Rewind: Kanye West 'Graduation' (Part 1)

In September 2007, Kanye West released his third album, titled 'Graduation', to great fanfare in the midst of a Kanye vs. 50 Cent sales beef / publicity stunt. Like Kanye's previous albums (which will both be covered in depth in future posts on this blog), 'Graduation' is full of bizarre samples flipped with radio single perfection.

The opening track on 'Graduation', 'Good Morning', samples Elton John's 'Somone Save My Life Tonight', a strange pick but one of the least odd from this album. Unlike his previous two albums (with the exception of one Just Blaze production), Kanye receives substantial help from his super producer peers. Brian Miller lends production help on Kanye's current single 'Champion', which lifts riffs from Steely Dan's 'Royal Scam'-era single 'Kid Charlemagne' (note to my man T. Nitro - the first mention of Steely Dan was not related to 'Aja'. Crazy!).



Timbaland and Kanye collaborate on the beat for the giant single 'Stronger' which famously samples 'Harder Better Faster Stronger' by Daft Punk (who originally sampled Edwin Birdsong's 'Cola Bottle Baby'). Daft Punk also appeared with Kanye in the video for 'Stronger' as well as the live Grammy performance of the song (was anyone else weirded out by the far-too-long shot of the outside of the unopened pyramid during the show?). Kayne, dirty dirty producer DJ Toomp, Timbaland, and Mike Dean all collaborated on the Michael Jackson sampling 'Good Life'. That sped-up sample buried under the synthesizers and drum machines is somehow 'P.Y.T.' from MJ's 'Thriller'. I typically have an ear for samples, but I'll trust the liner notes on this one - I can't hear it.

Check back for the second half of our look at 'Graduation', with even stranger sample sources including German experimental rock group Can and folk artist Laura Nyro.

The Lowdown:
Kanye West 'Good Morning', 'Champion', 'Stronger', and 'Good Life'
from 'Graduation' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Good Morning', 'Champion', 'Stronger', and 'Good Life'
Elton John 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight'
from 'Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Steely Dan 'Kid Charlemagne'
from 'The Royal Scam' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Daft Punk 'Harder Better Faster Stronger'
from 'Discovery' (2002) (MP3/CD)
Edwin Birdsong 'Cola Bottle Baby'
from 'Edwin Birdsong' (1978) (MP3/CD not available)
Michael Jackson 'P.Y.T.'
from 'Thriller' (1981) (MP3/CD)