Sometimes the greatest feats accomplished in life occur following adversity. Survivors combine the pain they’ve experienced with the doubts of nonbelievers to create the power to do the unthinkable.

The sound of producer-turned-rapper Kanye West rhyming “Through the Wire” is a prime example of overcoming a life-changing event.

In October 2002, barely a year after becoming one of Roc-A-Fella Records’ in-house producers, West was involved in a car accident that nearly killed him. His head hit the steering wheel, fracturing his jaw in the three different places.

Rather than taking time off for rehabilitation, West opted to display his strength by recording “Through the Wire” two weeks after his accident, with his mouth still wired shut from surgery.

Since the incident, West has seen his popularity slowly rise to its highest point with last week’s release of his self-produced solo debut “The College Dropout.” He has provided soulful productions to the likes of Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Talib Kweli, Ludacris and Britney Spears but wasn’t fully satisfied in the music industry.

“Dropout” is West’s platform to speak about issues that are rarely touched on by other rappers, singers or politicians. They include religious beliefs, job and collegiate stress and materialistic competition within the black community.

From the album’s beginning, it’s clear that this is not your average Roc-A-Fella or hip-hop release.

It starts with the triumphant “We Don’t Care,” a song clearly created to inspire young blacks in America. Hearing several children happily singing, “We wasn’t supposed to make it past 25. Joke’s on you – we’re still alive,” lets the listener know how serious West takes his music. This song makes it clear that the well-being of blacks is his main concern. “You know the kids gonna act a fool when you stop the programs for after school,” West raps of the educational systems in low-income areas.

Next is “Graduation Day,” a skit mixed in with vocals by singer John Legend. This track perfectly explains the underlying theme of this album – be yourself.

As the dropout of an arts college in Chicago, West realizes that everyone is not college material. West’s decision to leave school is summarized in Legend’s lyrics: “My momma would kill me but don’t tell anybody/She wants me to get a good ass job, just like everybody/She ain’t walked in my shoes – I’m just not everybody.”

These sorts of self-affirmations are found throughout the album and should open the eyes of students across the country who may have continued school simply because society said so.

It’s not all about college though. In an unprecedented move, West’s spiritual side is showcased on “Jesus Walks” and “Never Let Me Down,” which features Jay-Z. Although these songs discuss faith, West’s head-nodding beats won’t let the listener forget that this is still hip-hop.

From this point, the album shifts to songs which feature light-hearted topics, but the transition is a slightly difficult one. Since West is a millionaire and Grammy-nominated producer, he couldn’t resist the urge to express the happiness of his successful career. But the funny and genius part is that West understands that he may throw some fans and industry friends off with this style.

“I gotta apologize to Mos and Kweli/But is it cool to rap about gold if I told the world I copped it from Ghana and Mali?” West asks on the Ludacris-assisted “Breathe In, Breathe Out.”

Although “Breath” and “The New Workout Plan” are the worst of these types of tracks, they do show West’s desire to become the bridge between commercial and conscious rap, and in essence, are not completely unnecessary.

After the fun is over, West incorporates some very personal tracks. “Family Business” discusses issues that many families go through but keep disclosed. The album’s finale, “Last Call,” is nearly 13 minutes long and features a candid explanation of how West became a part of the Roc-A-Fella family.

For any rapper, producer or not, this album is incredible and has the potential to touch any listener’s life. Roc-A-Fella Records should be patted on the back for deviating from hip-hop’s norm in order to provide West with the means to get his socially conscious messages heard.

West is a musical genius. With “The College Dropout,” he has taken hip-hop’s creativity in a choke hold and will not let go until the rest of his counterparts are influenced to make music from the heart.