SOHH ON THE SCENE

Nope! At least in my opinion. It may not even be this year's best rap album.
Common's Finding Forever has that locked for now. During his listening session at NYC's New World Stages last night, Ye declared that Graduation had just bumped an LP off hip-hop's top ten greatest album of all time.

Jackpot, Sam Ed, Kanye West, Mark and Fred at Listening Session
(Photo: DJ Parler)

So depending on your personal Top Ten, that means it has to be better then one of the following albums. Nas' Illmatic, Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Million To Hold Us Back, Kanye West's College Dropout, NWA's Straight Outta Compton, A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders, De La Soul's Three Feet High And Rising, Erik B & Rakim'sPaid In Full, Biggie's Ready To Die, Life After Death, Tupac's All Eyez On MeIce Cube's Amerikkka's Most Wanted, Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded, Dr. Dre's The Chronic, Wu-Tang Clan's 36 Chambers, Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, Run- DMC's Raising Hell, Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Outkast's Aquemini, The Fugees' The Score, Ghostface's Supreme Clientele among many others.

In all fairness, no albums should be reviewed after one listening. This is just my initial impression. Off the first listen, I don't see it. The verdict is out on a few of those tracks, especially "Drunk And Hot Girls" featuring Mos Def. The good thing is I can see one or two of these tracks grow on me. I didn't like "Stronger" off the first listen and now I love it, so who knows. I definitely need to hear this again.

Let's not get it twisted, the album is still pretty good, I just expected more. I'll tell you one thing though, no one does it quite like Kanye. The record was played in a movie theater inside New World Stages. Every attendee received a booklet with the songs' lyrics as well as a pair of Kanye shades.

Graduation Listening Session

SOHH On The Scene Model Sam Ed rock the Kanye shades

Mos Def, LA Reid, Q-Tip, Consequence and Laurie Ann Gibson made appearances.

Ye let the album play through while listeners were treated to an assortment of visuals on the screen like "Tron," some anime porn and a few other visuals.

Kanye visuals

He then answered questions towards the end. Obviously, 50 came up. Peep some of his quotes.

"If 50 didn't have the 'I Get Money' record, I wouldn't have come out the
same day. There wouldn't have been a fight there." -Kanye

"That's why I got the number one song in the hood with some tight jeans on." -Kanye

Oh, and when asked how he felt about being on stage with everybody (50 Cent, Jay-Z, T.I., Diddy) at Madison Square last week.

"It would have felt better to be on the stage with me and Jay like we planned."

I'm still buying my copy on September 11th.

Graduation Track Listing

1. Good Morning
2. Champion
3. Stronger
4. I Wonder
5. Good Life feat. T-Pain
6. Can't Tell Me Nothin
7. Barry Bonds feat. Lil' Wayne
8. Drunk And Hot Girls Feat. Mos Def
9. Flashing Lights Feat. Dwele
10. Everything I Am Feat. Scratches By DJ Premiere
11. The Glory
12. Homecoming
13. Big Brother

Shout out to DJ Parler for the Kanye pic.
Were any of you there? If so, what did you think of the LP? Speak on it.