• 'RS' Calls Yeezy's '808s & Heartbreak' One of the Most Groundbreaking Albums Ever

    "Rolling Stone" recently recognized a few albums that have changed the game, and among them, Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreak" was named one of the "most groundbreaking albums of all time." Since its release, West's 2008 album has proven that hip-hop is not always about trap beats and toting guns. West's ability to try something different and succeed so effortlessly has made the album a standout in his discography. "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," the legendary music-based magazine wrote of the album. "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."
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