With a Kanye West album, you often know what you're getting into before you hear a single song; the production will be excellent, the lyrics will be decent, and there will be over 20 tracks.  There will be a handful of skits, a handful of guest artists, a running time of over 70 minutes, and an introduction featuring someone who sounds just like Bernie Mac.

"Graduation" is a different kind of Kanye West album. Kanye trims the fat, resulting in a leaner, smarter hip-hop album.

Many of the things mentioned above are true, but this time there are no skits (not even one with the guy who sounds like Bernie Mac).  The album features 13 tracks and clocks in at just over 51 minutes.  This makes the album much more cohesive than his previous two gargantuan works.

Of course, Kanye's production is still untouched in the world of hip-hop.  On "Graduation," the beats are almost sparse when compared to "Late Registration's" lush orchestration and "The College Dropout's" sped-up soul.  The beats have a very minimalist feel, such as on the brilliant first single from the album, "Can't Tell Me Nothing."  Kanye rhymes over a beat that sounds almost like coal miners tinkering away in a mine, letting his lyrics take center stage.

The album also has a more electronic feel, as evidenced by tracks such as "Drunk and Hot Girls;" five minutes of some of the craziest hip-hop ever put on record, and the currently inescapable single, "Stronger;" built around a sample of the Daft Punk classic, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."

By fixing what was wrong with his previous two albums, Kanye has made the best album of his career.

Kanye's strongest attribute is not his skills on a mic.  However, his lyrics are more accomplished here than ever before.  On the album closer, "Big Brother," Kanye shows some very rare humility when talking about his respect for and rivalry with label mate and mentor Jay-Z.  The song is without a doubt Kanye's greatest lyrical achievement.

As in the past, a Kanye West album seems to bring out the best in the guest artists.  The album features only two guest appearances of any worth, but they are both true standouts.  T-Pain's hook on the forthcoming single "The Good Life" is the best thing the R&B singer has ever done, and Lil' Wayne's performance on "Barry Bonds" is predictably excellent.

By fixing what was wrong with his previous two albums, Kanye has made the best album of his career.  While there is nothing as immediately classic as "Jesus Walks" or "Gold Digger" on "Graduation," the album works better from beginning to end.

Kanye is on a run unlike any other in the history of hip-hop.  No other artist in rap music has released three consecutive albums of this caliber.  While the first two may be flawed masterpieces, they are masterpieces none the less.  Here, Kanye finally graduates into the realm of perfection.

Rating:  A