Late Registration

Pitchfork 9.5/10 With the help of co-producer Jon Brion, West has taken his jumbled personae, buoyant enthusiasm, and vision for the grandiose, and transformed his chattering, seemingly unrealistic ideas into an expansive, imperfect masterpiece.

NME 4/5 ‘Late Registration’ is a solid set. And by freshening up his style without entirely abandoning it, West still has the rest of the rap world playing catch-up.

Evening Standard 4/5 The 22-track monster is a valiant attempt to please all of the people all of the time.

Rolling Stone 5/5 He steps up his lyrical game, shows off his epic production skills, reaches higher, pushes harder and claims the whole world of music as hip-hop turf.

The Independent 5/5 There's not as much show-off production here, nor any wacky couplets, but West maintains a coy lyrical acumen on the rich-versus-poor theme, and opts for a more lush-sounding production. Magnificent.

All Music 5/5 West and Brion are a good, if unlikely, match. Brion's string arrangements and brass flecks add a new dimension to West's beats without overshadowing them, and the results are neither too adventurous nor too conservative.

Gigwise 10/10 All in all 'Late Registration' is exactly what commercial fans wanted and hip-hop fans needed.

Slant 3.5/5 Late Registration's salvation (and, undoubtedly, Kanye's own) are when it basks in the sunshine after the rain.

Pop Matters 7/10 Together, Brion and West have made the most musically ambitious hip-hop album since Outkast’s Aquemini. But what prevents Late Registration from achieving that unequivocal classic status is Kanye’s alter ego: Kanye, the rapper.

The Guardian 5/5 Like the rest of Late Registration, Drive Slow suggests an artist effortlessly outstripping his peers: more ideas, better lyrics, bigger hooks, greater depth.

Uncut 8/10 Second enthralling album from hip-hop’s rapping, producing, multi-faceted new hero.

RapReviews.com 9.0/10 I don’t blame Kanye for being late to school, because unlike a lot of his peers in the rap industry, at least his ass showed UP for school at all.