Arguably, Rolling Stone has little say when it comes to Hip-Hop culture and its surrounding politics. Thus, we’re taking it lightly that they’ve listed Kanye West‘s 2008 808s & Heartbreak as one of 40 “most groundbreaking albums of all time.”
Via RollingStone:
Kanye West’s Auto-Tune-heavy, emotionally naked fourth album came after a brutal year during which his mother died and his engagement broke up, but the album’s cavernous sound and exposed-soul lyrics confused even those who had been aware of West’s recent trials. Its core aesthetic was like nothing in hip-hop: freshly butchered feelings enumerated in detail, but masked by digital processing; beds of spare synths used to balance a mix of singing and rapping. However, over time it served as a new template for up-and-comers in hip-hop and R&B. Drake cited West as his budding sound’s “most influential person” when he was hustling mixtapes, while artists like Future further tweaked the idea of using Auto-Tune as a way to convey emotions that evoke too much feeling when spoken of explicitly.
Ye’s fourth studio LP is listed among musical icons Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson and The Beatles. His own peers include Mary J. Blige’s What The 411, Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back and Dr. Dre’s The Chronic to name a few.
It’s a compliment, no doubt. But what say you? Sound off in the comments.
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