Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak Review
Written By: Samir Siddiqui
Kanye West
808s & Heartbreak
Roc-a-Fella/Island Def Jam
4/5
True to form, Kanye West pushes forward in his quest for creative greatness by doing what he’s done throughout his career -the unexpected. Pulling further away from the sound of contemporary hip-hop than even his euro-pop-influenced last album Graduation did, 808s & Heartbreak contains eleven songs in which Kanye laments the recent losses of his deceased mother, and his ex-fiancé. While much has been made about how drastically different 808s is from West’s previous three offerings, there are some signs of musical continuity. The LP is far from a two-headed monster (though the influence of the auto-tune technique and the use of the TR-808 drum machine dominate the sound) - unlike Graduation, the synths no longer serve as the primary element of the album’s production, but instead beep over and prod at the layers of instrumentation underneath. The sonic arrangements, most notably those of “Bad News” and “Coldest Winter,” recreate the dramatic feel of Late Registration’s more touching moments, and the overall soulful nature of the album harkens back to the sentimentality of The College Dropout.
An aura of gospel enlaps the introductory “Say You Will,” while “Welcome to Heartbreak” features one of Kanye’s simplest, yet most effective allusions to his feelings of despair: “My god sister gettin’ married by the lake…but I couldn’t figure out who I wanna’ take/ Bad enough that I showed up late…I had to leave ‘fore they even cut the cake, welcome to heartbreak.” “Heartless” features the most T-Pain-esque usage of the auto-tune, as Kanye builds around the immediately catchy, dominating chorus with stabbing drums and a striking piano loop. However, the rest of the album sees Kanye finding new and more interesting uses for the device, as he tampers with the auto-tune effects to churn out echoing choruses, dreary, low-register tones, and static-filtrated verses.
Sounding muffled and trapped on its original inception, the much reworked version of “Love Lockdown” transforms the initially head-scratching lead single into one of the album’s finest tracks. The vocals are notably cleaned up, and the knocking tribal drums play triumphantly over a infectious blend of keys and synths. While the album-wide use of the auto-tune certainly helps mask some of West’s shortcomings as a singer, he consistently displays a penchant for carving out great melodies. Kanye’s minimal vocal inflections throughout “Streetlights” allow the melody to rise and fall at his will, creating an almost lullaby-esque charm that compliments the poetic imagery evoked by the lyrics.
Despite Kanye’s ability to transcend the lack of rapping on the album (Young Jeezy drops the only true 16 on the swagger-heavy, and epically sombre “Amazing”), there are certain moments which stand-out in a negative light. The up-tempo groove of the almost dance-pop “Paranoid” is a stark contrast to the overall tone of the album, and is hampered by a show-tune-like hook. On the lyrical side, Kanye’s not-so-subtle descriptions of his ex-girl, as an overbearing “Robocop,” and a “spoiled little L.A. girl,” among others, makes the dedication of almost an entire album to her somewhat peculiar. Worse, the endless tales of heartbreak rob Kanye of his natural ability to cover vast thematic ground, best evident from his first two LP’s.
In the end, 808s & Heartbreak serves as another example of Kanye playing to his strengths. The precise, sweeping production serves as the highlight, with the individual songs working off anthem-worthy hooks and generally straight-forward lyricism. However, whereas ‘Ye armed his earlier albums with guest features to hide what some felt were mediocre rap skills, he overcomes his lack of singing talent by his own merits as a superior artist. He may never become the best rapper or the best singer, but there aren’t many of his peers matching his ability to consistently put out great music.
Tags: Kanye West
Suggestion Box
November 24th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Album Is Ass..
The Reviewer Is An Ass..
This Is RNB Not Hip-Hop..
SMH..
November 24th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Wow, I guess if its not 50s diarrhea of the mouth or an article about how Wayne brushes his teeth in the morning, nobody’s interested. Nevertheless, I haven’t heard the album, but once again, creativity and a willingness to push the envelope breaths life into hip-hop. Whether hit or miss, any true hip hop fan should appreciate anybody willing to take risks, and as much as this auto-tune is played out, Ye puts his heart in the music. Ego aside, Ye gives you something new each time he drops. Some of u finnecky rap fans should pay attention. Ohh, and I forgot. First, fcukas.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Oops, 2nd and 3rd fcukas!!!!
November 24th, 2008 at 10:14 am
dumb review reviewer couldn’t differentiate an R&B album 4rm a hip hop album obviously another kanyeezy cockblower
November 24th, 2008 at 10:16 am
reviewer couldn’t differentiate an r&B album 4rm a hip hop album sad
November 24th, 2008 at 10:23 am
I kid you not, listening to this shit in public is humiliating. The songs are slow, boring and droning. There are some great songs on there, and there is some artistic, creative music on there. BUT, Kanye set the bar SO high with what he’s done to this point that I cant say a boring album where he “sings” over “good beats” is anything higher that a 5 out of 10…
The effort put into this record was so clearly nothing. These songs don’t feel well crafted, they feel thrown together.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:27 am
I think this album is one of the toughest to rate for any critic. Album definitely grows on you, first day I listened I thought it was whatever, now i only skip like 2 songs.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:43 am
agreed.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:46 am
kinda funny how kanye is being hate for being a hip hop artist that tried something different, rather than being critiqued as an artist on the quality of his songs.
He cant sing, He’s not that great of a rapper. But the genius in his songs is better than what some “singers” can produce.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:55 am
I think hip-hop is at it’s best the more personal it is. Songs like Jay-Z “Can’t Be Life”, Nas “One Mic”, Common “Respect For Life”. And that’s what Kanye did with this project on almost every song which is what makes the album ground breaking.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:15 am
THE ALBUM IS FIIRE HANDS DOWN
TRULY THE GREATEST PERFORMER OF ARE GENERATION!!
STREET LIGHTS IS AN AMAZING SONG
if you dont like this album your a complete hater.str8 up
kayne has to be one of the most creative rappers/pop stars/musician there is…
SACRAMENTO STAND UP!!!!
November 24th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Great album ALL AROUND…”Bad News” is nasty…
November 24th, 2008 at 11:36 am
If this was Wack Wayne’s album all his stans would be slobbin on him. Kanye is a musical genius.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Streetlights is my shit. Love lockdown is nice. Theses kids now a days think lil wayne is “actually good music” lmao.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:47 am
wow.. some of u niggas comprehension level’s are thru the roof..
where in the hell did he say this was a Hip Hop album.. ?? roffle
November 24th, 2008 at 11:48 am
this album is sick, its good to see a artist be this creative and be able to do anything they want and express it in any shape or form
November 24th, 2008 at 11:49 am
review = right on point
November 24th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Ok people who keep sayin this ain’t hip hop this is rnb. First off its not rap and its not rnb. Just because he’s a rapper and is so called “singing” on the album doesn’t make it rnb. Its a combonation of so many genres of music. And the album is well put together. I think every song has its place in it. Except for the pinochio story freestyle. As far as lyrics go and theme it fits but the sound of the song is off. And his use of auto tune sounds nowhere near what tpain and the rest of rap niggas is usin. Plus hey….the american dollar ain’t worth shit right now and a album like this is gonna sell globally. Kanye wants those euros and duetchmarks and other currencies u can’t pronounce. If your a fan of more than just hip hop and have a open mind this album is a classic.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Just Got The Album, It Sounds Amazing.
Peace.
November 24th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
better than expected, but not a 4/5 album…
November 24th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
i dont give a mothaffuuhhh,,, 4/5 4.5/5 this album is the shit lol
November 24th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
http://snacket.wordpress.com
SVERIGES BÄSTA HIPHOP OCH RnB SIDA
November 24th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
No lie…this shit is a great ass album! First listen i was like ok what was that shit i just listen to, cuz i played it at work in the office and it didnt really grab me. I got to the crib put it in and man the melodies are crazy i hummed almost every song after I was done. Ye mastered the melodies on this cd and it overshawdows the auto-tune! Honestly it wasnt even an auto-tune issue, he used it totally different from lil wayne, where as wayne just makes your ears hurt trying to listen to him and understand what he saying. Im a die hard rap music fan, but i can give all music a chance…and tho this is not your typical hip-hop album it is a great album hands down. For those of you that had ye in your top five as a rapper you will be mad i guess, but he never was in my top 5 maybe 10 but this doesnt hurt him in my book at all. ****side note dont play this in your car unless your on a date or had a long day at work and you stuck in traffic*** Street Lights is my shit and See you in my nightmares and Robocope is dope..and for sum reeason Parnoid was the first song stuck in my head, im forced to like that shit lol
November 24th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
AW HELL NAW, WTF, ths shit is trash, This mufucka copied Tpain and used da autotuner. He fuckin up hip hop wit dis tryna make it rnb type.
Yall mufuckas better give Luda the BETTER review.
November 24th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Marc Milecofsky say’s this blog is trash now. It’s now sucking more dick than XXl and ALLHIPHOP.COM, BUT GET YA MONEY, OR GET YE’S MONEY… CAUSE WE ALL KNOW THIS ALBUM IS BULLSHIT. IT’S FLUFF AND BLUFF, HE LACKS THE VOCAL TALENT AND THE AUTO TUNE SHIT IS WEAK, IT’S NOT COOl THE WAY THEY EXPLOITING HIP HOP, HIS LITTLE FAGGOT ASS DON’T LOVE THE SHIT, HE LOVES GAYISM’S LIKE INTERIOR DECORATING AND FAG’S FASHION. GOD BLESS KANYE WEST AND I GIVE THIS ALBUM 2/5. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT, IN THE ABSENCE OF WATER, THE PEOPLE WILL DRINK PISS.
Thanks,
Marc Milecofsky
Founder, Marc Ecko Enterprises
November 24th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Yo man this shit is fire no lie
November 24th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
reviewer just wrote an article about why he has no credibility.
November 24th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
This album is 2/5 at the most.. Its a weak rnb album and a weak hip hop album..
November 24th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
@11
“if u dont like this album your a complete hater” are u for real? So what arent people allowed to hav their own musical taste without bein called a hater now? Idiot smh
Album reviews are for sheeps… Anyway i aint heard the whole album so im not gonna be judgemental..
November 24th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Kanye’s album is fire. Your musicality level isn’t on a high level if you can’t see that. Break yourself from genres and just listen to music. It’s an experience, something like the Beatles, Jimmi Hendrix, and Elvis did. He’s taking you on an emotional ride, relax, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
November 24th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
wow i didnt cop it earlier i didnt think so many ppl would like it, but i do appreciate good music and i like all kanye other work except for this. i guess i’ll give it a try and see what happens. his love for music is off the charts and thats what separates him.
and amazing gets bumped in my whip heavy that song is hard. and that lil wayne duet is wierd but so out of this world creatively speaking. i’m scared of whats gonna happen when that kanye/lil wayne hits the radios, radio is gonna overload that song so much its scary. its built for radio, and i bet 50 wish he was singing on it too
November 24th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
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November 24th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
kanye is da man, yea i wud rock that pastelle wit da tail.
hmmm………..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PWunLT7Wgw
November 24th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
get a fucking life #30 this album is trash as a R&B album is not very good people. CREATIVE/DIFFRENT DOESNT = GOOD
November 24th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Ok #30 ur an asshole!
Im a huge Kanye fan, but I’ll be one of the first to say that the album sucks. Honestly I think if anyone else would have done the same album, people would have dogged the shit out of it. But because it’s Kanye, people automatically associate it with greatness. Even Jordan had bad days…but that didnt stop him from being the greatest who ever stepped on the court. Jay Z had Kingdom Come, arguably his worst album…but he is still the greatest. Kanye now has 808’s and Heartbreak…a shitty album, but rest assure he will come back stronger!
oh yeah…#30…ur a real fucking A-hole!
November 24th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
and for God’s sake…PLEASE KILL THE DAM AUTOTUNE…we should start a petition to get rid of the autotune!
and to think TPain ugly ass thinks he should get royalties off of it…NIGGA PUH-LEASE!!! LOL
November 24th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
this albulm is wack juice, he tryna sound like white pop star
November 24th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Follow ME - http://twitter.com/pahdre
November 24th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I felt like Kanye Was School Me About Life Through This Entire Album! I Listened To It Three Times In A Row!! Literally! Three Times! Greatest Shit I’ve Heard Compared To Classic Old School Music! This is a album that the future will be able to classify as good old school music!
November 24th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
STANDOUT MUSIC!!
November 24th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Album is crap. My least favorite Kanye Album and I’m not going to be like most idiots that dont back their statements up. Let me describe why I don’t like this album: The production isn’t great and many of the songs have poor audio quality and even though he is probably doing this on purpose this doesn’t excuse that fact that “Bad News” annoying to listen to. Is it me or does “See you in my Nightmares” sound too much like “Put on”. The vocals of course are weak and many at some times kanye’s voice gets annoying with the autotune. I am still a die hard kanye fan and I can;t wait for his next project but I expected more from kanye. There will be Stans of kanye that stick with him no matter what he puts out, I don;t think he is at that level yet. Can’t wait for Universal Mind control and Lupend
November 24th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
This topic and review make me feel kinda sorry for Ludacris. He should have pushed back instead of dropping a album the same day as Kanye. Ye has become one of those dudes who you dont wanna drop your album with the same day.
Luda never really had a hit single that took off. He is a major artist and i see no album review for his project on here or other sites. The talk is all Kanye. Luda album isnt bad and I think will eventually go gold but he may see less than 200k the first week.
November 24th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
kanye west feat Chi$m- Say you will (freestyle)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/517683052aa503a3/
November 24th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
I feel Luda too, but he has not really stayed relevant enough to bloggers/sites talking about the new album.
There was a mixtape with Luda some while ago, and thats about it !, But good Luck Luda… Lets hope your fans is buying your album instead of talking trash about Kanye.
Peace.
Ps I have been listening to 808s & Heartbreak for 2 Hours straight now. It is freaking nice….
November 24th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
classic. that’s it.
Hmm I believe Mr. West has delivered 4 Damn Near Classic Albums to knock our souls.
-iRob out
November 24th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I guess everyone has their own opinion but to call this album trash is crazy say you don’t like it but don’t call it trash because it definitely is not i will be buying it tomorrow first thing because it really is AMAZING!!
November 24th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
This album is Wack. I liked the concept but the finished product was not up to par. 2/5 But that Luda ambum is whats up.
November 24th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
808s and heartbreaks is just like his other albums, when put together they all tell a story and you see how he develops. graduation was very different musically from late registration and college dropout, just how 808s is different from all three of those ones.
i listened to 808s straight through and it is a great album. classic. the autotune doesnt sound like shit either. and the album version of robocop is way better than the leaked version. just my opinion
November 24th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Umm what, 4 out of 5, this dudes crazy. Eleven songs, thats one of the reasons why I hated Graduation, because it was too short.
ELEVEN MUTHERFUCKIN SONGS
Fuck it, yes I bought Late Registration yes I bought College Dropout, now this shit I’m downloading from ZSHARE fuck I already have like six songs from it.
REALLY DISSAPOINTING KANYE.
November 24th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
If I se someone call this a classic I’ll leave and go to Thisis50.com where I know there’s gonna be people who hated it just like me.
November 24th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Goodbye Fuckers
November 24th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
In my opinion i have nothing good or bad to say about Kanye’s 808 & heartbreak album. I wouldn’t call it trash, but its just not the type of album that i would listen too. I respect kanye more as a rapper then a singer i also respect his interviews, i think he an intelligent person when it comes to his interviews.
I was a fan of kanye college dropout album and his late registration album. As far as Granduation i wasn’t a fan of that album, but i was more a fan of most of the materials on that album. I think he strongly brought something new to the table with his 3 previous albums. But as far as 808 & heartbreak that album to me is something that i wouldn’t wan’t to hear. That album to me is different then his previous albums and it also an album that i can’t connect too. In my opinion his lyrics are full of shit, and it ain’t skoolin nothing on top of that im not a fan of autotune.
Kanye’s 808 & heartbreak album is made for fans who are dealing with relationships emotions and love. And me personally am not dealing with that type of shit at this moment. And if i was in love i still wouldn’t cop kanye’s album to make me feel better so imma pass on his 808 & heartbreak period.
November 24th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
This album is dope…yall cats buggin on the auto-tune gotta be checking for auto-tune…if you popo this in and just listen you wont even pay attention to the auto-tune…its dope, how can you say its crap, no song on this album i think sounds like sumtin T-Pain or Lil Wayne would do. I do feel sorry for luda tho his album is ok..MVP is the real stand out track to me its more of the beat tho shit is so dope…wouldnt it be something if luda did the same numbers nelly did frist week…that will prove you really gotta have a bangin single to do numbers
November 24th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
If you are just a hip hop fan,
than this is a good gateway album to get into other music.
if you already had a broader collection of music to listen to, then this album will sound like a hiphop/pop album full of things that make hip hop horrible today such as the autotune, lil wayne etc.
Beware of people who have a crush on Kanye’s personality as they will tell you this album is genius(which it is far from). And Beware of people who hate Kanye simply because he owns their favorite weak ass rapper(such as 5o cent) who will tell you the album sucks. It doesn’t.
Take it from me, someone who can care less, This album is a good pop album which is great if you don’t set a high bar for the music you listen to(average rap fan) but falls short of actually being a great album when it comes to music all together. Kanye is reaching for something he is far from but maybe if he tries a lil harder and sheds the trashy hip hop trends from his music he will have a chance.
November 24th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Who was the dude that reviewed this album. It is definately is not hip/hop. My nephew didn’t even want me to waste my time downloading for him. It’s not for me, but it will sell off his name cause it’s not a very good album to me. Just my opinion.
November 24th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Oh Yeah I Cop That New Luda Album And The Album Is Hot! LOL Better Then That GAY0GAY & HeartBreak Album!
As Far As Kanye’s Album I Didn’t Even BootLeg It In Order To Listen To It…I YouTubed That Shit..Lol
If You Wan’t To Listen To Real HipHop Instead Of Real HipPop Cop That New Luda “Theater Of The Mind” Album.
You Can Leave Kanye’s GAY0GAY & HeartFake On The Shelves..LOL.
November 24th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
this shit get a 4 out of 5 .. and u got real albums out der like untitled .. the recssion… LAX… dat onli get a 3 out 5 … shit has changed over da years… niggas rather lissen 2 sum robo voice shit to real hip hop…
November 24th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
GAYOGAY? really? whiteboy….
you gotta come up with something better than that.
i mean i didn’t buy the album, nor did i like it very much but…GAYOGAY and Heartfake. That’s probable one of the lamest lines ive ever heard.
but if you are 13, you are forgiven.
November 24th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
THIS ALBUM IS THE SHITT!!!!!!!!!!!
HIS BEST 1 EVER
November 24th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
This album is trash, not even better than Graduation which was also poor, why do people countine to dickride, it is trash and people should be brave enough to say it. Why do people so ahh Kanye did somethink different unique blah blah so that makes it good does it ? It was garbage, this is pop, techno music and 98% of white people will love this.
November 24th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
kind of tired of the comment “different doesnt equal good” no shit fool, anyways i like the cd, i can see why people don’t, but def a great cd to listen to in the winter times
November 24th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
im sayin tho people that think this album is trash…would you call coldplays album trash? prolly not becuz you know you dont listen to that type of music and its not your thing. So use the same judgement for this Kanye joint its not your type of music so you cant judge but dont be all gay like a 12 year old watchin golf and say this shit sucks!!…and Luda album is like a 3.5 maybe 4 but it is after TI,JEEZY and NAS albums, it may beat Carter 3 and LAX tho but thats bout it. Luda needs to see past the punch lines thats why he will never be on a rapper like Jay or Nas level
November 24th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
WTF? Stop saying this is R&B. It’s NOT a R&B album how difficult is it to hear that? This is straight up euro/alternative stuff. Inspired by groups like Radiohead…etc
It’s a pretty good album. My favorite song is amazing. Now that’s a hot track
November 24th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
#58 okaysayer’…..If u ain’t got a title name better then mine then your better off staying outta my post bitch.
How the hell u gonna right a comment that serious over me saying GAY0GAY & HeartFake….smh got get a life stop catchin feelin women..
November 24th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Lax n TOS get 3’s…
and this shit gets a 4..
i dont think im a hip hop fan no more..
time to switch to another genre
this shit is redicuous
November 24th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
how is it rediculous? this is a 4/5 for a pop album its NOt RAP U IDIOTS!!!! when he drops the rap album in june its gonna be all gud. And btw Game’s album should of been a 4/5,but TOS WAS a 3/5 album, it was far from being great.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
album was ok…you cant bump it in the whip tho…all ya’ll niggas saying classic album is bugging tho.,, this shit is ok… he need to quit bitching so much…
November 24th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!!
RTNY IS SO ROCAFELLA BIASED THAT THIS SHIT MAKE ME NOT WONNA COME TO THIS SITE ANYMORE….they dickryde anything JayZ aka JJ Evans associated…….Kanye album is horrible, that shit aint even hip hop, its a failed attempt to make a TPain album………..2/5
November 24th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
album is lame
i dont like the auto tune, nor do i wanna hear some one who can t sing sing.
LUDA is better
November 24th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
@umm.
I am still a Hip Hop FAN, just a much as I am fan of allmost all other genres. Truth is that most socalled Hip Hop fans here are not Hip Hop fans and thats why they hate on allmost on all Hip Hop coming out these days.
Who cares whether 808… is Hip Hop .. its great music period.
Peace.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
its jus lik a another t pain album Ye kinda gay tho
i dnt lik auto tunes and this album gets boring kinda Emo 2
4/5 4 a rb album if this was a rap album i would say 2.5/5 i prefer the old Ye his 1st 2 albums and not this gay shit
November 25th, 2008 at 12:26 am
the cover is gay as shit.are niggas ashamed to go to the store and pick this up off the shelf?lets not even talk about the bootlegger spot cause them africans will be laughing at you mumbling is swahilli and shit.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:55 am
the album is fire! shit my parents are even bumping it realtalk.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:33 am
so earlier at #31 i hadnt heard the album yet, so i went copped it and played it. and its raining outside and madd cold and ppl gettin off the train waiting for the bus gettin soaked and as i’m riding by i’m realizing that this is a depressing album, did he release for the depression the country is goin thru or the depression he’s goin thru. either way it brought me down, it wasnt sumthin i wanna hear alot of. the beats is crazy on every single song flawless 5/5. but the words is just depressing, i’m givin this to my girl. catch u next time around ye.
November 25th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Good All Around Album , Yall Jus Like Tah ” SUCKA PUSSY FUCCKA PUSSY ” Nonsense . . . Kudos To ROBOCOP!!!!! C’Mon His Girl Left Him & His Mom Passed Away I Rather This Then Suicide…&& THIS IS GREAT (PAUSE)
November 25th, 2008 at 7:45 am
I told ya this album was made for faggots ass dudes, girlz, fans who are dealing with emotions, and fans who are in a relationship of love.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:20 am
YEAH!!
get em WHITE BOY!
this ain’t for all the hard ass wiggers out there.
G-UNIT!
November 25th, 2008 at 11:59 am
this album is trash
November 25th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
The album isn’t bad, it just takes time to get used to. At first, i was like wtf is this shit? Then i heard the songs and saw how deep the lyrics are and its pretty good. Its something different, and i think Kanye did a nice job.
November 25th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
good work Mr. West this album is dope
ps.”BE YOURSELF” BE YOURSELF BE YOURSELF.. (STOP PLAYIN FOLLOW THE LEADER) 4 ALL OF THOSE OTHER RAPPER OUT THERE.
PS. MR.WEST AND 2COOL4U IS BETTER THAN U!
November 25th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I am a huge music fan of all genre’s, but my world is hip-hop…the de la soul, tribe called quest, the roots etc.
massive ye fan, just bought the album, i was hyped from “love lockdown” but i didn’t think the whole album would be the same mono tone style. i am not sure what to make of it, it seems when you are judging this album you have to put whatever you know/think of kanye completely to one side and look at the album as a new artist.
it is not a typical kanye album… there is just no swagger, but after all that has happend to him recently i dont think i would have any swagger left.
listening to the album you cant help feeling for him, album is very personal and less gimmacy.
i hope i end up liking this album.
God bless Kanye.
November 25th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
just like to say “okaysayer”.. funny guy.
whiteboy, i am white and call myself a hip hop fan. you are the reason it is so hard to justify what is great in hip hop these days. drop the slang and the attitude people might take you more “seriously within this industry”.
November 26th, 2008 at 3:15 am
Kanye’s music from past album’s was incredible and honestly so is “808’s and Heartbreak”. The only difference is that some people don’t like this because of it’s “slow” and/or “boring” feel. Kanye could care less. He wrote these songs for him not for the fans. This is what he is feeling right now and in my opinion is as good as his previous work. I give this album a 8.5/10 with the best songs being “Street Lights”, “Heartless” and “Paranoid”.
November 26th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
all this 808 talk going on and then i find this video with four dudes flying thru space in an 808! what’s going on here?
http://vimeo.com/1965560/
p.s. - kanye - time to put the autotune down for a minute. it’s played.
December 4th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I think this is a great album for anyone with an open mind to r&b and pop, or melodic music in general. I will admit my first impression for some songs was like “wtf” (the same with Graduation) but the melodies grow onto you, and the autotone works with Kanye rather than the other way around.. in songs like Coldest Winter it almost sounds like his real voice. It’s only more blatant in songs like See You In My Nightmares.
Kanye hasn’t started his own genre or anything but he has managed to blend different genres well enough to produce a quality album. My only gripe is that even though his lyrics were deep, he’s no Paul Simon.
December 8th, 2008 at 2:43 am
my shit is tell every body that you know …besides that i bought every kanye cd and played um 300000000 times but ill just bag that one song 300000000 times and say fuck the rest of the cd
December 8th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Whoever said dis cd is amazin n he’s da best rapper in da world is a straight fagget!! Dis music sound like some shit dat would be in a gay club somewhere real rap! He mus be on dat shit lil wayne on cuz ever since da lolli pop remix kanye jus been burnt da fuck out!! I never liked kanye but dis shit really makes me not like him! Wat da hell is he doin? Dis is some Hog Shit! I guess ima jus go to a study make a bullshit ass mediocre beat n sing about gurls I see at skool n about wat I ate the otha day wit da t-pain shit n its gon be hot cuz appearantly yall think kanye shit is hot so ima do da samethin n make millions of dollars off a couple words threw da whole album wit 5 songs on it lol wtf do he be talkin bout? Every song he jus sit dere n repeat each line twice so he dnt have to keep comin up wit new lines dats hog shit its like we listenin to some fuckin nursery rhymes n shit like step ya fuckin game up kanye n make some real music! N by da way KANYE AINT FUCKIN WIT 50 CENT!! 50 new album gon blow dis bitch up out da frame watch n see