And then, in a flash, {$Kanye} was everywhere, transformed from respected producer to big-name producer/MC, throwing a fit at the American Music Awards, performing {&"Jesus Walks"} at the Grammys, wearing his diamond-studded Jesus piece, appearing on the cover of {~Time}, running his mouth 24/7. One thing that remains unchanged is {$Kanye}'s hunger, even though his head has swollen to the point where it could be separated from his body, shot into space, and considered a planet. Raised middle class, {$Kanye} didn't have to hustle his way out of poverty, the number one key to credibility for many {\hip-hop} fans, whether it comes to rapper turned rapping label presidents or suburban teens. And now that he has proved himself in another way, through his stratospheric success -- which also won him a gaggle of haters as passionate as his followers -- he doesn't want to be seen as a novelty whose ambitions have been fulfilled. On {^Late Registration}, he finds himself backed into a corner, albeit as king of the mountain. It's a paradox, which is exactly what he thrives on. His follow-up to {^The College Dropout} isn't likely to change the minds of the resistant. As an MC, {$Kanye} remains limited, with all-too-familiar flows that weren't exceptional to begin with (you could place a number of these rhymes over {^College Dropout} beats). He uses the same lyrical strategies as well. Take lead single {&"Diamonds from Sierra Leone,"} in which he switches from boastful to rueful; more importantly, the conflict felt in owning blood diamonds will be lost on those who couldn't afford one with years of combined income. Even so, he can be tremendous as a pure writer, whether digging up uncovered topics (as on {&"Diamonds"}) or spinning a clever line ("Before anybody wanted K. West's beats, me and my girl split the buffet at KFC"). The production approach, however, is rather different from the debut. Crude beats and drastically tempo-shifted samples are replaced with a more traditionally musical touch from {$Jon Brion} ({$Fiona Apple}, {$Aimee Mann}), who co-produces with {$West} on most of the tracks. (Ironically, the {$Just Blaze}-helmed {&"Touch the Sky"} tops everything laid down by the pair, despite its heavy reliance on {$Curtis Mayfield}'s {&"Move on Up."}) {$West} and {$Brion} are a good, if unlikely, match. {$Brion}'s string arrangements and brass flecks add a new dimension to {$West}'s beats without overshadowing them, and the results are neither too adventurous nor too conservative. While {$KRS-One} was the first to proclaim, "I am {\hip-hop}," {$Kanye West} might as well be the first MC to boldly state, "I am {\pop}." ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide