Kanye West is one of the most popular musicians from the early 2000s until today, known for his infectious beats and smooth delivery. Throughout his career, he has dropped countless great songs. With over 600 tracks to choose from, we narrowed them down to make a list of both of our top 5 songs. 

“Family Business” (The College Dropout)

Starting off the list, we have what I believe to be the strongest track off of his famous 2004 debut album, “The College Dropout.” This song encompasses what Kanye believes to be important regarding his family, mentioning unconditional love, forgiveness and loyalty with each other. On top of the heartwarming message, this song contains an instrumental with a catchy piano riff along with a sample from “Fonky Thang, Diamond Rang” by Segue 6. Songs like this show what Kanye truly valued as he began to climb the ladder in the rap game.

“Homecoming” ft. Chris Martin (Graduation)

Next on the list is one of his more popular tracks off his standout 2007 album, “Graduation.” This song is a creative lyrical masterpiece, as Kanye was able to personify his hometown of Chicago through a girl he had been dating for a while. Lyrics like “In the nighttime her face lit up, so astounding” and “I guess that’s why last winter she got so cold on me” can be interpreted as describing the girl or Chicago. Along with the play on words, this song contains a beautiful chorus and outro performed by Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay. Like many of the songs on Graduation, “Homecoming” has a fast-paced beat with a piano riff that is repeated throughout the entire song.

“Hey Mama” (Late Registration)

If you know anything about Kanye before he started rapping, one notable fact is his appreciation and love for his mom, Donda West. In his sophomore album, 2005’s “Late Registration,” he decided to make a track dedicated to show his appreciation for his mom. “Hey Mama” features heartwarming lyrics woven with childhood stories and gives his mother credit for his success in the rap game. Lyrics such as “I wanna scream so loud for you, cuz I’m so proud of you” and “It don’t gotta be mothers day, or your birthday, for me to call” demonstrate the love Kanye has for his mother. Although the beat is simple, the included sample of “Today won’t come again” by Donal Leace adds a wholesome touch to the song. This track has a positive message and inspires listeners to be more appreciative of their mothers. 

“Saint Pablo” ft. Sampha (The Life of Pablo)

As Kanye began to age, he had dealt with problems regarding his mental health and his relationship with the media. “Saint Pablo” touches upon these difficulties, offering his own perspective over a dark beat. Lyrics like “I’m not out of control, I’m just not in there control” and “People tryna say I’m going crazy on Twitter,” double down on his idea that the media is intentionally trying to silence him. The highlight of this song is the combination of the chorus and the outro sung by Sampha, adding a perfect ending to an already great song. 

“Devil In a New Dress” ft. Rick Ross (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy)

Even with a total run time of five minutes and 52 seconds, every second of this track is memorable. Kanye managed to perfect every aspect of a song on this track, from the lyrics to the instrumental. “Devil in a New Dress” is about the struggles Kanye navigates with his love life now that he is a celebrity. After two verses of Kanye rapping about this, we are blessed with a guitar solo by Mike Dean that transitions into the beat smoothly. Following this, we are met with arguably one of the best feature verses in hip hop history by Rick Ross. These numerous aspects of this song make it not just a piece of music, but a work of art. 

Honorable Mentions:

• “Slow Jamz”
• “Big Brother”
• “We Major”

“Ghost Town” ft. Kid Cudi, PARTYNEXTDOOR, 070 Shake (Ye)

“Ghost Town,” off the 2018 project “Ye” is an experimental track blending elements of rock, rap and soul. The track, spanning four minutes and 31 seconds, includes a great vocal performance by Kanye, Cudi and PND ending off with the most popular part of the song, an outro sung by 070 Shake. Kanye’s verse explores his mental state and struggles with bipolar disorder. The track includes an electric guitar played by Mike Dean, which blends well with the soul sample. Overall, it’s a really enjoyable track.

“Runaway” ft. Pusha T (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy)

One note is all it takes to recognize this song as it has become synonymous with “E6.” “Runaway” from Kanye’s 2010 album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is one of his most well-known songs. Through the song, Kanye reflects on his own arrogance, especially throughout his relationships. The verse by Pusha T provides a portrayal of a toxic person who is too proud to change. An example of this is in his line, “Split and go where? Back to wearing knockoffs?” The track has amazing singing and vocals from Kanye and has a very memorable sound.

“Life Of The Party” ft. Andre 3000 (DONDA)

“Life Of The Party,” from the deluxe version of 2021’s “Donda,” is a heart-wrenching track. Andre 3000 uses the song as a letter to his own mom who passed away. Kanye reflects on his childhood as well during the track. The song ends with an audio clip from a video of the late DMX riding the Slingshot with his daughter, serving as an emotional end to a very emotional song. Andre 3000 delivered one of his best performances on this track and Kanye’s vulnerability while rapping about his married life and childhood life makes this track one of his best and most noteworthy. 

“Paranoid” featuring Mr Hudson (808s)

“Paranoid” from Kanye’s 2008 album “808’s And Heartbreak” features an almost 8-bit style beat with Kanye rapping and singing about a past relationship. The track has an amazing chorus sung by Mr Hudson, Kid Cudi and lyrical Kanye verses. The autotune on Kanye’s vocals combines well with the 8-bit style, making the song have an almost “compressed” style. Kanye’s vocal ability peaks in this song, showcasing some of the best Kanye vocals we have seen.

“Saint Pablo” featuring Sampha (TLOP)

“Saint Pablo” off Kanye’s 2016 “The Life Of Pablo” was added late onto the album after Kanye had a set of rants during his “Saint Pablo Tour,” and Kanye was hospitalized and diagnosed with bipolar disorder during this time. Kanye uses this track to address his outbursts on Twitter and during the tour to the media. The song is accompanied by beautiful singing by Sampha and meaningful lyrics such as “I’m not out of control, I’m just not in their control” by Kanye. Sampha questions if God will talk to him and help him, and as the verse progresses, Sampha realizes that God responds in a way we don’t understand. These elements all together make this track spectacular.

Honorable Mentions 

• “Devil In A New Dress”
• “Guilt Trip”
• “Jesus Lord”