“This N**** Graduated At The Top of My Class…”
“…I went to Cheesecake, he was a motherfucking waiter there…”-Kanye West, “School Spirit”, The College Dropout, 2004
[***DISCLAIMER: This post will have lots of "college" words scattered throughout to pay homage to the college graduates or just all around edumacated mufuckas who might read this.***]
***Crowd: KANYE! KANYE!!!!!!! KANYE!!!!!!!
***Kanye: Thank you everybody for coming to my show…fuck college!
I like Kanye West. But the ubiquitous blowjob he is receiving really needs to end. Everywhere I go, I keep hearing people talking about how Kanye is saving hip-hop and how he is so positive and not rapping about guns, hoes (which he does), or violence. I hear about how he is a different breed of rapper, and how great an album The College Dropout is.
Good got damn people. Let’s be real. This is a downright…travashamockery!!!
It’s amazing to me how his whole “college dropout” message seems to get overlooked by everybody when they are on this whole tip about Kanyeezy being so positive. Everytime I hear somebody say, Kanye ain’t talking about that regular shit like everybody else but things that are relevant I think to myself that people are completely and utterly full of biship!!! (Check Wyclef Jean’s The Carnival if you don’t know what “biship” is!)
Duplicitous.
The problem isn’t even really that he makes the point on his album that college is unnecessary. I’ve had this same discussion with myself sometimes. Yeah I’ve got something to fall back on…but dammit, by 25 Tupac was in 6 movies, had like 6 albums, and had the wherewithall to get his self to Vegas to plan, stage, and execute his own murder. Because I went to college, I wasn’t able to do as much since I was in class….sometimes. The problem is that he drives the point home so well! I mean there is no mistaking where he stands on college. His basic stance is…
Fuck college. Reprehensible, I tell you, reprehensible.
He dropped out and is a millionaire. All you bastards who decided that staying in college to earn those degrees was what you were supposed to do won’t make what he does…suckers. And this is the nigga people are praising??? Of course, we are the same generation that would invite R. Kelly to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference amidst all the positivity. I’m not saying he doesn’t make good music, I’m just saying, that we really know how to screw up a good event by having either a: crackhead, rapist, alleged rapist, murderer, etc. on our national stage with us.
And I guess R. Kelly love the kids…right???
Now before I get labeled as a Kanye hater, let me say this. I recognize that Kanye does have a helluva knack as a producer, and is a better than average MC…or at least is worth listening too. I am even entertained by him on most occasions. His brash self confidence and conceit is amazing to me. Basically, this negro REALLY believes in himself. It’s wonderful to know that some people actually do believe so much in themselves that they will not allow themselves to fail. And for that, I offer praise…even if he is an asshole from time to time.
Nincompoop. (You got to love these college words!!!!)
However, his message to me is more damaging than any guns 50 Cent is talking about. Think about this. A large portion of the people listening to his CD are already in or graduated from college. For some reason Kanye is the new “thinking man’s rapper”. Ask me not for I know not why this is! However, Kanye represents a lot of things…thinking man’s rapper, underground rap’s commercial backpacker, Kanye is for the kids…
And because of this, his message won’t be so effective to those people. However, a lot of younger people listen to his music too. His persona is charming enough that folks from 8 to 80 will want to hear this CD. It’s those young people who already hear and think that their only way out is through basketball or rap who are going to be affected by this music. There are a lot of youngsters who honestly are on the fence about college. They know they are supposed to go, but aren’t completely sure why. When a large portion of your neighborhood is stuck in the same place generation after generation, you just might lose hope. These kids hear time and time again in school that they are supposed to go to college but some just don’t get why…
He even goes so far as to mock those people pursuing future degrees. If its one thing we NEED in the black community its somebody else giving us more ridicule for being smart. And THIS is the nigga we praise. It’s a shame to me honestly…but its what we live for and are okay with in our community too. Smart kids are shamed into hiding it and dumb kids are the kids everybody wants to be like. Funny, how white kids can be coke heads…but will get a 4.0. They might catch hell for the drug habit, but never for the grades. The dumbing down of black America continues and it has help from some of raps biggest names. 50 Cent might tell you to shoot everybody, but at least they pissed him off first.
A lot of our youth don’t see the reason to go to college, and just to make things clear…Kanye tells you why not to go…
Now beat that
And your mothers sayin ?ƒ?go to college?ƒ?
So u finish college and its wonderful
U feel so good
And after all the partying and crazing
And don?Ĵt forget about that drug habit u picked up at school bein around your peers
Hey now you?Ĵll get that 25 thou, job a year and
You?Ĵll spend all your money on crack cocaine, but it?Ĵll be you?Ĵre your money
No more borrowin money from mom for my high
So now you get ur degree tattooed on your back your so excited about it
If u continue to work at the GAP, after several interviews,
Oh my god!
You?Ĵll come in at an entry level position and when u do that
If u kiss enough ass, you?Ĵll move up to the next level
Which is being a secretary?Ĵs secretary!
And boy is that great, you get to take messages for the secretary
Who never went to college
Shes actually the bosses niece, so now your apart of the family
You know what college does for you?
It makes you really smart man
All you kids want to talk in the back of the class not me, I listened, ok
I was a hall monitor,
This was meant to be, You know how many classes I took, extra classes extra classes
No I?Ĵve never had sex but you know what, my degree keeps me satisfied
When a lady walks to me says ?ƒ?hey u know whats sexy??ƒ?
I say ?ƒ?no, I don?ƒ¥t know what it is,
but I bet I can add up all the change in your purse really fast?ƒ?.
-”School Spirit Skit 1″, The College Dropout
Good job Kanye…your mother should be proud!!!
And according to this guy…she is!!!!
***EDIT (9/14/04): As if the hip-hop world jumping on his jock wasn’t bad enough…the gospel community has straight flipped its wig. The College Dropout was nominated for Best Gospel Rap Album at the Stellar Gospel Music Awards.***