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Kanye West - Late Registration Preview

Published by Warren Dell under on Friday, August 26, 2005
Release Date 29th August

Track listing

1. Wake Up Mr. West
2. Heard ‘Em Say Feat. Adam Levine
3. Touch The Sky
4. Gold Digger Feat. Jamie Foxx
5. Drive Slow Feat. Paul Wall & GLC
6. My Way Home Feat. Common
7. Crack Music Feat. The Game and Charlie Wilson
8. Roses
9. Bring Me Down Feat. Brandy
10. Additcion
11. Skit
12. Diamonds Remix Feat. Jay-Z
13. We Major Feat. Nas and Really Doe
14. Skit
15. Hey Mama
16. Celebration
17. Skit
18. Gone
19. Diamonds
20. Late

The ego is back! Music reviewers be prepared for the sharp tongue of Kanye if your reviews don’t end with top marks for what he calls ‘a perfect album’. After five beats a day for three summers, Kanye’s career has been on an upward spiral since crafting those soulful high pitched productions on arguably Jay-Z’s finest album ‘The Blueprint’ in 2001. Since then he has treaded the line as the go to guy for the hottest beats in the game and as a top recording artist with his debut last year ‘The College Dropout’.

The album was a classic and crossed the line between baller and backpacker, rapping about money one minute and then touching on the subject of religion the next. He may have rapped about being self-conscious on All falls Down but he certainty had plenty of belief in his ability and would criticise magazines for downgrading their integrity when they didn’t give his album five mics, or a perfect ten.

There certainly is no doubting the mans talent or track record but he didn’t do himself any favours when being quoted as saying he should get a cut for the sales of magazine that would feature himself on the cover. One of those magazines who didn’t give him full marks were Vibe, who not wanting to perhaps catch any flack from his way this time around were quick to rectify it by putting him on a recent cover.

I’m sure many would like to see him fail but if the first single Diamonds is anything to go by, then we are looking at another great album. Kanye uses the Shirley Bassey Diamonds Are Forever sample as the backdrop to great affect and despite it being such a familiar song, the track still sounds like nothing else on the radio at the moment. As a bonus the remix featuring Jay-Z is included, who despite retirement and being the boss at Def Jam, manages to drop a hot rap.

To coincide with the albums release, the next single Golddigger has started to get rotation and features Jamie Foxx and a Ray Charles sample. Foxx isn’t the only guest though as you can expect to hear though, Snoops buddy; Gap band singer Charlie Wilson joins in on Crack Music, which also features The Game. Camron and Consequence (Gone), GLC and Paul Wall (Drive Slow) all feature alongside singers Brandy, John Legend and Adam Levine from Maroon 5.

With a knack for taking a sample to a whole other level, look forward to the Just Blaze assisted Touch The Sky, which uses Curtis Mayfield’s Move On Up. Other samples include Etta James My Funny Valentine (Addiction) and Donal Leace’s Today Wont Come Again (Hey Mama).

The track Celebration uses a 20-piece Orchestra and shows Kanye steering in a whole different direction, while still maintaining his excellence. Something reflected with the inclusion of composer and co-producer for the album Jon Brion, who has worked with Evan Dando, Fiona Apple and Aimme Mann while adding composition to several film soundtracks including Magnolia.

Not afraid to blow his own trumpet, after a playback for his album he said “Seriously, how many perfect albums is that under my belt? I’m sorry,” before adding, “Actually, no, I don’t apologize.” And he will probably be right, as The Late Registration looks set to further cement his position as one of the best at the moment, certainly no one has a hold on the music industry like he does.

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