808s and Heartbreak Review

Kanye West will arguably be known as one of the best hip hop producer/rappers of our time. With his latest release 808s and Hearbreak, he tackles a subject that rappers tiptoe around, but rarely make entire albums about. LOVE. Rap is about machismo, bravado and all things manly. Kanye uses the pain of the loss of his mother and unknown other losses to connect with his audience in a different way. The lyrics are still there, but his braggadocio subject matter is gone. He has stripped away all of the layers of what we know to be Kanye(even the slick production). Everything about the album is about the stories. You have to listen to the stories to enjoy this foray. If you look for things that you have come to expect you will miss out on one great collection of songs. He is not a singer and the auto-tuner that he used will make you cringe at times. However, there is so much emotion in the songs that I play it a few times a week.

I had a spirited discussion with a fellow "critic" and he felt that Kanye took a safer route. My contention is that he could have made it crisp melodic, symphonic, gem, but if he had done that then it would have been typical Kanye. He pulled back and it shows when you listen to track 6. These songs won't be appreciated until they are remade. But I cannot keep my love on lockdown. I love this CD. Pop it in one night and put it on repeat at home...You should too!