With school ending and Kanye being in the news more often than usual, we (T.S and E.B) thought we would take a look at his album “Graduation."

While it was released in 2007, we both had never fully listened to the entire album consecutively until now. The album was well received by the public and had mostly positive reviews, so here is our track-by-track reaction.

1. "Good Morning"

T.S: “Good Morning” is a great introduction to the album. What I love about this track, in particular, is the third verse. It rightly points out that a successful student performance doesn’t necessarily translate to a successful career.

“Good Morning / Look At the valedictorian / Scared of the future / While I hop in the Delorean / Scared to face the world, complacent career student”

E.B: I would agree with Tyler that this is a great introduction to the album. It’s upbeat and focuses on the school aspect more than some of the other songs in my opinion. The lyrics in this song are well put together and the repetition keeps the song stuck in your head.

2. "Champion"

T.S: I LOVE the sample on this track; it’s great to see Kanye crossing genres by sampling the classic rock band “Steely Dan.” It’s also got a brilliant reggae vibe.

E.B: I enjoyed this song more than I thought I would. I am guilty of not listening to full albums and I had not heard this song before but the way Kanye incorporated different genres of music flows well in this song and gives it a different vibe than songs on the rest of the track.

3. "Stronger"

T.S: I actually heard this song many years ago, and it’s still a classic. Honestly, it has one of my favorite rap hooks, and the Daft Punk sample (“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”) really elevates the song.

E.B: Stronger was one of the songs I heard prior to listening to the whole album. I really appreciate how different each song is on this album and lyrics are genius. I can jam to this song all day and I used to use as one of my hype songs prior to games in high school.

4. "I Wonder"

T.S: This one is a nice change of pace from the previous club track. The heavy synth REALLY works.

E.B: I agree with Tyler that the change of pace is nice and once again shows the variety of this album. The message in this song is one that took awhile for me to figure out but I appreciate the motivating lyrics and I feel that this song is urging you to follow your dreams.

5. "Good Life"

T.S: Nice, feel-good song, but honestly, the lyrics are lacking a bit… until the 3rd verse hit, which is hilarious

“Have you ever popped champagne on a plane,
While gettin' some brain,
Whipped it out, she said: "I never seen snakes on a plane.”

My reaction:

E.B: This is a song I had heard prior to listening to the full album. I like how upbeat the song is and the beat in the background works well. I also enjoy T-Pain on this track. This song reminds me somewhat of “Good Morning."

6. "Can't Tell Me Nothing"

T.S: This song is absolute flames 🔥 and has my favorite verse so far on the album:

“I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven,
When I awoke, I spent that on a necklace.”

I love the conflict Kanye shows between his psyche and fame:

"I feel the pressure, under more scrutiny,
And what do I do, act more stupidly."

E.B: This is my favorite song on the album with “Stronger” coming in a close second. The lyrics are great and the beat and background vocals add a strong support to the album.

I like the focus on God in this song and I think Kanye does a great job of representing life and situations in his lyrics.

7. "Barry Bonds"

T.S: The first track on the album that didn’t completely work for me. Lil Wayne’s lines were a bit weak, and the beat is forgettable.

(Side note: Barry Bonds should never be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame)

E.B: This song wasn't the most interesting to me. I didn’t dislike it but it wasn’t one of my favorites. I like how they tied in baseball references with the use of Barry Bonds.

8. "Drunk and Hot Girls"

T.S: The beat is nice on this one, for sure. But the lyrics: decent but subpar compared to the rest of the album.

E.B: This song is one of the songs on the album that I dislike. It doesn’t send much of a message and the beat is okay in my opinion.

9. "Flashing Lights"

T.S: From the beginning, I loved listening to this one. The use of synthesizers is brilliant; honestly, they gave me an 80’s vibe.

What a verse:

“In my past, you on the other side of the glass of my memory's museum,
I'm just saying, hey Mona Lisa, come home you know you can't Rome without Caesar”

E.B: I really like the collaboration of artists on this track. Everything comes together well and I really enjoy the use of synthesizers. The lyrics are well written and remain in your head.

10. "Everything I Am"

T.S: Really like the laid-back feel of this track. The piano combined with record scratches is ace. This song feels introspective, which I really appreciate.

E.B: Kanye is rawer in this song than in other songs. The slowness of the song with the piano as the basis allows for a more serious tone and for Kanye to really get his message across.

11. "Glory"

T.S: The beat isn’t too original, but the energy of this song is constant and effective.

E.B: This song reminded me of something from a Chance the Rapper, and I am aware that this album came in 2007, but I think I would agree with Tyler that the beat is not very original. I enjoy the lyrics and feeling I get when I listen to this song.

12. "Homecoming"

T.S: Wow, wow. GREAT track. Unexpected collab between Kanye and “Coldplay” frontman Chris Martin. Love the aggressive piano play from Martin.

E.B: This collaboration is GREAT. I am a big fan of Coldplay’s music as well as Kanye’s so for these two styles to come together is great to hear. They work well together and overall I really enjoyed this track.

13. "Big Brother"

T.S: The final track has a pleasantly cinematic feel to it. It’s an ode to Jay-Z, and it couples honestly and a bit of envy brilliantly. One of the best tracks on the album.

E.B: I really like this song and feel that encapsulates how important certain people are to having an influence on your life and career.

Final Thoughts:

T.S: Overall, I loved "Graduation." Kanye's lyricism throughout was honest and often witty, and the samples utilized were expertly used.

E.B: Overall, I really appreciated each song on Kanye's album and thought the way each message was told was great. The contrast between each song on the album makes it different from most other artists.