The 100 Best Kanye West Songs

The 100 Best Kanye West Songs

Album: Freshmen Adjustment

Producer: Brian "All Day" Miller

Label: Self-Released

On The College Dropout's memorable closing cut, you may remember him citing a song called “Wow” that Kanye said, “You’ll never hear.” He pulled a line from “Wow” that he famously recited to Dame Dash: “I go to Jacob with 25 thou/You go with 25 hundred, wow/I got 11 plaques on my wall right now/You got your first gold single, damn nigga, wow.”

Well, it turns out those lost tapes made their way to the Internets shortly thereafter, and “Wow” was doper than we imagined. Perhaps Yeezy shelved it because he repurposed the second verse for his rapping debut on Jay’s “The Bounce”? While we don’t know exactly why 'Ye wanted to keep this one in the vaults, we do know there is a full version with a third verse sitting on someone’s hard drive somewhere. If that’s you, do the right thing and liberate it.

Album: Dame Dash Presents: Paid in Full Soundtrack

Producer: Dame Dash, Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella

Can Dame Dash talk his shit again? Of course he can! This early 'Ye cut finds the Roc's CEO boasting about Kanye's rapping skills, "He's the producer on the Roc, he rap better than most rappers!" It's funny to think back to the days when Ye Tudda wasn't taken seriously as a rapper, but it's always important to remember that it was Dame Dash (and not Jay-Z) who always believed in Kanye.

Album: Freshmen Adjustment

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Self-Released

Prior to shocking the world with The College Dropout, Kanye was still trying to prove that he was viable as a rapper. In late '02 and early '03, he began releasing a slew of mixtapes featuring not only tracks he'd produced for other artists, but also the solo material he'd been perfecting for years. Perhaps the best of these mixtapes was Get Well Soon, which featured early versions of "Through the Wire," "Jesus Walks," and perhaps the best of his early work, "My Way." Featuring Yeezy's signature chipmunk soul sample, "My Way" tosses darts at certain inhabitants of the City of Hella Haters. At the time, 'Ye was almost on: "Y'all just talk about my dough/How I left Chicago/How I'm the only one eatin'/Shut ya pie hole." Kanye did it his way and eventually won big.

Album: Category F5

Producer: Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker, No I.D.

Label: Get Money Gang/EMI Records

One of the longstanding debates in Chicago rap circles has been: Whose production makes Twista sound better, the Legendary Traxster or Kanye West? Kanye gave Twista a more commercial sound, while Trax brings that gutter West Side music out of the fastest rapper in the game.

After Kanye and Twist made a huge splash in 2004 with Yeezy’s contributions to Kamikaze, their joints together were few and far between. They had a few records here and there, but didn’t get their groove back until 2009’s “Alright.” “Alright” was a last-minute inclusion to Twista’s seventh album, Category F5. Ye was unable to complete the track in time for the initial pressing, so it was included as a digital bonus track. Unfortunately, a lot of people missed it for that reason. It stands as one of their best—if not their very best—collaborations. Plus Kanye’s verse was gnarly.

Album: Quality

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Rawkus/UMVD

Talib Kweli was an early supporter and believer of Kanye West. So much, in fact, that he tapped Yeezy (who was then pretty much unknown as a rapper) to tour with him in 2002. He also snagged a few Yeezy beats for his Quality album. The standout of the bunch was “Get By,” which took on a life of its own, and became Kweli’s most commercially successful record to date. So big that it commanded an all-star remix. High profile names like Mos Def, Busta Rhymes, Jay Z, and Kanye joined backpack’s poster boy to create one of New York’s best posse cuts. It was a huge look for Kanye, who was only known as a Roc-affiliated producer at the time. Yeezy got by and got over on this record.

Album: G.O.O.D Fridays

Producer: Kanye West

Label: N/A

The gang’s all here—well, the new one at least. On the fifth installment of Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Friday series, 'Ye officially rolled out the new roster of the G.O.O.D. Music squad. It came as a surprise to many, as a handful of the early G.O.O.D. contributors were nowhere to be found: GLC, Really Doe, Consequence, Fonzworth Bentley, and Sa-Ra were all notably absent.

'Ye made no mention of his crew other than “My whole team finna smash the streets.” But despite the musical chairs, the track was tailor-made for the weekend, and the perfect choice for a joint released on a Friday. “I know the city gettin ready for me”—this was stepping-out theme music.

Album: Finding Forever

Producer: Kanye West

Label: G.O.O.D Music/Geffen

Fresh off their success on Rash's comeback album, Be, 'Ye and Com joined forces again for "Southside," a dedication to the part of Chicago where both artists were raised. Com sounded reinvigorated, spitting, "The broads, the cars, the Half Moons, the Stars/I'm like Jeff Fort the way I get behind bars." Filled with Chi-Town gang lore, "Southside" included shout-outs and name-drops to many of the Chi's finest, including PsychoDrama and Crucial Conflict, who, ironically, are from the Westside. The song was all Chi-Town, though. Common and 'Ye went crazy on this one.

Album: T.L.O.P.

Producer: Madlib and Kanye West

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

Kanye’s output since the release of his 2013 album, Yeezus, has been met with mixed reviews. “All Day” was a dope single but failed to connect the way “Gold Digger” or “Stronger” or “Slow Jamz” had. “Only One” and “FourFiveSeconds” came and went with little fanfare, and “Facts” was unjustly ripped apart moments after its release by the social media peanut gallery.

One of Kanye’s strongest assets is his strategy ability—he’s one of the best in the music biz. He took note of the response of the aforementioned tracks, went back to the drawing board, and gave the people exactly what they wanted: high-caliber rapping over an unforgettable boom bap backpacker beat. He grabbed Kendrick Lamar and Madlib for the occasion, which curbed the appetite of Kanye’s most rabid fans. Kendrick rapped his ass off, but as of now, fans seem to think Kanye’s bars were superior. Hell, he compared his daughter’s wardrobe to Killa Cam’s. Only 'Ye could get away with that. Fans gushed about the release, which featured one of Kanye’s best and most-relatable verses of recent memory—proving that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Album: Mastermind

Producer: DJ Mustard, Mike Dean, Kanye West

Label: MMG/Def Jam

As far as Kanye West and Rick Ross collaborations go, Rozay and Yeezy are undefeated. Each and every time they deliver, and “Sanctified” was no exception. With Kanye, Mike Dean, and DJ Mustard behind the boards, Ross, Sean, and West all brought their A-game, making this one of Rick Ross’ most memorable songs of the past few years.

“Sanctified” was so good it had us ready to confess our sins, say a prayer, and go straight to church. It was gospel rap and a miracle on wax likely sent from a guiding force up above.

Preach. Tabernacle. Church!

Album: The Great Chicago Fire: A Cold Day in Hell

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Self-Released

Frequently miscredited as a Kanye West song, “Wouldn’t You Like to Ride,” actually belonged to spoken-word artist Malik Yusef. The Chi-Town poet was probably best known for his interludes on Common albums, but dropped a solid debut in 2003 with The Great Chicago Fire: A Cold Day in Hell. The album was a true taste of Chicago, and featured Common and Yeezy’s drunken freestyle battle in 1996.

The track featured the patented Yeezy chipmunk soul that first put him on the map, and came with a low-budget video from Coodie & Chike, which was shot in the back of a rented limo. Malik won a Grammy for his writing on “All of the Lights.”

Album: Be

Producer: Kanye West

Label: G.O.O.D Music/Geffen

Remember when you first heard Common and Kanye premiere “The Food” on the second season of The Chappelle Show? Internet bulletin boards and forums were going apeshit over the record, which successfully brought Common and Chicago’s savior, Kanye West, together for a second time. In fact, it was the first time an mp3 was ripped from a TV show and circulated on file-sharing sites.

The song wasn’t a traditional Com and Kan collabo, though. Com kicked his typical South Side lit, while Ye instead hosted hook duties and sung his contribution—reminiscent of Nas on “Street Dreams.” The record was soothing and soulful, so no one seemed to notice that Kanye wasn’t rapping. However, it did give us hints that Kanye had aspirations to be a singer too, something he later explored on 808s & Heartbreak.

Album: Welcome Back

Producer: The Movement

Label: Bad Boy Records

It’s no secret that Ma$e was once Kanye’s favorite rapper. After all, some of his first major placements as a producer were on Betha’s Harlem World compilation. So when a reformed Ma$e announced his return to the rap game in the summer of 2004, Kanye—who was the hottest new thing in music—just had to get involved. While Kanye didn’t make the Welcome Back album, he did bless Betha with a better-than-the-original remix, complete with a new Yeezy verse.

Not a bit intimidated by his idol, Kanye showed up M-A-Dollar on his own track, attacking the remix like he had a point to prove: “Round the same time Nas said ‘I Can’/Bush was sending our fam to Iran/I’m the club with Henny, ass in my other hand/Lord please forgive me I’m just a man.” It left many wondering why we needed Ma$e if the understudy was better than the teacher.

Album: DJ Fletch Presents Kanye West: The Glory

Producer: A-Plus

Label: N/A

Growing up, 'Ye was a huge Tribe fan and was extremely partial to the unofficial fifth member, Consequence. Once 'Ye moved to NYC, he tracked Quence down and they began banging out music together. The two fast friends had a penchant for flipping classic rap records and making them their own. They’d done similar a remake of Tribe’s “Electric Relaxation” and on “03 'Til” they took a stab at the Souls of Mischief smash.

Kanye and Quence mimicked the delivery, patterns and lines almost identically, putting together a skillful remake. “‘03” was a lot more complex than your average “Infinity” freestyle, and their rendition was updated with current events that were relevant in 03. Kanye quipped: “It cost Kobe seven digits/To pay off Bridget/And get acquitted/To break that bitch off, cause he ain’t did it.” She definitely wasn’t with him shooting in the gym.

Album: Graduation

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella Records

Kanye always knew how to start an album. “Good Morning” is his cleanest opener, on his cleanest album; the perfect first step to what would be the capstone to the College Trilogy, and the last time he would privilege cohesiveness in his catalogue. In his words, Graduation is his dissertation, and its first track is its thesis. ‘Ye would take over the world, watch it crumble around him, then get more artistically daring with each subsequent release—Good Ass Job would never show up, and he would abandon the things that make this song great: its focused, three-verse structure, gently building beat, and sweet sense of melancholy. ‘Ye would go on to burn his influences and talent down for scraps, and began to create weirder, bigger things. One thing he never lost, though, was his ability to start an album. —Brendan Klinkenberg

Album: The College Dropout

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

It goes without saying that Kanye has a love/hate relationship with all things academic. For reasons expressed throughout his debut, Kanye hated higher education, despite his mother being the head of the English Department at Chicago State University. The college life isn’t for everybody, and Kanye goes into great detail about it on “School Spirit.” Everything from pledgeship to registering for classes grinded Yeezy’s gears: “I hate it there/I hate there/Everything I want I gotta wait a year, wait a year,” not to mention spotting the valedictorian who was working at the Cheesecake Factory on Michigan Avenue.

“School Spirit” is also ironic because at the time, the biggest supporters of Kanye’s music were—you guessed it—college students. I guess 'Ye was right all along—they had the dropout keeping kids in school!

Album: The Life of Pablo

Producer: Kanye West, Karriem Riggins, and Mike Dean

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

Arthur Russell was difficult to work with, his living friends will explain to you today. A genius lost in his head (or drugs, depending on when you bumped into him), he was given to stubborn, self-sabotaging perfectionism. What he heard internally—something that existed between dance music and avant-garde composition—he could not often coordinate into life with his collaborators. So he often made his music alone, with his cello, and what emerged has the feeling of fragments, or drafts where the previous iterations are still legible in the tape dubbing and editing, like ghosts.

Arthur Russell died of AIDS in 1992, at the age of 40, and 24 years later, Kanye West, working with coproducers Mike Dean and Karriem Riggins, used his song “Answers Me” to make “30 Hours,” a Pablo bonus track. There’s something specious about comparing the struggles and failures Kanye describes—the long drive from Chicago to Los Angeles, an open relationship that blew up in his face, a bunch of Popeyes that got finished just when he needed it—to what Russell went through. But one of the amazing things about Kanye, and hip-hop, is the collision of ideas and emotions that results in uncomfortable, mysterious, inscrutable juxtapositions. The effect of this song, built around Russell’s almost indecipherable lyrics and buoyed by Kanye’s self-deprecating attitude, is impossible to unpack. It’s forever out of reach, and so you chase it with repeated listens, knowing full well you won’t arrive at the destination. —Ross Scarano

Album: Late Registration

Producer: Kanye West, Jon Brion

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

After Kanye’s remix of Maroon 5’s “This Love” blew up, Adam Levine returned to the favor by jumping on Ye’s “Heard Em Say.” The track featured luscious piano chords with Levine gently crooning atop them. But despite the song sounding like a hip-hop lullaby, Kanye was kicking that real shit. While “Heard Em Say” might’ve sounded light-hearted and friendly, the content definitely wasn’t: “Where I’m from the dope boys is the rock stars/But they can’t cop cars without seeing cop cars/I guess they want us all behind bars.”

Album: The Life of Pablo

Producer: Kanye West, Mike Dean, Sinjin Hawke, Cashmere Cat

Label: GOOD Music

It’s hard to know if Kanye ever got this right. It came with a now-classic promise: “Ima fix wolves.” What was wrong with it, though, has never been clear. It still feels too ephemeral to describe, like there’s an idea to it that Kanye still hasn’t fully been able to articulate. It flits between concepts, each of them despairingly beautiful, as if the song itself is looking for what it is but ends up just depositing every idea as is, in order. It’s not perfect, it’s not his best song, but it truly feels like in another world it would have been—if only it could shake off the gnawing sense of emptiness at its core. Or maybe that’s the point, and the fix is bigger than “Wolves.” —Brendan Klinkenberg

Album: The College Dropout

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

When Kanye and Jay first collaborated, they weren’t exactly on an equal playing field. But on “Never Let Me Down,” things were different—they weren’t quite peers (yet)—but the respect was there. Kanye was no longer just a producer who was trying to rap, he was becoming a rap star.

Jay and 'Ye traded inspired verses, showing chemistry that would later be captured in full on Watch the Throne. “Never Let Me Down” was powerful, political and provocative—and the engaging spoken word from J. Ivy was the icing on the cake. 'Ye opened up about his then-girlfriend’s deceased father and discussed his car crash in graphic detail, musing on how he could have survived: “I know I got angels watching me from the other side.”

Album: The Life of Pablo

Producer: Kanye West, Boi-1da Frank Dukes, Havoc, Darren King, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, and Sevn Thomas

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

We’re here, eight years after Kanye could only respond to photos of his friends’ kids with mansion snapshots, and proud report card updates with the make and model for his latest ride. Blissfully wed and the father of two, Kanye has by now crossed items off the domestic bliss checklist he worried over around the time of 808s and Heartbreak. (The death of a parent will turn your life into a race against the clock like little else.) In the place of those milestones, new problems have emerged, as his newly formed family unit becomes an island, much like single Kanye was.

From verse to verse, the song deteriorates, the way his other relationships did. The first verse is one of the best, technically speaking, on the album, but for verses two and three Ty Dolla Sign steps in to complete more and more of Kanye’s lines and phrases. 'Ye’s pauses become more spacious and cold, letting the keening Frank Dukes sample do the work. The song grows choppier, and then emptier, until the only sound is Caroline Shaw’s mournful vocalizations. Her sound bleeds into “Wolves,” a song that conjures a post-apocalyptic vision of one family alone in the wilderness, beset by troubles from every direction. —Ross Scarano

Album: Late Registration

Producer: Kanye West, Jon Brion, Warryn Campbell

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Kanye West was signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, and was the “little brother” to label boss Jay Z. So when Hova’s arch-enemy Nasty Nas popped up on Late Registration’s tracklist, it left many scratching their heads. Nas on a Roc-A-Fella release? Didn’t 'Ye produce “Takeover”—doesn't he have beef with Nas? Was Yeezy a traitor, or was the writing on the wall that the Jay and Nas beef would soon be coming to an end?

When the track dropped, none of that mattered—because “We Major” was majorly dope. 'Ye let his childhood friend Really Doe kick off the song, before 'Ye spit a verse that was “better than some head on a Sunday afternoon.” By the time we got to Esco, we’d completely forgotten about what he said on “Ether.”

Fun Fact: Really Doe helped Nas write his verse. When Nas spit, “Asked my man to the right, what this verse sound like/Should I freestyle or write/He said ‘Nas what the fans want is Illmatic still’”—which is reference to a real conversation he and Really Doe had while recording.

Album: N/A

Producer: Brian "All Day" Miller

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Prior to 2003, Kanye’s rapping ability was a mystery to most. Even if you lived in Chicago, you probably missed his mixtapes unless you frequented spots like Fletchers, Track One Records or Tony’s Sports. But even in the infancy of Yeezy’s rapping career, you knew his main goal was to make the Middle West blow like the Middle East.

“Peace” was a favorite amongst in-the-know Kanye Stans, but the outside world didn’t get a chance to enjoy the record until The College Dropout dropped and popped, and all of the early Kanye material began trickling out on mixtapes. But even early on Yeezy showed signs of genius, with hilarious lines like “Aba-cadabra’d my Nissan to a car throwing a peace sign. Peace!” How the labels weren’t knocking down his door for a deal remains one of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries. Many of the lines on “Peace” would be repurposed for songs Yeezy used later in his career, but as you can tell, he was nice from the very beginning.

Album: The Life of Pablo

Producer: Kanye West, Anthony Kilhoffer, Mike Dean, Charlie Handsome, Ryan Vojtesak

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

Mr. Fingers, or Larry Heard, is a Chicago house legend. Part of the pioneering Midwest to develop modern dance music, he infused his four-four beats with an ineffable sense of soul and humanity. It’s no wonder Kanye eventually sampled him. While Kanye usually chops and shapes and pitches his samples—he uses other’s songs like instruments—he leaves the muscular loop of Mr. Fingers’ “Mystery of Love” largely intact, opting instead to build on it. The result is a sneering strut of a song, all energy. It’s there in the original recording, just teased out to a (somewhat) logical conclusion. The result, after the tortured expansiveness of The Life of Pablo, is cathartic. —Brendan Klinkenberg

Album: Yeezus

Producer: Che Pope, Kanye West, Mike Dean, No I.D., Eric Danchild, Noah Goldstein

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

Kanye’s Yeezus album was known for its abrasive industrial sound. It was experimental, with a rugged texture that threw his fans for a loop. They immediately didn’t get it, and as with most Yeezy creations, it took them some time to understand.

But ever since The College Dropout, Kanye’s fans have wanted that old thing back, so for the last song on Yeezus, he gave us that old soul sound once again. The sound everyone initially fell in love with Kanye for.

Sure, it was his 2013 spin on the chipmunk soul sound, but it felt so good. It felt like home. And it’s no surprise that “Bound 2” became the overwhelming favorite from the album, and its highest charting single, peaking at No. 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

“Bound 2,” however, will probably be best remembered for its headline-grabbing music video, which featured an, ahem, nude Kim Kardashian riding Kanye and his motorcycle throughout the Americana-themed clip. Flannel, horses, motorcycles, nudity—what more could you ask for? The visual took on a life of its own, going on to be parodied by Saturday Night Live, South Park, and James Franco and Seth Rogen. It was a pop culture moment.

Album: Graduation

Producer: Kanye West, Gee Robertson, Plain Pat, and Tommy D.

Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam

One of the most inspired, satisfying Kanye flips ever, “The Glory” takes a live Laura Nyro performance of “Save the Country” from the Fillmore East in May, 1971, and turns it into a jam. Listening to Nyro’s original performance and hearing the vocal line emerge from this politically minded, folksy piano jaunt is like washing the dirt from a nugget of gold in some cold-running stream in the Dakotas. It is nothing less than a miracle that someone excavated these nine seconds to make rap music. Like, dog, are you fucking kidding? —Ross Scarano

Album: The Blueprint 2

Producer: Timbaland

Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam

“The Bounce” was Kanye’s first appearance as a rapper on any Roc-A-Fella release ever. The feature was super understated, as the new kid from Chicago was only given a few bars on a record that was tacked on to the end of disc one on The Blueprint 2. If you blinked you might’ve missed it. Never one to shun an opportunity, Kanye took this feature in stride, kicking an inspired verse that sounded more Bacdafucup than College Dropout.

While you might not have been sold on Kanye (or Kayne as you probably pronounced it at the time) as a rapper, there’s no denying he had a few quotables: “Chi-Town Go-Gettin’ pimps, we mobsters/Gingerbread Man even said ‘You’re a monster.’” However, you’re lying if you say you predicted these two would make an entire album together 10 years later.

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: Kanye West, DJ Frank E

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Much of Kanye’s catalog deals with love, loss, and the perils of relationships in a celebrity world. “Blame Game” finds both John Legend and Kanye carrying on about dysfunctional relationships. Despite being able to bag any chick on the planet, Kanye has love issues just like the average joe, and he explained them in explicit detail on “Blame Game.”

Chris Rock's “Yeezy taught me” bit at the end—no doubt aimed at Amber Rose—took on a life of its own, and will go down as one of the greatest rap catchphrases of all time. It all goes to show that dating someone like Kanye can change your life forever—for better or for worse.

Album: The Blueprint 2

Producer: The Neptunes

Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam

If two versions weren’t already enough, Kanye threw his hat in the ring for his own rendition of the “Excuse Me Miss (Remix)”—complete with his own verse tacked on the end. Pharrell’s version of “La La La” was hard-hitting and aggressive, and Kanye's remake was every bit as commanding.

While Yeezy’s straight-to-mixtape version didn’t get the glossy video treatment that Pharrell’s did, Ye was able to fly under the radar and take playful jabs at Big Brother’s boo Beyonce (whose relationship with Jay was still somewhat "unofficial" at the time): “So you take the Destiny’s Child girl in the coupe/And I’ma try to bag the ones that got kicked out the group.”

Album: Dwele

Producer: Kanye West

Label: N/A

Kanye’s contribution to Dwele’s “Hold On (Remix)” has to be one of the best and most calculated verses of his career. It’s likely he held on to these lines until the right moment and opportunity—and his guest shot for crooner Dwele was that time. The single dropped just prior to The College Dropout, and Kanye still had a lot to prove as an MC, but this play-on-your-favorite magazine verse no doubt opened some ears.

Yeezy’s clever contribution name-dropped a whole slew of print mags—some shuttered, some still in print. All categories were mentioned, even obscure adult books: “I’m feelin’ her Vibe, her Body & Soul/I heard she stay in a Metropolitan Home/Well let’s kill all the pollyin’/I offered you a Cosmopolitan/Let’s Jet out the Club get some Oxygen.”

Album: G.O.O.D Friday's

Producer: Kanye West

Label: N/A

“Lord, Lord, Lord” was by far the most spaced-out contribution to the G.O.O.D. Friday series. It was the sixth release, and after it dropped the artist formerly known as Mos Def announced his signing to G.O.O.D. Music. Although Brian Bennett’s “Soulstice” has been sampled ad nauseum in hip-hop, Ye flipped it in a way that sounded other-worldly.

Kanye’s verse misses the mark on a PG rating, as he talks about everything from rough sex to STDs, while admitting: “I only hang with white boys that like black sluts.”

Album: Late Registration

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

One thing Cam and Kanye didn’t do nearly enough was collaborate. A "best of both worlds" from these two would have been a crash course in ridiculous opulence. But while that’s pure fantasy, at least we have “Gone,” one of the finest moments of Kanye’s sophomore set, Late Registration. “Gone” found Ye contemplating moving to Oklahoma to live at his aunt’s house, and included clever bars like: “What the summer of Chi got to offer a 18-year-old?/Sell drugs or get a job you gotta play your role/My dog worked at Taco Bell, hooked us up plural/Fired a week later, the manager count the churros.”

It’s no secret that Cam is a big fan of the Windy City, and his verse was heavy on Chi-Town slang that probably couldn’t be deciphered outside of city limits. He spoke of exploring the West Side with George and Regina Daniels (George’s Music Room) and shouting out Kanye’s management company Hustle and his homie Happy Lewis.

Fun Fact: The original version of “Gone” featured Rhymefest instead of Consequence.

Album: Freshmen Adjustment

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Self-Released

Remember back in the summer of ‘03 when Ol Dirty Bastard was released from jail and immediately signed with the Roc? There was that awkward video featuring clips of Dame Dash waiting for Dirty on the jail steps of prison; and then the painful backroom brawl between The RZA and Dame for the rights to Dirty. The whole thing never quite set well with other members of the Roc, and it definitely raised an iron flag within the Wu-Tang ranks.

Taking the new addition in stride, another recent Roc-A-Fella signee recruited Dirt McGirt to knock out the hook for “Keep The Receipt,” a record intended for The College Dropout. “Keep The Receipt” surfaced on the advance copy of album, but when the project hit retail it was nowhere to be found. It’s a shame, too, because the beat and Kanye’s brash lyrics have stood the test of time: “The first producer to rap better than them rappers.” He showed, he proved, and most importantly, he told the truth.

Fun fact: A promo video for “Keep The Receipt” was shot and chopped by Channel Zero TV (a public access Chicago hip-hop show that had close ties to Kanye) that starred The Dropout Bear on his adventures throughout Chicago and Los Angeles.

Album: Watch The Throne

Producer: Swizz Beatz, S1

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam

“Murder To Excellence” was a two-part song, dealing with two very different topics, but both revolving around being African-American in the United States. Despite sounding completely different, the two tracks were meshed together to tell a story. The first half, “Murder,” dealt with black-on-black violence, with Yeezy expounding on the climbing murder rate in his hometown of Chicago: “I feel the pain in my city wherever I go/314 soldiers died in Iraq, 509 died in Chicago.”

The latter half, “Excellence” dealt with black excellence, success, and wealth in the midst of adversity. And despite their climb to the top, racism was still very real in America: “If you picture events like a black tie/What’s the last thing you expect to see? Black guys.” If you thought the content on WTT was shallow, then you weren’t really paying attention.

Fun Fact: Kanye borrowed the “I’m from the murder capital/where they murder for capital” line from Jay Z who originally borrowed it from Bump J. After Jay borrowed the line from Bump, he returned the favor, giving a Bump a Jay line in exchange.

Album: Watch The Throne

Producer: Sham Joseph, Mike Dean, & Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam

'Ye and Jay do dubstep. Love it or hate it, they went there. Sampling Flux Pavillion’s hit “I Can’t Stop,” they again flaunted their expensive lifestyle, talking about black cards, purple money and other big-ticket items the average joe will never enjoy. Ye even rapped in Pig Latin and admitted he was a racist (he “Only likes green faces”). Who can stop these two? They haven’t met their match yet.

Album: The College Dropout

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

If you were a bit confused when you popped in The College Dropout to find Ye talking about selling dope on the first song, you probably weren't alone (I THOUGHT HE WAS A BACKPACKER!) But that’s why Yeezy works—because he’s so complex. He can rap about “drug dealing just to get by,” and uplifting his community all within the same sentence. “We Don’t Care” found Ye tackling problems with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services: “DCFS, some of them dyslexic/His favorite 50 Cent song ‘12 Questions’,” and trying to light fire under the ass of his peers: “Ain’t no tuition for having no ambition/And ain’t no loans for sitting yo ass at home.” He also offered his own brand of thug motivation: “This is for my niggas outside all winter/Cause this summer they ain't finna say next summer i’m finna.” Kanye cares, if don’t nobody else care.

Album: 808s & Heartbreak

Producer: Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker, Plain Pat

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

808s & Heartbreak is quite possibly the greatest depressing rap album of all time. The tone throughout is somber—death and failed relationships were common themes. It goes without saying Kanye was going through some heavy shit while recording this album.

The best example of Kanye’s inner-psyche, however, has to be “Welcome To Heartbreak.” It’s where Kanye comes to the realization that he’s not like the rest of us. His fame and fortune have put him in a place much different than those he grew up with. While his friends show him pictures of their kids, all Kanye has to offer in return are pictures of his houses. He’s self aware of just how shallow this is. Sure Kanye’s amassed wealth and success but “Welcome To Heartbreak” leads us to believe he still feels hollow inside. And it’s at this point that he realizes things will never, ever return to normal: “Chased the good life my whole life long/Look back on my life and my life gone.”

Album: Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit)

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Capitol

In the Spring of 2004, Kanye was red hot. Everyone wanted some of the Chi-Town magic that West possessed. All manner of artists seemed to be tapping the new kid on the block to produce and feature on their singles—it was a surefire way to make an impact on BET and radio. A new artist trying to get your name out there? Call Kanye, A once popular act who needed a second life? Give Kanye a try. He was seemingly everywhere.

Perhaps the best of these 2004 collaborations was the assist he tossed Slum Village on “Selfish.” Kanye came through with arguably the best cut of their post-Dilla career, but not before stealing the show with his hilariously cocky bars: “From the Polo fleece, to the Jesus piece/I got family in high places like Jesus’ niece/Can I please, say my piece/If y’all fresh to death, then I’m deceased.”

Album: Deeper Than Rap

Producer: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League

Label: Maybach, Slip-n-Slide, Def Jam

As Rozay came of age on his third album, Deeper Than Rap, he made quite the splash with the all-star posse cut, “Maybach Music 2” featuring T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Martin Louis The King, Jr. Over a lush Justice League instrumental, the group crafted an almost perfect record, but it was Yeezy’s colorful verse that stole the show.

His stunting on “Maybach Music 2” was next level: “So all the shit you talkin, dead. Coffin/ Light the weed. Coughin’/New crib. Loftin’/ Where it’s at? Austin/Where is that? Texas/What’s in front? Benzes?/ What else? Lexus/Now whose Maybach is this? Mr. West’s.”

Album: The Life of Pablo

Producer: Kanye West, Mike Dean, Rick Rubin, Metro Boomin, DJ Dodger Stadium, Allen Ritter, Noah Goldstein

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

Pure, unadulterated glory in the midst of 2016's misery was rare and brief. Case in point: the long awaited reunion of Kanye and his most prodigal protégé, Kid Cudi, lasts a paltry two minutes and 15 seconds. Would it have been nice if Ye had better things to rap about than bleached butts? Yes. Could more G.O.O.D. Music compatriots have added verses to lengthen the song into something more substantial before it pivots to "Panda"? Totally. But what we have is still a joyous, party-exploding reminder of what Kanye West is capable of when he's at his best. —Frazier Tharpe

Album: The Man With the Iron Fists Soundtrack

Producer: RZA, Tapez, Boogz, Kanye West

Label: Soul Temple

Marriage is a grown man sport, and Kanye got his grown and sexy on in May of 2014 by hitching his wagon to Kim Kardashian. A true powerhouse couple. Two years and two kids later, KimYe appear to be happy as ever and seemed to have only made each other better. Kanye loves Kim so much he’s even letting her and her sisters executive produce his next album. Well, at least it looks/sounds that way.

But every man gets a bout with cold feet before saying “I do.” Hey, forever is a scary thing. So Kanye tackled the thought and idea of marriage on “White Dress”—two years before tying the knot. The track, which would appear on The Man with the Iron Fists Soundtrack, was produced by RZA, Tapez, Boogz, and Kanye himself. It was so beautiful we wanted to throw rice at the end.

Album: Graduation

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

First and foremost, Common took an L for passing on this beat. Ye’s piano-heavy slow roller with cuts by Primo, was oh-so Chicago. It was the perfect backdrop for Kanye to kick nonsensicals like: “Be light as Al B. or black as Chauncey/Remember him from Blackstreet?/He was as black as the street was/I’ll never be laid back as this beat was.”

But the song had a deeper purpose. Early in the record, Ye professes that he “Played a big role in Chicago like Queen Latifah,” so it was fitting that he addressed the violence that plagues the Chi on a daily basis: “Just last year Chicago had over 600 caskets/Man, killin’s some wack shit” and later “He got changed over his chain a block off Ashland/I need to talk to somebody pastor.” Kanye belonged to the world, but he was still looking out for his home turf.

Album: H.F.M.: The Hunger for More 2

Producer: Cardiak

Label: G-Unit Records, EMI[

“Start It Up” began as a record with just Lloyd Banks and Fabolous—it was going to be an 11th-hour entry for his Hunger For More 2 project. But after Kanye West tweeted that Banks was “underrated,” the trajectory of the track changed completely.

Twitter went crazy with Kanye’s tweet, and within a few hours Lloyd and Kanye were in the lab together. Twenty-four hours later, the track went from being a two-piece to featuring Kanye, Ryan Leslie and Swizz Beatz, who were all in NYC at the time. “Start It Up” wasn’t released as a single, but it garnered radio play almost instantly, and later charted on Billboard.

That just goes to show how massive Kanye’s influence is. The song would’ve been dope sans Ye, but it turned into a hit once he blessed it. “The first album I vomited/The second I colonic’d it/Ain't nobody fucking with me, I plutonic’d it”—all such claims are validated here.

Album: Cruel Summer

Producer: Young Chop and Kanye West

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

2012 was a huge year for Chicago rap. In fact, the media dubbed it a full-blown renaissance. After years of being primarily known for Kanye, Lupe, Twista, and Common, Chicago ushered in a new crop of young talent in 2012, with Chance the Rapper, Lil Durk, King Louie, and Lil Reese (among others) stepping into the national spotlight.

But at the time, none was bigger than Chicago’s own Chief Keef. He was controversial, his backstory read like a movie script, and every song he touched caught fire. He couldn’t miss.

Known as a local phenom in Chicago, his “I Don’t Like,” which was produced by Young Chop and featured Lil Reese, was the record that took Keef national, and it stands as his biggest hit to date.

In fact, the record was so big it managed to grab the attention of Pusha T, who hand-delivered the track to Kanye West, alerting Yeezus that he should sign the young rapper. Kanye was instantly sold on Keef’s sound and began work on the official remix immediately.

’Ye’s involvement took the record to a whole new level, grabbing features from the likes of Big Sean, Pusha T, and Jadakiss. When it finally dropped, Young Chop was unhappy with the results, having not been consulted on the record’s new sound, and Lil Reese wasn’t too happy about being snubbed. But the “Remix” stands as the biggest version of “I Don’t Like” and can still be heard at clubs and concerts around the world. People liked “I Don’t Like.” Kanye poured gasoline on the already burning fire, and it helped take Keef and Chop to heights they never imagined.

Album: The College Dropout

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Kanye’s star has risen so high over the past 10 years, it’s hard to imagine that he was once just a kid with a lot of dreams who worked at The Gap—as a sales assistant at that. On “Spaceship” he rapped: “Let's go back, back to the Gap / Look at my check, wasn't no scratch / So if I stole, wasn't my fault / Yeah I stole, never got caught / They take me to the back and pat me / Askin' me about some khakis / But let some black people walk in / I bet they show off their token blackie.”

His verse was so honest. It represented the working man—the average person who had dreams of one day being so successful that he could return to his old job and gloat in his boss’ face. Honest life experiences like the ones Kanye shared on “Spaceship” made the world fall in love with him and his music. He was a real person who went through the same everyday bullshit as the rest of us. Kanye can stunt all he wants now, but revisiting “Spaceship” is a good way to remember when it was all a dream.

Album: Watch The Throne

Producer: The Neptunes, Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam

“Gotta Have It” was the sixth (count it!) single released from Jay and Ye’s epic collabo album Watch The Throne. It managed to chart on Billboardand go gold—an impressive feat for a sixth single. The Neptunes gave The Throne a beat that didn’t sound at all Neptunesey, incorporating a slew of James Brown samples, layered with Middle Eastern flutes and gut-punching bass.

Little Brother and Big Brother exchanged verses, kicking their typical rich rapper shit, while finishing each other's lines: “Made a left on Nostrand Ave, we in Bed Stuy/Made a right on 79th I’m coming down South Shore Drive.”

Fun Fact: While in Chicago for a Watch The Throne tour stop, Kanye and Jay went to 79th and South Shore Drive to recreate the scene they rapped about, surprising residents of the neighborhood. They ran the clip while performing “Gotta Have It” on the second night of their Chicago stay.

Album: Yeezus

Producer: Arca, TNGHT, Kanye West, Mike Dean, 88 Keys, Carlos Broady

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

A song sampling C-Murder, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and TNGHT? On paper it sounds bizarre, but it turned out to be arguably the best song on Kanye West’s sixth album, Yeezus.

While the subject matter of the song has sparked many debates, we can all agree that Kanye’s “Blood on the Leaves” has a deeper meaning and message than it shows on the surface. Some have called it an anti-abortion anthem, while many thought 'Ye was going after gold diggers from his past life as a single man in entertainment.

But more than anything, the sample and message initially pulled from Billie Holiday’s 1939 racial injustice anthem, “Strange Fruit,” grabs your attention from the get-go. Like most of Kanye’s music, it’s a true piece of art, letting the listener interpret it for himself. The triumphant horns and soul-slapping bass made this song a club favorite. Plus we can’t beat Beats by the Pound still getting royalty checks 15-plus years after “Down 4 My N’s” dropped.

Album: 808s & Heartbreak

Producer: Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Prior to the release of 808s and Heartbreak, the world was wondering how Kanye was going to bounce back. Having just lost his mother, and breaking off a very public engagement, his head was likely in a very different place—and rightfully so. Would he melt down? Would he retire? Lucky for us, he did neither of those things. But when he premiered “Love Lockdown” at the 2008 VMAs, we weren’t sure what to think.

It was a new look, and a new sound—something far different than anything else in music at the time. Was that a gray suit? Was Kanye singing? The sound was more electronic, and so were the vocals. The tribal noises echoing in the background were a little creepy. But “Love Lockdown” was the introduction to a new Ye, and ushered in a new era of music, one that would change hip-hop forever.

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: Kanye West, No I.D.

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

In 2010, Kanye West shook up music with his G.O.O.D. Friday series, during which he dropped a new track every Friday for 15 (gasp!) weeks. While dropping a weekly song was hardly groundbreaking, Kanye captured our attention with his genre-pushing production and all-star lineups. “So Appalled” featured a hodgepodge of artists who were hanging around Yeezy at the time. With the exception of Jay and the Abbot, all would later join the G.O.O.D. Music family. Ye got greasy on the track, talking plenty trash, and getting his goon on with lines like “I got dogs that’ll chew a fuckin’ hole in your wall.”

Interestingly enough, before becoming a Yeezy record, “So Appalled” almost boarded Diddy’s Last Train To Paris. No I.D. told Complex late last year: “Funny thing is, when it didn’t end up going to Jay, me and Ye were in the studio in California, and Ye started freestyling verses and he said ‘I’m gonna give this to Puff.’ And I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ And somehow that version that Ye did for Puff leaked on the internet. It didn’t end up making Dirty Money, but it was too good just to let be an internet leak. So it eventually became Ye’s record.”

Album: Late Registration

Producer: Kanye West, Jon Bron

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

While some of the content on Late Registration was melodic and lighthearted, Kanye went all revolutionary on “Crack Music.” Recruiting 2005’s gangsta rap poster boy Game for the hook, Yeezy took the government to task over some marching drum patterns. No president was safe from Kanye’s venom: “How we stop the Black Panthers/Ronald Reagan cooked up the answer” and later “Who gave Sadaam anthrax? George Bush got the answers.”

If you thought Late Registration was only about gold-digging females and touching the sky, you were sadly mistaken. Capped off with a poignant spoken word piece from Malik Yusef, “Crack Music” was Kanye’s biggest political statement to date (aside from dissing Dubya on live television). This was inspiration for the Moes and the Folks, man.

Album: The College Dropout

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

After Common's fifth album, Electric Circus, was largely considered a fail in the eyes of die-hard fans (it wasn't that bad in hindsight), hip-hop had written off Com as a tragic victim of Baduizm. How do you resurrect your career after such public scrutiny and backlash? Well, you show up on The College Dropout and body everyone on “Get ‘Em High”—that's how.

Kanye’s new sound and youthful vigor had re-energized two of Chicago’s most important hip-hop figures, Common and Twista, who were both thrust back into the national spotlight after their 2004 work with Yeezy. The reaction to Kanye and Common’s chemistry on “Get Em High” was so lauded that Kon quickly inked Com to his G.O.O.D. Music imprint. The rest, as they say, is history.

Album: Tha Carter III

Producer: Deezle, Jim Jonsin

Label: Cash Money, Universal Motown

Kanye and Weezy F. Baby have had a number of collaborations over the years, but none more potent than this. By the time this song was released, Weezy was the undisputed cameo killer, a beast who laid waste to any instrumental thrown into his grimy labyrinth of bars and hooks. Rival rappers had best be aware before they got murdered on their own shit. Kanye even admitted as much on his verse rhyming, "This a song with Wayne so you know it gon' melt/But you ain't gon' murder me like everybody else." In the end, Mr. West held his own alongside Weezy, proving that his steady growth as an MC had carried him to the upper echelons of rap.

Album: Cruel Summer

Producer: Kanye West, Boogz & Tapez

Label: Def Jam

“New God Flow” found Kanye reuniting with producer Boogz, a graduate of Yeezy’s early production stable Kon Man Productions. With Boogz’ protegé Tapez in tow, the trio curated some new age boom-bap for the G.O.O.D. compilation, Cruel Summer.

While “New God Flow” is heavy on the samples (most notably Ghostface’s “Mighty Healthy”) it provided the perfect backdrop for Ye and Pusha to spew their bravado and unforgiving opulence. Pusha sounds completely re-energized, while Kanye continues his quest to shed light on the recent violence plaguing the Chi: “I’m from the 312/Where cops don’t through/And dreams don’t come true.” Sources say Kanye creates his songs with packed stadiums in mind—which explains the military call and response at the end. Whatever the case, both artists sounded heavenly on this one.

Album: G.O.O.D Friday's

Producer: Kanye West & Ryan Leslie

Label: N/A

The best thing about Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Friday series was the complete randomness of the lineups. It’s as if Yeezy had a rapper dartboard hung up in the studio that he’d throw at blindfolded. Ryan Leslie, Lloyd Banks, John Legend, Pusha T and Kid Cudi? Only Kanye could dream that up.

“Christian Dior Denim Flow” was the eighth release in the series that was almost canceled thanks to the leaking of other records. It was an immediate favorite amongst Stans and fans alike. It clocked in at almost seven minutes, and featured immaculate production that perfectly captures the direction of Kanye’s sound in 2010.

Album: Neighborhood Watch

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Capitol

In 2012, a collaboration between Dilated Peoples and Kanye would sound and seem out of place, but in 2004, it made perfect sense. Kanye was the best of both worlds at the time—he could bless Jigga with hits like “Encore,” then turn around and give a “Get By” to Talib Kweli. He was the happy medium between backpack and commercial—and his work offended neither side.

As the hottest new thing in music at the time, Kanye’s contribution overshadowed the verses of both Evidence and Rakaa. But it also gave the West Coast trio their first and only Billboard Hot 100 hit, and offered up some of the best advice ever featured on a rap song: “I don’t know what’s better, gettin’ laid or gettin’ paid/I just know when I’m gettin’ one the other’s gettin’ away.” Oh yeah, it also featured a little-known R&B singer by the name of John Stephens. Wonder whatever happened to that guy?

Album: Graduation

Producer: Brian "All Day" Miller, Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Over a perfectly chopped sample of Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne,” courtesy of Brian “All Day” Miller, Kanye spouts off about what it takes to be number one—a numerical position he feels he has earned. The song contains the typical Kanye shit-talking we’ve grown accustomed to, with Yeezy stunting about shopping so much he “can speak Italian” and how the dropout “keeps kids in school.”

The song resonated with fans, and it landed on the Billboard Hot 100 without being officially released as a single. This forced the label's hand, who eventually released an Olympic-themed video starring Kanye in puppet form. Like its namesake, the song was a true champ.

Album: Yeezus

Producer: Kanye West, Mike Dean, Arca, Noah Goldstein

Label: Def Jam Recordings

In 2013, not long after Yeezus came out, I was driving with my father listening to the album. He listened to the whole thing in silence, and when it was finished turned to me and said, “I don’t understand why someone would want to listen to that.” It’s a fair criticism. Yeezus is an extended exercise in making gorgeous things ugly, and that guiding principle is never on better display than on “Hold My Liquor.” A pounding, beautiful track, Kanye never lets it just be, punctuating it witch scratches and screeches, forcing it to stop and start and change under his relentless prodding. But somehow, that just makes it better. It’s a desperate bid for transcendence amidst oblivion; it’s climbing a tree blind drunk at 3 in the morning, unsure whether you’re on top of the world or just playing the idiot—punctuated by a fall, and a crunch, then silence.  —Brendan Klinkenberg

Album: Teflon Don

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Maybach Music Group, Slip-n-Slide, Def Jam

Rap stars live life in hyperspeed. Fast women, fast money and fast cars. Things change in the blink of an eye, so balling till you fall isn’t just a motto; it’s a way of life. Kanye and Rozay created the theme song to their fast times, the aptly titled “Live Fast, Die Young.” Even though no one actually wants to die young, Ross and Ye were prepared to do so, and planned to enjoy every last minute of it. Kanye closes his verse with: “So they could never say we never lived it/And if I see Biggie tonight, I loved every minute.”

Album: Can't Tell Me Nothing: The Official Mixtape

Producer: Polow da Don

Label: Self-Released

Rich Boy’s breakout (and only) hit was about a kid finally buying that Cadillac he’d always wanted, and throwing some Dayton Wire Wheels on that bitch. Kanye also dreamed of throwing some D’s on a bitch, but he wasn’t talking about rims—he was talking about breast augmentation. Get it?

His remix, which came complete with a hilarious video starring Kanye’s “Old Ass Cousin” (Kanye couldn’t make it), detailed the makings of a perfect woman with hilarious results.

Album: Graduation

Producer: DJ Toomp

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

It’s arguable that we might not even know who Kanye West is if not for Jay-Z. Ye may have ghost-produced a handful of notable tracks for various artists, but he didn’t become “the guy” until he started rocking with the Roc. So Ye dedicated song number 13 on Graduationto his “Big Brother” Shawn Carter.

Pouring his heart out on the track, Kanye chronicled his journey from lowly beat-maker—who had to buy tickets to see Jay-Z in concert—to becoming Jay’s peer and earning a chance to play on the same field as his idol. Name-checking everyone from his mentor, producer No I.D,. to his manager Kyambo “Hip-Hop” Joshua, Kanye gave a detailed timetable of their relationship. Ye spoke of their sibling rivalry, and how he continues to feel overshadowed by his richer and more successful older brother. But in 2012, the tables have turned—somewhat. Big Brother and Little Brother are now traveling the world together performing in front of enormous crowds every night. They even made an album together. Now that’s brotherly love!

Album: Yeezus

Producer: Kanye West and Daft Punk

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

Back in July 2013, Kanye West took to his then-sparsely updated Twitter page to proclaim that his verse on “Black Skinhead” was the best rap verse of all time. Of all time! "I open the debate…The 2nd verse of New Slaves is the best rap verse of all time….meaning … OF ALL TIME IN THE HISTORY OF RAP MUSIC, PERIOD."

While that claim is extremely debatable, the record worked and was an obvious standout from his 2013 album, Yeezus. It was the album’s first official single and peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100. The genre-bending track sounded like nothing in rap at the time and was one of Kanye’s biggest musical experiments.

Was it rap’s best verse? Probably not. Was it Kanye’s best verse? We’re not even sure about that. But it is an unforgettable Kanye track—one that definitely influenced popular music.

Album: Watch The Throne

Producer: Kanye West, RZA, Mike Dean, Ken Lewis

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam

This Nina Simone-sampling track found Kanye and Hov in a somber mood, reflecting on their past lives and envisioning a future where they had children. Kanye dropped a few bombshells, admitting he just wanted his son to be a Republican who never spoke out of turn on TV—lest he go through the same trials and tribulations that made Kanye the man he is today. Meanwhile, the record paid homage to Raekwon's legendary Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by shouting out the song's producer on the hook, "Me and the RZA connect." Clearly, Yeezy is good but Wu-Tang is for the children!

Album: Yeezus

Producer: Dom Solo, Evian Christ, Arca, Noah Goldstein, Mike Dean, and Kanye West

Label: Def Jam

"I'm in It" has to be one of the most ludicrous songs in the history of recorded music. Everyone talks about My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as Kanye’s maximalist experiment, but this song has at least as many things going on. In the first verse, Kanye raps about eating ass and buying condoms, shamefully, at a 7-Eleven with his vocals multi-tracked—except the other vocal track is pitch-shifted down, so it sounds like he’s accompanied by a grumbly Sesame Street character who had to vacate the neighborhood because he’s a registered sex offender. Then dancehall star Assassin wails and Justin Vernon warbles literal nonsense. The song is barely two minutes deep at this point.

By the time “I’m in It” ends, after the fisting and civil rights imagery and the digitally chopped approximation of someone coming, Kanye raps that he’s afraid to close his eyes and go to sleep because of his demons. And you understand completely, because you’ve just experienced this song, and this song is possessed. —Ross Scarano

Album: Kamikaze

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Atlantic

Life is a funny thing. What began as a Twista album interlude featuring Jamie Foxx doing a stand-up comedy bit turned into the biggest hit of Twista's career and a catalyst for Chicago hip-hop's come-up in the mid-aughts. "Slow Jamz" almost didn't happen for a number of reasons: missed deadlines, lost hard drives, etc—but when it hit, it hit hard.

The first No. 1 single for all three artists, “Slow Jamz” was hugely important for Twista, who'd been in label limbo at Atlantic and hadn't released an album in seven years when “Slow Jamz” pushed Kamikaze to double-platinum status.

But while Twista received top-billing on the record, arguably the song’s biggest star was the producer turnt rapper, Kanye West. Having trouble understanding Twista’s tongue-twisting lyrics? Well, the new kid with the Midwestern charm made his own sing-songy verse easy to follow. Despite its mellow tempo “Slow Jamz” shot to the top of the charts and every party playlist—and all three artists have had viable music careers since.

Album: Graduation

Producer: Kanye West, Warryn Cambell

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

If you were on the Kanye train early, you likely heard the first incarnation of "Homecoming" (simply titled “Home”) on the Get Well Soon mixtape. The O.G. version of "Home" featured a then-unknown John Legend (John Stephens at the time) and a completely different beat altogether. The extended metaphor for Yeezy's hometown centers around "Wendy" (as in Windy City—get it?) and captures Kanye's bittersweet relationship with the place he once called home.

Five years later he recruited Chris Martin of Coldplay to re-record the song during a jam session at Abbey Road Studios in the U.K. "Homecoming" was finally properly released in 2007 on Kanye's third album, Graduation. The incredibly dope Hype Williams–directed video features shots of various landmarks in Chicago (Millennium Park, the Cabrini Green projects, Sears Tower), as well local hip-hop artists (Common, L.E.P. Bogus Boys).

Album: Cruel Summer

Producer: Lifted

Label: Def Jam

It’s still debatable, but the way things stand today, “Mercy” is looking like the song of the summer for 2012. From clubs to cars to radio—the infectious first single from Cruel Summer has been inescapable. Yeezy and his G.O.O.D. Musis goons all brought their A-game, scowling in audio form over the haunting reggae-tinged instrumental.

Kanye had been relatively quiet since WTT, but he came back talking his million-dollar shit with outrageous claims like: “I walk in Def Jam building like I’m the shit/Tell ‘em give me $50 million or I’ma quit.” Sure, the rest of the G.O.O.D. Musicians murked their respective verses too, but none talked quite as much shit as Ye, who claimed to have thrown “Suicide doors on the tour bus” and only seeing “lawyers and niggas in Jordans” while in his presence. Lord have mercy!

Album: N/A

Producer: Hit-Boy

Label: GOOD, Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

With all of the attention Chicago rap has received in 2012, it was only right for elder statesman, Kanye West, to join in on the action and pass the torch to the new generation of Windy City spitters. Enlisting Chicago’s answer to Funkmaster Flex, the heavyhitter DJ Pharris, Yeezy spoke on the violence happening in his native city: “I’m from where shorties fucked up/Double cupped up/Might even kill somebody and YouTube it”—no doubt a nod to the recent surge in YouTube famous rappers in the Chi.

Yeezy went on to taunt PETA and his current boo’s ex, Chris Humphries, and of course to stunt about his superior style (Ye will embarrass you). But the real treat of the song—formerly known as “Theraflu"—was DJ Pharris’ shout-out of various Chicago neighborhoods you’d probably never heard of had you’re not from Cook County. Want a quick history lesson? Check out A Guide To All The Chicago Neighborhoods Named On Kanye West’s “Theraflu.”

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: Kanye West, Mike Caren, No I.D., Mike Dean

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

It’s safe to say that once you cross the threshold from average person to international superstar, you start to encounter some weird shit. Things you could only imagine in your wildest dreams are now a reality. Porn stars, drugs, fast cars, orgies—rap superstars are faced with these temptations on a daily basis. So what if they indulge? Haven’t they earned it?

On “Hell Of A Life” Kanye takes us on a spaced-out journey to a world where excess is the norm—a world most of us will never encounter. It’s a place where you have no issues jumping the broom with a porn star and then copping a house in the hills. 808s & Heartbreak found Kanye struggling with this new life, but on MBDTF he was embracing it. This is the life he chose, and he’s going to live it to the fullest. Who are you to judge? You only do it with the lights off.

Album: Watch The Throne

Producer: 88-Keys, Kanye West, Mike Dean

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam

“No Church In The Wild” was the lead-off track from Kanye & Jay Z’s storied Watch The Throne album. It was regal. It was cinematic. And it was the perfect way to kick-off such an intensely anticipated project—setting the tone for the rest of WTT. Filled with religious overtones, “No Church...” featured the God MCs speaking to a congregation big enough to make any televangelist jealous.

The content was thought-provoking, with Frank Ocean wailing an almost spooky chorus: “Human beings in a mob/What’s a mob to a king?/What’s a king to a god?/What’s a god to a non-believer?/Who don’t believe in anything.” The lyrics deal with the “Great Chain of Being,” a hierarchical categorization of life with God sitting at the top, and Kings directly below them, lording above all other humans.

Were Jay and Ye supposed to be the Gods, the Kings or the non-believers? We can’t say for sure, but we can attest that Kanye’s line, “Sunglass and Advil, last night was mad real,” has become the most overused phrase for a hangover in the last 12 months.

Album: The College Dropout

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Early in his career, Kanye was representing at least two different scenes. He appealed to the Rawkus crowd, and stayed true to certain hip-hop aesthetics that were badges of honor worn by backpackers (for lack of a better term). He toured and rapped alongside the likes of Talib Kweli, Mos Def and Common. But there was another side to Ye. He was, after all, the guy who bragged about going to Jacob with 25 thou. And of course he was signed to Roc-A-Fella, whose boss was the symbol of hip-hop opulence. So when Kanye threw Freeway on songs with Mos Def, or put Talib Kweli on songs with Jay-Z, he was trying to bridge the gap. His success at balancing both worlds is best evidenced on “Two Words.”

Putting these three artists together on one song proved one thing: rappers have more in common than they don’t. Kanye knew this, and he crafted the perfect beat backed by Miri Bin-Ari’s strings..

Two words: backpack, commercial. That’s what this track represented, and that’s why Kanye wins. He’s truly the best of both worlds.

Album: Watch The Throne

Producer: Pete Rock, Kanye West, Mike Dean, Jeff Bhasker

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam

When “The Joy” leaked as part of Kanye's G.O.O.D. Friday series, fans were overjoyed to hear Jay Z and Kanye West over a Pete Rock beat. It was only right that the “new version of Pete Rock” would work with the actual Pete Rock at some point. The biggest surprise, however, was that the beat Pete provided for “The Joy” was 13 years old. Yeezy sounded impeccable over his production idol’s lush soundscape, but the occasion wasn’t exactly joyous for everyone.

In the midst of watching the throne, someone forgot to call blues/soul legend Syl Johnson to clear the sample from his 1967 tune “Different Strokes.” Upset about the jacking of his beat, Syl filed a lawsuit in the Illinois Federal court, alleging he was stiffed of credit. The situation stung even harder because Kanye had worked with Syl and his daughter Syleena (“All Falls Down”) in the past. But all’s well that ends well: in early 2012 the parties settled out of court. Happy happy, joy joy.

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Featuring tribal drums and a sample of Bon Iver’s “Woods,” “Lost In The World” was one of Kanye’s most adventurous productions to date. The track features several musical changes, incorporating noises and instruments that wouldn’t otherwise be paired together.

It’s another track where Kanye explores being lost in love in a world of fame and fortune. “You’re my devil, you’re my angel/You’re my heaven you’re my hell”—which finds Kanye struggling with the metaphysical.

Fun Fact: Kanye’s official DJ and Treated Crew member Million $ Mano, gave Kanye the drums for the record.

Album: 808s & Heartbreak

Producer: Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Simply put, “Amazing” is a beautiful record. The beat was simplistic yet extravagant, dark yet radiant. Jeff Bhasker’s elegant keys, and the backing percussion meshed perfectly with the wild beast noises that littered much of 808s. Only a producer like Kanye West could understand how Jeezy’s wheezy d-boy flow would make sense on such an exotic record. Yeezy wailed while Jeezy grunted—it shouldn’t make sense, but it does.

Album: The Blueprint 3

Producer: Kanye West, Ernest Wilson

Label: Roc Nation, Atlantic

The Blueprint 3was a statement album. Jay was pushing 40, and still proclaiming he was the best. To prove his point, he needed his best ally, Kanye West. Showcasing the new sound Kanye created with No I.D., “Run This Town” marked the second time Jay Z would get murdered on his own shit. Advantage: Kanye.

The song would hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and win two Grammys. Jay and Ye also set a new trend for “all back everything,” and the song’s lyrics and ominous video fueled talk that Jay and Ye were card-carrying members of the Illuminati. Can't a brother just wear a pentagram in peace? “Run This Town” also made it hard out here for a Rav-4 driver. Jay Z may have killed throwbacks, but Yeezy definitely put the toe tag on the Toyota SUV. R.I.P.

Album: Yeezus

Producer: Che Pope, Sham Joseph, Ben Bronfman, Noah Goldstein, Travi$ Scott, Mike Dean, Kanye West

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

Kanye has never been one to back down from hot button topics, but on “New Slaves”—he went even deeper, bringing to light issues regarding racism, classism, slavery, segregation, and materialism. His stance? Even though we’re free, we’re all slaves of something. Maybe we’re slaves to fashion, or drugs, or small-minded thinking. But we’re all trapped—even 'Ye. We just don’t have the chains to show it physically.

The subject matter in “New Slaves” is a topic rarely touched upon in popular music these days, and while Yeezus might not be Kanye’s best-selling album, he was bringing a lot of realness to light and discussing issues most other artists in his position wouldn’t dare.

Taking a message a step further, Kanye kicked off his album promo campaign by projecting the video for “New Slaves” outdoors in cities across the world. He put his money where his mouth is. Show me another A-list artist who isn’t scared to do that.

Album: 808s & Heartbreak

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

“Say You Will” set the tone for Kanye’s fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak. After the loss of his mother, the split from his fiance, and his new found pop star status, it was clear Kanye was in a different space mentally. The album was a departure from the previous three—sonically, lyrically and production wise. “Say You Will,” the lead-off track ushered us into a project that was heavy on Ye’s new minimalist and distorted electronic sound.

“Say You Will,” was about a woman who Yeezy was losing sleep over—literally. The late-night phone calls, the games, the lies—he hoped all of this would one day come to an end. In fact, he prayed it would. Kanye was trying to move past his former love, but everything he sees and does reminds him of her. This was heartbreak in audio form, and the perfect way to open his most personal album to date.

Album: The College Dropout

Producer: Kanye West, Evidence, Porse

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

“I would like to propose a toast. I said toast motherfucker!” Is how Kanye closed out his debut album, 2004’s The College Dropout. It took 26 years, but Kanye accomplished his dream of dropping a solo album distributed by a major label. It was a time for celebration.

Many believe a rapper's first album is their best, seeing as they’ve had their entire lives up until that point to prepare for it. Needless to say, Kanye had a lot to get off his chest—so much that “Last Call” became an almost-nine-minute rant sharing a detailed timeline of his career.

Complete with ad-libs from the likes of No ID, Jay-Z and Dame Dash, Kanye outlined the process of reaching his lifelong goal, including taking the train to place his first Jay beat, losing his flagship artist (you know him as Mikkey Halsted), making the move to the East Coast, and finally landing with the Roc. This song should go down in the history books as the most honest and motivating album outro in the history of hip-hop. Raise your glass for this one.

Album: Listennn... the Album

Producer: Dexter Mills, John Stephens, Kanye West

Label: GOOD Music, Columbia

The Grammy Family was Yeezy’s term for the first incarnation of the G.O.O.D. Music collective. The song served as a single for both Consequence and DJ Khaled’s first albums, and also served notice that Grammy Award–recipient Kanye West believed that his crew was destined to bring home a slew of golden gramophones. Ye? Without a doubt. John Legend? Of course. Common? He has a few. Consequence? I guess it was possible.

The track was also a roll-call for the G.O.O.D. affiliates, with Yeezy shouting out his Chi-Tow brethren who held a position in the company: “IB (Ibn Jasper), Don C, Johnny Patron (John Monopoly) and me.” Even Really Doe (“Really Doe done told you hoes where we stayin”) and GLC (“GLC gon’ be as stoned as Angie”) got in on the fun. This family was all inclusive.

Album: Late Registration

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Most thought this Ray Charles-sampling, Jamie Foxx-featuring slapper was crafted to capitalize off the success of Foxx’s award-winning performance in Ray. When in fact, this beat—created in Ludacris’ basement in 2003—was originally meant for Shawnna. Initially, the hook was written from a first-person female perspective: “I'm not sayin' I'm a gold digger, but I ain't messin' with no broke niggas.” For whatever reason, Shawnna passed on the future smash.

Not letting the concept go to waste, Kanye recruited Jamie to re-record Ray Charles’ vocals from “I Got A Woman” and gave the world its best battle-of-the-sexes record since TLC’s “No Scrubs.” The song was an instant hit, spending 10 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 10, and selling over 3 million copies in the United States alone. It currently stands as the ninth most successful US single of the 2000s.

“Gold Digger” also gave DJs the laziest trick in history—mixing “Gold Digger” with Ray Charles’ “I Got A Woman.” Admit it, you’ve seen and heard this done no less than 1000 times since the the song dropped in ‘05. Time for a new trick, Disc Jockeys.

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: Kanye West, Mike Dean, Plain Pat

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Very rarely do posse cuts hit with a boom anymore. Nowadays, you’re lucky to get even two of the featured artists in the same room at the same time. Who needs chemistry when there’s email? “Monster” was one of the exception, however. No one mailed it in, because no one wanted to get murdered on their own shit. Ross’ opening verse was short and sweet, and 'Ye and Jay both brought their A game, but newcomer Nicki Minaj stole the show with her schizophrenic roller coaster of a verse.

Nicki recalled her experience recording “Monster” with Kanye to Complex’s Noah Callahan-Bever: “I stayed late sometimes, but I was always getting sleepy. I get up at 6 in the morning, so midnight is late for me. One time he caught me nodding off, and I thought maybe he would kick me out. I've never been so embarrassed in my life. You know how you're sitting up and you don't realize that you've just fallen asleep, but it feels like an eternity? When I picked up my head from sleeping, he was looking at me in the strangest way I've ever been looked at by a human being. He pulled his shades down and he looked and said, ‘Oh, she's sleeping?’ I wanted to crawl under a rock and die.”

Album: Late Registration

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

When Kanye’s sophomore album, Late Registration, dropped in the summer of 2005, Houston was running hip-hop. Grills, fifth wheels, and candy paint dominated the rap landscape. Never one to be behind on a trend, Kanye made sure to craft his own nod to H-Town, the syrup-influenced “Drive Slow,” which even included chopping and screwing at the end.

A southern-fried sample of Hank Crawford’s “Wildflower” provided the perfect backdrop for Kanye’s then-protege GLC to show off his slow, crawling drawl while flexing his pimp hand. Kanye’s blood cousin Tony Williams handled the hook, while Paul Wall—who had the internet going nuts at the time—provided the official southern stamp.

If you grew up in Chicago, or the Midwest, you knew someone like Mali, the person Kanye raved about in the first verse. Someone who was a bit older, cooler and more advanced than you. He had the Starter jacket, the car, and was thorough enough to walk around the mall with his hat cocked to the side. A tough guy who had all the ladies. But what you probably didn’t know is that Mali is a real person. Fun fact: Mali can be seen driving Kanye around in the “Drive Slow” video—he was tricked into it by Kanye and Hype Williams. Mali also owns Kobe Wheels, a rim company that makes about 80 percent of the chrome rims on the market. Drive slow, indeed.

Album: The Recession

Producer: Drumma Boy

Label: Def Jam, Corporate Thugz Entertainment

Yeah, this was a Jeezy record, but let’s keep it all the way real—it belonged to Yeezy. Dusting off the Auto-Tune skills he’d tinkered with on College Dropout, Kanye finally broke his silence about his late Mother, Donda West, as well as speaking on the perils of success. It was lonely at the top, and now felt more alone than ever.

Kanye was also addressing his fellow Chicagoans on the verse. Chicago is often referred to as Haterville or the City of Hella Haters, so when residents began to take shots at Ye for no longer showing love to his hometown, he had to speak up.

Some on the Chicago scene believed that Kanye had ignored the talent in the Chi in favor of artists in other regions, and took his moves to LA and NY as a diss to the city that bred him. Kanye didn’t take this talk lightly—and he had to get a few things off his chest. On this song he professed that he “put on everybody that I knew from the ‘Go' and that he still puts on for his city 'every night.'” Just because he was no longer home didn’t mean he wasn’t representing.

Album: The Life of Pablo

Producer: Swizz Beatz, Chance the Rapper, Kanye West, Mike Dean

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

This is gospel music. "Ultralight Beam" works as a spiritual cleanse—each angelic voice drips sounds of soul onto your brain, and then Chance pops up and sets everything on fire. The little girl in the beginning and Kirk Franklin at the end make Kanye’s point clear for him: youthful positivity can keep an adult from going insane living in a world of depression and insecurity. “Ultralight Beam” is audio weed, Xanax on wax, and a bible verse rolled into one. Play it and get high to the Most High. —Angel Diaz

Album: 808s & Heartbreak

Producer: Kanye West, No I.D.

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Due to a string of tumultuous events in Kanye’s life, his album 808s & Heartbreak broke from his past and took an entirely different path. Favoring Auto-Tune and sing-songy melodies over traditional rappity-rapping, 808s was a total departure.

Cold and hollow, “Heartless” probably best describes this dark yet beautiful moment in Yeezy’s career. The tones Kanye and No I.D. brought to life may have sounded heartless, but the song was really all about affairs of the heart. Tragedy in love is something every human on the planet can relate to. Bad break-ups happen, and since Kanye was living through one at the time, his honesty bled through. That’s probably why the song sold 5.5 million copies worldwide, and killed radio charts across the world.

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: Kanye West, No I.D., Mike Dean

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

"Act like I ain’t had a belt in two classes," boasts Kanye on this track, obviously referring to his rapping and production skills. By the time this was released, Kanye was clearly the frontrunner as one hip-hop's best prodcuers and one of the best rappers (not just best producer/rapper)—and it all came together on this song. The guitar riff on the beat will stay stuck in your head for days and Kid Cudi's hook is nothing short of excellent, but it's really Kanye's clever rhymes that make this record work. Who could forget witticisms such as, "I got caught with 30 Rocks, the cop look like Alec Baldwin"? And then there's "You blowing up? That's good, fantastic," and of course, "Choke a South Park writer with a fishstick."

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: S1, Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

How do you come back after having your friends, industry associates and much of the entertainment business turn their backs on you? The infamous Taylor Swift incident at the VMAs left Yeezy in a bad place. In hindsight, what he did wasn’t that big of a deal (this is entertainment, after all!), but much of the public—not to mention the media and President Obama—seemed reluctant to forgive him. What’s the famous saying? “They build you up to tear you down, to build you up again.”

Kanye knew he had to come back in a compelling manner, and “Power” was the perfect move. “No one man should have all that power,” Yeezy proclaimed, and he knew that he harnessed the power he spoke of. How can one man piss off an entire nation, then turn around and make the most critically acclaimed album of his career? That’s powerful.

While many rappers struggle to regain the position they once held after a public mishap, Kanye was back like he never left. It all goes to show that great music and hit records can change anything. You might be the most hated man on the planet, but if you drop a scorcher, all will be forgiven. Ask R. Kelly.

Album: Watch The Throne

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam

Fans cried foul when the dream team of Kanye West and Jay Z dropped “H.A.M.” as Watch The Throne's first single. Apparently, hearing Jay and 'Ye over a microwaved Lex Luger beat wasn't really what people wanted. So The Throne went back to the drawing board and returned with that old soul—Otis Redding to be exact. With a perfectly chopped sample of Otis's “Try A Little Tenderness,” the duo recaptured that vintage sound fans were longing for, and all the reckless stunting we expected. Plus Jay claimed he invented swag. This kind of luxury rap is the perfect soundtrack for destroying your Maybach. [*OTIS SCREAMS*]

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: The RZA, Kanye West, No I.D.

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

“I fantasized ’bout this back in Chicago/Mercy, mercy, me/That Murcielago" was how Kanye kicked off his fifth album. It was powerful. It was Kanye thinking back to simpler times in Chicago, when he was making five beats a day for three summers, dreaming of the day he’d whip a Lambo. But now Kanye was on top, and brash enough to smack your favorite DJ for not having any Yeezy in their Serato.

The beat impacted like a cannon, and was the product of Ye, No ID and The RZA—a production dream team if there ever was one. But what you may not know is that the beat was first offered to Jay-Z. Then Drake. They both passed. No ID told Complex: “That actually started out as a Blueprint 3 record. It was going to be the intro for that album. Then Jay changed his mind, so we revamped the record and gave it to Drake. That record ended up going through a lot of phases. While I was in Hawaii, RZA came down and had a beat—but before that Pete Rock had given us a beat and then he ripped the drums and made it the rap part of it. The parts that me and 'Ye did was the chorus and the musical parts. Everything was done separately and a lot of different people contributed. Then Nicki did the intro and it went crazy. That’s one of my favorite records, just because of all the emotions that came with it.”

Album: Late Registration

Producer: Just Blaze

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

The blaring horns ripped from Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up,” were likely the first thing you noticed on “Touch The Sky,” while Lupe Fiasco, the kid with the peach-fuzz buzz on the song’s final verse, was easily the second. Ye was masterful at introducing the world to unknown artists, and it was clear from the jump that the dude with the weird name was poised for stardom. 'Ye was still a relatively new artist at the time, but was secure enough to share the Chicago spotlight with a young Lupe, who was clearly ready for the world.

You can’t discuss the song, however, without mentioning its accompanying ’70s-themed Evel Knievel–inspired video. The clip starred Yeezy as the fictional character Evel Kanyevel, and co-starred the beauties Pamela Anderson and Nia Long. Not everyone enjoyed the video, though. as the real Evel Knievel sued Kanye for copyright infringement after the clip hit MTV. The suit was eventually settled when Kanye paid a visit to Knievel just prior to his death.

Album: Graduation

Producer: Kanye West, DJ Toomp, Mike Dean

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Before Yeezy went Auto-Tune crazy on 808s & Heartbreak, he recruited T-Pain, the undisputed king of the vocal effect, for Graduation’s smash single, “Good Life.” Kanye always had a passion for flashin’, and on “Good Life,” he stunted about the best things in life—some of which are free.

Over a sped-up “P.Y.T.” sample, Yeezy delivers some early #hashtag raps, featuring words for the haters who give him those salty looks. #Lawry’s. He also delivers the hilariously crude “snakes on a plane” line about oral love in the friendly skies. It wasn’t hard to tell Kanye was having a blast on this track.

“Good Life” was tailor-made for partying and living it up during the warm side of the calendar. Kanye even coined the phrase “Summertime Chi,” now the most obnoxious hashtag you’ll find on Twitter throughout the oh-so-short summer in Chicago.

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: Bink!, Mike Dean

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Originally released as part of Ye’s G.O.O.D. Friday series, “Devil In A New Dress” was so lauded that it was called up to the big leagues and placed on Kanye’s fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The spiced-up version included on the album featured a new guitar solo, and a new verse from Rick Ross. If you were unsatisfied with The Boss’s brief appearance on “Monster,” Rozay more than made up for it on his feature here.

“Devil” found Kanye revisiting the chopped-up soul sample sound he favored early in his career, courtesy of his Blueprint cronie Bink! The slow-rolling ballad features Yeezy showing a softer, more vulnerable side, opening up about a woman whom he likens to Beelzebub.

Album: The College Dropout

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

They said you can rap about anything except for Jesus—but Kanye did just that, and made a certified hit. Kanye's third single from The College Dropout was definitely a crapshoot. Can you imagine the meeting at Def Jam when they pitched this idea? But 'Ye made the impossible possible when "Jesus Walks" shot to the top of the charts, winning praise from critics and fans alike.

The pulsating drums, marching-band flavor, and background gospel chants were unlike anything else in hip-hop. It's hard to imagine that countless artists passed on this beat and the track sat in Kanye’s archives for years. Then again, it's debatable that any other artist could've done justice to the lush soundscape.

"Jesus Walks" would go on to win Rap Song of the Year at the 2005 Grammy Awards, proving that religious hip-hop could win big in a mostly secular music industry. Somewhere, DC Talk is pissed.

Album: Graduation

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

In the early aughts, Kanye had his own patented sound. You know, those warm and fuzzy sped-up soul samples that littered his first two albums. But on his third album, Kanye graduated to a new sound—pun intended.

The vibe was more electronic. The drums were still pounding, but everything else sounded more futuristic. The album title probably had less to do with Kanye’s ongoing school theme, and more to do with the elevation of his sound. Kanye was graduating from Chicago producer to international superstar.

But his road to global domination was filled with pitfalls. The media attacked him for calling George Bush a racist and throwing fits at award shows. But did that slow Yeezy down? Not a chance. Taking his missteps in stride, Kanye let the world know that what hadn’t killed him could only make him stronger. And he found the perfect joint to flip in Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” Yeezy may have called himself the Louis Vuitton Don, but on this song he was more like the Teflon Don.

Album: The College Dropout

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

After it was announced that the guy who did all of those great beats on The Blueprint had just inked a solo record deal with Roc-A-Fella, most assumed the only place they'd actually see the album was in "coming soon" advertisements on liner notes inside the latest Jay-Z release. You know—right there beside Oschino & Sparks and Rell.

Taking his destiny into his hands, Kanye dug into his own pockets to finance the video for "Through the Wire" (directed by then-unknown duo Coodie & Chike), which he serviced to television and radio himself.

The unexpected hit, recorded just two weeks after West almost lost his life in a car accident—with his jaw wired shut, he was literally rapping “through the wire.” The world had no idea what they were in for. This Chaka Khan–sampling smash thrust Kanye into the limelight, introducing us to a soon-to-be megastar who balanced traditional hip-hop aesthetics with commercial viability. Who knew a brush with death would birth arguably the biggest rapper in the world?

Album: Late Registration

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

It's 2005: Jay is still “retired,” Damon Dash has been unceremoniously ousted from the label he helped build, and there's a whole stable of Roc-A-Fella artists whose future is uncertain—but one thing is certain: Kanye West is the label's breakout star. There were a lot of unanswered questions floating around at the time, but the main one was, "Who was rolling with Dame and who was rolling with Jay?"

Everyone was patiently waiting on a statement from Jigga, and they got it on the remix to Kanye's single “Diamonds.” Jay didn’t just break his silence, he returned to the mic and spit one of his best verses ever. Defiant lyrics like “How could you falter?/When you're the Rock of Gibraltar” made it clear that Jay was still rocking with the Roc and the roster would be standing by him.

Kanye was clearly rolling with Coach Carter; even if Big Bro had outshined Little Bro by adding this verse to the remix. Kanye’s original was a PSA about blood diamonds, but Jay flipped the “diamond” theme and turned the song into a PSA about the new Roc-A-Fella—although we’re still not sure what Lebron brought to the table. (Oh well, at least we know Memphis Bleek can always count on his Shawn Carter persion plan.) The chemistry on “Diamonds” proved that Jay and Ye were even more of a force to be reckoned with when paired together.

Album: Watch The Throne

Producer: Hit-Boy, Kanye West, Mike Dean

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam

While recording Watch The Throne, Jay and 'Ye headed to Paris to work, eat, and generally go gorilla. “Niggas In Paris” came out of those sessions. The song embodies opulence and excellence at its finest. Provocative? Of course it is. Think Stunt 101 on a med-school level. The cut was an immediate standout from WTT—and now has kids all over the world obnoxiously chanting, “That shit cray,” and frantically Googling “Margiela.”

During their WTT Tour, the duo performed this song multiple times each and every night. But things got crazy when Jay and 'Ye actually performed “Paris” in Paris. On their final night in the City of Light, they ran through the track for 56-minutes straight, setting a new record. That’s a lot of fish filets!

Album: Graduation

Producer: Kanye West, Eric Hudson

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Flashing lights were something Kanye was very familiar with, so it seemed fitting that he made a song about them. By 2007, Kanye couldn’t step out of his house without paparazzi lenses and flash bulbs snapping his every move. Moreover he spent his nights at exclusive clubs around the globe that were dark, and only illuminated by flashing fluorescent lights.

With Dwele supplying the hook, 'Ye rapped about one of favorite topics—complicated relationships with the opposite sex—over this electronic-tinged monster. The “Flashing Lights” music video was every bit as memorable as the song, featuring a bound and gagged Yeezy being bludgeoned to death in the trunk of a car by the super sexy Rita G. What he might have done to deserve such treatment is left in the darkness of our imaginations.

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Admit it. When you first saw the lineup for Kanye’s “All of the Lights,” you found it rather daunting. Rihanna! Elton John! Fergie! Kid Cudi! Alicia Keys! How is this going to work? Is this even a good idea? Well, in typical Yeezy fashion, he pulled it off—and in a major way. Sure the track was crowded, but Ye took the bloated lineup and seamlessly integrated each feature, pulling bits and pieces from their contributions and weaving them in and out where he saw fit.

The frantic and dramatic track was the perfect backdrop for Yeezy to wax poetic about the various lights one might encounter in life: cop lights, flashlights, spotlights, strobe lights, street lights—you know, all of the lights. He also touched on the fallen King of Pop (“MJ gone—our nigga dead”), and the hardships of raising a child in a divided household (“Public visitation/We met at Borders”). Food for thought from Yeezy’s Ghetto University.

The song was an instant smash, selling over 1.5 million digital copies, and reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. “All of the Lights” even snagged Grammys for Kanye’s longtime associates Really Doe and Malik Yusef, who assisted with crafting the hit.

Album: The College Dropout

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

“The prettiest people do the ugliest things/For the road to riches and the diamond rings.” Truer words have never been spoken. But on a rap song? Now that’s saying something.

On the second single from The College Dropout, Kanye spoke on America’s obsession with material wealth and other societal ills. A major label single dealing with self-esteem issues? It was a risky move for a rookie rapper, but then again, everything about Kanye’s career has been unorthodox. Even as a new jack in the game, Ye understood that when the walls come crumbling down, not many would be around to help you pick up the pieces.

“All Falls Down” was built around a sample of Lauryn Hill’s “Mystery of Iniquity.” Early versions of the record actually contained Lauryn’s vocals, but in order to get the track on The College Dropout, 'Ye had to get official clearance from Ms. Hill. Kanye’s manager at the time, John Monopoly, recently spoke of the time he and Kanye drove around Miami searching for Lauryn hoping to gain clearance. Eventually they found Rohan Marley who gave them Lauryn’s email address. Long story short, Lauryn cleared the sample, but wouldn’t clear her vocal use; so Syleena Johnson, who happened to be recording in a studio across the hall from Kanye, filled in at the last minute.

Album: Graduation

Producer: Kanye West, DJ Toomp

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

If there were one song to describe Kanye West and his career, this would be it. A statement, a promise, and a motto—"Can't Tell Me Nothing" set the tone for his defiant third album, Graduation; and gave West his first-ever street anthem.

Attaining the almost impossible, this track resonated with hip-hop purists, college dropouts, and trap stars alike. Recruiting the red-hot DJ Toomp to co-produce the track and inviting Jeezy to add his patented ad-libs was the icing on the cake. This song marks the exact moment in West's career when he went from rapper to international superstar.

Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer: Kanye West

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

What artist has enough juice to turn one song into a 35-minute mini-movie? Michael Jackson comes to mind, and of course Jay Z kind of pulled it off with Streets Is Watching. But Kanye took the mega-video concept to another level, screening his short film in theaters across the globe, and even hosting Q&A sessions at the end. The video was such a big deal, it received a world premiere special on MTV—which is an even bigger deal when you remember that “Runaway” was Kanye’s monstrous comeback after his VMA fiasco a year prior. It was also Pusha T’s big G.O.O.D. Music coming-out party.

Though the film featured other songs from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, “Runaway” was the centerpiece. The image of Kanye at the piano flanked by a slew of ballerinas was so vivid it became indelible. And Kanye’s toast to all the douchebags, assholes, and scumbags resonated with even the biggest Kanye haters, putting the Louis Vuitton Don back in the world’s good graces.