"Graduation" day nears for Kanye West

By Hillary Crosley

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Urban music lately has dabbled in electronic sounds, but Kanye West takes it a step further with the synth-heavy first single from his upcoming CD.

"Stronger" samples Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" and slows down the beat. At No. 47, the track is the top debut of the week on the Billboard Hot 100.

"That melody just hit me so hard," West says when asked about the song's inspiration. "I mean, it's the music. It wasn't a gimmick thing."

"That's not atypical of Kanye," Def Jam president and West mentor Jay-Z says. "It's been his pattern since day one. He always has to push the envelope. That's his cross to bear."

The argument could be made that West's artistry, knack for hit-making and penchant for unpredictability make him one of hip-hop's last rock stars. So it's precisely West's singular place in hip-hop that will make or break "Graduation," his third Def Jam album, due September 11.

"Kanye has an edge, and when he steps up and says something meaty (like his anti-George Bush remarks on live television during NBC's concert fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005), he's doing it out of passion," Def Jam senior VP of marketing Tracey Waples says. "That's what's made him the people's champ. It's the common man's perspective."

'REFRESHING' RISK

But what is the cost of being a headstrong artist who's usually ahead of the curve? So far, West has not fallen out of favor on Madison Avenue, as evidenced by past branding partnerships with Pepsi and Boost Mobile. Robert Passikoff, founder/president of consulting firm Brand Keys, calls the artist's outspoken personality "refreshing. While there's risk involved (in working with such an artist), it's also the kind of thing advertisers who are desperate for some sort of engagement are willing to risk."

And West is aware of times he's stepped over the line. By way of example, he recalls Island Def Jam chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid "talking me out of doing the 'Gold Digger' video and making it all slaves ... Sometimes as a creative person, you go off the deep end a little. The downside is, you don't always know when to stop."

West endured a well-documented rocky path from Chicago obscurity to Roc-a-Fella Records hitmaker. Born in Atlanta, he moved to the Windy City with his English professor mother, Donda. After high school at the American Academy of Art, he enrolled at Chicago State University. He eventually dropped out to produce music full time, but he always viewed his time behind the boards as a means to an end.

"I was inspired by the Doors movie," West says. "I saw Jim Morrison and said, 'I want to be just like that.'"

"He'll play his songs for any and everybody that's willing to listen," longtime friend and producer 88-Keys says. "But his true friends are who he really listens to just because they're most likely to tell the truth, like 'Aw, man. Take out that high-hat.' He's very open to criticism."

'DROPOUT' MAKES GOOD

Following the success of such West-crafted hits as "H to the Izzo" and "Bonnie & Clyde," Roc-a-Fella partners Jay-Z and Damon Dash saw past initial fears that he was not street enough to market as a rapper. They gave him the green light to make his debut album, 2004's "The College Dropout."

"He stretches boundaries," Jay-Z says.