Kanye West is larger than life. A multi-Grammy award winner, multi-platinum rapper and producer, polarizing visionary, and the richest Black man in American history, failure seems genuinely impossible for Ye. But, with the release of the jeen-yuhs (Act 1) documentary, many came to understand that this wasn't always the case.
Known solely for his beatmaking ability and production credits, Kanye West (as he was known in 2002) desperately desired notoriety for his rapping prowess. Shopping his demo tape to any party that would listen, he forged ahead, moving and maneuvering in a room full of "no's." The first installation of the jeen-yuhs doc, titled "Vision," gave critical insight into how long it took for Kanye to receive any appreciation as a rapper. We got to see firsthand how some people, many with positions at record labels and corporations, disregarded his music and brushed him aside time and time again.
One of the standout moments from the documentary, and ultimately, in Kanye's career, was his early 2000s visit to the offices of Roc-A-Fella Records. There, he played an early (yet very similar to the finished product) version of his beloved single "All Falls Down." As we know it, the track is a masterpiece and regarded as a classic in Ye's prestigious catalog. Unfortunately, for members of the staff at Roc-A-Fella, that was far from the case. Some watched on as he performed it, their faces brandishing blatant disinterest. Kanye went home, having gotten no further than he was before visiting.
Luckily for us, that experience didn't lessen Kanye's faith in the song. "All Falls Down," assisted by Syleena Johnson on the hook, was released in 2004 alongside his debut album The College Dropout. The track went solar, reaching the top ten on Billboard Hot 100. Self-awareness on full display, the song served as a new frontier in current Hip Hop, while acting as a resurgence of the backpack rap era. The track managed to capture the ears and hearts of many, as his bravado lit up the street and his honesty impressed the conscious.
To this day, the "All Falls Down" is regarded as one of his best, and will continue to serve as a reminder of where his legacy first began.
Revisit the classic track below:
Quotable Lyrics
We shine because they hate us,
Floss, cuz they degrade us,
We tryna buy back our 40 acres,
And for that paper, look how low we'll stoop,
Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coupe