Kanye West back in studio, studying for “Graduation”

I don’t care that Kanye West is making a show with Seinfeld’s producers or is throwing some temper tantrum at a European awards show (although Justice’s comeback was pretty funny). I let the pop culture dorks document his flipping-out-brat antics. But Kanye West actually earning a living by making new music? That’s news to me.

Yep, Kanye is back in the studio working on what will eventually be called Graduation, the third chapter in his ongoing advanced education saga. According to a recent story on Billboard.com, the album is already slated to feature every mainstream rapper’s favorite rocker, Chris Martin of Coldplay, whom will star on the tentative first single “Homecoming.” (Past artists in the “mainstream rapper’s favorite rocker” position include John Mayer, Alanis Morissette, Limp Bizkit, etc.) Also featured is multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion, who helped produce Kanye’s Late Registration. Hopefully Graduation won’t be as over-produced as that chestnut, which mistook The College Dropout‘s grace and elegance for histrionic pretension.

But hey, enough sarcasm. Though he sometimes overdoes it, Kanye West is a great artist, one of the best of the new millennium, making his third album a major event. Graduation is tentatively scheduled for later this year — probably late summer/fall.

Incidentally, Kanye recently announced that he’s remixing a track by Fall Out Boy. But I’m more interested in “I Still Love H.E.R.,” his new single with A Bathing Ape icon Nigo’s group Teriyaki Boyz. Of course, the minute the song hit the Web, some geeks took out the Boyz’ Japanese rapping and just left Kanye’s verse. Whenever something cool happens, the Internet finds a way to shit on it.

The original video, originally found via Spine Magazine, is below.

(January 28, 2009): Video re-posted!