The College Dropout

Kanye West - The College Dropout
Critic Score
Based on 13 reviews
2004 Ratings: #62 / 425
User Score
2004 Ratings: #4
Liked by 1230 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
AllMusic
Prior to this album, we were more than aware that West's stature as a producer was undeniable; now we know that he's also a remarkably versatile lyricist and a valuable MC.
91
Entertainment Weekly
In a scene still dominated by authenticity battles and gangsta posturing, he’s a middle-class, politically conscious, post-thug, bourgeois rapper – and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.
90
Tiny Mix Tapes

Despite all of his recent troubles, Kanye West has succeeded in not only making one of the best hip-hop records in a long while (yes, even better than The Black Album), but one of the best records in a long while--period. Despite what your friends may think.

90
HipHopDX

I know Kanye won't dazzle you with intricate wordplay and mind-warping cadence, but he more than makes up for it in ways that are more vital in today's landscape.

82
Pitchfork
With the fat playlist trimmed, the album lays down a sky-high standard for hip-hop challengers in '04, featuring enough singles in reserve to fill out the calendar year.
80
Uncut

The idea of a producer leaving the studio desk to enter the recording booth suggests ambition outstripping ability and falling heavily on its arse, but Kanye West has managed the transition quite brilliantly.

80
Prefix

In a complex, comical and comprehensive solo debut, The College Dropout is Kanye’s generous serving of uncommon insight and too many skits. He’s curiously a master of everything here; perhaps he is "saving all the good beats for himself."

80
Mojo
This is manna for hip hop fans starved of basic but ballistic beats-and-breaks fare in an increasingly litigious age.
79
Coke Machine Glow

Sensing that I'm wavering, Dr. Kanye hits me with the sugar so strong he destroys my cerebral parasite, and I jump on an atom bomb. I ride it, and I'll ride the beat, and for the rest of my life I'll be a bobbing-head cracker with a sweet tooth for hip-hop and a cavity where my soul hides.

70
Spin

Most producers who approach the mic do so at their peril, but on Dropout, West turns out to be a full-service hip-hop artiste.

70
Rolling Stone

His ace in the hole is his signature cozy sound — dusty soul samples, gospel hymns, drums that pop as if hit for the very first time.

70
Slant Magazine

Like every hip-hop album (even the great ones), Kanye West's The College Dropout is marred by too many guest artists, too many interludes, and just too many songs period. 

40
NOW Magazine
His clichéd social studies are just as weak as his playa party jams, and, clearly, he wasn't saving his best joints for himself.
BradTasteMusic
82

This just sounds so iconic

ImpalaLT
90

Ye, I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down #2

This is the debut album from one of hip hop’s biggest icons, Kanye West. Prior to this, he was never really known as a rapper, but then he rapped through something that fused his mouth shut, and things have changed since.

Kanye’s album is the definition of iconic. All the hits hit harder than the tree that fell between my house and a neighbor’s house, and the deep cuts are solid. Nearly every feature, given how many there ... read more

soundworld
96

“The College Dropout”: Kanye West’s introduction as a rapper to the world & a loose concept album around the idea of leaving the “system” and pursuing your dreams on your own terms: this album is also incredibly inspiring. What can you expect from an album that often gets compared to the likes of “Illmatic”, “Reasonable Doubt” & “Ready To Die” as the best Hip-Hop debut of all time? Well, to put it simply: this is in fact ... read more

TripedalStud
69

[Fav Song: Family Business]

These skits make me want to drop out

100

I could not have asked for a better introduction to the world of hip hop than listening to this album for the first time at 12 years old. I could talk about how groundbreaking the sampling, how witty and funny the lyricism is, the unbelievably stacked lineup of features that only Kanye can pull of on one album, but you already know all that :)

Jlepileo03
96

Such a fun and well produced debut. Kanye's hunger and energy is on full display, resulting in this timeless classic.

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Year End Lists

#1/SPIN
#7/NME
#18/Pitchfork
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