Review Summary: wherein kanye figures he's mortal
Enter Kanye West. Amidst all the bombast and assurance that was known as his characteristic quality following a triumvirate of critically acclaimed albums in The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation, his life became akin to a living hell. West's mother, Donda, died of complications in regard to cosmetic surgery, and his engagement to fiancee Alexis Phifer ended, after being intertwined with her since 2002. Clearly, the man was in a torturous place when he conceived this record, and it truly shows in the music; 808s and Heartbreak is a masterclass in heartfelt music. Not only innovative but also a testament to the experimentation Kanye is dedicated to in each of his albums, entire artists wouldn't in the places they are today without what was pioneered here.
A substantial part of what makes 808s work so extraordinarily well is how Kanye juxtaposes the intended perfections of Auto-Tune with the bleak, driven instrumentation on each of the tracks. “Coldest Winter” belies its namesake in a bevy of ways, as tribal drums collapse onto chilling synths and the psychological scars that Kanye hold penetrate his consciousness. The atmosphere produced here aids the story of a broken man with everything to say and nothing he can possibly fix, as evidenced by “Welcome To Heartbreak”. No other rapper at that point in their career was this daring, this honest with his struggles, and it makes the music shine because of this courage. Kanye sings about his disgust with his material lifestyle, and begs for a semblance of emotional stability and care in a world that he feels he's left out of. “I can't stop having these visions/ I gotta get with it” shows his fears and insecurities plainly, marked by a vicious media and vocal critics abounding.
Even with a markedly depressed Kanye, his ability to construct memorable melodies and hooks doesn't falter, as “Paranoid” and “Heartless” are radio-friendly without sacrificing the morose tone that billows throughout 808s and Heartbreak, which speaks volumes on how polished the production comes to be. Guest vocals from stalwarts like Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne also bolster the whole orchestration, as the emotion from them isn't expected and provide an interesting, subversive take on features. West's utilization of all that was at his disposal, from his ostensible usage of modulation to the sparse backing tracks that filter in and out each song, is awesome, and forces capitulation from the listener as they're gripped by his inner demons.
With 808s and Heartbreak, Kanye West solidified his artistic range. A passion play no doubt, it's the product of a tortured genius spilling out his guts all in name of creating something wholly different than what was the norm at the time. Without 808s, there would be no Drake, no Frank Ocean, no wave of rap that based itself on being forthright with emotions. It's not a record for any mood, nor is it for everyone, but regardless of its cultural contexts and influence, Kanye made what he wanted to make, and we're all better off for it.
