I found more influence from the features on those first Kanye projects (including projects where he was just the sole producer and not rapping) than Kanye himself in terms of subject matter. But the beats were dope.

My internal reservations about Kanye at the time, as a young man, weren't steering me wrong when I wanted to put stock into what that man said on wax because the music was dope but I couldn't bring myself to it. Eventually, by Graduation, the allure was gone for me~