Review: Kanye West- 808s & Heartbreak

Kanye West has always taken himself seriously, its the fact that his listeners do as well that he gets away with it. Ever since his 2003 debut this college dropout hasn't particularly fit the mold of a traditional rapper; he was a superstar by the time he released his second album and he did it by pushing every one of his eccentricies as far as he pleased, resulting in a persona that was equal parts humble rhymeslinger and boisterus producer. He could be a backpack rapper if his backpack wasn't burberry and his beats weren't so expensive. So no, he couldn't be a backpack rapper, he could only be himself, and thats worked out pretty well so far. On his latest album, the telling 808s & Heartbreak, he's hoping that being himiself will be enough for his audience to hold onto.

He rose to fame producing hit singles for Jay-Z, his flipping of a Jackson 5 sample on "I.Z.Z.O (Hova)" was so beyond recognition that it elevated the simple placement of an older song in a new beat to art: he's believed in the art ever since, his techniques have never remained complacent. Riding the wave of his sped up soul acclaim throughout his first album, he released it's follow up Late Registration to equal amounts of praise. It was here where he truly started distancing himself from his peers, as if being a world renowned producer/rapper wasn't enough; he commissioned Fiona Apple producer Jon Brion for the string section on many songs. This, compiled with his touring live mini-orchestra, put the rapper in a leaugue of his own. The album, much like it's predessecor, was stuffed with a dream team of guests and a running time clocking in at just over an hour. These first two albums showed a true artist in embryoic form; he was throwing every idea he had at the wall and picking up the pieces with minimum restraint, his reach just exceeding his grasp.

If he was growing by leaps and bounds on his first two releases he took a breather before his third, expanding his musical palette and focusing his ambition. Graduation was a sleek 13 songs, with minimal singing guests and only one other rapper in the form of Lil Wayne. Sampling Daft Punk and finding influence in Euro club music, he defeated 50 Cent in a sales "fued" by a mile, further honed his production, gained more acclaim for his lyrics and secured his position as arguably the biggest name in music. Than his world collapsed around him.

2008 hasn't been West's best year, he lost his mother and his fiance of years within the same couple of months and took an unusually long break for a usually prolific artist. He rebounded with guest verses for Lil Wayne and N.E.R.D., but the kicker was his highlighitng spot on Young Jeezy's "Put On". His voice autotuned, he came in at the end of the song, distant in tone but he let his emotions squeak through the electronic babble. "I lost the only other woman that knows me best" and so it continues; in brief three week span West wrote and produced the bulk of 808s, giving it a structured theme in production and lyrics, 808 drums and heartbreak respectively.

According to him making this album was better than commiting suicide (duh) and he feels it necessary to cement his status as a legend in music. He feels he's the "voice of a generation", maybe hes right. He hasn't "made my Thriller yet", the mans got big aspirations, and simply rapping just wont satisfy them.

The album starts with the the over six minute "Say You Will", his vocals drop out halfway through and a choir picks up the pace. 52 minutes later a live freestyle finishes things off. In between these songs is his most cohesive album yet, due to the structure of course, but it never makes a susbatntial dip in quality. He hinges on big hooks throughout, minimalist beats designed for maximum impact, and a slender guest list. Young Jeezy stops by to deliver the only real rapping on "Amazing", while Lil Wayne, West's fellow crooner, goes all Axl Rose on "Tell Everybody That You Know".

He premiered his first single, "Love Lockdown", to close the VMAs this year. The anticipation for new 'Ye was of course high, and when it was revealed the result was muted excitement at best. It was the most minimal song he'd ever made, his voice floating along barely anything but drums, relying on the pitch of his emotions to sell it. And thats 808s & Heartbreak in a nutshell, one of the biggest artist in the world following his depressed muse to find solace in unkown territory. It's a shock not only to fans of his "signature sound", whatever that is, but to his percieved image. Just a couple of years ago he was the young man who uncomfortably stated that "George Bush doesn't care about black people, now we have a black president and his oppinions are nowhere to be found. Hes lost in heartbreak and ahead of his time, waiting for the world to play catchup.