic review for, deemed Graduation a 'minor success' in which 'every single track offers up its momentary pleasures—choruses that make you say yeah on songs you've already found wanting, confessional details and emotional on an album that still reduces to quality product when they're over'.

However, he felt West spent too much of the album rationalizing his obsession with his fame in sketchy fashion and occasionally awkward rhymes, 'little stuff like his failure to convert 'this'-'crib'-'shit'-'live'-'serious' into a rhyme' on 'Champion' or 'at bay at a distance' into an idiom' on 'Big Brother'. Dorian Lynskey from said West often 'undercuts rap cliches with wit and ambivalence', but observed some disappointing lyrics such as on 'Can't Tell Me Nothing', which he said revealed his limited perspective. Critic Eric Henderson found West's lyrics 'only transparently expressive' and said the songs' hooks 'grab your ear on the first listen (notably bypassing your brain)'. Dave Heaton from felt the album is ordinary and lacks the epochal feel of Late Registration, with songs that 'aren't as richly dressed, and he doesn't seem to be trying as hard'.

Accolades Rolling Stone placed the album at number five on its list of their Top 50 Albums of 2007'. Graduation was listed at number nine on the Critics' Poll. Listed Graduation as the tenth best album of the year. A year-end poll conducted by cited Graduation as the best album of 2007. It was also hailed as the best album of the year by, which wrote, 'The Louis Vuitton Don may major in rap, but he liberally borrows from other music schools to create a much broader soundscape.' The studio album was listed as the fourth and eighteenth best record of the year by Spin magazine and Pitchfork respectively.

Also listed Graduation as the fourth best album of the year. Graduation was listed at number thirty-five by The Observer on its best fifty albums of the year. Ranked it number fifteen on its list of 'Pop CDs of the Year', writing, 'Kanye West finally grew up on this album, delivering more inventive, precision-tooled hip-hop but wearing a much more furrowed brow as he explored his existential anxieties.

Dark and addictive.' Pitchfork placed Graduation at number 87 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s. Graduation was cited as the second best album of the entire decade by magazine. At the, West led the field with a total of eight nominations, including, for 'Good Life', and for 'Can't Tell Me Nothing'. West received the Grammy awards for for 'Stronger', Best Rap Song for 'Good Life', and finally Graduation received the award for.

At the 34th annual, West received both the awards for as well as for Graduation. However, West offered the former to Lil Wayne, who he felt was more deserving of the award due to his musical efforts in 2008. Praising the artistic expression prevalent throughout Graduation, the success of the third studio album's singles, and lastly the vivid imagination of its accompanying international, MTV crowned West as the year's #1 on May 16, 2008. Commercial performance. ”, on the coinciding release of West's Graduation and 's.

On the first day of its release, Graduation sold over 437,000 copies. The album debuted at number one on the US chart, grossing a total of over 957,000 copies in its first week in the United States alone. Graduation became West's second consecutive studio album to top the Billboard 200 and also debuted at number-one on the album charts in the and.

It was within the very same week that 'Stronger' topped the, selling over 205,000 and giving West his third number-one single. Upon its release, Graduation achieved the highest first week sales week for any album in 2007, topping 's, which sold 625,000 copies. The album was also West's highest first sales week to date, surpassing the 860,000 opening week of his previous album Late Registration.

It registered the best first-week sales totals of any record released within the last two years, with the last being West's own Late Registration. Additionally, Graduation became ranked as the 15th highest sales week for an album since began tracking data in 1991, as well as the highest sales week at the time of its release for an album since 50 Cent's (2005). It also set the record for the largest week of an album digitally downloaded, registering over 133,000 paid downloads, beating 's previous set record of 102,000 for. Graduation's first week sales of 957,000 and Curtis's first week sales of 691,000 marked only the second time ever since the inception of Nielsen SoundScan that two albums debuted within the same week with totals surpassing 623,000 copies in the United States.

The first occurrence of such an event was in September 1991, when conjunctively released, which sold 685,000 copies, and, which sold 770,000 copies. The first week sales totals of Graduation and Curtis have outsold the first week sales totals of Guns N' Roses' two albums. 50 Cent showed graciousness in regards to his defeat. In a statement released to the, he said, 'I am very excited to have participated in one of the biggest album release weeks in the last two years.

Collectively, we have sold hundreds of thousands of units in our debut week. This marks a great moment for hip-hop music, one that will go down in history.' After years of slumping sales, the album competition between the two releases and the resulting record breaking performances both albums demonstrated was considered to be a 'fantastic day for hip-hop'. In its second week on the Billboard 200, Graduation slid to number two with the release of 's, selling 226,000 copies while maintaining its dominance over Curtis, which sold 143,000.

The next week, with the releases of over 40 new albums, Graduation dropped three spaces to number five and registered 133,300, reaching a cumulative total of 1.3 million copies by October 3. Selling 92,400 copies, the album descended two spots the following week to reach number seven. During its fourth week on the chart, Graduation experienced a slight rebound and rose from number seven to six on October 17, selling 71,000 copies.

The following week, the album began to descend once more, selling an estimated 54,000 copies and dropping three places to reach the ninth position on October 24. By year's end, Graduation was the third most-downloaded and best-selling album of 2007 on.

Graduation became West's third consecutive studio album to sell over two million copies in the United States, and it was certified by the (RIAA) on October 18, 2007. As of June 14, 2013, Nielsen Soundscan reported that Graduation has since grossed over 2,700,000 copies in the United States. Legacy and influence. West performing at the in Chicago on the for Graduation.

Irish rock band has asserted that touring with West on their Vertigo Tour had a significant effect on their own music as well in regards to the band's twelfth studio album. Bono elaborated that Kanye West's rapping inspired him to utilize more percussive for his songwriting and. West's third studio album Graduation, particularly with its two 'Stronger' and 'Flashing Lights', has been attributed to not only encouraging other hip-hop artists to incorporate and elements into their music, but also for playing a part in the of and -dance infused music in the late 2000s. In addition, tracks such as 'Everything I Am' have been cited as 'the best example of the soulful and introspective atmosphere that came to dominate the rap world, from to '. West has also received praise for his ability to appeal to diverse music audiences such as listeners and enthusiasts without alienating his hip-hop audiences. The outcome of the highly publicized sales competition between 50 Cent's Curtis and West's Graduation has since been accredited to the decline of the that once dominated mainstream hip-hop. Columnist Adam Theisen asserts that Kanye West's win once and for all 'proved that rap music didn't have to conform to gangsta-rap conventions to be commercially successful.'

Going further, Noah Callahan-Bever, and for, marked September 11, 2007: 'The Day Kanye West Killed Gangsta Rap.' Ben Detrick of cites West defeat over 50 Cent in sales as being responsible for altering the direction of hip-hop and paving the way for new rappers who didn't follow the - mold, writing, 'If there was ever a moment to indicate hip-hop's changing direction, it may have come when 50 Cent competed with Kanye in 2007 to see whose album would claim superior sales. Kanye led a wave of new artists—, —who lacked the interest or ability to create narratives about any past or.' The competition between 50 Cent and West, when the two released their studio albums on the same day, was penultimate in a series of articles that lists fifty key events in the history of and, written by Rosie Swash of. Swash wrote that it 'highlighted the diverging facets of hip-hop in the last decade; the former was gangsta rap for the noughties, while West was the thinking man's.' Similarly, according to DJBooth, while Graduation is far from being West's best studio album, it nevertheless is a pretty good piece of work while the outcome of its competition with 50 Cent stands as a historical moment in: ' Graduation isn’t Kanye's best, it's very few people's favorite, but it’s still an okay body of work.

He’s literally transitioning into stardom right before our very eyes and attempting to embody that moment in time. Kanye's victory over 50 is the bookmark for when rap changed, it was no longer ran by the gangsters, the doors opened for, and. Graduation is a monument, a hip-hop treasure, a Kanye classic.' Track listing Credits adapted from liner notes.

Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length 1. Weekly charts Chart (2007) Peak position 2 26 (Flanders) 11 1 10 11 3 16 9 10 (2012) 37 2 33 13 2 2 30 3 6 3 1 US 1 US Billboard 1 US Billboard 1 Year-end charts Chart (2007) Peak position U.S. Billboard 200 12 U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 4 U.S.

Billboard Rap Albums 2 Chart (2008) Peak position U.S. Billboard 200 79 U.S.

Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 29 U.S. Billboard Rap Albums 10 Certifications Region Certification /Sales Australia Platinum 70,000 ^ Canada 2× Platinum 160,000 ^ Ireland Platinum 15,000 ^ Japan Gold 100,000 ^ New Zealand Gold 7,500 ^ Russia Gold 10,000. Switzerland ( Switzerland) Gold 15,000 ^ United Kingdom Platinum 600,000 ^ United States 2× Platinum 2,000,000 ^.sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone See also.

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