The success of Late Registration set the stage for West’s third release,
Graduation. Highly anticipated, Graduation sold 957,000 copies in its first week of release, thus becoming the highest sales week for a 2007 album. It quickly reached number one on the United World chart, selling 1,153,000 copies internationally. On January 15th, 2008, it was certified as double Platinum. Graduation received generally positive reviews, although some critics did not take to it as warmly as they did his earlier two albums. Despite some lukewarm reviews, Graduation still managed to win a Grammy in 2008 for Best Rap Album.
Kanye West recently lost his mother, Donda, to complications from cosmetic surgery. Despite this, he continues to tour, often dedicating the song
Hey Mama to her during his performances.