On Wednesday, Kanye West released his fourth album and there was a lot of hype around it. First of all, it is virtually impossible to Google a copy of the album cover unless it is from a reputable site; and second of all, the album did not leak out into the media before the release date. At this day in age this is a feat of technology! Has Kanye beats these odds, or does he truly have the respect he deserves in the music Industry?
He is the artist that people don’t know weather to love or hate; although not everyone enjoys Kanye’s crazy media antics, such as the recent incident at L.A.X. where he allegedly attacked a photographer, people still cannot help, but, hear him out - in his music, of course. With his haute Couture lyrics and his child like ‘I’m going to take what’s mine’ demeanor, Kanye has captured the essence of Jay-Z’s famous line in ‘The Black Album’: “First I have they ear/ now I have they hearts…” hence the title of Kanye’s recent release: ‘808s and Heartbreak’.
This Album is ground breaking, 808 earth shaking, and heartbreaking! The production is not what Kanye usually releases - there are no samples! Instead, it is extremely heavy on the bass and heavy on the synthesizer. This is the first change that people will notice from his recent work. The second and equally noticeable feature of this album is that Kanye sings all his lyrics! Likable or not, there are changes to his style that are definitely groundbreaking.
With the sound of that great 808 drum, Kanye Sings to his audience. He is not necessarily the most beautiful singer and he does not try to woo us with his beautifully technical vocal styling. Instead, he does something powerful: He pours his heart out to his fans, and in ‘Pinocchio Story’, a recording of a live freestyle performance on stage in Singapore, he wonders what it is like to be a “Real Boy”. This song is sure change ones view of the Talented Mr. West.
For those who are searching for musical supremacy, and cannot seem to find it in this 808s and Heartbreak, please remember that since Kanye West made extreme changes to his musical style, It is only customary to do him the mutual respect and not judge his new album against his previous work; especially in this day and age when the world around us, as we know it, is undergoing extreme change as well.
Zuriel Garcia lives and works out of Red Deer, Alberta; and in his spare time he writes articles for small publications and enters literature writing contests and goes to the University of Calgary (at red Deer Collage). As a literary writer, he truly believes in his work and would love to have his articles published on a regular basis.