Especially given Kanye’s recent antics, many people are surprised to find out that he remains one of my favorite artists. Several music blogs and avid fans have attempted to rank Kanye’s albums. Here is my attempt to do the same. To make it a bit more interesting, I had my dad contribute some of his thoughts as we listened to all 9* albums together.

Criteria (on a scale of 1-10)

• Replay value: Do I still listen __ years after the album was dropped?
• Lyricism
• Production/Musicality
• Cultural Influence: To what degree was the album revolutionary? Did it influence other rap artists?

9. ye

Kanye’s newest solo album, ye, is fine. Nothing more, nothing less. The album was clearly rushed to meet the June 2018 deadline he set for himself. I did like the reflective and emotional overtones of ye as self-reflection is something we rarely see from Kanye these days.

Favorite tracks:
Ghost Town
Violent Crimes (070 Shake was the highlight of this album)

Replay value: 3
Lyricism: 5
Production/Musicality: 7
Cultural Influence: 3

8. 808s and Heartbreak

“It doesn’t suck me in like the other albums do.” Well said, Dad. The pain Kanye feels at the loss of his mother is definitely portrayed in the music (see: “Welcome to Heartbreak”), but just not in a way that is particularly captivating. For the most part, it’s background music. However, 808s influence on the future of hip-hop cannot be understated. Although the release of this album was met with great criticism, it sparked widespread usage of autotune and sing-rapping across hip-hop (see: Drake).

Favorite tracks:
Say You Will  (the drums are UNREAL)
Heartless 
Amazing
Street Lights (Note: my dad hated this one)

Least favorite tracks: 
Robocop
See You In My Nightmares

Replay value: 5
Lyricisim: 3
Production/Musicality: 7
Cultural Influence: 9

7. The Life of Pablo

Although pretty low on the list, I don’t think Pablo is a bad album by any means; it’s actually quite good. It just doesn’t quite stack up to his other projects. I LOVE the gospel influences throughout. Clearly, he took a cue from collaborator and friend Chance the Rapper. Overall, the album feels too long and devoid of any real meaning with the exception of a few tracks.

Favorite tracks: 
Ultralight Beam (Chance's verse is golden)
Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1
No More Parties in L.A. 
Waves (the production [not by Kanye] is so good)
Saint Pablo 
Fade

Least favorite tracks:
Freestyle 4 
Facts (embarrasingly bad lyrics)

Replay value: 7
Lyricism: 5
Production/Musicality: 7
Cultural Influence: 5

6. KIDS SEE GHOSTS

As soon as I saw Takashi Murakami album artwork, I knew it had to be good. Produced by Kanye and co-starring the beloved Kid Cudi, this album redefines the conventions of rap music. KIDS SEE GHOSTS represents some of Kanye’s sharpest production since MBDTF and has the same gusto as Daytona. The album masterfully intertwines rock music, soul music, and rap into one cohesive body of work. I think we will look back at it in 5 years in the same way we look at Yeezus now; it seems like a huge pivot at the moment, but it will certainly influence the future of rap.

Favorite tracks:
Reborn
4th Dimension (love the sample, love Kanye's verse)
Freeee (therapeutic as hell)

Least favorite track:
Kids See Ghosts

Replay value: 6
Lyricism: 6
Production/musicality: 9
Cultural Influence: 7

5. Late Registration

I realize you might be panicked by a) the fact that this album is ranked so low and b) the fact that I haven’t ranked Yeezus yet. Let me explain. First of all, let me preface by saying that it pains me to rank this at 5. Any album from here on out is amazing in my mind, but of his 3 earliest projects, I think this is easily Kanye’s worst. While Late Registration has its fair share of classics, it also has plenty of sleeper tracks. As my dad so aptly stated, “I don’t really feel Kanye’s presence on a lot of these songs.”

Favorite tracks:
Gold Digger 
Roses
Diamons From Sierra Leone (love when Kanye rhymes "falter"/"Gibraltar")
Hey Mama
Crack Music

Least favorite tracks:
Drive Slow
Addiction

Replay value: 8
Lyricism: 8
Production/Musicality: 7
Cultural Influence: 5

4. Yeezus

This is arguably Kanye’s most polarizing album: some people LOVE it and some people HATE it. I realize I may lose friends over the decision to rank Yeezus here, but I can’t hide it anymore. I LOVE YEEZUS! I see the top 4 albums as being reserved for those albums that are demonstrative of Kanye’s musical genius. In other words, the top 4 albums must be inimitable, original, and, at times, shocking. That’s how I would describe Yeezus in a nutshell. This is Kanye at his most Kanye; he’s cocky, reckless, and angry. With this album, he started to shift the definition of a rap album and made experimental rap culturally relevant. Still confused? Call/text/email me and we can discuss!

Favorite Tracks: 
Blood On The Leaves (Nina Simone sample = classic Kanye)
Black Skinhead
Hold My Liquor (Triple threat: Chief Keep, Bon Iver, and Kanye)
Bound 2
On Sight

Least Favorites:
I'm In It
Send It Up

Replay value: 7
Lyricism: 7
Production/musicality: 9
Cultural Influence: 7

3. Graduation

Some of the most anthemic and memorable Kanye songs come from this album. Graduation is simply fun and clearly made for selling out arenas. It demonstrates Kanye’s ability to rap on and produce electronic/techno beats, a feat which he had not previously accomplished. Plus, I’m a sucker for the tribute to Jay-Z on “Big Brother”. Top to bottom this is a high-quality and timeless collection of songs.

Favorite tracks:
Stronger
Champion
Good Life 
Can't Tell Me Nothing
Flashing Lights
Everything I Am

Least favorite tracks:
Barry Bonds
Drunk and Hot Girls

Replay value: 9
Lyricism: 7
Production/Musicality: 9
Cultural Influence: 7

2. The College Dropout

There are very few albums that I can safely say I never get sick of, but The College Dropout is one of them. From the intricately layered production and thoughtful sampling to Kanye’s airtight rapping and storytelling, it is obvious that this is a classic album that anyone (even my dad) can rally behind. These songs continually reignite my love for rap and hip-hop. It is so cohesive despite the fact that Kanye is able to cover topics spanning from Jesus to broken jaws to the American education system.

Favorite tracks:
Never Let Me Down
Through The Wire
Family Business (**my dad shed a tear while listening to this**)
Slow Jamz
Jesus Walks

Least favorite track:
Breathe In Breathe Out

Replay value: 10
Lyricism: 10
Production/musicality: 9
Cultural Influence: 8

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: The Best of Kanye West

Twisted Fantasy is Kanye’s Illmatic. Any time I begin to question Kanye’s legitimacy as an artist, I remember that this album exists. With this album, he delivered a true work of art. Every song is deeply complex, perfectly curated and mixed, and ridiculously Kanye. Not to mention that every single feature is outstanding. One listen through the 13-track album makes you wonder if you do, like Kanye himself, believe that Kanye is a god. After all, only Kanye can make a 9-minute 4-note song into a masterpiece. In one word: legendary.

Favorite tracks:
LITERALLY ALL OF THEM. 

Replay value: 10
Lyricism: 9
Production/musicality: 10
Cultural influence: 8

And there you have it. The truth is no matter which way you slice it, these are all quality albums and Kanye is undeniably a musical genius. While his public persona is divisive, his music unites us; we all aggressively head-bop to “POWER”, recite all the lyrics to “Gold Digger” on the dance floor, and chuckle at “I Love Kanye”. Here’s to hoping we get Yandhi soon!

*A note: I decided to only rank albums on which Kanye rapped and produced, so albums like Daytona by Pusha-T and Watch The Throne are not included. I also left out Cruel Summer because Kanye’s presence is lacking on it.