I like musicians who aren't Kanye West, I promise. I'm just kind of on a Kanye hype train right now. Forgive me.

It's hard to argue with Kanye West's track record. He is one of the most accomplished rappers/producers of the early 2000s, if not the 21st century itself. However, few know that Kanye started off as a producer for Jay-Z and many other Roc-A-Fella Records rappers. Despite his success as a producer, he wanted to be a rapper. When he got in a near-fatal car crash in 2002, he was inspired to write "Through the Wire," which lay the groundwork for his debut album, "The College Dropout," which was released to widespread critical acclaim in 2004.

West would go on to make six more solo albums and win 21 Grammys, making him one of the most awarded artists of all-time. He was also listed as Rapper of the Year twice (2007 and 2010) and TIME magazine even named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world twice (2005 and 2015). So, in celebration of his most recent release, let's look back at the most influential Kanye West songs.

"Through the Wire"

When making this list, I didn't even have to think about this one. In October of 2002, after leaving his studio in California at 3:00 a.m., Kanye was involved in a near-fatal car crash. According to XXL, Kanye would be inspired to write the first song for "The College Dropout" when his jaw was still wired shut. "Through the Wire" peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard and started Yeezy Season. The video was just as iconic, showing his entire life story, including his meeting with Jay-Z.

"Power"

"Power" was Kanye West's lead single off of "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." "Power" was important to West's career because, before his infamous 2009 Taylor Swift moment, he was met with harsh criticism from media. This song was the first instance of West receiving universal critical acclaim. It peaked at number 22 on Billboard and was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance of 2011 at the Grammys.

"Crack Music" (feat. The Game)

"Crack Music" is one of Kanye West's most underrated and socially significant songs. The "Late Registration" song compares America's cocaine epidemic to the American obsession with hip-hop. West's rapping clearly shows an understanding of history. With lots of clever wordplay, he made a socially conscious song into a radio hit. He raps, "Ronald Reagan cooked up an answer/You hear that? What Gil Scott was hearing/When our heroes or heroines got hooked on heroin/Crack raised the murder rate in D.C. and Maryland/We invested in that, it’s like we got Merrill lynched.”

"Heartless"

Heartless is one of West's most emotional and iconic songs. It peaked at number two on Billboard and was even satirized by "South Park." Some of the lyrics can only be described as gut-wrenching.

"I mean, after all the things that we been through/I mean, after all the things we got into/Ayyo, I know of some things that you ain’t told me/Ayyo, I did some things but that’s the old me/And now you wanna get me back and you gon’ show me/So you walk around like you don’t know me/You got a new friend/Well I got homies/But in the end it’s still so lonely."

"We Don't Care" (feat. GLC & Keyshia Cole)

This song holds a special place in my heart. It didn't really see much critical acclaim, but it was the first ever Kanye West song that most people listened to (myself included). In one song, he had his elevator pitch to demonstrate that he belonged in the rap game. "The College Dropout" intro starts with "Professor Ray-Ray the Hustle Guy" asking West to make a song "for the kids" to listen to at an upcoming graduation ceremony. In response, he opens his song with the lines, "Drug dealin' just to get by/Stack ya' money 'til it gets sky high," spitting in the face of Professor Ray-Ray. Many immediately fell in love with a rapper that was so cocky that he wouldn't be able to graduate.

"All Falls Down" (feat. Syleena Johnson)

Immediately following "We Don't Care" in "The College Dropout" was "All Falls Down." Peaking at number seven on Billboard, the song delineated materialistic aspects of racism and classism. With clever wordplay, he describes how people want to be able to brag about their wealth. For example, he reminisces about a girl who named her daughter "Alexis" so that she could tell people that she owned "a Lexus."

He also makes a point that nobody really knows what they want to do in their lives. Even people who think that they want to be doctors or lawyers were probably pushed by their parents.

"Good Life" (feat. T-Pain)

The most well-known T-Pain and Kanye West collaboration peaked at number seven on Billboard as the third single off of "Graduation." It won a Grammy award in 2008 for Best Rap Song. With background vocals from Ne-Yo and John Legend and producers like Mike Dean, Timbaland, DJ Toomp, and Mr. West himself, the song was (and still is) addictive.

"Devil in a New Dress" (feat. Rick Ross)

Here's a fun fact: "Devil in a New Dress" was the only record not produced, or produced in part, by Kanye West. It was totally produced by Bink and it samples Smokey Robinson’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” What makes this song a special single is the chilling break and guitar solo followed by arguably the best verse of Rick Ross's career. "I’m making love to the angel of death/Catching feelings never stumble, retracing my steps."

"Hey Mama"

"Hey Mama" is one of Kanye's most touching songs. The wonderful song from "Late Registration" describes his life story and how his mother, Donda West, raised him. A week after his mother's death in November of 2007, Kanye tried to perform this song in Paris, but broke down into tears during his attempt. There are videos of him saying the word "mama" and immediately being unable to continue, crying with a spotlight on him and the instrumental still playing. Three months later, he performed this song at the 2008 Grammys, one of the greatest Grammy performances of all time.

Here's the rendition that made me smile the most.

"Highlights" (feat. Young Thug)

This last slot was the hardest one to fill. I had at least 20 songs (mostly from "Graduation" and "MBDTF") that I wanted to give this to. Given that this article implies that these songs have withstood the "test of time," I had to wonder if it was even fair to give a song that came out just weeks ago the same label as songs that have endured a decade. However, I'm confident that this song will withstand the test of time. The song documents West's return to the spotlight. After outstanding career moments in songs like "Stronger," "Good Life," and "Heartless," West had a brief period away from the spotlights and this was the signal for his return. Also, it's a continuation of a metaphor that he's ran with for over a decade. "All of the Lights," "Flashing Lights," and "Street Lights" all discuss fame and fortune.