In honor of the ten year and two week anniversary of College Dropout, I think it's only fair to rank Kanye's ten most terrific songs.
1. "Never Let Me Down (ft. Jay-Z & J. Ivy)" - The College Dropout
There's something about the beat poetry verse from J. Ivy and the surprise second verse from Jay-Z that really make this track stand out. It's one of the songs that proves both Jay-Z's and Kanye's impact on the genre as a whole and that's something to respect for sure.
2. "Stronger" - Graduation
Yes, this is by far the most mainstream Kanye song there is, but there's a reason for that. The Daft Punk sample mixed with Kanye's hard-hitting pop culture referencing verses prove that when Kanye wants to make a smash hit, he's going to make a smash hit.
3. "Hey Mama" - Late Registration
Anyone who says that Kanye is "Heartless" (ha...get it?) has never heard "Hey Mama." Kanye's just a big softy who loves his mommy. Plus, ever since his mother actually passed away in 2007, this song has taken on a whole new meaning to not just Kanye himself, but his fanbase, too.
4. "Blame Game" - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye took his game to "another motherfucking level," as Chris Rock would describe in the outro for the song on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. One of the reasons this writer in particular felt this way is because of how grand he treats the entire album. Along with "All of the Lights," this song best exemplifies that. When you have Chris Rock to deliver a hilarious outro for a song after John Legend sang one of the best hooks of his life, you know you're doing big things.
5. "Jesus Walks" - The College Dropout
Sure, there's "Gold Digger." And just about any song from Yeezus could probably take this slot. But there's no way a top Kanye songs list could be compiled without mentioning "Jesus Walks." It's one of Kanye's deepest, yet catchiest songs of all time. Plus, this writer knows all the lyrics.
