By Camila Crews

After listening to “College Dropout” religiously for two weeks, I realized that the Roc-a-fella family has a new all-star in the line-up. This man is standing approximately 5-feet-8 inches and he hails from the Windy City of Chicago. Lackies like the young Memphis Bleek and gun-toting Beenie Segal can continue warming their seats on the pine. Kanye West is the saving grace for this team which seemed to be in trouble after their star player, Jay-Z retired.

Some people may not be familiar with this new rapper who has emerged on the scene. Truth be told, West is not new to the music industry; he is the producer behind many of the Jigga Man’s hits. He produced anthems like “Izzo” (H.O.V.A.,) “Girls Girls Girls,” “The Takeover” and “03 Bonnie ‘ Clyde.” He’s also lent his talents to Scarface, Talib Kweli and Alicia Keys.

Track number two, “We Don’t Care,” is about selling drugs to survive and about people who abuse the government system by claiming other people’s children on their taxes to get extra money. The chorus rings sadly true for any one who’s grown up in an urban environment. “Drug dealing just to get by/stack your money till it get sky high/We wasn’t suppose to make it past 25/Jokes on you we still alive/throw your hands up in the sky and say we don’t care what people say.”

West has a soulful track with the help of his Chi-town homie and songstress Syleena Johnson. “All Falls Down” is a song about people who don’t have money, yet they pretend they do by purchasing material items to make themselves feel sufficient. A line that sticks out in my headline, “She couldn’t afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis.” Lauryn Hills vocals were sampled on the chorus, however once the album was released Johnson’s vocals appeared on the single.

West’s story-telling techniques set him apart from other artists. He is keeping it real in a literal sense. His songs are both autobiographical and humorous, as he pokes fun at everyday situations such as materialism and individuals who have earned their accreditation at a university, but not on the streets. Without talking about killing and shooting people, West is able to entertain as well as educate simultaneously.

Yet another song that will definitely stick out is “Jesus Walks.” “God show me a way cause the devil’s trying to break me down” -is another one of West’s clever lines. Initially, the beat of the track gets your attention before the lyrics kick in. The beat sounds like a group of soldiers during physical training. Except in this case, this is not the chant of a few select soldiers, but Kanye’s ode to Jesus.

Lastly, of how can I talk about West without talking about “Through the Wire.” This song takes on a literal meaning; West recorded this track when his mouth was wired shut. The difference in his voice from the previous tracks is quite evident. On “Through the Wire,” his voice takes on a muffled sound, however his words are clear. The song, which is getting played all over music television stations, is an autobiographical song about West’s rise to fame and his tragic 2002 car accident that left him with his jaw broken in three places.

It is clear West believes in quality and quantity. At the discounted price of $9.99; music lovers get 21 tracks filled with meaningful lyrics. Don’t let “Slow Jamz” discourage you from this purchase. Of course, who could possibly take Jamie Foxx, in Ray Charles sunglasses singing the hook on an R’B song seriously? This is by far the weakest song on the album and guess what, this will even grow on you.

So go ahead, go pick up this, dare I say it, hip-hop classic.