Kanye West / Ludacris

Kanye West has said that he crafted his latest album, Graduation, as a collection of songs meant for performing, and this was evident during his recent show in Vancouver with Ludacris. Assisted by back-up singers, a full orchestra and DJ Reflex on the ones and twos, the world’s "number one human being” — clad in lime green pants, an extra "schmedium” t-shirt, a cashmere scarf and a fresh pair of shades — murdered a tireless 90-minute set, which comprised nearly every song on the new album and a smattering of selections from College Dropout and Late Registration. Through a haze of smoke and flashing neon lights, Mr. West proved that he is indeed deserving of stadium status, punctuating already-grandiose tracks like "Diamonds from Sierra Leone,” "The Good Life” and "Can’t Tell Me Nothing” with trademark Kanye dances and poses, and the occasional holding of a note that would send a powerful echo rippling throughout the stadium. Mess-ups were minor and easily overlooked, such as some audio glitches near the end of the night and forgetting the words to "Diamonds,” which he swiftly saved with some freestyling. For an extended encore, ’Ye did "Touch the Sky,” "Jesus Walks,” "Everything I Am” and "Big Brother,” before shouting: "Is this what you’ve been waiting for?” and then launching into the crowd-anticipated "Stronger,” wearing a glow-in-the-dark jacket and his trademark shutter shades. Taking the stage before Kanye, Ludacris did a solid one-hour set with abridged versions of the necessary bangers — "Act a Fool,” "Southern Hospitality,” "Roll Out” and "Stand Up,” etc. — though it was perhaps a bit too heavy on the songs for the ladies: "Yeah,” "Lovers and Friends,” and "Glamorous,” etc. While his performance was undoubtedly good, in comparison to that of the fly Malcolm X, Mr. Bridges was, sadly, only the number two human being in the building.