Kanye West sets September release date for "Graduation"

By: Yves Erwin Salomon

Rapper Kanye West is ready for graduation. The rapper will release his third album, Graduation, on September 18th. The rapper's mother and manager, Donda West, told MTV.com, "This Graduation album is his best ever -- musically, as well as the lyrics."

West and music director Hype Williams have already shot two videos for the project. West explained, "Me and Hype went out, we shot nine days. We were out in Japan, we were out in the desert. We're taking it serious."

As for the overall concept of the new album, West said, "I'm graduating from a school called 'Universe City.'I think the sound is bigger this time. It's bigger and simpler, where the notes really connect with you and I say lines ... I know the power of my words, so when I rap, I know it's gonna impact the world."

The rapper added, "I'm ready to take over the world once again. I have a lot to say. I got a lot more music to make. I'm still going through stuff. People are still going through stuff. I make music people can relate to every day. My music just isn't about my story. ... There's not one artist in the world that has as much responsibility as me. When I deliver a piece of music, it has to connect with the most genres of music. I don't care who you name. If you name rap artists, their only responsibility is to rap crowds. If you name a pop artist, their only responsibility is to a pop crowd. If you name some French dance music, their responsibility is to the cool crowd. But I have to deliver songs. All these people are looking at me from super-middle America to the hipsters like, 'What's he gonna do next?'"

West has also been busy working on new albums by Common and Lil Wayne.

In related news, Donda West recently released her new book, Raising Kanye: Life Lessons From the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar. Donda West explained, "I was encouraged by a number of my friends and colleagues. I taught English for a number of years, so it's not surprising that I would consider writing a book, but I never knew I would be writing a book about myself. There are so many aspects of Kanye's life now and growing up that people wouldn't know about. They know about Kanye the superstar. I wanted to share who he is as a person."