Graduation

Description

Graduation is the third studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West, released on September 11, 2007, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. The album concludes West's conceptual "college" trilogy, which began with The College Dropout (2004) and Late Registration (2005). Unlike its predecessors, Graduation moved away from soul-based samples in favor of a larger, synthesizer-heavy, and stadium-ready sound, taking inspiration from arena rock, house music, and electronica.

The album produced several commercially successful singles, including "Can't Tell Me Nothing", "Good Life" (featuring T-Pain), and the global hit "Stronger", which heavily samples Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". Graduation received widespread critical acclaim for its musical inventiveness and commercial success, particularly after it won the highly publicized "chart battle" against rapper 50 Cent's album Curtis.

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling nearly one million copies in its first week. In 2008, Graduation won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, and "Stronger" won for Best Solo Rap Performance. The album is widely regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop releases of its era.