The album prematurely concludes the education theme of West's first two studio albums, The College Dropout (2004) and Late Registration (2005), as his aborted 'Good Ass Job' album would have concluded the concept album's themes as a tetralogy, rather than a trilogy. He conveys an ambivalent outlook on his newfound fame and media scrutiny alongside providing inspirational messages of triumph directed at listeners. West incorporated layered synthesizers and dabbled with electronics while sampling from various music genres and altering his approach to rapping. Inspired by stadium tours, house-music and indie rock, Graduation marked a departure from the ornate, soul-based sound of West's previous releases as he musically progressed to more anthemic compositions. The cover art and its interior artwork were designed by Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami. The album also features guest appearances from recording artists such as Dwele, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Mos Def, DJ Premier, and Chris Martin. It was primarily produced by West himself, with contributions from various other producers, including DJ Toomp. Recording sessions took place between 20 at several studios in New York and Los Angeles. Graduation is the third studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West, released on September 11, 2007, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records.