The College Dropout
Following his signing to Roc-A-Fella Records, Kanye released his debut studio album, The College Dropout. It features string arrangements, choirs and his signature soul sampling, frequently branded as chipmunk-esque for its sped-up and high pitched nature. Contrary to the popular gangster-persona lyrics at the time, his lyrics mostly revolved around themes of family, materialism, religion and racism. The inspiration for finally making his own music came when he was in a near-fatal car crash.