Image a 12 year old watching the video to Kanye’s Workout
Plan for the first time. That was how I was introduced to Mr.West, and I was
hooked. I needed to know everything about this man. I sat entranced in this
video (and no I’m not talking about the ladies). Though workout plan was a simple song with a simple beat, I
grooved to it. So when I found out his album was set to come out near my
birthday you already know what I wanted. The weekend of my birthday my family
made that trip to target. I held on to the bag with my Kanye West CD for
the whole car ride home. That bag and me were one!
When we got home I immediately ripped through the packaging,
and put it in my portable CD player sat back and jumped in. As if walking into a
dark room, with each new song lights came on. I listened to the CD so much even
my siblings knew the songs.
Going back and listening to this album, I was drawn to the
same things that I loved back then. We Don’t Care, Jesus Walks, The New Workout Plan, Two Words, and Family Business. I even loved the school spirit
skits narrated by Deray Davis. I can't tell you that I listened to College Dropout and recognized all the complex deep messages in the lyrics when I was younger. The reason I was so drawn to Kanye West was because I felt I
understood him. I heard his struggles with college, his faith, and wanting to
be himself. For Me, that was my introduction to hip-hop growing up. What was yours? What was
the first song that made you want to listen? Take a trip back with me and listen to College Dropout below after the break.
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