BUY: Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak [iTunes]

When the first version of “Love Lockdown” was released back in early September, I was one of many who became skeptical at the direction that Kanye West was going with his first single and likely the entire album that became 808s & Heartbreak. By drifting away from his second bread and butter, rapping, (production is number one), West was hurting his increasing status among hip hop legends and instead making music using the latest in voice enhancement technology: autotune. Concurrently, autotune became a popular presence in pop music that West helped apply to hip hop… or so it seemed. It turns out West was not incorporating autotune into hip hop at all, rather he used it as a mere tool to create a new sound and genre that he labeled ‘pop-art’. His hip hop purist fans wanted another College Dropout and they generally frowned upon West’s new exploration with autotune. However, it takes a deeper look from these fans and everyone in general into West’s ultimate strategy, thought process, and genius to understand why he was making an entirely different album that he had in the past. West sums it up himself with the quote below that I agree with a hundred percent and was unable to fully understand in the beginning:

“I now want to be grouped among those musicians you see in those old black-and-white photos - the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles. And I’m not going to get there by doing just another rap album full of samples. I’ve had to create a whole new musical genre to describe what I’m doing now and I’m calling it ‘pop-art’ - which is not to be confused with the visual art movement.”

- Kanye West

Let’s start with what has gone on between his last LP, Graduation, and 808s & Heartbreak. Kanye lost his mother to a premature, tragic passing and broke off an engagement to his longtime girlfriend, all the while headlining and running what was without a doubt the biggest tour of the summer. The stresses and emotions that come with all of the above were poured out onto the 12 tracks that make up 808s & Heartbreak. Lyrically, the messages are simple, few and far between, and emotional. It works for the album but leaves me wanting more after hearing some tracks with a lot of repetition in the chorus and/or songs with only two verses. It is the production where the album really shines. Top to bottom, Kanye West successfully achieves his goal of a sound that no one has ever heard before. By combining the 808 drums with 80s-inspired synths and production, Kanye West created a unique form of electronica which at the very least should be respected, whether you love or hate the album. Almost a couple weeks after its release, I cannot get the album out of my CD player (yes, I still use those) because the brilliant production combined with West’s unmatched passion keeps me coming back to the album and that status should remain unchanged for some time to come.

Yes, 808s & Heartbreak is not a hip hop album, but above all, it is GOOD music. West has pushed himself to unforeseen boundaries as an artist by exploring and creating new sounds while concurrently exposing his human emotions with a passionate delivery of what he has gone through during the past year. He appeals to the common listener with songs that everyday people can relate to and therefore care about what West is pouring out. By creating a new genre of music with ‘pop-art’, Kanye West has tried to expand himself as the musical voice of our generation a la The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, as seen in the quote above. With the body of work that is 808s & Heartbreak and his previous material, Kanye West is certainly on the doorstep of solidifying himself among those legends. If he continues to expand on ‘pop-art’ with his next album and continue to push himself to new limits, then without a doubt, Kanye West will become the unquestionable musical voice of our generation!

Top 5 *Tibs Favs.™ (in order)

03. Heartless

02. Welcome To Heartbreak f/ Kid Cudi

10. See You In My Nightmares f/ Lil’ Wayne

11. Coldest Winter

08. Street Lights

Production: 9.5/10

Lyrics: 8/10

OVERALL (not an average): 9/10

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~ Sgt. Tibs