Hello and welcome to my 2024 review of Kanye West’s Graduation released on September 11th, 2007 via Roc-A-Fella Records. It is widely considered to be West’s “Magnum Opus”. It has 14 tracks (including the bonus track). Let’s get started. DISCLAIMER, I will be linking music videos that accompany the songs.
Good Morning
We first start with the track, “Good Morning”. It is essentially a welcome song to the album and is an audio representation of Kanye graduating into the realm of hip-hop. It is 85 BPM and the main key is G. It samples “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” by Elton John. Good Morning is a really good welcoming track and effectively fulfills its purpose as an excellent opening to one of the most renowned hip-hop albums ever created
Champion
The second track is, “Champion”, a motivational track that samples, “Kid Charlemagne” by the rock band, Steely Dan. It has 102 BPM and the key is F#/Gb. This is my favorite track on the album itself, not only because of how the sample was used but also because the lyrics motivate me to achieve what I want to achieve. I love the singing included in the second half of the song. An overall great track that I can always find myself playing if I have nothing to listen to.
Stronger
The third track, and arguably, the most successful song in West’s Career, is Stronger, Which samples “Harder, Better, Faster. Stronger” by Daft Punk. It is 104 BPM and has a key of A#/Bb. Fun Fact: Before I knew Kanye West, this was the first song I heard on the radio that stayed burned in my memory (That, and Gold Digger on Late Registration). It was as soon as I discovered Daft Punk and I found the original sample and found West’s song in return. I think this song still holds up to this day and is one of the greatest hip-hop samples of all time.
I Wonder
“And I wonder if you know, what it means…. to find your dreams come true.” The fourth track, “I Wonder” is one of the best non-single tracks on Graduation. It samples “My Song” by Labi Saffre, is 95 BPM, and has a key of C. This song is an emotional anthem about finding one’s dreams and how to achieve them. It has become a cult classic among many fans, including me. I love how this sample is used and the synths accompanying it. The beat is rough, but it gets right to the point. This song continues to be a memorable track in the whole album
Good Life
Good Life is the fifth track on the album and features guest star T-Pain. It samples Michael Jackson’s P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing), has a tempo of 83 BPM, and is in the key of C#/Db. If Stronger hadn’t been such a success, Good Life would likely have been the standout hit. The song showcases Kanye’s celebration of his hip-hop success and T-Pain’s reflection on his achievements. The synths in the chorus add to the sense of accomplishment shared by both artists.
Can’t Tell Me Nothing
The sixth track, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” is a reflection of West’s fame and a result of said fame. The song is 80 BPM, and the key is F. This song is widely considered a “sleeper hit” since Stronger was released 2 months later and was widely more popular. I honestly love Can’t Tell Me Nothing, from the looped singing to the use of the synthesizers. What got me jumping on this song is when West references “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y)” by Pete Rock and CL Smooth, one of the most iconic hip-hop songs of all time.
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds is the seventh track on the album and is a brag rap about West’s and Lil Wayne’s high-cash lifestyles. The song is 83 BPM, the key is C#/Db, and it samples “Long Red” by Mountain. I like the song, however, it dates fairly quickly. It was written around the time when Barry Bonds, the MLB player, hit an all-time home run record, however, when the album was released, he was hit with steroid allegations. This song is, most of the time, shafted by many Kanye fans.
Drunk and Hot Girls
Drunk and Hot Girls is the eighth track and West voices his frustrations about girls who are really drunk, but really hot, so he gives them a pass. This song also has a feature from recurring rapper Mos Def, most notable at the time for his work on Black Star with Talib Kweli. The song is 83 BPM and the key is A#/Bb. I honestly think this is one of the weakest songs on the album, when I listen to the album and this comes on, I feel like skipping it. What I do like about the song is Mos’ singing in the latter half of the song.
Flashing Lights
Flashing Lights is the ninth track and it is about West reminiscing about an ex-girlfriend he can’t stop thinking about. The song is 90 BPM and the key is F#/Gb. The introduction is one of the greatest introductions to a song of all time, and Connie Mitchell shouting the song title makes it iconic and one of the most prominent tracks on the album.
Everything I Am
Overall, Everything I Am is the tenth track on this album. It has West talking about how his personality got him where he is today. The song is 80 BPM, the key is G#/Ab, and it samples “If We Can’t Be Lovers” by Prince Phillip Mitchell and “Bring the Noise” by Public Enemy. Whenever I listen to this song, I feel nostalgic. It has that tone where you’re heard it before and it makes you reminisce over memories and makes you want to live them again.
The Glory
My favorite track on the album, The Glory is the eleventh track and contains a strong religious message, and Kanye uses “The Glory” to talk about fame and wealth. The song is 84 BPM, the key is F#/Gb and it samples a live version of Laura Nyro’s “Save the Country” Everything about this song, I love. From the use of the sample to the beat, and to the background singing. The synthesizers are on par with just about everything and the violins are a nice addition to it.
Homecoming
Homecoming is the second to last track and it talks about Kanye’s love for his hometown (Chicago which he dubs, Chi-Town). The song is 87 BPM, the key is C#/Db, and it interpolates a line from Common’s “I Used To Love H.E.R”. The pianos fit in well as Kanye remembers his childhood in Chicago and the singing has been in my head for about a week
Big Brother
Big Brother is the last track of the standard tracklist and it details the ups and downs of Kanye’s relationship with Jay-Z. The song is 78 BPM and the key is B. I like that the beat sounds like an accomplishment to getting through the whole album (If you weren’t skipping). I really like the rhythm of the song itself. An overall good track to end the album.
Good Night
Good Night is the hidden track if you bought the iTunes, Australian, UK, or Japanese versions of the album. The song is 89 BPM and the key is B. The title is a play on words to the first track of the album, “Good Morning” and it has West, Mos Def, and Al Be Back talk about how life is too short to worry about small things, and, “Dream Beautiful and Unusual”. It’s one of my favorite tracks on this album. Everything about it makes me feel good and keeps me going when I feel down. When I listen to Kanye, this song is always one of the songs I always listen to, its too bad that it is so short.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Graduation continues to be Kanye West’s best work of all time. Moving away from West’s previous albums’ elaborate, soul-influenced sound as he moved musically to anthemic material. West experimented with layered synthesizers, experimented with electronics, sampled from a variety of musical genres, and changed his rapping style. He expresses his mixed feelings about his newfound fame and media attention while delivering inspiring messages of triumph to his audience.