Kanye West
Late Registration
We all kind of saw this coming, didn’t we? Did anyone really think Kanye West was going to fall off his game after doing more for mainstream hip-hop than anyone since Dre? Not surprisingly, Late Registration does not disappoint. On it, we see his now trademark sampling mixed with the epic flair of producer Jon Brion. The strings are real, the crescendos are more devastating, and West’s style ? introspective backpacker mixed with street-wise braggart ? is smoother than ever. There’s nothing lacking in the cameo department either. Nas’ presence is a bit puzzling, considering his longtime feud with Kanye’s mentor, Jay-Z, but enjoyable nonetheless. Factor in Common, the chopped-and-screwed glory of Paul Wall and, of course, the “retired” Jay-Z himself, and you’ve got as impressive a hip-hop record as anyone has delivered in recent years. Following up an acclaimed debut is never easy, but with Late Registration, and his recent nationally televised attack on George W. Bush, West has proven that his is a voice that refuses to go unheard
