Kanye West
"808s & Heartbreak"
Released: Nov. 25, 2008
Genre: Hip-Hop/R&B

Official Site, MySpace, Wikipedia

When does artistic vision compensate for lack of vocal talent? If your answer is 'never,' then '808s & Heartbreak'
might not be for you.

"HEY YO, I did some things, but that's the old me," Kanye West explains on "Heartless," the second single off his new album, "808s & Heartbreak."

And indeed, on the surface little remains of the poignant and self-deprecating producer turned arrogant hip-hop superstar the world thought it already knew all too well.

The title is more telling than it would appear. The album relies heavily on the repetitive beats provided by the Roland TR-808 drum machine. Coincidentally, 808 is also the telephone area code of Hawaii, where the album was recorded in less than two weeks.

As for heartbreak, the once (and possibly still) clichéd emotional term is the central theme of the album.

With the aid/curse of the "auto-tune" software increasingly prevalent among today’s hottest MCs, Kanye covers topics from the death of his mother to heartbreak presumably from various women in his life. West split with fiancée Alexis Phifer in early 2008.

Though I feel that the personal life and character of an artist aren't necessarily relevant, Mr. West has been through a lot since the release of his third studio album, "Graduation," and in this case, it shows.

Throughout the album West's mood ranges from angsty, to anguished, to tormented, to depressed, to well … you get the picture.

As mournfully low notes alternate with an unnerving falsetto, listeners can not only hear West's heart break on the album, they can even feel it. No really, it's kind of painful just listening. Not in a good way, though.

As if that weren't enough, the constant use of the drum machine and auto-tune effects combined with the lack of guest spots (friends Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy both make mediocre appearances on the album but look good in comparison to the screeching West) make it so that each of the 12 tracks sound roughly the same.

Sure, there are some standouts. The hidden track "Pinocchio Story," a "freestyle" (still singing) recorded live when West was performing in Singapore, is memorable; and the smash first single "Love Lockdown" was at least catchy.

I really don't want to make fun of Kanye's heartache either. At first, lines like "It's like I’m looking for something out there trying to find something/ I turn on the TV and see me and see nothing" on "Pinocchio Story" initially seemed at least slightly reminiscent of the self deprecation on "The College Dropout" or the searching aspects of "Graduation" that many found over the top but memorable.

Unfortunately on the same song West proves that his earlier albums were in fact not melodramatic enough for his own satisfaction, with:

There is no Gucci I can buy
There is no Louis Vuitton to put on
There is no YSL that they could sell
To get my heart out of this hell

Clearly, the earlier Kanye West has been replaced with this new creature who is very focused on reminding the world of his emotional pain every two seconds. At least the old Kanye tried to keep it to reminding the world every other song …

And while I do admire tracks such as "Coldest Winter," lines like "If spring can take the snow away/ Can it melt away our mistakes?” generally trivialize his emotions and are detrimental to the overall purpose of the album, considering how it is almost impossible to take anyone who says things like that seriously.

The overall essential question in whether the album is worth purchasing is this: When does artistic vision compensate for lack of vocal talent? If your answer is "never," then "808s & Heartbreak" might not be for you.

Even as a rapper, West has always been hailed for his lyrics, sampling, and production, and not for the sonic aspects of his work that he personally supplied such as voice or flow. As a singer, West leaves much to be desired. While comparing him to T-Pain with a serious cold and sore throat might be a bit harsh and possibly an oversimplification, it's the closest pop music comparison that comes to mind.

As a work of art, "808s & Heartbreak" becomes much easier to appreciate. Though occasionally bordering on bad poetry lyrically, the emotion conveyed throughout the album is stunningly beautiful and at times absolutely mind-blowing.

What's also commendable is West's purported disregard for record sales (the album still came in at No. 1 on the American charts). Stating that he would like to create a new version of art using pop music as a medium, "808s & Heartbreak" is at least honorable in the sense that it is more about self-expression than club-banging hits.

Overall, while Mr. West's artistic endeavors are to be applauded, his apparent departure from hip-hop is a huge loss for the genre. As a form of expression this album brings something new and experimental to the table. As a record you can play around other people, it fails miserably.

Note to readers: For Will Fernandez's review of "808s and Heartbreak," click here.