If the title of Kanye West's third studio release, Graduation, foreshadows anything about the album, it is that he has matured. One of the first things noticed about the album is its unusually short track list of 13, a considerable change from The College Dropout and Late Registration. Graduation lacks the fluffy skits and transitions that everyone skips on his previous two albums, sending a message to his listeners that it is all about the music now. Although usually humorous, these skits, including "Workout Plan" and "Broke Phi Broke," took away from the excellent musical elements of Dropout and Registration.

So now that it's all about the music, how does Graduation fare? It is immediately clear that Kanye gravitated toward the synthesizer in the studio, evidenced on the second single "Stronger", which samples heavily from the French electronica duo Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." "Champion," the lead-in to "Stronger," features a clever, synth-on-steroids, sample of Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne." Kanye's new-found love for the synthesizer is also prevalent in "Flashing Lights," which should come packaged with neon glow sticks as it promises to be a club hit. Kanye's increased use of the synthesizer, however, is neither a step forward or backward from the frequent horn samples heard in Late Registration. It's clear Kanye has arrived at a new place, but one that is just as enjoyable as the previous.

Similar to Kanye's first two releases, Graduation features another all-star lineup of guest artists. Mos Def returns to help Kanye vent his frustrations over celebrity-chasing women on "Drunk & Hot Girls," and other tracks include rising stars T-Pain and Dwele. The most anticipated and rewarding collaboration, however, is with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin on "Homecoming." Martin's piano hook and vocals skillfully support Kanye's ritual homage to his native Chicago, giving the listener a glimpse into his excited but nostalgic feelings for the city where he moved with his mother when he was 3 years old. He sings, "I met this girl when I was 3 years old/ And what I love most/ She had so much soul."

Kanye's collaboration with Martin on "Homecoming" sets the stage for the album's final track, "Big Brother," an homage to his mentor, Jay-Z. The song is Kanye's sincere attempt to apologize to his "big brother" over the controversy caused when he cut a track with Coldplay before Jay-Z, who wanted to collaborate with the group himself, could. "Should have talked to you like a man," sings Kanye, "Should have told you first/ But I told someone else, and that's what made shit worse."

With the release of Graduation going head-to-head with 50 Cent's latest, Curtis, Kanye's third album will set the bar high for the music industry's much-needed battle between the hip-hop stars. Kanye's growth is apparent in his beats and lyrics and could very easily earn him a few more Grammy nods.