Earlier this month, after much consideration, EW named Kanye West’s 2004 debut The College Dropout the best album of the decade. West took a break last night from posting cool architecture photos and music videos on his official blog to respond to the honor with a gracious all-caps acceptance speech.
“Wow…this is really flattering…I’ve had some ups and downs this year, well actually this decade,” the rapper writes. “Thank you for this acknowledgment and also for putting The Blueprint on the list.” (West handled much of the production for Jay-Z’s 2001 classic, which placed at No. 2 on EW’s decade ranking.) He goes on to shout out a couple of his own favorite discs of the decade, 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and Andre 3000′s half of OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below: “They both equally deserved the number one spot in my eyes but there can only be one number one!!!”
Indeed. You’re very welcome, Kanye.
Read Kanye West’s full Best of the Decade response after the jump.
“WOW… THIS IS REALLY FLATTERING… I’VE HAD SOME UPS AND DOWNS THIS YEAR, WELL ACTUALLY THIS DECADE. JUST SEEING THIS COVER TAKES ME BACK TO THAT TIME OF MY LIFE. I REMEMBER HOW MUCH PAIN AND LOVE WENT INTO THIS ALBUM. NO ONE SAW IT COMING. THIS PROJECT WASN’T ABOUT ME, IT WAS ABOUT A TIME IN PEOPLES LIVES WHERE PEOPLE FORCE OPINIONS ON YOU AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES FOR YOURSELF. WE LOVED 50 CENT BUT WE WANTED TO BE THE YANG. WE WANTED TO WEAR PINK POLOS AND RAP ABOUT BEING HURT INSTEAD BEING INVINCIBLE. THERE WAS A CORE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON THIS ALBUM EVERYDAY…. PLAIN PAT, JOHN MONOPOLY, DON CRAWLEY, ANTHONY KILHOFFER, MANNY MARROQUIN, JOHN LEGEND, DEVON HARRIS, RYHMEFEST, GEE ROBERSON, HIP HOP, AL BRANCH, DAMON DASH, GABE TESORIERO, CRAIG BAUER, GLC, OL’ SCHOOL ICE GREE, CONSEQUENCE, B NICE AND MY MOM. I WAS MOST INSPIRED BY THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL AND I LISTENED TO THAT ALBUM EVERYDAY WHILE WORKING ON MY DEBUT. THANK YOU FOR THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND ALSO FOR PUTTING THE BLUEPRINT ON THE LIST ALSO. I LOVED THE LOVE BELOW AND GET RICH OR DIE TRYING ALSO. THEY BOTH EQUALLY DESERVED THE NUMBER ONE SPOT IN MY EYES BUT THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE NUMBER ONE!!!”
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)
More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Brazilian band’s Twilight-themed music video
Lil Wayne’s Rebirth delayed yet again to 2010
50 Cent and Susan Boyle: Would you listen if they collaborated?
Did Eminem call Adam Lambert a homophobic slur?
Weezer latest: Rivers Cuomo’s condition has “stabilized”
Proof that either EW doesn’t listen to alot of music or that music in this decade sucks!!!
So who’s your #1, Manny?
(
/ This should be good…)
Adam Lambert of course!
lol its clear you havnt actually listened to College Dropout
LAMBERT? Seriously, Manny? Have you heard any other albums in the past ten years? I ordered Lambert’s album from iTunes (because I wanted to be supportive of KRADAM) and I want to know if there is a way to get my money back.
Oh yeah, Manny doesnt agree, so you must be wrong.
I have listened to Dropout and like most rap it is demeaning and utter crap. How did we ever devolve into viewing rap as music? I feel sorry for the human race
While it is not my personal best of the decade, kudos to EW for making a choice based on the music and not his character.
Did he really post that in all caps?
his blog is all caps, so the quote is all caps. it’s not like he chose this one to caps it, its just the format of his blog
So he’s always annoying? Not just on occasion. Makes sense.
It’s fitting, isn’t it? He has to speak above everyone, be louder than everyone, everywhere.
I really don’t understand this choice. I can appreciate Kanye’s skill in music production, but album of the decade? I just find that a bit of an insult to people who produced their own fantastic music in the last 10 years rather than Kanye who mostly samples classics (and, though this is only my opinion, bastardizes them).
Actually, this bastardization of music isn’t something new that Kanye started. In fact, even classical composers such as Mozart were known to have borrowed and further tinkered with music that was written by other composers. While Kanye’s sampling is more obviously present, it does not change the fact that borrowing of melodies, lyrics, etc. is not uncommon in music and music history. Kanye’s genius is evident in how he is able to change these samples of music and use them fit his own narrow purposes. In doing so, he is showing a degree of knowledge and respect for music that is all-too-often forgotten or simply ignored by the current generation of listeners. College Dropout is a seminal work in that it was able to bring to the forefront all the sounds that simmered at the edges of The Blueprint in songs like Ain’t No Love and Izzo. Above that, Kanye’s Dropout one the sadly rare hip-hop albums to contain an overall positive or feel-good tone and message.
you’re the she’s it! love your comment!
Good for Kanye.
I’d probably pick The Killers’ Hot Fuss or Death Cab’s Plans. Or maybe one of the Coldplay albums. It’s all subjective of course… but rap is mostly disposable garbage. If it has to be rap, at least pick something that has actual talent behind it like Outkast.
EW didnt even mention Eminems The Marshal Mathers LP? Which in most peoples eyes is a way better album than DROP-OUT, but I would have put IN RAINBOWS at #1, so who knows? It’s all just opinon.
YO KANYE, I’M HAPPY FOR YOU AND ALL AND IMMA LET YOU FINISH, BUT THE STROKES HAD THE BEST RECORD OF ALL TIME. OF ALL TIME!
You’d think that would be funny, but its not. Nor is it true. Hybrid Theory all the way.
You’re either being ironic or just have terrible taste in music.
this joke is too old. move on
YO “Ugh”, I’M HAPPY FOR YOU AND ALL AND IMMA LET YOU FINISH, BUT THIS JOKE IS NOT TOO OLD, IT’S THE BEST JOKE OF ALL TIME! OF ALL TIME!
Go Kanye!!!
yea go kayne go live in zoo
Thank you Adrian, that will never cease to be the greatest line of all time…and I can agree with EW. He changed the game from there on out, can’t help that people.
HANDS DOWN, Radiohead’s In Rainbows should have been number one on the list with a doubt. Don’t get me wrong, i like college dropout but it’s not number one for the decade.
Kid A > In Rainbows
You’re welcome, Kanye!
Please don’t listen to the haters, we love you and we support you. Congrats for “The Blueprint” which you produced too. Actually my favorite Outkast’s album is “Stankonia”. “The miseducation of Lauryn Hill” is just legend.
But “Get rich or die tryin’”? whatchu talkin”bout, Kanye? And after all 50 Cent said about you? His debut album is great but yours is way much better. And you know what, you were right about the Imma-let-you-finish thing.
Through the wire, through the limit, man!
not haters just people who respect other people he doesn’t and for those of you dimwitted enough to still support him shame on you when there are so many other much more deserving artists out there
Kanye is a disrespectful fool who interrupts young women while ATTEMPTING to give a speech!!! Grow up Kanye!!!
Kanye likes 50 Cent? Wow that’s some pretty terrible taste in music, if you can even call it that.