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Life & Arts

'Dropout' inspires with truthful lyrics

Hip-hop's West shocks industry with his classic debut album 

by ELI JABBE
The Daily Cougar

Underdog -- the term describes someone who has the odds against him. It's also the theme of Kanye West's 2004 classic debut The College Dropout. Before West became the star he is now, he represented the underdog's struggle, something I relate to. I bought Dropout my senior year in high school, and like most, I thought the production and lyrics were great. In the two years since the album was released, I've related to the topics even more, making Dropout a favorite.

"We Don't Care" discusses another Dropout theme: not worrying about others' opinions. "Graduation Day" features John Legend singing about parental pressure regarding career choices: "My momma would kill me, so don't tell anybody / She wants me to get a good job, just like everybody / But she ain't walked in my shoes / I'm just not everybody."

Spaceship features West lamenting about a crappy job with the lyrics, "This (expletive) job can't help him / So I quit, y'all welcome." It also elaborates on the dedication it takes to be a music producer with the lyrics, "Y'all don't know my struggle / Y'all can't match my hustle / You can't fathom my love, dude / Lock yourself in a room doing five beats a day for three summers / That's a different world, like Kree Summers / I deserve to do these numbers."

Jay-Z appears on "Never Let Me down" saying, "Jeff Gordon of rap / I'm back to claim pole position." Common impresses on "Get ‘Em High" with, "Real rappers is hard to find, like a remote / Control rap is out of."

"Two Words" is my favorite Dropout song. Mos Def's appearance is great, and West has one of his best verses with lines like, "I'm from the bottom, so the top's the only place to go now," which is fitting of Dropout's underdog theme. West also assesses the plight of blacks in American history with brutal honesty with the lyrics, "I basically know now, we get racially profiled / Cuffed up and hosed down," referring to the civil rights incident in 1963 where peaceful protesters in Birmingham, Ala., were sprayed with high-pressure water hoses by firemen at the order of racist Police Chief Bull Connor. 

Through The Wire" discusses West's car accident after falling asleep at the wheel with, "Thank God I ain't too cool for the safety belt / I must gotta angel, because look how death missed his ass." Don't think the mood's all gloomy on Dropout. On "Workout Plan," West comically discusses alcohol's deceiving effects at parties with, "She probably looks good, but what's scary to me / Is Henny makes girls look like Halle Berry to me."

"Last Call" discusses fame with the lyrics, "I was almost famous, now everybody loves Kanye / I'm almost Raymond," and West explains, "There's a time in every man's life where you gotta make a change."

Many misconstrue Dropout as a glorification of quitting school. In actuality, it's about choosing your own path in life, even if your decisions are met with surprise. That's why it belongs in your collection.

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