Music: The Evolution of Kanye West, Part One
Note: This article was originally written for the January 2020 edition of the Beachside Press.
By Jasmine Joseph '20
Kanye West is a prominent figure in the rap music industry. Whether or not you enjoy his music or disagree with his crazy antics and brash personality, Kanye has pushed multiple boundaries in hip hop and has become a household name over the decade.
It’s not a surprise that the Chicago-born rapper often talks about political and social issues since his father was very active as a Black Panther and a photojournalist and his mother, a teacher. You may not know that West began his career in the music industry as a music producer. In 2001, he produced four songs on Jay-Z's The Blueprint, an album that has been considered as one of the greatest rap albums of all time. Furthermore, Kanye produced tracks for other contemporary famous acts such as Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Beyoncé. Although he was proud of his musical production accomplishments, West desired to be in the spotlight as a rapper. However, his request was denied multiple times.
From the 1980s to the early 2000s, most rappers maintained a “gangsta” persona and life which was characterized by selling drugs to stay afloat, growing up in low-income neighborhoods, gang association, and other criminal behaviors. Some well-known “gangsta” rappers are Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, Nas, Ice T, and 50 Cent. Kanye West did not experience this since he grew up in a middle-class family. Jay Z expressed his skepticism about signing West as a rapper: “We all grew up street guys who had to do whatever we had to do to get by. Then there’s Kanye, who to my knowledge, has never hustled a day in his life. I didn’t see how it could work.” After much pleading, Kanye West was signed to Roc-a-Fella Records in 2002.
In 2004, West’s freshman album, The College Dropout, was released. This album was revolutionary, in the sense that it distanced itself from its “gangsta” rap predecessors, and tackled themes such as consumerism, racism, higher education, and religion, all while avoiding the topics of violence and drug dealing. As reflected in the album’s title, Kanye West dropped out of college to pursue his dreams of becoming a musician. While his mother was displeased with this decision, it would be difficult to imagine how rap music would have evolved without the commercial success of The College Dropout.
During the release of his sophomore album Late Registration, Kanye West expressed his political opinions and showcased his outspoken personality by critiquing the U.S. president, George Bush. In an NBC broadcast about raising money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, Kanye stated: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” criticizing the president for not visiting the New Orleans victims immediately. This incident would be West’s first controversy. Despite this, Kanye continued to push the boundaries for hip-hop and continued to prove that he was worthy of being signed as a musician. An improvement from his freshman album, he hired an orchestra, worked with renowned composer (Jon Brion), created more creative rhymes, and increased his already outstanding musical production skills. In this album, Kanye West commented on a multitude of topics including racism, poverty, the prevalence of crack cocaine in black neighborhoods, addiction, success, his family, and blood diamonds from West Africa. Some notable tracks include “Gold Digger,” “Heard ‘Em Say,” “Hey Mama,” “Addiction,” and “Diamonds From Sierra Leone.”
West’s third album, Graduation, released in 2007, incorporated rock ‘n’ roll influences and electronic synthesizers, and featured the popular tracks: “Flashing Lights,” “Stronger,” “Good Life,” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing.” When 50 Cent’s album was released the same day as Graduation, people regarded it as a battle for hip-hop’s future: 50 Cent’s persona as a “bullet-scarred thug” or Kanye’s artsy middle-class life. In the end, Graduation remained victorious, going straight to No. 1 after its release. This victory became symbolic of the death of gangsta rap.
Unfortunately, in November 2007, West’s mother died from a heart attack due to complications from her cosmetic surgical procedures. This event changed West musically and personally.