it seems not many people caught that this thread was taking the piss . . .
but i'll bite. the guy's definitely an excellent producer and a decent mc. i thought the college dropout was a fine album, but late registration is disgustingly overrated. it's got 2 or 3 fantastic tracks and the rest is just pretty mediocore stuff that barely distinguishes itself from other currently popular hip-hop/r&b.
as for whether he's an egonmaniac asshole, no doubt about it. boasting & self-aggradizement (uh, spelling?) are pretty much standard to hip-hop. however, west comes off as an egomaniac both on and off the mic. every interview i've heard or read from this guy makes him seem like a complete asshole.
this will get worse, as late registration has come near the top of every critical poll and has moved serious units; such a combination of critical acclaim and popular appeal is rare. he'll also be taking home the best album grammy in february; all those middle-aged white grammy voters want to show how "with it" they are. if you thought this guy was insufferable before, just wait a few months.
that being said, yeah, i'll take him over 50 cent everyday. he's pretty intelligent, often witty, and fairly forward-thinking. he's even gone on record saying that *gasp* it's ACTUALLY OK to be gay! this no doubt also helps west's standing with critics; in hip hop, for every progressive act like outkast, there's 100 thuggish 50 cents. it's a sad commentary on the state of current popular hip-hop that an artist with (mostly) positive and open-minded views is such a rarity.