2014 marks the 10-year anniversary of Kanye West’s The College Dropout, recorded at a time when he was just a promising producer aspiring to transition from the boards to the mic, and not the grandstanding megalomaniac he is today. During its production, Coodie Simmons was videotaping behind the scenes, with the most notable footage from that ending up in the clip for “Through The Wire.” Now, in celebration of the album’s anniversary, Complex has released some more clips from Simmons’ video archive.
The first, which you can watch below, features Kanye rapping his verse in “Never Let Me Down” live in the studio, to Pharrell Williams’ emphatic praise. The second, which is exclusively over at Complex, is a freestyle between West and Consequence, undertaken as they drive around New York City. It’s a nostalgic glimpse into a past when Kanye was still just working his way up and enjoying the simple act of creation.