808s and Heartbreak triumph for Kanye West

By: John Holmes

Posted: 12/4/08

12/04/08 - At the official unveiling of Kanye West's new album, 808s and Heartbreak, Kanye spoke about the flak he received for utilizing auto-tune (think T-Pain) to create a pop album rather than another sure-fire rap LP.

He recounted loving the color pink as a child until someone told him "it was gay." From the heart of this unabashed Kanye fan - his previous rap albums The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation among the most played discs in my collection - I must congratulate Mr. West on following his muse.

Putting out the album he wanted should be a victory in itself for him - but is it a victory for the listener?

Sonically, the album is almost a 180-degree turn from what many hip-hop fans would expect from West. Gone are the pitched-up soul samples, and in their place are ethereal choirs, African drum beats and electronic effects.

Lyrically, in contrast to the witty observations about women, politics, education and success of his previous offerings, the mood here is darker, bleaker, dealing with the recent death of the his mother and breaking off his engagement.

The album's lyrical content is epitomized by early track "Welcome to Heartbreak," on which he sings "my friend showed me pictures of his kids / and all I could show him was pictures of my cribs / he said his daughter got a brand new report card / and all I got was a brand new sports car."

It's a hard sell making his massive success seem unenviable, but the song conveys true emotion.

As does "See You in My Nightmares" a duet in which West and guest Lil' Wayne wail - both autotuned - about the women who have done them wrong. The emotional and lyrical strengths of the two rappers carry over into their singing, so even when they both clearly lack vocal chops, the pain evident in lines like "'cause we were once a fairytale / but this is farewell" is more than enough to make you forget It's not all sad. "Paranoid" is an exuberant dance track with an amazingly catchy hook, while "Robocop" shows flashes of the wit of his past albums, telling a girl "you're like the girl from Misery / she said she ain't take it to this degree / well, let's agree to disagree!"

There is not room enough in this newspaper to write everything I love about this album. I could talk for hours about the bleak, spare verses that explode into explosive African drum beats on leadoff single "Love Lockdown" - on my shortlist for best song of 2008 - or the gorgeous sound and lyrics of closer "Coldest Winter," but instead I'll say just go buy it. With this album, Kanye West has shown that he is more than just a great rapper. He has proven that he is the most dynamic, intriguing artist in the mainstream in the new millennium.

There will always be haters - days after the release of the "Love Lockdown," video of 50 Cent mocking the song in concert surfaced on YouTube. Lesser "artists" will crumble and fall in the wake of Kanye West. He is artistically fearless and undeniably talented. He will record music for as long as he feels like, and will be looked upon as a legend like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, or Elvis Presley. Don't put down that pink crayon, Kanye.