The album 's recording sessions between West and Brion were largely exploratory , with the two experimenting with a broad spectrum of sounds . West would construct a song 's basic structure , bringing in samples , drum beat programming and occasionally unfinished rap verses . After brainstorming over the musical direction the album could go , he would then select from a variety of unique instruments that Brion provided ( and played ) and attempt to incorporate their distinctive sound into the song 's texture . West envisioned the album as like the creation of a film : visualizing the songs as scenes , outlining each in such a way that they efficiently conveyed their respective social or introspective context , and ensuring that all synchronized within the fabric of the complete set . This sentiment was shared by Jon Brion who said , " He thinks in frequency ranges . I can recognize when someone sees music architecturally , which is how I work . I see it as a spatial thing : left to right , front to back , up and down . It 's animated and it 's moving in real time . Kanye has that . He tries things out until it fits , until it sits where it is supposed to sit and everything has the correct emotional function . He has real instincts like any great record-maker . " '' Late Registration '' has a diverse number of collaborations for its individual tracks . West chose his guest artists based on the effect each of their voices had on him when he heard them , citing the serene vocals of Adam Levine , the trademark sound of Brandy , the rap skills of Jay-Z and the lyricism of Paul Wall as primary examples . Adam Levine , lead vocalist of pop rock band Maroon 5 is featured on the album 's opening track , " Heard 'Em Say . " The two had previously collaborated when Maroon 5 commissioned West to produce a remix for " This Love " and later developed a friendship while sitting together on a flight to Rome for the 2004 MTV Europe Music Awards . While playing songs from his second album on his iPod for him during the flight , West came across the demo for " Heard 'Em Say " to which Levine added a R&B hook he had recently written and thought was perfect for it . The track was recorded quickly after the 2005 Grammy Awards ceremony , as Levine only had a couple of free hours available for time in the studio , and Brion was able to translate the two compositions in a matter of hours
2005 Grammy Awards
47th Annual Grammy Awards
Late Registration