Product description

Personnel: Chris Martin , Connie Mitchell, Jay-Z, Tanya Herron (vocals); Mike Dean (guitar, keyboards); Luigi Mazzocchi, Gloria Justen, Eric Gorfain, Charles Parker , Igor Szwec, Daphne Chen, Emma Kummrow, Olga Konopelsky (violin); Alexandra Leem, Peter Nocella, Leah Katz, Alma Fernandez (viola); Richard Dodd, Jennie Lorenzo, John Krovoza (cello); Omar Edwards (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, bass synthesizer); Jon Brion (keyboards, percussion); Andy Chatterly, Darryl Beaton, Chris Rob (keyboards); Timbaland (programming, drum programming); Jehireh Williams, Jamaal Stanford Williams, John Legend, Ne-Yo (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Anthony Kilhoffer; Manny Marroquin; Andrew Dawson; Mike Dean . Recording information: Ape Sounds, Tokyo, Japan; Avex Studios, Honolulu, HI; Chalice Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Chung King Studios, NYX; Doppler Studios, Atlanta, GA; EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England; Fever Recording Studio, North Hollywood, CA; Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Legacy Studios, NUC; Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, CA; Sony Music Studios, New York, NY; The Durt Factory Studio, Norfolk, VA; the Record Plant, Hollywood, CA. Arranger: Mike Dean . Given the remarkable critical and commercial success of 2005's LATE REGISTRATION, Kanye West's rich, rewarding sophomore release, expectations were high for 2007's GRADUATION. Ever savvy, West flouts those expectations by delivering a record that delivers curveballs while staying true to his sharply sculpted, commercially minded m.o. West's rapping, never his greatest strength, is still entertaining. He delivers witty, smart, sometimes absurd rhymes (he seems to take more lyrical chances on GRADUATION) that fit nicely with the overall feel of his tracks. As usual, it's West's productions that stand out. While there are examples of his style-defining use of classic R&B samples and background choirs (as on the feel-good highlight "I Wonder"), West streamlines his sound to center on synth-driven li

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Kanye West's third in a whimsical trilogy of "scholarly" albums, Graduation wears its predecessors' badges of success on its sleeve. Matriculation has its rewards, apparently, and it's time to take stock. Lyrically, there's plenty of self-congratulation to attend to, but the real fun comes in the collabs, and West chooses co-conspirators like a kid in a candy store--John Legend ("Good Life"), Coldplay's Chris Martin ("Homecoming"), Mos Def and the Section Quartet (both adorable choices for the foreboding "Drunk and Hot Girls")--and plucks samples with A-list braggadocio: Elton John, Steely Dan, Daft Punk, Can, Michael Jackson, Public Enemy. Nothing here quite captures the superlative symbiosis of West's past best beats (think "Gold Digger"), but the central motif remains: No one ever accused Kanye West of being too cool for school, and Graduation still knows how to party. True, Kanye West will happily whine about the pitfalls at the top of the heap, clear his throat and try to rhyme it with Barry Bonds, or diss fish in a barrel all day, but that can't stop a shameless good time, and Graduation maintains an unshakeable knack for producing it. --Jason Kirk

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.92 x 5.63 x 0.39 inches; 2.47 ounces
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Roc-A-Fella Records
• Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2007
• SPARS Code ‏ : ‎ DDD
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ June 5, 2007
• Label ‏ : ‎ Roc-A-Fella Records
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1