Its astute blend of R&B and hip-hop tropes, paired with heartfelt, emotionally vulnerable lyrics, reshaped the rap and R&B landscapes, profoundly influencing a slew of musicians such as Drake, Young Thug, The Weeknd, and Frank Ocean in its wake. Greater still was 808s & Heartbreak’s lasting influence on contemporary music. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 450,145 copies in its first week. The album proved to be another big hit for Kanye West, though, as it debuted at No. The album met with mixed reviews when released, on November 24, 2008, with critics initially scornful of the perceived over-reliance on Auto-Tune and the apparent self-pitying nature of the lyrics. Recorded in California and Hawaii in a mere three weeks, 808s & Heartbreak was the first of Kanye’s albums to feature his “creative CEO” style of recording, boasting over five co-writers on nearly every song. The desolate contents of the album were perfectly encapsulated by its minimal artwork, which depicted a deflated and broken heart on a spare grey background. The Chicago rapper hangs a dramatic left on 808s & Heartbreak, an album whose frosty, minimal sound backs lyrics of surprisingly raw emotion. West chose to pair these raw, uncompromising and bleak lyrics with a production characterized by minimalist, harrowing synths offset with stark brutalist beats (generated by the titular Roland TR-808 drum machine, a mainstay of early 80s hip-hop and synth-pop) alongside various offbeat additions such as taiko drums and monk choirs. recruit Kid Cudi hops on "Welcome To Heartbreak" and the breezy "Paranoid." The album isn't concerned with guest spots or the usual Kanye chipmunk breaks, but Jeezy turns in a quick verse on "Amazing," and "Bad News" features a sample of Nina Simone's "See Line Woman.Opener “Coldest Winter” deals harrowingly with the loss of his mother, who’d passed away due to complications with cosmetic surgery: “Goodbye my friend, I won’t ever love again/Never again,” he sings, while the bitter aftermath of his break-up with Phifer is addressed on the likes of “Robocop” and “Heartless.” “Welcome To Heartbreak,” meanwhile, was a distraught missive from a man coming to terms with the shallowness of his life, his dreams of success beginning to turn into a nightmare: “My friend showed me pictures of his kids/And all I could show him was pictures of my cribs/… Look back on my life and my life gone/Where did I go wrong?” But years later, the impact of Kanyes emotional, autotune-heavy opus is undeniable. It's also crazy to hear Fool's Gold's young gun on the come-up as newly inked G.O.O.D. At its release, people didnt know what to make of 808s & Heartbreak.
Its sound differed radically from his previous releases, as West chose to sing (with the assistance of a vocal production tool called Auto-Tune) rather than rap his lyrics. Personality aside, the thumping lead single "Love Lockdown" and follow-up "Heartless" are just solid joints by any standards. Other articles where 808s and Heartbreak is discussed: Kanye West: In 2008 West released 808s and Heartbreak, an album that dwelled on feelings of personal loss and regret. What's so compelling about Kanye West that makes everyone clamor for anything new the man drops? Four albums deep and I'm still not quite sure - but I do know that if you told me about some other rando artist who whipped up an album in a month using mainly Auto-Tune and a TR-808, I probably wouldn't care this much. Here's our original Lab review from 2008: Now all we need is the Graduation reissue. With the original pressing going for anywhere from $50-200, you either love or hate this reissue. I loved this album back in 2008 but ,compared to Wests subsequent albums, 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' and 'Yeezus', this album is ordinary and seems designed for radio. The album is really uneven and has innovative moments and plain boring moments. Its astute blend of R&B and hip-hop tropes, paired with heartfelt, emotionally vulnerable lyrics, reshaped the rap. Cartridge Headshells / Alignment / CleanersĪs far as we can tell, this official reissue has identical specs to the 2008 release: Kaws artwork, inserts, triple gatefold, double vinyl and bonus CD. 808s and Heartbreak was Kanye Wests first real attempt at a concept album. Greater still was 808s & Heartbreak ’s lasting influence on contemporary music.
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