Late Registration is the second studio album by Chicago hip hop artist Kanye West. The album was released on August 30, 2005, and debuted at #1, selling over 860,000 copies in its first week, the once highest first week sales in Def Jam Recordings history. However, Kanye's next album, Graduation, would eventually outdo Late Registration, selling 957,000 copies. Rolling Stone magazine named it their Album of the Year, receiving a rare 5-star rating in its initial review. It has gone on to sell over 3.5 million copies in the U.S. and received a great deal of acclaim from critics.