For Kanye West, "Graduation" is the next natural step in a progression that began with his 2004 debut, "The College Dropout." Plucking from influences as disparate as Daft Punk, U2 and the Rolling Stones, West focuses on such inspirational tracks as "I Wonder" ("I've been waiting on this my whole life/You can still be what you wish you is, that's what intuition is," he raps). Beyond his trademark looped samples, West stretches the production with synthesizers and arena-ready tracks like "Champion." The gritty "Barry Bonds" featuring the ubiquitous Lil' Wayne would've been better saved for a mixtape, but "Big Brother," West's ode to Jay-Z, has lyrics introspective enough to make fans cry. "Flash Lights" does a great job of reintroducing "Miami Vice"-esque keys, while "Good Life" featuring T-Pain is an instant hit. An impressively creative hip-hop album that will hopefully inspire West's peers to try new sonic avenues. —Hillary Crosley