Kanye West

"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" embodies precisely what makes Kanye West's work outstanding: an original spin on an out-of-left-field sample (Shirley Bassey's "Diamonds Are Forever"), flawless flow, and a bulletproof beat. And that's just one of his most essential tracks — a list that boasts the Chaka Khan-accelerating "Through the Wire" and the Daft Punk-delving "Stronger".

West shares his mix-desk magic with the likes of Nas and Twista in Next Steps.

If you're thinking that a Kanye West production is Kevlar-tough, glide on John Legend's "Number One" from 2004's Get Lifted, the Brandy hook-up "Bring Me Down", or Late Registration's "Drive Slow" (featuring Paul Wall). It's those moments of smooth and supple that provide just the right contrast to beaty knuckle-crackers like "Get Em High". Groundbreaking productions, perfect balance.

Chamillionaire, Ghostface Killah . . . the West touch proves golden all the way through to Deep Cuts.

No, these cuts are not as big as "Slow Jamz", but the Queen-compacting "Champions" from the Paid In Full movie soundtrack — featuring Damon Dash and Cam'Ron among its superstar lineup — and Jin's "I Got a Love" (which cleverly blurs the lines between strings and over-cranked vocal samples) rank among Kanye West's most dynamic and innovative work. Keep digging around among the Deep Cuts — there's a whole lot more where they came from.

By 2004, the year Kanye West graduated to solo stardom with The College Dropout, the Windy City wonder had already perfected his behind-the-board skills for the likes of Jay-Z, Ludacris . . . and just about anyone else of note we can think of. His revved-up soul/gospel samples, occasional slow-downs (notably the brass riff from Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up" as channelled through "Touch the Sky"), and s-s-stuttering beats are key elements in the recipe for some of the biggest hits in all of modern pop. We've gathered those hits right here — a mixtape of one of hip-hop's true innovators.