Kanye West returns with his fourth studio album, 808s & HEARTBREAK on Monday, November 24th. The 10x Grammy Award® winning rapper, producer, (and now singer) takes listeners on a very different journey from his past albums and experiments with the ever popular auto-tune.
While in Los Angeles last month, I attended the 808s & Heartbreak listening party and joined the star in the studio as he finalized the album. And I have to be honest, I was only feeling like 4 songs then. With almost every song on the radio using auto-tune, I asked myself why Kanye jumped on this particular bandwagon. However, after hearing the final version and finding his reasoning behind this sound, I would have to say this is a great overall album. Not Graduation great, but great nonetheless.
Recorded on location in Hawaii, I initially thought the ’808′ stood for the area code of the Aloha state, but in all actuality it’s for the TR-808-generated drumming that was used in all the songs. Kanye insisted on having tribal drum sounds, instead of typical hip-hop beats and this is very evident on the first single “♫ Love Lockdown” and the dope second single, “Heartless.”
Being that this was a very hard year for the rapper (losing his mother, Dr. Donda West and breaking up with his fiance, Alexis Phifer), he himself stated that using auto-tune allowed him to have fun in the studio. During the L.A. listening party, West was dismayed that the term has been commonly associated with being “wack,” and with songs like Young Jeezy featured “Amazin’” and catchy “Robocop,” I would have to say I agree.
The song “Coldest Winter,” which is about his late mother, would have to be one of the most haunting songs on the album. With the raw sound of his voice and the subtle beats, you actually get a glimpse of what goes on in his head when he thinks of his mother. Another haunting and depressing song would have to be the Singapore freestyle, “Pinocchio Story” that was added last on the album.
Featuring additional vocals from Lil Wayne (“See You in My Nightmares”), Mr. Hudson (“Paranoid”) and up and coming rapper/singer Kid Cudi (“Welcome to Heartbreak”), the album has a very consistent sound and I would recommend it anyone who wants to take a peak inside real heartbreak.
MY FAVES: “Heartless”, “Street Lights”, “Amazin’”, “Robocop”, “Bad News”, “Coldest Winter” and “Pinocchio Story”…
808s & HEARTBREAK IN STORES NOW.
LOVE SOME OF his songs but dude comes off as ……i dunno…..queer! maybe that’s why his LOVE stays on LOCKDOWN. i wont b coppin this album tho, even tho i have the others. TOO MUCH AUTOTUNE, and randomness.
I LOVE the direction Kanye is going…. he’s a musical genius, and I can’t wait until Tuesday for the album to drop!!
Im really on the fence about this whole new approach he’s chosen to take. I understand that through all that he’s been through, he felt the need to take a drastic turn in his path of music, but like Angel mentioned, Tpain probably ruined it for him. This would have been greatly appreciated if Tpain hadn’t abused it. I am however feeling the 808s and do like a few songs so far.
looking forward to it
I know first hand that losing a loved one can be devastating. But I think Kanye has been going through a lot more than just grieving, he practically has gone mental. So many things have been going on in his life left a right and I just think he needs to let loose from everyone and just have some time alone.
He has put in some major work in this album. And I am glad to say not only will I be pirating (downloading) this album like crazy, but I will also purchase it.
I have heard the album. Even though it is different for Kanye, I AM LOVING IT! I love when an artist is not afraid to go an opposite direction then what people expect and still come out with good material. Kanye YOU DID THING AGAIN HOMIE! Even though I’m not going through a heartbreak stage right now, I can still identify with it. Much success…and 10 grammys….thats crazy!!! God is definetley blessing you.
I have heard the album. Even though it is different for Kanye, I AM LOVING IT! I love when an artist is not afraid to go an opposite direction then what people expect and still come out with good material. Kanye YOU DID THING AGAIN HOMIE! Even though I’m not going through a heartbreak stage right now, I can still identify with it. Much success…and 10 grammys….thats crazy!!! God is definetley blessing you.
Holy S#!t you guys are fast! I was just watching a video on this site five seconds ago and then you put this up? Haha Mediatakeout better learn something from this site!! Wow Ye is bouncing back! Good for you Ye do ya thing!
I LOVE Heartless!! Kanye is the most consistent artist out right now and although this latest effort isn’t the Mr. West we’ve grown to know and LOVE you have to give him a pass for all the turmoil he’s been through and appreciate how he was able to translate his despair and pain into some great music. Pray for him instead of hate because you don’t understand heartbreak
I cant wait to buy this album, I hope it does really well. The songs kind of depress me but overall I think I have heard great music so far, Say u will, robocop, coldest winter. All great songs.
my confession:
i already have 8 of the 11? songs off this album
i was not planning on buying this AT ALL. i didn’t feel like hearing ‘ye sing the whole damn time. but after hearing all the 8 songs i had, i fell in love. i am so amped about this album. i listen to all the tracks, no skips. i’d have to say my favorites are “paranoid” and “see you in my nightmares” (though both of these songs were leaked under different names). but yes. i am extending my quota, once again, for ‘ye.
ps. q-tip’s album in fye as well. i think i’m extending my quota for that too.
ps. robocop is my shit as well.
wow i love say u will…..
he should let coldplay stick to the emo ish
it doesn’t sound heartfelt from him…
the autotune is only an issue with me
a.) if you can’t sing…just write the lyrics and the music and have someone else shine…otherwise…it comes off as egotistical…id love to eat off my pain but not if the result was as horrible as his is sounding…i dont even like his speaking/spittin voice for real…let alone his off-key singing…
b.) its a trend…how u gonna be heartfelt…AND…biting a trend
this is sooooo solange of him…i listen to this type of stuff therefore i should experiment horribly and share with the world…no…u do like you did your original niche…you hone your skill and then you put out good music…
this shit is soooooo shallow and ego-driven…
most people who are his special brand of egotistical…(by that i mean…i think hes probably cool as shit in person and as a friend…but as a celeb…he’s pretending to be truer than he really is)
For a real hip hop album get Q-Tips new album , no gimmicks, no autotune, no tales od dugs just traight pure good music with great lyrics.
OH AND IVE NEVER BEEN FIRST *POPS CHAMPAGNE*….and hate my opinion if u want, FIRST COMMENT, read it
Kanye’s a genius. I love EVERYTHING he does and the songs I’ve heard so far are hot, so I’m definitely adding his 4th joint to the collection of the others!
…it’s like that experience so many of us have of feeling something is not for you and then BAM…you can’t get it out of your head…atmoshereric…haunting…beautiful…genius…and where t-pain’s use of auto-tune is merely derivative, think roger troutman and zapp…this is some next level shit that some may not be able to grasp, but that’s o.k. because that’s not the point…kanye has followed his muse and come up with something unforgettable…love it or hate with no inbetween…
Sometimes “Change” is good. Be positive until you give a thorough listen peeps.
Sidenote: “Graduation” & “College Dropout” were classics
I did not listen to the album yet but I will be listening to it tonight for sure. I have to be honest and say that I am kind of disappointed that Kanye is not rapping and using the autotune, like almost every other artist in the industry. I am used to Kanye being the trendsetter and being original. However, I do understand his reasoning by going in this particular direction with this album. As a fan, I was looking forward to another RAP album from him. Just being honest here. I can’t say the album is garbage though, because as I previously stated, I haven’t listend to it yet. I am gonna listen to the album later on today and see what I think of the whole album and then pass judgment.
It’s a good album. Kanye did his thing.
Loving everything I’m hearing from this album! My prayers go out to Kanye and his family.
I think Kanye is out of his damn mind. He acts like something isn’t working correctly in his brain. Also, his anger management issues need to be fixed.
Love Lockdown sounds like a Native American theme song.
Heartless reminds me of a prancing deer for some reason. Probably that annoying ass windpipe.
IDK, I like how he is trying to do something different but I am not feeling it too much. I miss the old Kanyer
yeezy always brings something new to the game, i think this was a good way of him not too over saturate himself into the market, a year after the release of graduation i think y’all would have got sick of him if he bought out another routine hip hop/poetry/pop album.
plus he will have a larger fanbase when he releases his next album.
Dont know what to make of this album, not really my thing, i’ll be surprised if he does a sequel to it or someone else attempt this.
Kanye looks like a black Peewee Herman……I like him tho
Say You Will is a song that I connect to the most. I’ve been a relationship where I settled for less and hoped for better. I’m truly addicted to this song. Also the beat goes hard. You can definitely feel what Kanye has been through in the past year with this particular album.
This shit is awful. Wake up people, it’s like everyone is tone deaf these days.
i’m sorry but kanye looks hilarious in that pic. i will be gettin’ the album though.
….no offense to anyone, but this statement always evokes a viseral response in my mind when someone states they “miss” the old kanye, or the old whitney or the old “fill in the blank with any popular artist” etc …see, you don’t have to “miss” the old anything….what you do is just go back and listen to their music at the time you thought it was what you felt it should be and then your problem is solved and you don’t have to “miss” anybody…! …change is the ONLY contant in life, gotta evolve or die, no? …ask my man john legend, “evolver” right? … go ahead then…!
I think this is gonna be the most disscused albums, I like maybe 2 songs, Ye is definately a genius but even Prince put out a few wack albums…LOL at the Pewee herman swag
ILL GIVE IT A LISTEN…..
I’ve been saying it for a minute. Dude is way overrated. He sampled and borrowed beats to get where he is. I say that because he’s a producer and not one of his beats were made from scratch that didn’t include a chord from somewhere else.
Kanye needs to sit his ass down somewhere. Never supported him and was over him before he even started.
Why does Kanye insist on forcing his fans to accept his extremness? I guess he wants to be taken as a serious intellect, but come on man…you are a college drop- out, who probably did well in high school. Like Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Jay Z and many others who grew up on hip-hop rather than science or art…their knowledge is limited! I’m not knocking old boy’s common sense, but the only hip-hop fans that relate to this dress code…are the brothers who rFOCUS! lol!
It’s amazing, how much influence people have, who know the least. He calls his titles, “The College Dropout” and “The Graduate”…like he knows his limitation. So, why does he masquerade his depth…through fashion osmosis? I mean, this is a guy who is always in trouble with the law for distroying peoples property and losing self control like Naomi.
You can put lipstick and fancy clothes on a pitbull, but…!
Kayne’s music and performances NEVER, moved me whatsoever!!!!
he is such an cornball
I’m open to new music, but no, this album doesn’t do it for me.It’s garbarge.The autotone or whatever is just wack.Couple months ago everybody was on Tpain about the autotone, but gives this BS a pass?I’m not in for it at all.I gave it a honest listen and really people will eat ish up just because.
Not a Kanye fan at all, but ‘Say You Will’ is soooo hot! I was like wow when he said ‘when I grab your neck’!
I Have been a kanye fan from scratch, but some of these songs really makes me thinks he just needs an support system around him.. Im going to listen to it again on my boring saturday morning trip to work lol..
I was listening to some old kanye and common stuff today and I was like wow kanye was great! But this new stuff isnt working, I do love the video for heartless and coldest winter is a deep song but thats it.
Kanye you are a great and Im a big fan of your music but please see a therapist! Take time off music and restore your mental health.
And kanye does visit this blog too lol
OK, ABOUT THE AUTOTUNE……
PEOPLE, Y’ALL HAVE TO REALIZE THAT KANYE DID IT FIRST.
YES, I SAID FIRST. IF Y’ALL HAVE COLLEGE DROPOUT, YOU’LL SEE WHERE HE WAS AMONG THE FIRST IN HIP HOP 2 USE IT. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHERs… DR. DRE, SOME OTHERS I CAN’T REMEMBER…. I KNOW WEST COAST PRODUCERS HAVE USED IT A LOT…
BUT YES, T-PAIN DID USE IT & STRAIGHT UP ABUSED IT. HOWEVER, I DO NOT THINK THAT HE RUINED IT FOR HIM. CUZ IF THIS ALBUM PROVES TO BE THE GREAT BODY OF WORK THAT HIS OTHERS HAVE BEEN, THEN I DON’T SEE WHY THE AUTOTUNE WOULD BE A PROBLEM, BETTER YET, WHY IT WOULD BE ANNOYING.
WITH THAT SAID, LIKE SOMEONE BEFORE ME STATED, KANYE’S A MUSICAL GENIUS & HE HAS REASONS FOR EVERYTHING.
Kanye used to be my baby boy. Keywords *used to be*. Now he looks like a gay man trying to keep it undercover. And his musiq is not cute.
I can’t wait to pick up Kanye’s CD I love Heartless.
I’m a old hip-hop head & I have enjoyed the growth of REAL artist like Common & Outkast as opposed to some of the same ole’ same ole’. I have to admit that it scared me to think another artist was going to be abusing that damn vocorder, but I’ll just as easily admit that it’s a pleasant surprise from the moment I heared Love Lockdown. Kanye is winning me as a renewd fan. I appreciate the emotion in his art & will be purchasing 808′s for myself & as xmas gifts. Kanye has never been a predictable musician & I love that about him. There’s only 1!
niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicccccccccccceeeeee……………fiya intro
Kanye is soooo dope…when it comes to music!! I mean seriously his creativity is amazing! He makes tight beats and backs it up with tight lyrics….
Alot of people will call him wack for the “new sound” but he definitely thinks outside the box and it’s HOTT….
This will be bought
Kanye will be NOT be getting my money this go round. Sorry Ye. Better luck next go round…
Angel i’m feeling this review,very well done this time around
anyway all i know is that i heard that song with him and weezy and that shit is FUCKIN FIRE!! oh wee i just cant explain it lol,i like robocop and coldest winter so i mean i will cop the album because i am a fan and i love him to death….listening to most of the album already this is obviously his way of really grieving so let him get this ish out of his system…..the next album will be sick and i know it,he will be back to normal,he just needed to get it all out,love you ye
Not feeling the album at all! Won’t be buying it, Sorry.
I think people use the term genius loosely….Kanye West is not a genius AT ALL. He samples OTHER PEOPLES MUSIC…there is nothing genius about that!!! He is really good at sampling though,lol
I do hope the days get better for him and I’m going to buy the album. Is it me or whenever he performs an autotune sound live it sounds horrible…
Last but not least I’m sick and tire of rich people crying about how bad fame is : ( Give me all your money and you can that “real life” experience you all think is so great…give me a mutha f*ccin break….
I heard the whole album from start to finish, Im loving it.
Ok, let me be the 1st to say that i am the biggest Kanye West fan in the world…i even named my puppy i got a few mnths ago Kanye…but this album is trash…and it hurts me to even say that about it. I have the whole album in my car now and i cant even listen to it…like im so disappointed, and i understand that hes going through alot of stuff with the death of his mother…but he should have taken time off or something bc this shit is not the answer..im sorry, its just not. And yea maybe T-Pain ruined it for him, but Kanye is not a singer! PERIOD.
I think Kanye is the only Hip Hop artist whose done anything even remotely innovative and sincere in years… However, I don’t know that I can rationalize this record as artistic… it’s merely a guy who can’t sing making a singer’s record… I do like “Love Lockdown” but I don’t know that it’s any different than the many, many Southern artists and their horrible “singing” (that’s being generous) over uptempo and/or Hip Hop beats. But, still…the man is a genius when it comes to music. In spite of his tendency to sample, he seems to be the only guy who can make music that soars in the mainstream without being reduced to gangster rap banalities. I hear tons of rappers saying there’s no money in conscious lyrics, but I honestly don’t think they could make it if they wanted to…Kanye is truly the only rapper who deserves to be called a genius.
My last comment didn’t show up…too bad. Anyway, he’ll have a huge week. I’m buying it for sure…I think Kanye’s latest pop tunes are rivaled only by Lady GaGa’s in coolness. He’s definitely got 1 sold here.
Oh, I guess it did… Oh well, great review, Angel!
IDC about his attitude or people amy say Queer fashion style. He is an ARTIST and makes good artistry in his music! GO “yE! Coping it 4 sure!
Man Kanye RUINED Robocop! The album version is straight up trash compared to the leaked versions. The CD is wack just like auto-tune. I have never really been a fan but when I heard the leaked version of Robocop, I was like “This song is amazing!” Then hearing the final version…totally disappointed. Coldest Winter is really amazing though.
I HAVE THE LEAKED VERSION OF THE ALBUM ANI MUST SAY THIS IS A WELL PUT TOGETHER PROJECT. WE CLAIM WE WANT RAPPERS TO KEEP IT REAL AND SPEAK FROM THE HEART AND THAT IS WHAT KANYE DID. SONGS LIKE STREET LIGHTS AND COLDEST WINTER HAVE A COLDPLY VIBE AND I LUV IT. I WILL BE COPIN’ THE REAL ALBUM ON 11-24-08.
what is exactly “next level shit” about a zap and roger autotune and an 808 drum beat? i get so sick of ppl acting as if you have to have this higher sense of self to understand an artist music. the lot of this album is garbage. I wish these “artist” would stop using these gimicks and just give us real music. I hope beyonce reads this shit too.
Ya’ll keep saying how Kanye samples and such but this whole album contains no samples at all.
I liked some of the tracks that leaked…but after awhile, it starts sounding redundant
I appreciate what he’s doing with the new direction of his music. I think its great to see an artist do something different and it actually sounds pretty good. Everyone can’t pull that off…..BUT with that being said I doubt if I download or buy the album only becuz it’s alil too depressing and Im not in the mood for depressing music right now. I been thru a lot in 07 and most of 08 too and right now Im rejoicing that GOD brought me out of it so only uptempo stuff will be playing in my ear for right now. The world is sad enough with everything goin on so sometimes I need music that helps get my mind off of it eventhough I still pray for us all everyday.
808′s depresses me for some reason. like all the songs, even the semi positive ones are so sad. i can hear pain in his voice. i’m buying this album because i am a kanye fan and want to support my home boy. i really hope life gets better for my dude though. the coldest winter is the sh** by the way, also see you in my nightmares.