Chuck Sawyer Jade Kierbow English 1101-09 11/10/08 Kanye West Everyone’s perception of the good life varies based on personal values and influences. In Kanye West’s album entitled “Graduation”, he tells about specific life experiences that have changed and influenced his path of life. He describes different situations and people that affected the way he perceives a good life. Kanye West’s “Graduation” depicts a unique yet influential path to his perception of the good life. Due to his celebrity status, he is idolized, as well as, analyzed by young individuals throughout the world. Mr. West raps on many different levels. He talks about the good and the bad, the past and the present. In this album, “Graduation”, Mr. West thoroughly explains how his past was full of trash and how he overcame that trash. He says in the song “Good Morning” “But you graduate when you make it up out of the streets/ From the moments of pain look how far we done came/ Haters sayin’ you changed now you doin’ ya thang” Here Mr. West is saying in his perspective that getting out of the street life is when you truly begin living, or starting a new chapter of life. This quote shows that Mr. West is happy about his change; he is on top of his life and in charge and loving it. “Graduation” is like an instruction manual telling the listeners how Mr. West is different from all the other rappers. His uniqueness is expressed throughout all of the CD, for example in the song “Good Life” he talks about his uniqueness by saying “50 told me go head switch your style up/ And if they hate, let ‘em hate and watch the money pile up”. Here he actually says that he was going to switch his style no matter what anyone thinks, which in his own way makes him unique. This is because he made a choice and did it regardless of what anyone thought. Mr. West’s change from the street to what he has become now is very influential in the sense that when a lower power is exposed to a higher power there is always a...