Chipmunk soul and pink Polos: The College Dropout is a tragically distant snapshot of Kanye West’s genius 20 years on

In the year 2024, it’s all but impossible to separate the mythology of Kanye West from the man himself. But long before Ye became a constant lightning rod for controversy and the subject of countless culture wars, he was Kanye: a kid with a daydream, who hustled non-stop to bring his 2004 debut album The College Dropout into the world. Regardless of the parts of Kanye’s legacy that have soured, that instantly iconic album remains sonically fresh. It’s a testament not only to his deft ear for samples, but the overarching creative vision that set him apart from so many of his peers. As the album turns 20 today, its warm chipmunk soul sound, which became Kanye’s early signature, lends itself naturally to the soft glow of nostalgia, evoking a timelessness that’s only sharpened with age.

Kanye would develop a singular ability for alienating his audience, but in his early years, he presented himself as a much more relatable and accessible figure. In Craig Jenkins described the album’s release as “aand its satirical motif of tongue-in-cheek school spirit – the album cover sees Kanye slouched on the bleachers wearing the head of a bear mascot costume – frames its maker as something of a lower-middle-class everyman. More than a major label rapper, he comes across as an average guy who works a dreary retail job, racks up credit card debt, and disappoints his parents.