If you want to read more about Jesus is King, the link to that review is here: http://schsraiderreview.weebly.com/a-look-into-jesus-is-king.html
The College Dropout (2004) (9/10)
This record is one of the best debut albums an artist has ever released. From the beginning with Kanye’s arguably best song “All Falls Down” to the autobiographical “Through the Wire”, the album’s production remains to this day one of the best an album could have. The features are great, the skits can be incredibly funny at times, and the album is incredibly quotable. It’s understandable how this album landed Kanye West on the map as one of hip-hop’s best artists. |
Late Registration (2005) (10/10)
This is Kanye’s best album, and he hasn’t even topped this album at all throughout his wide discography. Ye usually plays around with theatricality but this album was cinematic. The tone of the album is probably the point where Kanye got to his most serious, almost comparable to the tone of 808s, but we get into the psyche of a Kanye that didn’t go batsh*t crazy yet. He shows a deep appreciation for those who helped him along the way like on “Hey Mama”, to mourning the death of a family member in a way that seems so unlike the Kanye we know today on “Roses”. I would argue that this album is a masterpiece from its subjects to its jazz-inspired production that topped The College Dropout, this album will go down as Kanye’s best LP released. |
Graduation (2007) (7/10)
I feel like this album was meant for two things. A, to be a concert album and B, to be a conclusion to the Dropout trilogy. There’s some good songs, “Flashing Lights” and “I Wonder” stand out from his discography, both for being on the more emotional sides of Kanye’s songs, and their production is top-notch. However, there’s not a lot of positives to work off of from this project, nor are there any negatives. It’s above-average to be sure, but only barely. |
808s and Heartbreak (2008) (8/10)
The precursor to Kanye’s road to madness and subsequent downfall is above average. It’s sad enough to make you feel bad for Kanye, but then you remember what kind of monster he turns into after the release of this project. On the flip-side this record is one of the last times Kanye influenced hip-hop in a drastic way. It is, arguably, the genesis of rappers that use 808 drum machines and autotuning in the 2010s. While I think this album does achieve what Kanye wants: for the audience to look at him like a sad puppy, given the context of this records release. That being his mom’s death that he blames himself for, but taking this piece into the current day that puppy turned into a really loud and obnoxious dog. |
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) (8.5/10)
This album was one of the greatest ways to start off the decade, and it’s still great. Words cannot describe how grandiose this album sounds. From the simple and loud guitar riff in “Gorgeous” to the orchestral and energetic “All of the Lights”. This entire album is a giant backhanded apology that ramps up until the middle when it slows down and becomes an apology to the public, that really isn’t even an apology. Kanye takes the time to slow down, especially with songs like “Runaway” where he essentially says, “Look, I’m sorry and if you decide to leave, I understand and it’s totally fine… but also f*ck you.” It’s a great album, and it could have beem be his best, but the transition from “Runaway” to “Hell of a Life” is jarring and “So Appalled” sucks seven minutes of your life away due to boredom. It’s still a great listen if you want to hype yourself up, but even then he’s done better. |
Yeezus (2013) (?/10)
This is the album Ye made to get the blood flowing. Yeezus, however, is one of the most confusing albums I’ve ever had to assign a score. So much so, that I still can’t decide on one. To look at this album objectively, the production is all over the place, the lyrics in some songs are concerning to say the least, and the album at some points doesn’t flow and “Bound 2” sounds like a song that got rejected from The College Dropout. But it’s also my favorite Kanye album. Objectively, this project is not at all a good one. But there’s something about it that’s just so entrancing and just makes me want to leap several feet in the air and land on my face. Songs like “Black Skinhead”, “Blood on the Leaves”, and “I’m In It” make me want to yell out, jump around and act like a maniac. Overall, it’s one of the worst albums I’ve heard. It is horrifying, and more dark, and more twisted than MBDTF, and I love it. |
The Life of Pablo (2016) (9/10)
Fun fact: this is a better gospel album than Jesus is King even though half of it isn’t religious or even remotely Christ-like. Every single song is theatrical much like MBDTF, and although it doesn’t manage to reach that level of grandeur that MBDTF does, it manages to flow naturally. “Ultralight Beam” is the perfect prelude to this project, showing that this album is made by a Kanye that’s more vulnerable than Yeezus-era-Kanye. The real beginning is in “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” and it keeps going strong for quite a while. The only real lull is in “30 Hours” which I’d argue is the weakest song on the album. That isn’t the only thing that brings the album’s ratings down, there’s a Chris Brown feature on the otherwise perfect “Waves” and some lyrics that adds even more confirmation to the stockpile of evidence that Kanye is losing his mind. “Facts” is the perfect example of this, while the song does have one of the better beats Kanye’s worked on, the lyrics keep making me think, “Shut up, Kanye.” However on songs like “No More Parties In LA” and “Real Friends” you kind of start to feel sympathetic toward Kanye, which in his most recent works is not common. This album managed to do what MBDTF did and almost completely one-up it. |
Ye (2018) (6/10)
Ye’s Ye isn’t a complete trainwreck, it certainly has its moments, such as “Violent Crimes” and the PARTYNEXTDOOR feature is very good. But this falls into where Kanye got more experimental, but failed. The album’s just kind of exists, there’s not much I can say about it. It’s fine. It’s not good and it’s not bad. It’s just fine. |