19. “Heard ‘Em Say”
Kanye West
Late Registration
Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
In following up his critically acclaimed, Grammy Award winning debut album College Dropout, Kanye West knew he needed to deliver an even better album the second time around, and assure fans he was just as good in the booth as he was behind the boards. Calling on an unlikely compadre, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine provided an introspective backdrop for Yeezy to lay his rhymes on, and from there, Mr. West was near flawless. “Where I’m from the dope boys is the rock stars/but they can’t cop cars without seeing cop cars/I guess they want us all behind bars, I know it.” How’s that for social commentary.