Kanye West has been juggling a lot as of late. He’s been raising his fashion-forward and absolutely adorable daughter, tearing down numerous Fashion Week shows, designing his capsule collection for adidas and putting the finishing touches on his as-of-yet untitled seventh solo album. Aside from all of that, Ye has also reportedly been busy executive producing forthcoming albums from Tyga and French Montana. If history is any indication, it’s safe to assume that we should have a lot of good music (no pun intended) to look forward to within the next few months. It’s a well-known fact that Ye has famously overseen near-classic projects from rap gods like JAY Z and Common. Also, T-Raw's recently released, Kanye-produced, "40 Mil" is a certified banger and London's latest album Vibes is pretty dope.
While we wait for those albums from Tyga and French Montana to drop, we've decided to imagine what types of influence the College Dropout would have on other rappers’ albums. Here’s our list of 10 artists we'd like Kanye West to executive produce albums for. Who's on your list? Let us know in the comments.
T.I.
T.I.
Throughout the T.I. catalogue there are glimpses of what a Ye-produced Tip project would sound like. Songs like "Doing My Job," the remix to "Drive Slow," "Welcome to the World" and of course, "Swagga Like Us" all are proof of just how lethal the pairing of the King of the South and Louie Vuitton Don can be. T.I.’s last few albums haven’t necessarily been fan-favorites. With Kanye on board, Tip is sure to deliver a crowd-pleaser.
Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Remember when we first got word that Lil Wayne would be experimenting with rock music? It wasn’t too long after Kanye released his masterpiece 808s & Heartbreak, and at first, many fans were seemingly excited to see what the Martian would sound like as rocker. But then Rebirth was released, and nothing was the same after. The album was pretty bad, and it left fans yearning for Wayne to rap more than ever before. Ye could guide the eclectic Mr. Carter and help him create something that’s both sonically cohesive and genre-defying.
50 Cent
50 Cent
Prior to the G-Unit reunion, 50 Cent had been steadily searching for ways his music could gain traction, but not even singles with hit-makers like Eminem, Alicia Keys and Adam Levine could ignite the type of excitement he needed. The Kanye-effect could change that. Yeezy could help package the swagger, arrogance and songwriting genius of Curtis Jackson along with some of the best music the Queens native has made since his game-changing debut, Get Rich or Die Tryin’.
Lupe Fiasco
It can be argued that Yeezus is the album Lupe Fiasco has been wanting to make for years now. Working with Kanye could allow the, at times, controversial Lupe to not only shock the establishment, but also make the type of music that Atlantic Records actually likes and is willing to support. Not to mention the fans.
Game
The Game
The Game has quietly been one of the most consistent rappers of the past ten years. His last solo effort, 2012's Jesus Piece was a really dope rap album full of clever wordplay, hard-hitting production and on point collaborations, but it didn’t quite get the attention it deserved. If The Game’s “Dreams” collaborator gave a passionate, attention-grabbing Kanye-rant about how the Game album he just produced is the best rap album of all time, he could definitely get people to stop sleeping on the Compton MC’s music.
Dipset
Dipset
New York’s rap scene has been missing a lot of things in recent years, and an official Diplomats album is certainly one of those things. The Harlem-nites’ created a movement that came complete with a unique style, a fly lingo and most importantly, a distinctive sound. Production trio, The Heatmakerz were a central component to that sound, but that Heatmakerz sound may be a little too dated for this era. Kanye could help re-imagine and reintroduce that Dips sound and movement to the leaders of this new school.
Wale
Wale
Wale is a talented, introspective, arrogant, intelligent, misunderstood, poetic and outspoken student of hip hop. He is also a truly gifted rapper, whose genius has yet to be fully realized. Kanye could probably identify with the Ambition rapper more than any other artist in hip hop. The music that Wale would create under the tutelage of Ye would probably turn even the diehard Wale haters into believers.
Drake
Drake
Kanye helped lay the foundation for what a rapper/singer hybrid could be. Drake is proving just how far the concept could be taken. So we can only imagine the magic these two would make. Plus with Drake dropping joints like “Draft Day” and “0 to 100” it may push Yeezy to revisit his pre-Graduation era.
A$AP Rocky
A$AP Rocky
A$AP Rocky has superstar potential. He’s dropped hit records, toured with Rihanna, garnered respect from the fashion world, dated Iggy Azalea and Chanel Iman and introduced the world to his A$AP Mob crew, yet he doesn't quite get the respect as a rapper that he deserves. With the assistance of Kanye’s expertise, Rocky could finally see himself mentioned with the elite rappers of this era.
Future
Future
Future has shown that not only can he produce trap anthems like "Shit!", but that he can also craft crossover hits like "Turn On The Lights." However, his last album, Honest, failed to connect with listeners due in part to the fact the album was kind of all over the place. Kanye could help bring all that Future brings to the table together for a cohesive project.