Ten years and mounds of increased relevancy later, Kanye West has become one of the biggest artists in pop culture, but over the past week Hip-Hop placed the spotlight on the album that started it all, The College Dropout. From that era, Complex premiered unseen footage of the then rookie MC playing “Never Let Me Down” for Pharrell Williams.
The video came courtesy of Coodie Simmons, who at the time was West’s videography. The standout track only featured Jay Z’s vocals at the time, so the new Roc-A-Fella signee, in typical fashion, spit his verse aloud.
A magic moment came at the close of his impromptu performance, as Skateboard P immediately reacted by screaming at the top of his lungs and shaking his hand in admiration. If you recall, stories say West was known to rhyme for any and everyone willing to give him time and an ear.
This is proof.
See how things panned out in the clip below. Also hit the following page to see Kanye West freestyle alongside Consequence to an original beat.
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Photo: Complex
