I'm very intrigued by the Kayne is a genius/this album is amazing crowd after listening to TLOP. I'm curious as to why these people think that and what else they usually listen to.
Full disclaimer: The College Dropout is one of my favorite albums of all time, but I find it hard to even classify albums like Yeezus or TLOP as hip hop. Not trying to call anyone out in here, but
@DJTJ @MoneyMP3 care to elaborate?
Graduation is by far my favorite Kanye album, personally. I love Yeezus, and I know a lot of people don't, but I respect artists doing what they want. That album went hard. It was gritty. And grungy. And a shocking album put out by a master of classic beats.
For me, TLOP is next level. It's a gospel album. He said it. The material, largely, is Kanye growing up; realizing his life now exists to put food on the table for Kim, North, and Saint. It's about his relationship with God. It has amazing features. Chance is top five for me right now. Very, very close to breaking through the top three of Cole, Drake, Kendrick (the order changes weekly). Frank Ocean is thankfully alive.
I adored TLOP simply because of the production. It's obvious Kanye never goes hard. It's obvious the material isn't as talented as anything pre-Yeezus. His talent in production is unmatched. You can listen to the whole album, and you can hear how much work is put into the beats, which is a lost art.
Kanye/J. Cole are probably my two favorite producers/rappers. Tyler The Creator is also incredibly talented behind the scenes.
I overvalue production, obviously. Hope that answers your question, man!