It's officially Yeezy season. The rapper is currently on pace to release his forthcoming album, Donda 2 in the coming weeks, and his Netflix documentary is expected to launch tonight in theatres before its widespread release next week. Needless to say, there's plenty of Kanye-related content coming this month but today marks the 18-year anniversary of what started it all -- The College Dropout. The album that shut down naysayers that boxed him in as solely a producer with eccentric fashion choices.
Singles like "Jesus Walks" and "Through The Wire" remain some of the most commercially successful releases in Kanye's catalog but it was the deep cuts that proved that he could rap alongside the best of 'em. On "Never Let Me Down," Ye, Jay-Z, and J. Ivy slide through with lyrical excellence as they speak on the power of faith. Ye honors his grandparents for providing him and his mother guidance to prosper while Jay vows to never sell out his craft for the charts. J. Ivy ties everything together in the final verse as he discusses his faith in God.
"Never Let Me Down" remains one of the best album cuts on The College Dropout. Not only because it's an early glimpse of Ye and Jay's chemistry that would eventually transform into Watch The Throne but it also captured Kanye's hunger as both an MC and a producer.
Check out the single below and let us know what your favorite joint off of The College Dropout is.
Quotable Lyrics
That's why I hear new music and I just don't be feelin' it
Racism's still alive, they just be concealin' it
But I know they don't want me in the damn club
They even made me show ID to get inside of Sam's Club
