Alex Wiley’s “Spaceship II” Makes Me Want to Drop Out of College Posted by Lucas G. on 06/07/13 | Filed under Chance the Rapper, Alex Wiley, GLC

To this very day, I remember, very vividly, the day I got The College Dropout. Since I wasn’t the biggest hip-hop fan before the album, I actually got it a year late, right before Late Registration came out. When I popped it into the CD player in my Jetta, I had no idea that pink bear would change my music tastes forever. even years removed from its release, I still have the album in heavy rotation, and know pretty much all of the words; College Dropout is a classic in every since of the word.



A true classic however, is not only an album that has endless spins and classic lines, but also one that inspires a whole new generation. I would not be writing this if it weren’t for the album, as I am sure there are many-an-artist out there who would be rapping if not for College Dropout. One of those might be Chicago’s own Alex Wiley. The young emcee pays tribute to Kanye’s debut album on "Spaceship II” off of his debut project "Club Wiley".



Aside from the hook, which comes from Kanye’s “Spaceship”, the heart displayed by both Wiley and his guest, the toast of the town, Chance The Rapper are equally as goosebump inducing. What drew me in with College Dropout was Kanye’s hunger and heart, you can really tell he poured everything he had into each cut, really leaving it all on the field so to speak. While Wiley and Chance’s styles are much different than Kanye’s, the heart eerily similar. Wiley’s flow is very different, and might not agree with everyone, but you can’t tell me he doesn’t give his all on this. My favorite line came from Chance when he croons, little College Dropout, blame it on Ye. The line stood out to me because it is a microcosm for the whole point of this article. It's almost surreal to me that my favorite album growing up has inspired a whole new generation. The way guys like Wu-Tang, Tupac, UGK, and Run D.M.C inspired current tastemakers, the new generation has our own muses and sources of inspiration; as if I needed one more thing to make me feel like a grown up now Kanye is an old guy.

Another point that must be made is about the incorporation, GLC. Having the guy who was featured on the original take part in “Spaceship II”, the 2013 redux, almost feels like a passing of the torch. As much as we love Kanye, Hov and the lot, eventually, they wont be making music anymore and it will be up to guys like Wiley and Chance, among many others, to inspire the next generation and keep the art form alive, so its good to see the vets giving their seal of approval. I am going to have a tough time deciding what to listen to this weekend. Do I check out Wiley’s "Club Wiley" mixtape, or do I blast "College Dropout" until my ears bleed?

PS: Can we also talk for a minute about how criminally underrated GLC is. I feel like he never gets talked about much but for a guy to sound sound jsut as good on the 2013 version of a 2005 song shows some serious staying power. It’s a shame he doesn’t get the respect he deserves.

See Also:  Friday Flips: The Sample History Behind Alex Wiley’s “Spaceships Pt. II”
See Also:  Classic Album: Kanye West’s “The College Dropout” (Review & Video)