His full length debut on Daptone Records is equal parts raw feeling and elegance and exudes confidence and charm.

In a preview of Late Registration on April 20, 2005, West appeared on New York radio station Hot 97 and premiered "Diamonds from Sierra Leone". Diamonds from Sierra Leone" has been certified platinum in the US by the RIAA for amassing 1,000,000 certified units, while the BPI has awarded it with a silver certification for sales of 200,000 units.The fraternity theme is revisited towards the end of the album on the UK edition bonus track "We Can Make It Better", featuring guest raps from Talib Kweli, Q-Tip, Common, and Rhymefest over a sped-up sample of " Make It Easy on Yourself", as covered by the Three Degrees. In the album booklet, Dropout Bear appears in the university, sitting alone in classrooms and reads books before exiting. The staff commented that it "relied on his production savvy to craft some of the most stellar beats of his career", which they felt was equaled by West's lyricism. Music videos for all five singles were produced, while West also promoted the album with the Touch the Sky Tour (2005–06) and his debut live album, Late Orchestration (2006).

Numerous reviewers praised the former's elegant and ambitious musical direction, while some highlighted West's songwriting and performances for their balance of pop and conscious hip hop sensibilities.In 2012, Rolling Stone placed Late Registration at number 118 on their revised list of the " 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Late Registration appeared on year-end best album lists for 2005 by numerous publications, including being named the best album of the year by Spin, [102] Time, [45] and USA Today. At the 2006 Grammys, the album won the award of Best Rap Album, becoming West's second consecutive album to do so and he delivered an acceptance speech that night. Late Registration was West's second consecutive album to be rated "XXL" by XXL, the magazine's highest rank, which had been awarded to only 16 other hip hop albums by 2005. The composition later adds a string arrangement from ten violinists, four violists, and four cellists, which initially comes in brief staccato bursts and acts as a counterpoint to the rise and fall of West's voice.

Gold Digger" and "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" were winners of the awards for Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song, respectively, at the same ceremony, while the former was also nominated for Record of the Year. Please note that we do not alter our Site’s data collection and use practices when we see a Do Not Track signal from your browser.However, another story arises within the third verse, which illustrates a formerly destitute black male who abandons a non-gold digger for a white woman.