His take on rap was different when he first hit - his production style was unique and influential, and his 'image' was 'preppy college rapper from Chicago' - which, no one else was doing. He rapped mostly about divisions in inner city social classes and how college couldn't solve all your problems. He mistook the creativity of others for his own at times (Spike Jonze, Takashi Murakami, etc.) and believe what people said about him. After his mother died and his whole Hennessy infused meltdown at the VMA's, he's been a different guy - mostly rapping about how smart he is and how much he loves Paris.