Which film composer helped produce Kanye West's Late Registration?

Film composer Jon Brion helped produce Kanye West's Late Registration.

West brought Brion into the project after hearing his score for the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and listening to his production work with Fiona Apple. Brion became a co-executive producer on several tracks and helped move the album beyond West's familiar sample-driven sound.

Late Registration combined hip-hop drums and soul samples with elaborate orchestration. Brion conducted a 20-piece orchestra and contributed string and brass arrangements, along with unusual instruments such as celesta, Chamberlin, harpsichord, and Chinese bells.

The collaboration was notable because Brion had little experience making hip-hop records, while West was seeking a more expansive musical palette after the success of The College Dropout. West remained the album's primary producer, so Brion's role is best understood as a major collaborator and co-executive producer rather than the sole producer.