1. As a producer, he has several distinctive sounds – sure, his style was influenced by the RZA, but Kanye’s beats can be richer (compare “C.R.E.A.M.” to “Spaceship”) or simpler (compare “(Do You Really (Thang, Thang)” to “Takeover”) as the lyrics demand. And there is no denying that he’s crafted some of the tighter beats in the last decade (note his prominent contributions to Jay-Z’s “Blueprint” and “The Black Album”; or consider “Heaven” by John Legend).

2. As a rapper, he doesn’t strive to come off as a “gangsta” or “baller” or “player”, and yet he outsells those rappers who build their careers around that image (see Jackson, Curtis). This had not happened since 1992 (see Young, Andre and Broadus, C. Calvin). Sure, Kanye is not the first since then to eschew money-cash-hoes in favor of vaguely-socially-conscious themes (for one, A Tribe Called Quest was notably more effective and more funky), but he’s demonstrated that you don’t have to be as outrageous a poseur as Ludacris in order to be the most successful.

3. As a lyricist, he has the occasional flash of genius. Sometimes his rhymes are outright Barmanesque – “if this is your first time hearin’ this/ you are ’bout to experience” was such a good line that Jay-Z saw fit to steal it (see the title track on “Kingdom Come”). Most of his stuff isn’t that spectacular, but occasionally he surprises me. And the content of his songs can be very different from anyone else’s – consider “Jesus Walks” or “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”.

Now, I love the historical aspect of musicology – figuring out whose music was influenced by whose – so if you can let me know particular artists and particular songs that Kanye is ripping off of in his production or his written material, I’d be very interested.
And if you can’t, then the above assertion of Kanye’s originality will stand. =)

But as a performer and lyricist he’s got nothing. The celebrity thing is annoying, but it’s his music that brings out the ass-suckery.

He has, in my opinion, no flow as a rapper and no skill as a writer. Nothing really important to say. No clever word play (which is arguably one of the foundations of rap). Nothing.

Some parts of the song above actually do sound like someone trying to imitate Jack Black’s on stage improv and failing.

Also, are you a rap fan who happens to think that Kanye just can’t compare to the greats, or do you hold the more general opinion that most rap sucks ass?

@Wrather- I also found the brief discussion of the D surprising. I don’t really see how the “That was a good one/Your first good one in a while” line in the outro is influenced by Tenacious D at all.

And the D are totally big in the hip hop community. Haven’t you’heard Soulja Boy’s cover of “Fuck Her Gently”?

Not a particularly well overthought observation, but accurate nonetheless.