Kanye West’s debut CD, “The College Dropout,” stood out last year because it was released at a time when almost all music sounded like cheapened facsimiles of junk we’d already heard. Today he’s following up where he left off with “Late Registration,” and his sophomore effort is easily the best album of the year thus far.

Mr. West rose quickly to the top of the American music pantheon. Less than two years ago, he was just another up-and-coming producer aspiring to release his own rap CD. Despite a burgeoning CV that included heavyweight collaborations with the likes of Lil’ Kim, Talib Kweli, and Jay-Z, none of the major record labels were interested in his solo project.

Conventional music industry wisdom suggested that he couldn’t rap well enough to pull off an entire CD. After all, in the quarter-century history of American rap, many MCs have become respected producers, but rarely has the reverse occurred. Jay-Z took a chance, however, and signed the upstart to his label Roc-A-Fella; the result was his critically acclaimed debut.

“The College Dropout” was a manifestation of the glorious musicality of 1990s rap. It showed Mr. West’s acumen for crafting edgy tracks using soulful samples and memorable hooks. Most important, though, he had something intelligent to say. Behind the strength of the hit “Jesus Walks,” the CD sold more than 2 million units and won two Grammys – for Best Rap Song and for Best Rap Album.

Mr. West’s early experiences in the music industry left a sizable chip on his shoulder, a curious result of his fear and zeal. He’s often whined like a child when confronted with the criticism that he isn’t nearly as dope with a microphone in his face as he is with a production console at his fingertips. But he’s worked feverishly to improve his musicianship in an attempt to show his detractors that he’s become everything they said he couldn’t be.

This time around, his delivery is more cocksure – even when he’s rapping about being insecure. On “Touch the Sky,” he rhymes, “Before anybody wanted K. West beats, me and my girl split the buffet at KFC / Dog, I was havin’ nervous breakdowns like, man are these brothers that much better than me?” It’s an admission of fear juxtaposed against a proud chronicle of his improbable rise from poverty. The CD contains 15 songs, and this trumpet-heavy sample of Curtis Mayfield’s funk classic “Move on Up” is the only one Mr. West didn’t produce.

Like DJ Premier in his prime, Mr. West demonstrates nearly flawless innovation when it comes to the usage of samples. “Heard ‘Em Say” utilizes a catchy accelerated piano riff from Natalie Cole’s “Someone That I Used To Love.” On the opposite end of the tempo spectrum, “My Way Home” succeeds because of a slowed down loop of Gil Scott-Heron’s “Home Is Where the Hatred Is.” Somewhere in between those two rhythms, “Gone” merges a pronounced mid-tempo bass, an extensive string arrangement, and a soulful piano/vocal snippet of Otis Redding’s “It’s Too Late.”

Mr. West is a student of music, and he isn’t afraid to mix and match new with old or obscure with obvious. The sexiest example of this is the lead single, “Diamonds From Sierra Leone.” A club-DJ favorite since May, the track reworks the James Bond theme song “Diamonds Are Forever,” originally made famous by British crooner Shirley Bassey.

The instrumentation is the strongest asset of “Late Registration,” but that isn’t to say Mr. West’s rhyming isn’t up to par. His lyrics are often personal and always meaningful. He knows how to tell a convincing story and can turn a phrase like a red light district pro can turn a trick. On “Hey Mama,” for example, he cleverly praises his mother with the verse, “Forrest Gump’s mama said life is like a box of chocolates / My mama told me, go to school and get your doctorate / Something to fall back on, you could profit with / But she still supported me when I did the opposite.”

Sometimes, however, he’s self-deprecating to a fault. You can’t always tell if he’s being humble or fishing for compliments – and trying to distinguish between the two can get tiresome. But the only real chink in his armor is his vocal delivery. On “Drive Slow,” a collaboration with Houston-based newcomer Paul Wall, he vividly recounts joyous memories of cruising through Chicago in his friend’s car while blasting his demo tape. Mr. Wall follows with a verse about the luster of his diamond-capped teeth and his expensive rims.

Even though the subject matter of the second verse is less sophisticated, Mr. Wall sounds like the better of the two MCs. The same scenario plays itself out with Jay-Z on the remix of “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” and then again with Cam’Ron on “Gone.” It’s never a good look for a bridesmaid to outshine the woman wearing the wedding dress.

“Gold Digger” is the only track that truly stinks. It champions the prenuptial agreement, insinuating that some women prey on entertainers for their money. That may be true, but considering the industry’s extensive history of vilifying women, it’s difficult to appreciate any song that ridicules them. If Mr. West wanted to say something daring about gender as it relates to his business, it would have been much more radical to criticize his male colleagues for making music videos that degrade women.

No CD is perfect, and “Late Registration” has very few pitfalls. Mr. West’s beats are sonically provocative and his lyrical game, though still a work in progress, will intrigue and entertain even the most perspicacious music fans. The last producer to make this kind of impact was Dr. Dre – the man responsible for N.W.A., Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, and a huge chunk of the music industry’s current profits. That’s elite company.

Mr. West may have had good reason to name his CD “Late Registration,” but maybe he should have considered something like “Ahead of Schedule” or “Right on Time.”