From Kanye to Ye 

Credit: https://www.gq.com/story/kanye-west 

By: Vyom Dixit

Kanye West, now legally known as Ye, is one of the most influential music artists in the past 25 years. He’s known as a rapper, songwriter, and beat producer. He also has a fashion brand, YEEZY. He has 11 individual albums and 4 collaborative albums, and his new album, BULLY is set to be released later. He has 11 albums that made it to number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 charts. While being a talented musician, Kanye has lately been involved in many controversies including making hate speech.

15. VULTURES 2 (2024) 

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This is the sequel album of VULTURES 1 and his second collab album with singer, Ty Dolla $ign. There are a lot more trap beats compared to his other albums. Trap beats have synthesized beats which makes the music a much deeper and darker sound. Some popular trap songs are Dior by Pop Smoke, Sicko Mode by Travis Scott, and Trap Queen by Fetty Wap. A lot of people don’t like this album, including me. One of the songs, BOMB, which is a collaboration with his daughter, North West, is over synthesized and has terrible lyrics. The song is terrible. Songs in the album like FRIED and FIELD TRIP are good but are nothing compared to his older songs.  

14. DONDA 2 (2022) 

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This album is named after Kanye West’s mom Donda West and is the sequel of the album Donda. Compared to its predecessor, it is not as good. This is more of an experimental album and like VULTURES 2 it has more trap beats. It honestly felt incomplete. With how great Donda was, I was expecting something comparable if not better than Donda. The tone is a lot more melodic (mix of rapping and singing) and more trap beats. Kanye originally dropped the album in 2022 but made it exclusive for streaming until April 2025. In the album, Kanye mostly talked about his marriage with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, insulting comedian Pete Davidson who was then dating Kim, his personal mental health challenges, and clearly shows his insecurities. Don’t get me wrong, there are some good songs like BROKEN ROAD and SECURITY, but he’s proven so many times that he is way better than this. 

13. VULTURES 1 (2024) 

Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vultures_1 

This is the first collaboration album with Kanye and singer, Ty Dolla $ign and they decided to go by the artist name ¥$. Although many people don’t like this album, I honestly think it’s a good album, but not great. This album has more of R&B and trap beats (defined in VULTURES 2) and lyrics that talk about the concepts of power and success. CARNIVAL became a huge hit due to the TikTok Rizz Party. The song got nominated for Best Rap Song in the Grammys. BACK TO ME is my favorite song from the album. The song has an amazing beat, and an energetic verse from rapper Freddie Gibbs in the end. What elevates the song in my opinion are included sampled clips from the movie, Dogma. PROBLEMATIC has problematic lyrics but the beat is not. Although the album brought Kanye back as a music artist, it did not affect the public opinion of him or his reputation.   

12. JESUS IS KING (2019) 

Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Is_King 

By its name, you can tell this is a Christian album, and like VULTURES 1, it’s a good album but far from his best. In this album, Kanye talks about his faith and spirituality, and compared to his other albums, this is very religious. Kanye uses trap drums and gospel choirs which I found really cool. The album got nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Album and Best Gospel Performance for quite a few of his songs on the album at the Grammys. The song Follow God is my favorite song on the album. Some of the other songs on the album are On God, God Is, Selah, and Use This Gospel. When I first heard of the album, I thought it wouldn’t be that good, but it honestly exceeded my expectations. 

11. Watch the Throne (2011)

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This is a collaboration album with the famous rapper Jay-Z. Two of the biggest hip hop artists in the world at the time teamed up, my expectation was that this would be one of the best rap albums of all time. However, it fell short. The album explores themes like family, wealth, luxury, and legacy. The sound is a lot more futuristic and grand. There are some amazing songs on this album, such as People in Paris, my favorite song on the album and nominated for Best Rap Song at the Grammys, No Church in the Wild (ft Frank Ocean & The-Dream), Otis (ft Otis Redding) which was nominated for Best Rap Performance, and New Day. The album as well was nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammys. And still, I think that the album could’ve been better. The chemistry between the two greats was lacking in comparison to their previous collaborations. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great album, but with two of the biggest hip hop artists, I think there could’ve been so much more. 

10. 808s & Heartbreak (2008) 

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This album has a lot of mixed reviews. I really like this album mainly because it was different from other rap albums. Kanye used autotune a lot, and there is more melodic singing than traditional rapping. This inspired and influenced several rappers like Drake and Kid Cudi. This is easily one of Kanye’s most vulnerable albums. Kanye made this album after his mom, Donda West, sadly passed away in 2007, and had just broken up with his fiancée at the time, Alex Phifer. After experiencing these two heartbreaks, Kanye was in a horrible mental state and made songs that sounded more sad and cold. The songs focus on heartbreak, vulnerability, and isolation. Kanye used 808 drums in the album. There are so many great songs on this album like Heartless which is his most streamed song on Spotify with over a billion streams, Paranoid (ft Mr. Hudson), which is my favorite song on the album, Amazing (ft Jeezy), Welcome to Heartbreak (ft Kid Cudi), Street Lights, and RoboCop. The album got nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in the Grammys for the song Amazing. 

9. Donda (2021)

Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donda 

I always tell people this was Kanye’s last great album. This is Kanye’s first album named in honor of his mom, Donda West. If you don’t know, Kanye’s mom meant everything to him. He really loved his mom and she tragically passed away in 2007. From production, it mixes hip hop, drill, gospel, and trap like production. It is a memorial for his mom that looks at themes like divorce, ego, grief, and faith. The sound is very cinematic and spiritual. There are not many drums used but there are more vocals with auto tune and choirs used. It has some really emotional songs like Come to Life (incredible piano solo in the end) and more aggressive songs like Off the Grid (ft Playboi Carti & Fivio Foreign). There are six super hit songs on this album of which the top two are Jail (ft Jay-Z, Grammy for Best Rap Song), and Hurricane (ft The Weeknd & Lil Baby, Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance). Moon (ft Kid Cudi & Don Toliver), with it’s beautiful vocals, and amazing guitar, is one of my favorite songs on the album. Life of the Party (ft André 3000) a song that came in the deluxe version, has a good beat and fantastic verses from Kanye and André 3000 making it my favorite song on the album. It has a good beat and fantastic verses from both Kanye and André 3000. What stopped Donda from being an amazing album was having way too many songs. The album got nominated and won quite a few Grammys. It got nominated for Best Rap Album and Album of the Year. 

8. KIDS SEE GHOSTS (2018) 

Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_See_Ghosts_%28album%29 

This is a collaboration album with rapper Kid Cudi. They decided, as a team, to go by the name KIDS SEE GHOSTS. I think this is Kanye’s best collab album. The album is short with only 7 songs and is 23 minutes long. The album has some grunge, gospel rap, and lo-fi rap. The album uses distorted guitars which I find awesome as a guitar player myself. Both artists dealt with mental health issues so the album talks about them dealing with it and their emotional recovery. The album also talks about faith, spirituality, brotherhood, and healing. The album became a symbol for mental health awareness in hip hop. There are two super hit songs in the album which are Feel the Love and Kids See Ghosts (ft Mos Def, aka Yasiin Bey). 4th Dimension, my favorite song on the album, has a great sample from the song What Will Santa Claus Say? (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’) by Louis Prima. The album got nominated for two Grammys which were Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song Performance with the song Reborn. Overall a great album from two amazing artists. 

7. ye (2018)  

Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ye_%28album%29 

Like KIDS SEE GHOSTS this is another short and sweet album. At about the same time the album was released, Kanye was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The cover is known for its statement “I hate being Bi-Polar its awesome” and the mountains behind it. The mountains are actually in the Teton Mountain Range in the state of Wyoming. Kanye talks about his mental health, certain controversies, family, and fame. The genre is more alternative hip hop and pop rap. There are more distorted vocals in the album and switches from peaceful to chaotic. There are some great songs like Yikes, All Mine, No Mistakes, Ghost Town (ft PARTYNEXTDOOR) which is one of my favorite Kanye songs, and Violent Crimes. Like 808s & Heartbreak, the album was liked by some and disliked by others and is another one of his vulnerable albums. The album got nominated for two Grammys which was Best Rap Song with Yikes and Best Contemporary Album but was later withdrawn. I do think this is Kanye’s most underrated album and I think it doesn’t get the respect it deserves. 

6. Late Registration (2005) 

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Here is when the albums go from great to amazing. After the huge success of Kanye’s first album, The College Dropout, Kanye wanted to prove that he was not just a one hit wonder and is here to stay. In the album, the genres are hip hop, orchestral, and gospel. It also has live instruments and harps which was very different for its time compared to other hip hop albums. Some of the themes in the album are fame, success, greed, racism, education, and relationships. It won Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song with Diamonds from Sierra Leone-Remix (ft Jay-Z), and Best Rap Solo Performance with Gold Digger (ft Jamie Foxx). It got nominated for Album of the Year and Record of the Year with Gold Digger (ft Jamie Foxx). The two superhit songs of the album are Gold Digger (ft Jamie Foxx) and Touch The Sky (ft Lupe Fiasco). We Major (ft Nas & Really Doe), my favorite song on the album, has amazing verses from everybody and a jazz-like beat. This was an amazing album and it really made a case that Kanye was not a one hit wonder. 

5. Yeezus (2013)

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Another amazing album. This is the album after My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Kanye was one of the biggest artists in the world, and had standards now. In Yeezus, he did not disappoint. The genre was industrial hip hop, punk, and experimental. Not as many drums, distorted basses, some screaming, distorted vocals, and great transitions. There is an angry and aggressive tone. Some of the songs that are chaotic like the intro song, On Sight. In the album, Kanye talks about things like power, race, his ego, religion, and anger. There are three superhit songs Black Skinhead, New Slaves, and Bound 2. My favorite song on the album is Blood On The Leaves which has an amazing transition and a great sample from the song Strange Fruit by Nina Simone. Like 808s & Heartbreak, this was another really influential album by having industrial and electronic beat influences in mainstream music. This influenced artists like Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, and XXXTentacion. Yeezus is regarded as one of the most innovative and creative hip hop albums ever and one of his most daring albums. The album unfortunately didn’t win but was nominated for two Grammys which were Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song with New Slaves. Kanye experimenting was a huge risk and it paid off which made an amazing album. 

4. Graduation (2007) 

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This is a classic album and completes the Dropout Trilogy. The Dropout Trilogy includes the albums of The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation. Most people know this album whether you are a Kanye fan or not. Easily one of his most iconic albums along with his most iconic and best album cover. Kanye wanted to make songs that are meant for stadiums. He used more electronic and synth beats. In the album, Kanye talks about success, fame, ego, and isolation. The genre is electro hip hop, pop rap, and hip hop. There are so many hit songs but the superhit songs are Stronger, I Wonder, and Flashing Lights (ft Dwele). My favorite song on the album is Can’t Tell Me Nothing which has some of Kanye’s best verses. This album would be a perfect album if only one song was removed. That song would be Drunk and Hot Girls (ft Mos Def). The album won and got nominated for quite a few awards. It won Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo Performance with Stronger, and Best Rap Song with Good Life (ft T-Pain). It got nominated for Album of the Year but sadly didn’t win. A classic album and I could listen to it any day. This made Kanye recognized as a global superstar.     

3. The Life of Pablo (2016) 

Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_of_Pablo 

What an album this is! The album is named after three people which are Pablo Escobar the smuggler, Pablo Picasso the painter, and St Paul the preacher. The genre is hip hop, gospel rap, and experimental. There is a blend of gospel rap, trap music, and electronic music. It also has some church choirs and distorted basses. Some of the themes are religion, faith, sin, fame, ego, family, and redemption. There are so many amazing songs in the album but the superhits are Ultralight Beam (ft The-Dream, Chance the Rapper, Kelly Price, & Kirk Franklin), Father Stretch My Hand Pt. 1 and Famous (feat Rihanna & Swizz Beatz) which is a diss on Taylor Swift. My favorite song on the album is No More Parties In LA (ft Kendrick Lamar) which has an amazing beat and great verses from Kanye and Kendrick. The album got nominated for many awards but sadly didn’t win anything. It got nominated in the Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song with Famous, and Best Rap/Sung Performance with Ultralight Beam. Like Yeezus, this is one of Kanye’s most innovative and creative albums in his discography. This album is amazing and it continues Kanye’s streak of amazing albums. 

2. The College Dropout (2004) 

Image Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_College_Dropout 

This is Kanye’s first album. Prior to this, he was a producer for rapper Jay-Z and produced Jay-Z’s album, The Blueprint. This album introduced people to Kanye West. There are lots of samples and vocals that are sped up. A fun fact, Kanye recorded most of the album with his jaw wired shut due to a serious accident. There are some orchestral instruments as well. In the album, he talks about education, faith, religion, perseverance, and self doubt. There are many amazing songs but the three superhit songs from this fantastic album are Jesus Walks, Through the Wire, and All Falls Down (ft Syleena Johnson). Through the Wire, my favorite song on the album, has a great beat and awesome verses.. It won Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song with Jesus Walks and got nominated Album of the Year at the Grammys. When Kanye won the Best Rap Album award, he gave his legendary quote: “Everybody wants to know what I would do if I didn’t win. I guess we’ll never know.”. Kanye was also nominated for Best New Artist. Many people regard this as Kanye’s best album but as you can see it is number two on my list. What an album this is and an incredible way for Kanye to start his music career. 

1. My Beautiful Twisted Fantasy (2010) 

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Some Kanye fans are going to disagree with me on this. This album is more than just a masterpiece. After the 2009 Taylor Swift VMA incident, Kanye’s reputation went to rock bottom. He was getting booed at award shows and the media went after him. It got so bad that the president at the time Barack Obama criticized him. He later went to Hawaii and isolated himself from everything. This album was literally do or die for Kanye’s music career. In the album, there are big orchestras, live drums, distorted guitars, and synths. It has a mix of hip hop, classical, electronic, and rock music. Kanye talks about things like fame, ego, guilt, and heartbreak. There are so many amazing songs on this masterpiece but the three superhits are POWER, All Of The Lights (ft Rihanna & Kid Cudi), and Runaway (ft Pusha T). Devil in a New Dress (ft Rick Ross) which is my all-time favorite Kanye song, has amazing verses from Kanye, an amazing guitar solo, and a fantastic verse from Rick Ross. At the Grammys, it won Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with All Of The Lights (ft Rihanna & Kid Cudi). It was also nominated for song of the year with All Of The Lights (ft Rihanna & Kid Cudi) and Best Rap Performance with POWER. Some people think The College Dropout is better than My Beautiful Twisted Fantasy but I disagree. For Kanye, the stakes were higher and the pressure was on. In the end, he came through. 

Kanye West, as controversial as he currently is, is one of the most influential music artists of all time. He has an amazing discography to show for. Even though his most recent albums are not his best work, his old stuff is amazing. I really recommend you listen to it and I look forward to your comments below on his music.