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In essence, “808s and Heartbreak” is a minimalist electro-pop record with an extraordinarily little amount of hip-hop. The “808s” in the album’s title references the vintage Roland TR-808 drum machine that West manipulates for the record’s percussive programming. West sings through Auto-Tune-that useful tool so prevalent on top 40 radio that, while employed, adds a subtle (but noticeable) synthetic quality to the vocals and, probably most importantly, conceals flaws in the vocal performance. If you haven’t already heard a bit of it, if not the whole thing, you’ve most likely already read about it. Emphasis on pop as well, as his dedication to incorporating elements of multiple genres has kept him from strictly being a hip-hop artist in the traditional sense, and if you need more convincing, just listen to a track or two from the new record. Of course, Kanye West is a rather large pop star with global fame.
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Whether the record is, for West, another step in the grieving process, a toss-away experiment that’s just a moment in time or a record he’s made for himself, as if a collection of diary entries, and talked into handing it over to the public (just a theory), it’s been a while since one record has caused so much discussion, argument and analysis. Has the death of his mother and the recent breakup he’s experienced with his fiancée made him stronger? It may be too early to tell, but if his new record, “808s and Heartbreak,” is any indication, he’s a broken man.