| Graduation | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by Kanye West | |
|
Released |
September 11, 2007 |
|
Recorded |
July 2006 - March 2007 |
|
Studio |
Sony Music Studios |
|
Genre |
Midwest hip hop, Alternative hip hop, Progressive rap |
|
Length |
51:23 |
|
Label |
|
|
Producer |
Jon Brion, Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell, Jay Z (exec.), Mike Dean, DJ Toomp, Eric Hudson, Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua (exec.), Brian Miller, Nottz, Plain Pat, Gee Roberson (also exec.), Kanye West (also exec.) |
| Kanye West chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Previous |
Late Registration (2004) |
|
Next |
808s & Heartbreak (2008) |
Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop musician Kanye West. It was released on September 11, 2007 through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place at Sony Music Studios and Chung King Studios in New York City, Chalice Studios in Los Angeles and Record Plant in Hollywood, California from July 2006 to March 2007. Production was handled entirely by West himself, with assistance from DJ Toomp, Nottz, Mike Dean, Plain Pat, Jon Brion and Baby Dubb. It includes guest contributions from Mos Def, Dwele, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Chris Martin (of Coldplay) and DJ Premier. The cover art and its interior artwork was designed by Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami.
Inspired by stadium tours, house-music and indie rock. Graduation marked a departure from the ornate, soul-based sound of West's previous releases as he musically progressed to more anthemic compositions. West incorporated layered synthesizers and dabbled with electronics while sampling from various music genres and altering his approach to rapping. He conveys an ambivalent outlook on his newfound fame and the media scrutiny alongside providing inspirational messages of triumph directed at listeners. The album prematurely concludes the education theme of West's first two studio albums, The College Dropout and Late Registration, as he aborted "Good Ass Job" album would have concluded the concept album's themes as a tetralogy, rather than a trilogy.
Graduation debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 957,000 copies in its first week. It produced five singles, including the international hits "Can't Tell Me Nothing", "Stronger" and "Good Life". The coinciding release dates of Graduation and 50 Cent's Curtis generated much publicity over the idea of a sales competition, resulting in record-breaking sales performances by both albums. Graduation received general acclaim from music critics and earned West several accolades, including his third Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. The album has sold 2,700,000 copies in the United States and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA.
Legacy[]
Rolling Stone ranked Graduation at #204 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2020.[1]
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Good Morning" | Kanye West | John, Taupin, West | Kanye West | 3:15 |
| 2. | "Champion" | Kanye West | Becker, Fagen | Kanye West, Brian Miller | 2:47 |
| 3. | "Stronger" | Kanye West | Banghalter, Birdsong, De Homen-Christo, West | Kanye West | 5:12 |
| 4. | "I Wonder" | Kanye West | Siffre, West | Kanye West | 4:03 |
| 5. | "Good Life" | Kanye West, T-Pain | Davis, Ingram, Jones, Najm, West | Kanye West, DJ Toomp, Mike Dean (add.) | 3:27 |
| 6. | "Can't Tell Me Nothing" | Kanye West | Davis, West | Kanye West, DJ Toomp | 4:31 |
| 7. | "Barry Bonds" | Kanye West, Lil Wayne | Carter, Lamb, Landsberg, Pappalardi, Ventura, Weinstein, West | Nottz, Kanye West (co.) | 3:24 |
| 8. | "Drunk and Hot Girls" | Kanye West, Mos Def | Karoli, Liebezeit, Schmidt, Schuering, Suzuki, West | Kanye West, Jon Brion (add.) | 5:13 |
| 9. | "Flashing Lights" | Kanye West, Dwele | Hudson, West | Kanye West, Eric Hudson | 3:57 |
| 10. | "Everything I Am" | Kanye West | Clinton, Mitchell, Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee, West | Kanye West | 3:47 |
| 11. | "The Glory" | Kanye West | Landsberg, Nyro, Pappalardi, Smith, Ventura, Weinstein, West | Kanye West, Gee Roberson (co.), Plain Pat (co.) | 3:32 |
| 12. | "Homecoming" | Kanye West | Campbell, Martin, West | Kanye West, Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell | 3:23 |
| 13. | "Big Brother" | Kanye West | Davis, West | DJ Toomp | 4:47 |
| 14. | "Good Night" (Bonus Track) | Kanye West | West, Smith, Daniels | 3:07 | |
| 15. | "Bittersweet Poetry” (Japan Bonus Track) | Kanye West | West, Mayer | 4:03 |
References[]
- ↑ Rolling Stone (September 22, 2020). "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".