On August 30, 2005, Kanye released his second studio album, Late Registration. On this album, Kanye tackles problems like institutional racism, higher education, health care, and the blood diamond trade. The album cover shows Kanye’s avatar, the Dropout Bear, being late to school. The genre of Late Registration is Hip Hop and Pop Rap. Features of this album include Adam Levine, Lupe Fiasco, Jamie Foxx, Paul Wall, GLC, The Game, Brandy, Jay-Z, Nas, Really Doe, Consequence, and Cam’ron. Late Registration includes 21 tracks which equates to 70 minutes and 25 seconds.
Wake Up Mr.West is a skit of DeRay Davis, portraying a teacher, scolds Kanye West for his perceived lack of focus and ambition. Wake Up Mr.West captures the struggles faced by artists and the necessity of constantly proving oneself in the face of skepticism and doubt.
Heard’Em Say really is just a good feeling track. And adding Adam Levine to the chorus of the song really gives this song more of that good feeling. Kanye speaks about society and the harsh conditions that individuals can face, particularly in urban areas like Chicago.
Touch The Sky has an amazing beat that feels as if you overcame a really bad situation. And the song overall is great, and adding Lupe Fiasco makes Touch The Sky amazing. Touch The Sky is about pushing yourself to reach for success and not giving up in the face of doubt and struggle.
Gold Digger is an extremely popular song off of Late Registration. Which makes total sense because it’s a perfect song of Kanye spitting on a great beat. In this song, Kanye is warning people against entering into relationships with gold diggers.
Drive Slow is a favorite of mine off of Late Registration because of its low down feeling it gives. Drive Slow is a song inspired by his personal experiences and memories of his life growing up around Chicago.
My Way Home is great because of how calm it feels with the addition of Common. This track is about the struggle of finding one’s true home amidst a world filled with hate, pain and struggle.
Crack Music is amazing overall because of the intensity Kanye brings in this song. Crack Music is a political commentary on the harm caused by drugs and the government’s involvement in perpetuating cycles of poverty and addiction among black communities in the United States.
Roses is amazing with the vibes it gives with the lyrics of Kanye and the background vocals. The vibes are just immaculate. Roses is a heartfelt tribute to a loved one who is suffering from a serious illness.
Bring Me Down is a perfect song for me because of the beat, lyrics from Kanye, and the great background singers. It just encapsulates the feeling of facing adversity perfectly, and that’s what I love about it. Bring Me Down is a song about staying resilient in the face of adversity and negativity.
Addiction is a good song since it really is just Kanye talking on a beat. But that’s what makes it so good. Addiction is a song about how the seductive power of vices can consume us and make us feel alive.
I personally don’t like Diamonds from Sierra Leone, but I still think it’s a good song. I like the production of the beat though. Diamonds from Sierra Leone explores the issue of conflict diamonds and the exploitation of Africa’s natural resources.
We Major is just solid, everything is good from the beat production to the lyrics. With the addition of Nas and Really Doe is pretty good. This track is an anthem of success, celebration and camaraderie.
Hey Mama is a good song overall. But what I really like is the meaning behind it, which is Kanye thanking his mother for raising him. Hey Mama is, of course,a tribute to his mother and their relationship.
I really like the feels of Celebration since it really is just a celebration. Celebration is also very self explanatory, but it is about having a night of fun and letting go of past problems.
Gone is just average for me. Like it usually is a song I skip on this album. But it is good still, just not my type of song. But I do like the chorus with Cam’ron and Consequence. In this song, they all talk about the aftermath of relationships, fame, and success.
Late is really good instrumentally and Kanye’s verses are great. As an outro, Late is great especially because most students can relate to Kanye’s lyrics. Late is about his struggles to balance his aspirations with the demands and expectations of the world around him.
Late Registration is a great addition to the first trio of Kanye’s albums. I would say it is the most underrated album of the first three since the others are so much greater, even though Late Registration. It really is a great album among amazing albums.
