What's all the fuss about...

...Kanye West (the producer)

You know his thoughts on George W. Bush. What he thinks about Taylor Swift winning an award instead of Beyonce. And you might have even heard a couple of his tracks (maybe Gold Digger and Stronger). But why is he so famous? For starters, there is a whole lot of talent behind those Venetian shades.

Check out a couple of these tracks and listen to the music:

Talib Kweli - Get By (Remix)(2002)
Sampling Nina Simone and featuring Jay-Z and Mos Def, this is a twinkling, bouncy beat that shows Kanye's move into more complex musicality.

Jay-Z - Encore (2003)
Samples a trumpet cover of a Beatles song, and includes Jay-Z rapping about his farewell from hip-hop. Again, great use of piano.

Kanye West - All Falls Down (2004)
The great Lauryn Hill is sampled here, with a line from her track "The Mystery of Iniquity" from her rambling unplugged album forming the chorus. Driven by an acoustic guitar refrain, it has a cruisy, slightly jazzy feel.

Kanye West - Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) (2005)
Shirley Bassey's vocals are emphatic, but it's the sharp use of strings and the orchestra that make this track. Jay-Z's guest verse also took it to another level, lifting the urgency of the final third of the song.

Kanye West feat. Chris Martin - Homecoming (2008)
Martin's piano riff gives the song a bit of a gospel feel, while the bass and the drums are surprisingly slow, given how fast the song feels. And just in case you don't know by now, Kanye is talking about Chi-town (Chicago).



This guy put together a list back in 2007, which is three years of good songs ago. Still, some good ones to check out.

In my opinion, Graduation was a crowning achievement in Kanye's musical ability. Of the 13 tracks on the album, I'd say 11 were fantastic pieces of production. If you haven't listened to it, I encourage you to get it from somewhere, start from the start and let it play. Maybe skip "Barry Bonds" and "Drunk and Hot Girls" (tracks 7 and 8). All the rest show a level of vision and musical skill I haven't heard from any other producer. Try it! You might like it.