The College Dropout

The College Dropout is the debut album by rapper and producer Kanye West, released February 10, 2004. It was nominated for Grammy Award for Album of the Year and won Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song for "Jesus Walks" in 2005. The album has received great acclaim from critics and mainstream fans alike, for its balance of mainstream commercial appeal and its innovative subject matter. It has been called one of the greatest albums of all time by "Time" and "Rolling Stone".
Background and production.
Kanye West had gotten attention for his production but was not well-known for his rapping. He was turned down by record labels because he didn't have the gangsta image that was popular at that time. He eventually signed with Roc-A-Fella Records. In 2002, West was in a bad car accident which gave him a shattered jaw, so his jaw had to be wired shut. He recorded a song called "Through the Wire" with his jaw still wired shut. This song helped him get a starting point for the album.
The album was recorded at The Record Plant in California. The beats used mainly had pitch shifted samples from gospel and soul records. Some of the beats used were gathered over a long period of time. When the album was finished, it was leaked. West used this as an opportunity to re-assess the album and improve it. He added strings and gospel choirs into his songs.
Lyrics.
The album was different from the gangsta rap that was popular at that time. The lyrics were on subjects that affected West's life such as family, religion, racism, materialism and more.
Commercial performance.
"The College Dropout" reached #1 on Billboard's Top R&amp;B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, and reached #2 on the "Billboard" 200. In the UK, it peaked at #12 on the album chart and spent several months in the top 20. The album went triple platinum in the United States.
The first single from the album, "Through the Wire", was recorded while West's mouth was wired shut after a near-fatal car accident in October 2002. It features a Chaka Khan sample, peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart while its successor "All Falls Down", which features R&amp;B singer Syleena Johnson, peaked at #7. The third single, "Jesus Walks", peaked at #11 while a fourth extract, "The New Workout Plan", made a minor impression on the R&amp;B/Hip-Hop charts (see list of US Billboard chart positions below). In the UK, "Through The Wire" peaked at #9 on the singles sales chart, "All Falls Down" peaked at #10, and "Jesus Walks" peaked at #11.
Personnel.
Information taken from "The College Dropout" liner notes.