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Altering Popular Perception Since 1985

Viewing Posts Tagged "Graduation"   View All

Figuring Out Kanye's secret BLUEPRINT to success


October 22, 2007 | Tags: Kanye West, Graduation, stephen berrios


Ok, people...this is the most interesting thing I've seen in a long time...it's from one of my readers and he thought that he should share it with you all.  It's dope.  Take my word people, he's a genius.  Peace!


Graduating with a Degree in Architecture By: Stephen Berrios



Dear Kanye West,



My name is Stephen Berrios and I am a huge fan of your music, which should be no secret to you or else why would I write you this letter.  Now I’m sure you get letters like this all of the time, but I assure you mine is different from all of those, or at least I hope it is.  You probably hear that line a lot as well, but all I ask is that you take time out of your busy schedule to read the entire article I have written before you toss it aside with the rest of your fan mail. 



I’ll begin by saying I think, no I know, I figured out the hidden mystery that is “Graduation”.  What mystery do I speak of?  You and I both know what that is but I’ll say it for argument’s sake.  “Graduation” is fashioned in the same manner that “Blueprint” was.  Now this might sound like a stretch but by the end of this I hope you agree that “I got to be right now/ Cause I can’t get much wronger.”



First things first is the release date of “Graduation”: 9/11/2007.  The “Blueprint” was released on 9/11/2001, a historic day for reasons other than hip-hop.  Coincidence, maybe, but I think that you are way too smart for that.  I know that this is a cheesy one so I’ll continue building my case. 



The “Blueprint” had 13 tracks on it with 2 hidden bonus tracks “Breathe Easy” and “Girls, Girls, Girls Remix”.  “Graduation” has 13 tracks on it with 2 hidden bonus tracks on the Japanese version and I-Tunes version (no U.S. love?) “Bittersweet” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing Remix”.  Exactly the same tracks with two bonus tracks, one of which is a remix, on both LP’s?  I’ll move on.



Who is the only featured artist that Jay-Z lets spit a verse on the classic “Blueprint”?  Answer: Eminem.  Who is the only featured artist you let spit a verse on your classic “Graduation”?  Answer: Lil Wayne.  At the time the “Blueprint” came out Eminem was arguably the hottest MC in the game besides Jay-Z.  Jay even gives props to Eminem on “Excuse Me Miss”, something he is not known for doing outside of Tha ROC, “Who else you going to run with, the truth is us/ Only dudes moving units, Em, Pimp Juice, and Us.” 



Now in many circles, including a few of my own, Lil Wayne is the hottest MC in the game still active, he is killing the mixtape circuit and all of his guest features go straight to the top. (I know Jay-Z and Eminem are still active but they are legends, therefore they do not belong on lists anymore, besides the hip-hop hall of fame.)  This is one of the more concrete similarities I see between the two LP’s but I’ll continue piling on the evidence. 



I hate to rehash “Barry Bonds” but this will be the last time I swear.  Wayne’s opening line is “Yeah I’m so bright not shady/ My teeth and my ice so White like Shady”.  This is an obvious reference to Eminem, but why is Weezy giving props on the only guest featured MC on “Blueprint” on the only guest feature appearance on “Graduation”?  It doesn’t take a genius to make the deduction, well maybe it does since a genius came up with it, and a genius figured it out. :)



Moving along, what was your first smash hit to get radio play?  Answer: “ Izzo H.O.V.A.”.  Now why was it such a success besides Jay-Z’s silky flow?  Answer: the sample.  On that track you used Jackson 5's “I Want You Back”, a sick selection if I do say so myself.  What is going to be the biggest smash hit of this album?  Answer: “Good Life”.  What makes “Good Life” so hot besides T-Pain’s soulful, killer, truthful outro?  Answer: the sample.  Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.” is a sick choice because of the parallels and the fact that M.J. is a graduated version of Jackson 5.  You really are a genius. 



Speaking of “Good Life” I must note that it is also your “diss” record to 50 Cent and most people probably won’t even pick up on it.  What did Jay-Z say about Nas on the diss track “Takeover”, produced by you, “So yeah I sampled your voice/ You was using it wrong/ You made it a hot line/ I made it a hot song.”  So what does the Dropout go ahead and do?  Follow Jay-z’s instructions and bite the hottest 50 Cent line in his career to make a hot song.  The funny thing is “In Da Club” was a super-duper-slam-dunk hit, not a finger roll, but you have such artistic creativity you go ahead and get him on a whole different level.



In fact you say in the song “I pop the hood, Ferrari” compared with “50, a.k.a. Ferrari” (Subliminal? Yes!) and “The only thing I wish/ I wish a nigga would/He probably think he could/ But, but I don’t think he should” and proceed to jump into the sampled line from there.  If my interpretation is correct you are telling 50 Cent that no matter who sells more you still win because you are living the “Good Life” making classic music and connecting with people.  Just a reminder: “Blueprint” one diss track, “Graduation” one diss track. 



On the first track of “Graduation” you sample the first track off of “Blueprint” for the outro when it just so happens to be the intro, first bar, of “The Ruler’s Back”. “Hustler’s that’s if you still living/ Get on down.”  I’m starting to freak myself out with all these coincidences.



“Blueprint” was the first time Jay-Z compared himself to the Notorious BIG with “If I’m not better than BIG/ I’m the closest one.”  On “Glory” you humble yourself and say “I hear people compare themselves to BIG a lot/ You know BIG and Pac/ You know to get it hot/ I guess when I die I wanna be compared to BIG/ Anyone Big Pun, Big L, or Notorious.” 



 Also on “Glory” you spit “In two years Dwayne Wayne/ Became Dwayne Wade.”  Jay compares himself to Michael Jordan multiple times on “Blueprint” with “If you haven’t heard/ I’m Michael, Magic, and Bird/ All rolled into one/ Cause none got more flows than Son.”  If Jay-Z is Michael Jordan than surely you are Dwayne Wade, since Wade idolized Jordan and mimics his style of play, and represents Chi-Town.  There are even more basketball references on “Blueprint” with the Sam Bouie draft pick line and more on “Graduation” with the Gnarles Barkley, Charles Barkley simile.



I hate to put so much emphasis on “Glory”, it’s the best track by the way, but another line sticks out like a sore thumb that makes my case “Stronger”. “Lauren said her heart was in Zion/ I wish her heart still was in rhyming.”  Compare this to a track produce by you of a certain azul flavor, “Now the Fugees go and break up/ Now everyday I wake up/ Somebody got a problem with Hov.”  I might be stretching a bit but allow me my artistic creativity please. 



You actually bites lines from the “Blueprint” all over “Graduation”, from “Hola’ Hovito” to the “Duuuude!” in “That Nigga Jigga” on “Flashing Lights”.  Other similarities include the use of French lines in “Flashing Lights” that is bitten off of the “Girls, Girls, Girls” track.  Both you and Jay also pay homage to Malcolm X on the LP’s as well.



In actuality we should have seen it coming.  You helped engineer the “Blueprint” to legendary status and even Jay thinks it is his best work. On “Watch What You Say” Jay spits, “You talking to the author/ The architect of the Blueprint/ My DNA in your music/ Muthafucka you stupid?”  The “Black Album” and “Reasonable Doubt” are also fine masterpieces but they don’t compare to the flavor of “Blueprint”.  Not to get off the subject but the author line on the T.I. track is also mentioned on “Flashing Lights”, “I’m more of the/ Trips to Florida/



Ordered the hor d’ourves/ Views of the water/ Straight from the page of your favorite author.”  This also bears a striking resemblance to “A sunny day/ Some chicks that want to play/ and I’ll be on my way.”  This is another stretch perhaps but it does fit the mold a bit.



I think all of the tracks match up pretty well too, except for a couple. Here is my list: Good Morning = Ruler's Back, Champion = Hola Hovito, Stronger = That Nigga Jigga, I Wonder = Song Cry, Can't Tell Me Nothing = Never Change, Good Life = Takeover, Barry Bonds = Renegade, Drunk Hot Girls = Girls, Girls, Girls, Flashing Lights = All I Need, Everything I Am = You Don't Know, Homecoming = Heart Of The City, Glory = Izzo H.O.V.A., Big Brother = Mama Loves Me.



There are more similarities but I feel that these are evidence enough to prove my point.  My only question is why keep it a secret?  With all of the flack hip-hop has taken in the last year with the Don Imus situation and Rev. Al Sharpton starting a communist witch hunt on bitches, hos, and niggas, this is the perfect opportunity to signal to the world that hip-hop is not dead, and certainly won’t be as long as you continue to pump out classics.  I feel that hip-hop has no direction right now with the constant gimmicky dance songs and party mentality of the genre.  Don’t get me wrong I know those things are a part of hip-hop’s roots as it was an escape to create safe space from the harsh inner city tribulations, but I feel it has gotten out of control. 



Therefore I propose the following as my reward for figuring out the puzzle, not that I deserve one but a graduate has to have dreams right?  Since hip-hop is lacking direction right now I think you should take the reins and get the horse back on track towards a positive movement.  The best way I feel to do this is by making a song with yourself, Common, and Lupe Fiasco pertaining to the upcoming election and promotion of Barrack Obama.  The hook can even sample the Obama lines from Common and Lupe: “Why is Bush acting like he trying to get Osama/ Why don't we impeach him and elect Obama”, and “Standing in front of the judge with no honor/ My raps ignite the people like Obama” and “Catholic priest fondling/ Preemptive bombin’ an Osama an’ ‘em, Obama an’ ‘em”.  Don’t act like you are unfamiliar with the concept either, since you were Pepsi’s spokesman, made a Super Bowl track, and a Mission Impossible song as well.



Now I know what you are going to say, you already said it on the “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” mixtape, “Dog, I’m not political” but you are a damn liar.  I saw your public service announcement for education, the Katrina outburst, speaking about war and religion, etc.  The list goes on, and whether you like to admit it or not you are very political because you make music for the people.  Democracy is all about the people and by embracing them in your music you are embracing politics, because the fact of the matter remains what politicians do effect everyone’s lives.  Politics is not all about donkeys and elephants, raising money, and voting but it embodies the way we live our lives and the decisions we make on a daily basis.  You are a die hard American as you were educated in the school system and have the classic immigrant mantra of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, not to mention your rampant materialistic nature (I’m not hating, because I would do the same shit, I’m just saying.)



If I haven’t convinced you yet let me give you a vision for how I see the video.  First things first is that the Democrats need to win Ohio and Florida in order to win the election this time around.  So who are two of the biggest stars from each of these states? Lebron James and Dwayne Wade.  The video has the two facing off in a one-on-one game in the rain on a broken down dirty court filled with garbage and not kept up in quite some time.  As the song progresses the court starts to get rebuilt and with new hoops, nets, and concrete while the storm begins to fade.  In the background will be images of historical minority leaders who have made change possible: Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Jesse Jackson, Harold Washington, Che Guevara, Cesar Chavez, etc.  This is the image Barrack Obama represents, Change for the better.  I know you have to be feeling Obama on some levels since his charisma and public speaking abilities are out of this world, so why not lend him a hand in his uphill battle.  He’s Black, young, smart as hell and doesn’t have the last name Bush or Clinton.  He represents real change for the people and if we elect Clinton then I fear we have started to digress into a puppet government that no longer responds to the people.  Please prove the neo-conservative Christian Right Wing nut jobs wrong and help get Obama elected.  I can assure you I do not work for Obama For America campaign, but I do respect the man a lot as I am a graduate of political science from DePaul University and a minority with big dreams and aspirations of my own.



Now all of this might be a stretch but like I said before, I’m a dreamer and your music gives me inspiration so I hope you understand when I write this with as much sincerity as possible.  I don’t want to come off as a random fanboy obsessed with his idol but more of a revolutionary with a vision of how the United States can get back on track after an 8 year slump who figured out the secrets of the Shakespear of my generation.  Whether you take my suggestion or not please let me know if I got my theory right.  I’m pretty sure I hit on something, but a lot of my boys are calling me crazy and I would love to prove them wrong by hearing it straight from the horses mouth.  My email is ______, and my phone number is _____please drop me a line saying I was right or if you want to pursue my vision of the future.



 



Thanks for reading,



Stephen Berrios           



                    



       






The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

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