Kanye West has had enough of the hippity hop!

Love him or hate him, it’s safe to say that Kanye West is one of the best artists of our time. His knack for rhythm, melody and beats are unmatchable in the realm of hip hop. He has an open mind to different sounds and is never afraid to experiment. That is what drew me to Kanye in the first place, another aspect that I always found endearing was his complete and utter disregard for what people think of him. Sure he’s made headlines saying stupid things and I do not agree with him on all his political-mumbo-jumbo. But, give him a mic and a beat, and I am sold! Kanye has also differentiated himself to other rappers like Jay-Z and Nas by writing music about other things rather than drugs, sex, and selling either one of them.. there is a subtle cockiness and an equal subtlety to his quips.

Last year, Kanye released “Graduation” and showed growth with the infusion of techno-pop. It seems Kanye has taken this baton and decided to sprint with it headstrong! A lot has occurred in Wests’ life to get him to his current CD “808s and Heartbreak” (a sticky breakup with his fiancee and the death of his mother). So ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Kanye West.. the king of emo-hip-hop!!

I believe we have turned a page to a new age in music, one where the idea of creating an honest and simplistic sound is no longer enough. The days when artists would turn to voice coaches to learn how to sing seems like a dieing breed, it seems that the newest technological trend (or Britney-syndrome) is to autotune the crap out of yourself until you sound like a combination of Fergie meets Jesus! Kanye has put down his rapping kicks and metaphorically applied some guy-liner and a black hoodie. The new album teems with heartfelt odes to love lost and life in pergatory, all while infusing some pop and 80s synth for good measure. Overall, the result is one of the most innovative and yet bland albums of the year!

The album starts off with “Say You Will”, a 5 minute ode to losing someone infused with continuous beeps that sound like a pair of heartbeats one right after the other over a run-on choir. What makes this song stand out is it’s simplistic grandeur, Kanye sets the tone of the album by declaring his obvious discontent with the recent events of his life.  The problem with this song is that at the halfway point, the song turns into a monotonous 3 minute episode of beeps and drumbeats.

“Heartless” is the second single off the album and articulates the frustration Kanye has dealt with from the loss of his a 6 year engagement. What makes this track stand-out is the staccato piano that runs throughout the track. This proves that Kanye hasn’t fully detached himself from hip-hop, most of the verses are rapped.

“Love Lockdown” is the first single and has already set the tone of the album and shocked many fans when Kanye sang it at the MTV music awards back in September. I actually dig this song and find it to be heavily influenced by Daft Punk. The piano is great and the african drumbeats that chime in during the chorus are fantastic.

“Paranoid” is my favorite track off the album because of it’s 80-synth vibe and it’s impressive beat structure. Kanye pulled out all the stops and created his poppiest song to date. This song wreaks of fun and its uptempo is a nice departure from the dark tone of the entire album.

The production on “Robocop” is ridiculous! I never thought someone could infuse the sound of Robocop’s electronic walk to a beat. Clever and just off the wall, I can look past the autotune for the simple fact that the creativity on this track is untouchable. Lyrics are kinda lame “you moving like a robocop”.

“Streetlights” is probably the most emo song on the album. Kanye reflects on the loss of his mother. The lyrics on this track are heartfelt and the beat sounds like something Phil Collins would have implemented for Genesis. It’s hard not to like this track for the simple fact that Kanye’s honesty echoes throughout.

“See You In My Nightmares” features Lil Wayne……and that’s where I feel like the album halts to a screeching car crash. Lil Wayne is one of those rappers who irritates me to the point where I’d rather listen to a CD of Fran Drescher mimicking animal noises than hear anything that disgusting insect utters. “Welcome To Heartbreak” also features Lil Wayne, while the song is good.. Lil Wayne raps the worst lyric I’ve heard in a ages “you think yo shit don’t stink, but you’re misses P U.” Are you kidding? Ok, so Lil Wayne “is so hot right now”, and I understand why Kanye put him on his album. But c’mon…..that lyric is down right pathetic.”Coldest Winter” is probably the last song on the album I like. The song has a timid beat that erupts at the end, also I love the sound of Kanye’s autotuned vocals throughout.

It’s a shame that Kanye had to rely on such high-tech devices to create this adventurous sound. I would have preferred it if Kanye actually learned to sing instead of artificially enhancing himself. It’s safe to say that Kanye is one of the most prolific artists of our generation. He continues to reinvent himself and pushes the envelope despite what people (including his fans) say about him. It’s refreshing to see an artist think outside of the box, and it pains me to think that this was the cause of tremendous heartbreak.

[Rating 3/5]