The College Dropout Video Anthology

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The College Dropout Video Anthology
The College Dropout Video Anthology cover
Video by Kanye West
Released March 22, 2005
Recorded 2004
Genre Hip hop
Label Roc-A-Fella Records
Producer Kanye West, Lil Jon, Luke
Professional reviews
  • VIBE Magazine link

The College Dropout Video Anthology was a DVD released featuring the music videos to the singles from Kanye West's first studio album, The College Dropout released on March 22, 2005. If featured the videos to the previously unreleased Two Words, Slow Jamz, Through the Wire, All Falls Down, the three versions of Jesus Walks and The New Workout Plan.

West has said on many occasions that he feels the imagery of his music videos are very important to him and an integral part to his art. He contributed to the direction of the videos for All Falls Down and the three versions of Jesus Walks.

The initial music video for Jesus Walks was rejected by MTV and other networks for being inappropriate for airing, so West made an alternate version for MTV. A third video was also made, though rarely seen before this DVD.

It was accompanied by a bonus audio CD that featured seven otherwise unreleased songs by West. Three are remixes or reprises of songs from The College Dropout, two of the tracks are the instrumental versions of two Dropout tracks, and two of the tracks, ("It's Alright" and "Heavy Hitters"), were new tracks previously unreleased.

On June 13, 2007, the DVD/CD set was declared certified Gold by the RIAA. Such an honor was declared once the album surpassed the 500,000 units sold mark.

[edit] Bonus Audio CD Track listing

1. "We Don't Care" (Reprise) (featuring Keyshia Cole)

2. "Jesus Walks" (Remix) (featuring Mase and Common)

  • Produced by Kanye West
  • Additional vocals by John Legend
  • Contains a sample of "Walk With Me" performed by The Arc Choir

3. "It's Alright" (featuring Mase and John Legend)

4. "The New Workout Plan" (Remix) (featuring Fonzworth Bentley, Luke & Twista)

5. "Heavy Hitters" (featuring GLC)

6. "Two Words" (Cinematic Version)

  • Featuring Mos Def, The Harlem Boys Choir
  • Produced by Kanye West
  • Keyboards by Keith Slattery
  • Violins by Miri Ben-Ari
  • Contains a sample of "Peace And Love (Amani Na Mapenzi) - Movement IV (Encounter)" performed by Mandrill

7. "Never Let Me Down" (Cinematic Version)

  • Produced by Kanye West
  • Background vocals by John Legend, Tracie Spencer
  • Keyboards by Ervin "EP" Pope
  • Guitar by Glenn Jefferey
  • Contains an interpolation of "Maybe It's The Power Of Love", written by Michael Bolton and Bruce Kulick
  • Sample recreated and performed by Ken Lewis

[edit] References

1. http://www.amazon.com/Kanye-West-College-Dropout-Anthology/dp/B0007LEJKY

2. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0466040/

3. Roc-A-Fella: Album Certified Gold http://www.rocafella.com/News.aspx?item=102076&sectionid=137

4. BBC's Kanye West Discography, featuring The College Dropout Video Anthology: http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artist/nvcz/

5. MTV.com Page for The College Dropout Video Anthology under Kanye West discography: http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/west_kanye/albums.jhtml?albumId=873588

Reviews:

6. Vibe Magazine review: http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2005/05/dvd_review_kanye_west_college_dropout_video_anthology/

7. http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2005_05D_kanyecollege.html