According to Josh Tyrangiel of "Time" magazine, "Late Registration" serves as an exhibition of "the stealthy power of West's storytelling." West stated that his goal for the album was to touch on topics that people from all walks of life could find relatable, while remaining true to himself: "wanted to have raps that were just as ill as Jadakiss and just as understandable as Will Smith." The opening track "Heard 'Em Say" is a "mournfully contemplative" song that "talks about being honest with yourself in a world that is not." The song is written from the perspective of an afflicted, impoverished American quietly lamenting the fallacies of society and questioning the ways of the world around him. West delivers a tongue-in-cheek lyrical narrative within "Gold Digger" in which he critically depicts the disastrous life of a man married to a woman who manipulates him for financial gain. However, another story arises within the third verse, which illustrates a once destitute black male who earns a fortune and decides to leave a loyal, unselfish girlfriend for a white woman.