The College Dropout
by Kanye West
- Type: Album
- Released: February 10, 2004
- Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, Hustle., Handprint Entertainment
- Country: United States
- Length: 1:16:23
- Community rating: 4.3/5 from 44 ratings
Album Notes & Community Reviews
'The College Dropout' established Kanye West's signature "chipmunk soul" production, utilizing sped-up vocal samples from soul records alongside gospel choirs and live instrumentation. The album's lyrical themes diverged from the era's dominant gangsta persona, offering a witty and self-conscious exploration of family, faith, materialism, and education. It served as a landmark release that successfully challenged the conventions of mainstream hip-hop, popularizing a more sonically rich and consciously reflective subgenre.
Genres
Descriptors: rap, soulful, conscious, sampling, classic
Tracklist
- Intro (0:19)
- We Don't Care (4:00)
- Graduation Day (1:22)
- All Falls Down (3:44)
- I'll Fly Away (1:10)
- Spaceship (5:24)
- Jesus Walks (3:14)
- Never Let Me Down (5:24)
- Get Em High (4:49)
- Workout Plan (0:46)
- The New Workout Plan (5:23)
- Slow Jamz (5:16)
- Breathe In Breathe Out (4:07)
- School Spirit Skit 1 (1:19)
- School Spirit (3:02)
- School Spirit Skit 2 (0:44)
- Lil Jimmy Skit (0:54)
- Two Words (4:26)
- Through The Wire (3:41)
- Family Business (4:39)
- Last Call (12:41)
Credits
- Kanye West - co-executive producer, primary artist, producer, vocals, composer
- DeRay Davis - vocals, Additional Vocal
- Syleena Johnson - vocals, Guest Vocal
- GLC - vocals, Guest Performer
- Consequence - vocals, Guest Performer
- Jay-Z - vocals, executive producer
- J. Ivy - vocals, Guest Performer
- Talib Kweli - vocals, Guest Performer
- Common - vocals, Guest Performer
- Twista - vocals, Guest Performer
- Jamie Foxx - vocals, Guest Performer
- Ludacris - vocals, Guest Performer
- Mos Def - vocals
- Freeway - vocals, Guest Performer
- The Boys Choir of Harlem - vocals, Additional Guest Vocal
- John Legend - vocals, Additional Vocal, Piano, Vocal, Background Vocals Vocal
- Riccarda Watkins - vocals, Additional Vocal
- Tony Williams - vocals, composer, Additional Vocal
- Sumeke Rainey - vocals, Additional Vocal
- Brandi Kuykenvall - vocals
- Candis Brown - vocals
- Tiera Singleton - vocals
- Ken Lewis - recording engineer, mixer, composer, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar Guitar Keyboard Percussion, Vocal
- Darrin Chandler - a&r coordinator
- Ramses Francois - a&r coordinator
- Shalik Berry - a&r coordinator
- Patrick "Plain Pat" Reynolds - a&r direction
- Hip Hop Since 1978 - a&r direction
- Eric Duvauchelle - art direction, design
- Jim Morris - art direction, design
- Lauri Rowe - art direction, design
- Mike Godshall - art direction, design
- Stephanie Reynolds - art direction, design
- Bobby Naugle - dropout bear logo design
- Sam Hansen - dropout bear logo design
- Damon Dash - executive producer
- Kareem "Biggs" Burke - executive producer
- Gee Roberson - co-executive producer
- Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua - co-executive producer
- Manny Marroquin - mixed by, Mix
- Rabeka Tuinei - Recording
- Miri Ben‐Ari - Violin, Violin Arranger
- Ye - Producer
- Rich Balmer - Recording
- Eugene A. Toale - Recording
- Keyshia Cole - Background Vocals Vocal
- Eric “E‐Bass” Johnson - Guitar, Guitar Family
- Frank "Knuckles" Walker - Percussion
- Anthony Kilhoffer - Recording
- Tatsuya Sato - Recording
- Ervin Pope - Piano, Keyboard
- Andrew Dawson - Recording
- Keenan "Kee-note" Holloway - Bass Guitar, Additional Bass Guitar
- Glenn Jeffery - Guitar Family
- JAY‐Z - Guest Performer
- Young Guru - Recording
- Brent Kolatalo - Recording
- Tracie Spencer - Background Vocals Vocal
- Dave Dar - Recording
- Jared Lopez - Mix