Head of the Class: Kanye Tops Grammy Nominees with 10 Nominations

LOS ANGELES (Roc-A-Fella Records) - Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam superstar Kanye West capped off a spectacular year this morning with a sweeping 10 Grammy nominations, the most for any artist.
In a year that saw the multi-talented West ascend from the ranks of rap's hottest producers to become a platinum recording artist and a ubiquitous presence on radio and television with chart-topping hits like 'Jesus Walks,' 'All Falls Down,' and 'Through the Wire,' the 10 nominations - including Album Of The Year, Song of The Year, and Best New Artist -come as a both a blessing and a challenge.

'It's overwhelming,' said West. 'It's just been an amazing year for me, and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to touch people with my music. To be honest, it's even a bit scary, all this love from the fans and my peers and the academy. I'm working on my new album right now, and I want it to be something that's just a special as The College Dropout.'

The College Dropout will go down in the history books as something very special indeed, garnering Album of the Year accolades from numerous publications including Blender, GQ, and many more.
2004 will go down in the books as the Year Of The Dropout: Kanye West.

KANYE WEST 2004 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS:
Album of the Year - The College Dropout
Album of the Year - Diary of Alicia Keys (producer)
Song of the Year - 'Jesus Walks' (songwriter)
Best New Artist
Best R&B Song - 'You Don't Know My Name' (songwriter w/ Harold Lilly and Alicia Keys)
Best Rap Solo Performance - 'Through the Wire'
Best Rap/ Sung Collaboration - 'All Falls Down' (w/ Syleena Johnson)
Best Rap/ Sung Collaboration - 'Slow Jams' (w/Twista and Jamie Foxx)
Best Rap Song - 'Jesus Walks' (songwriter)
Best Rap Album - The College Dropout