The Collage Dropout

“The College Dropout” is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West, released on February 10, 2004, by Roc-A-Fella Records1. The album was recorded between 1999 and 20031.

The production of “The College Dropout” was primarily handled by West himself12. The album showcased his “chipmunk soul” musical style, which made use of sped-up, pitch-shifted vocal samples from soul and R&B records, in addition to West’s own drum programming, string accompaniments, and gospel choirs3. The album also features contributions from Jay-Z, Mos Def, Jamie Foxx, Syleena Johnson, and Ludacris, among others3.

Kanye recorded the whole album on a Roland VS 880, which is an old digital 8-track or 16-track4. He brought it on his MPC, then re-recorded it4. That’s when John Legend showed up and Kanye had him sing on stuff, then the musicians came and played on it4. That’s what eventually expanded into the 76-minute LP4.

The story of this album starts in Kanye’s hometown of Chicago where the young man first dreamed of being a rapper1. After finding his way to New York, getting down with Roc-A-Fella Records, and becoming one of the most in-demand producers in the game, Ye struggled to convince anyone to take him seriously as a rapper1. After failing to secure a record deal anywhere else, Kanye eventually settled with the Roc1.

But everything changed on October 23, 2002, the night Kanye got into a car accident in Los Angeles after working late1. This incident led to the creation of “Through the Wire”, which was recorded while his jaw was still wired shut from the accident1. This song would eventually become the lead single for “The College Dropout” and help launch Kanye’s career as a rapper1.

Please see Jeen-yuhs documentary for better explanation and more in depth