School Daze

What was “The College Dropout” – rapper Kanye West’s breakthrough album – if not an example of how wonderful hip-hop can be in the right hands? West’s debut drew rave reviews from critics and fans, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy him. Magazines that claimed that the album was just shy of perfect were a pet peeve. Even winning the Grammy for best rap album of the year felt like a hollow victory for West. He used the criticism to his advantage: “The College Dropout” became a benchmark, showing what he had to top for his sophomore effort.

Ambition and wit are all in excess on West’s second album. “Late Registration” is driven by many of West’s passions, one of which is to show all the critics how his gift has improved since his last outing. The album carries the same concept its predecessor did, but the result is something more unique. Where “The College Dropout” defies authority with schoolboy vigor, “Late Registration” is more mature, more reserved, more accepting of the powers that be. West’s trademark beats – sped-up samples of R&B classics – are in limited supply here. Instead, West uses R&B samples at their original speed, giving “Late Registration” its own kind of gravity. He even slows some down – Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” holds up nicely on “Touch the Sky” – to prove that nothing prevents him from making his experiments danceable.

Many accuse West of having an inflated ego. That might be true, but he was humble enough to know he couldn’t make a masterpiece alone. The co-executive producer of “Late Registration” is Jon Brion, a producer who helped Fiona Apple find her obscure beauty. West and Brion pull off an amazing trick: They create beats with fascinating depth without compromising hip-hop’s club- and radio-friendly nature.

Its only misstep is its out-of-place guest spots. Common, The Game, Brandy, Jay-Z, Nas, Cam’ron and others sound as if they’re stranded in a maze of drum machines and keyboards.

“Diamonds from Sierra Leone” and “Gold Digger” enjoyed some heavy rotation at hip-hop radio stations, but tracks such as “Heard ‘Em Say,” “Hey Mama” and “Celebration,” with their sugar-sweet hooks, helped West develop his talents for future projects. West may have colossal talent as a producer, but his wordplay as a rapper is equally flawless – his dark-humored lyrics save tracks like “Roses” and “Addiction” from being uninspired dirges, in fact.

You may have fallen in love with “The College Dropout” as soon as you heard it, but don’t expect that from “Late Registration”: This is an album that takes multiple spins to fully appreciate. You’ll constantly find something new, something special.