Kanye Drops Can't Tell Me Nothing Mixtape

It's pretty hard these days to track down mixtapes, but I finally managed to get my hands on Kanye West's new Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape - a precursor to his third album, Graduation. West's love for all music has been emphasized in recent by his Fiona Apple name dropping and his decision to work with Jon Brion on Late Registration, but he's continuing to push that envelope even further. When the album opens, he's revealing a snippet of new song "Stronger" - which features a Daft Punk sample. Two songs later, he's joined by Pharell and Lupe Fiasco on a beat built completely around Thom Yorke's "The Eraser." Halfway through, he's talking shit about interviews over Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Folks." It's about time indie rock started showing up in the mixtape game, and who better than Kanye to introduce it.

Elsewhere, West devotes a song or two to his friends - Common, Talib Kweil, Really Doe, GLC and Consequence all drop by at least once. The high point is, of course, another new Fonzworth Bentley tune called "C-O-L-O-U-R-S" (which stands for "cool, outrageous lovers of uniquely raw style"). I've been excited about Bentley's record since I heard "Laid Back" on last year's G.O.O.D. Music mixtape - I don't know when it comes out, but I truly expect it to be on of the most innovative rap albums ever.

Kanye's not a traditional mixtape freestyler along the lines of Clipse or Lil Wayne, but through their communal atmosphere, snippets, singles and all around playful vibe, Kanye's mixtapes are always thoroughly enjoyable beginning to end.

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"Can't Tell Me Nothing" (Kanye's brilliant new single, featured on the mixtape and the forthcoming Graduation. Read my review here).