Kanye West Graduation Album Musical Influences Rolling Stones U2 Led Zeppelin | Fast |

| | How It Appears on Graduation | Example Track | |--------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------| | John Bonham’s “backbeat with swing” (loose but powerful) | Live-sounding drum machine patterns that breathe; not quantized to a grid | “Stronger” (the drums push and pull against the Daft Punk sample) | | Jimmy Page’s use of sudden quiet/loud dynamics | Abrupt cut-outs, then full-force drops | “The Glory” | | Long instrumental intros before vocals | Songs that build for 20–30 seconds on just rhythm and texture | “Everything I Am” |

Graduation ’s “bleep-bloop” synths don’t sound cold—they sound spiritual . Kanye used reverb and delay like The Edge uses his guitar. Listen to the bridge of “I Wonder” (the “ find your dreams come true ” part): it’s pure U2 lift. 4. Influence #3: Led Zeppelin – Rhythmic Weight & Dramatic Dynamics Led Zeppelin’s influence is less about literal samples (though Kanye would later sample “Whole Lotta Love” for a live show) and more about dynamic shift and swing . | | How It Appears on Graduation |

From the Stones, Kanye borrowed attitude without polish . The Stones’ genius was making chaos feel controlled. Kanye does the same with distorted synth basslines that feel slightly out of tune—like a blues riff fed through a sequencer. 3. Influence #2: U2 – The Cathedral of Sound & Emotional Lift U2 (especially The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby ) taught Kanye how to use delayed, chiming, atmospheric textures to create euphoria. The Stones’ genius was making chaos feel controlled

Play “I Wonder” (for U2), then “Flashing Lights” (for Zeppelin’s weight + Stones’ grit), then “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” (for pure Stones bravado). You’ll hear the DNA immediately. yearning vocal melodies | Kanye’s Auto-Tuned

| | How It Appears on Graduation | Example Track | |---------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------| | The Edge’s dotted-eighth-note delay | Arpeggiated synth sequences that ring out like digital cathedral bells | “I Wonder” (the ascending synth line) | | Bono’s soaring, yearning vocal melodies | Kanye’s Auto-Tuned, stretched-out melodic hooks (not for pitch correction, but as an instrument) | “Homecoming” (feat. Chris Martin of Coldplay, a U2 disciple) | | Building from sparse to massive | Tracks that start with a single synth or drum machine and layer into a wall of sound | “Champion” |