Kanye West - College Dropout (2LP)

Before all the... well, y'know... Stuff.... Kanye West released his debut album, The College Dropout, a record that helped reshape mainstream hip-hop in the 2000s. Released in 2004, the album introduced West not only as a producer but as an artist with a distinctive voice, combining soulful production, sharp humour and personal storytelling with observations on education, ambition, faith, family and consumer culture.

Featuring landmark tracks including "Through the Wire", "Jesus Walks", "All Falls Down", "Slow Jamz" and "The New Workout Plan", the album is built around West's signature use of pitched-up soul samples, warm instrumentation and inventive beats. Guest appearances from artists including Jay-Z, Jamie Foxx, Syleena Johnson and Mos Def add to a remarkably varied collection.

At a time when much mainstream hip-hop was dominated by established gangsta rap imagery, The College Dropout offered a markedly different perspective. West openly addressed insecurity, materialism, religion and his own struggle to establish himself as a rapper, bringing vulnerability and humour to subjects rarely explored so openly in commercial hip-hop.

Widely regarded as one of the defining albums of its era, The College Dropout launched one of modern music's most consequential and controversial careers. Whatever followed, the album itself remains an inventive, hugely influential debut packed with exceptional production and enduring songs.