Graduation (album)

***Graduation*** is the third studio album by American hip hop recording artist and producer Kanye West. It was released on September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. It is also West's last album to be influenced by a college theme in both the album's title and artwork.

## Critical reception

_Graduation_ received general acclaim from music critics.

## Track listing

<small> (*) designates co-producer</small>

<small> (**) designates additional production</small>

- **Notes:**
- "Good Morning" contains samples of "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" by Elton John
- "Champion" contains elements of "Kid Charlemagne" by Steely Dan
- "Stronger" contains samples of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk
- "I Wonder" contains samples of "My Song" by Labi Siffre
- "Good Life" contains samples of "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" by Michael Jackson
- "Barry Bonds" contains samples of "Long Red" by Mountain
- "Drunk and Hot Girls" contains elements of "Sing Swan Song" performed by Can
- "Everything I Am" contains elements of "If We Can't Be Lovers" by Prince Phillip Mitchell and "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy
- "The Glory" contains samples of "Save the Country" by Laura Nyro, "Long Red" by Mountain
- "Good Night" contains samples of "Nuff Man a Dead" by Super Cat, "Wake The Town" by U-Roy
- "Bittersweet Poetry" interpolates "Bittersweet" by Chairmen of the Board

## Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

- Kanye West – executive producer, primary artist (All Tracks),  producer (All Tracks except 13)
- Lil Wayne - featured artist (Track 7)
- Mos Def – featured artist (Track 8), backing vocals (8, 11)
- T-Pain – featured artist (Track 5)
- Dwele – featured artist (Track 9)
- DJ Premier – featured artist (Track 10)
- Jay-Z – featured artist, additional rap vocals (Track 1)
- Chris Martin – featured artist, additional vocals (sung by) (Track 12)
- Connie Mitchell – featured artist, additional vocals (Tracks 1-2, 6, 9)
- Tanya Herron – featured artist, additional vocals (Track 8)
- John Legend – featured artist, backing vocals (Tracks 5, 11)
- Ne-Yo – featured artist, backing vocals (Track 5)
- Jalil Williams – featured artist, additional backing vocals (Track 11)
- Jehireh Williams – featured artist, additional backing vocals (Track 11)
- Daphne Chen – violin (Tracks 5, 8)
- Eric Gorfain – violin (Tracks 5, 8)
- Luigi Mazzocchi – violin (Tracks 4, 9)
- Charles Parker – violin (Tracks 4, 9)
- Igor Szwec – violin (Tracks 4, 9)
- Emma Kummrow – violin (Tracks 4, 9)
- Olga Konopelsky – violin (Tracks 4, 9)
- Gloria Justen – violin (Tracks 4, 9)
- Peter Nocella – viola (Tracks 4, 9)
- Leah Katz – viola (Tracks 5, 8)
- Alexandra Leem – viola (Tracks 4, 9)
- Alma Fernandez – viola (Track 5)
- Mike Dean – keyboards (Track 3, 7), music arranger (3), string arrangements (5, 8), recording engineer (3), guitar (3), mixing (5-8, 10, 12), producer (3, 5)
- Jon Brion – keyboards (Track 4), percussion (12), record producer (8)
- Darryl Beaton – keyboards (Track 6)
- Andy Chatterly – keyboards (Tracks 1, 3, 8, 11)
- Chris Rob – keyboards (Track 6)
- Richard Dodd – cello (Tracks 5, 8)
- John Krovoza – cello (Track 5)
- Jennie Lorenzo – cello (Tracks 4, 9)
- Tim Resler – bass (Tracks 4, 9)
- Omar Edwards – piano (Tracks 4-5, 10),  keyboards (3, 11)  synthesizer (4-5, 8), synthesizer bass (8).

- Nottz Raw –producer (Track 7), recording engineer (Track 7)
- Tony Rey – recording engineer (Track 6)
- Seiji Sekine – recording engineer (Track 3)
- Greg Koller – recording engineer (Tracks 4, 8, 12)
- Bruce Buechner – recording engineer (Track 12)
- Andrew Dawson – recording engineer (All Tracks),  mixing (Tracks 2, 4-6, 9, 12-13)
- Anthony Kilhoffer – recording engineer (Tracks 1-6, 9-12),  mixing (1, 11)
- Anthony Palazzole – assistant recording engineer (Track 2, 5-10, 12)
- Andy Marcinkowski – assistant recording engineer (Tracks 2, 5-10, 12-13)
- Richard Reitz – assistant recording engineer (Tracks 3, 6)
- Jared Robbins – assistant recording engineer (Track 3)
- Kengo Sakura – assistant recording engineer (Track 3)
- Bram Tobey – assistant recording engineer (Tracks 1-6, 8, 10-11)
- Matty Green – assistant recording engineer (Tracks 1, 9, 11-12)
- Nate Hertweck – assistant recording  engineer (Tracks 1-6, 10-11)
- Jason Agel – assistant recording engineer (Tracks 1-6, 8, 10-11)
- Tracey Waples – marketing
- Al Brancch – marketing
- Takashi Murakami – artwork
- Carol Corless – package production
- Eric Hudson – all other instruments (Track 9),  producer (9)
- Warryn Campbell – producer (Track 12)
- Larry Gold – string arrangements, string conductor (Tracks 4, 9)
- Rosie Danvers – string arrangements (Track 11)
- Sandra Campbell - project coordinator
- Sean Cooper – sound designer (Track  12)
- Tommy D – string section producer (Track 11)
- Vlado Meller – mastering
- Terese Joseph – A&R
- Kyambo Joshua – executive producer
- Manny Marroquin – mixing (Track 3)
- Kazuhiro Mizuno – design
- Patrick "Plain Pat" Reynolds – A&R, producer (Track 11)
- Timbaland – additional drum machine (Track 5), additional music programming (3)
- Gus Dudgeon - producer (Track 1)
- Daft Punk - music arranger (Track 3), producer (3)
- Edwin Birdsong - music arranger (Track 3), producer (3)

### Weekly charts

|scope="col"|Chart (2007)|scope="col"|Peak position|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|2||||
|26||||
|11||||
|10||||
|11||||
|3||||
|16||||
|9||||
|10||||
|2||||
|33||||
|13||||
|2||||
|2||||
|30||||
|3||||
|6||||
|3||||
|1||||

|scope="col"|Chart (2019)|scope="col"|Peak position|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|144||||
|94||||
|154||||
|144||||

### Year-end charts

|scope="col"|Chart (2007)|scope="col"|Position|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|88||||
|75||||
|93||||
|59||||
|12||||
|4||||
|17||||

|scope="col"|Chart (2008)|scope="col"|Position|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|19||||
|121||||
|79||||
|29||||

|scope="col"|Chart (2016)|scope="col"|Position|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|157||||

|scope="col"|Chart (2017)|scope="col"|Position|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|82||||

|scope="col"|Chart (2018)|scope="col"|Position|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|78||||

|scope="col"|Chart (2019)|scope="col"|Position|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|70||||

## Infobox (album)

- **name**: Graduation
- **artist**: Kanye West
- **type**: studio
- **released**: September 11, 2007
- **recorded**: 2005–2007
- **genre**: *Hip hop music, Hip hop
*electronica
*Contemporary R&B, R&B
- **length**: 51:12
- **label**: Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam Recordings, Def Jam
- **producer**: Kanye West <small>(Executive producer, exec.)</small>, Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua <small>(exec.)</small> Gus Dudgeon, Jon Brion, Warryn Campbell, Mike Dean (producer), Mike Dean, DJ Toomp, Eric Hudson, Daft Punk, Edwin Birdsong, Brian Miller, Nottz, Patrick Reynolds, Gee Robertson
- **prev title**: Can't Tell Me Nothing (mixtape), Can't Tell Me Nothing
- **prev year**: 2007
- **next title**: 808s & Heartbreak
- **next year**: 2008