Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak Makes Rolling Stone’s “Most Groundbreaking Album” List
Many have recognized that Kanye West, without a doubt, has been one of the biggest influence in today's musical realm. Today, Rolling Stone identifies this, and in their roundup of "The 40 Most Groundbreaking Albums of All Time", Yeezy's 2008 release 808s & Heartbreak is the most recent one to make the list, which goes all the way back to 1940 with Woody Guthrie's Dust Bowl Ballads. While heavily criticized upon release, it soon became the template for many up-and-coming artists. Here's what they had to say about the LP:
"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 famed music-based magazine wrote. "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."
8. "Yeah I can see it. Also depends on how long rap stays in this lane. " In response to Reply # 6
Fair to say that the biggest rappers of the moment are influenced by that album, I wonder more long term (compared to the other albums on that list which many created genres).
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PoppaGeorge Member since Nov 07th 2004 10384 posts
Mon Dec-08-14 01:13 PM
22. "as long as "Paid In Full" is on the list too..." In response to Reply # 6
Paid in Full did pretty much the same thing back when it was released. Rakim's whole style changed hip hop forever as one writer put it:
"... Before Rakim, all rap was like listening to a jazz saxophonist playing everything strictly within the structure of "Mary Had a Little Lamb"; after Rakim, rap sounded more like John Coltrane's "Giant Steps." With an elasticity that was completely new to the form, Rakim could expand a rhyme to a dizzying length in one line and then compress it into a microsphere in the next. The essence of his accomplishment was to transform rapping into an instrument..."
If this is on the list, then I'll be ok with 808 being on it.
16. "I'mma stand in this line..." In response to Reply # 7
I'm a Kanye fan but I really couldn't get into this album. "Yeezus" is worse but I wasn't feeling "808s."
I can definitely see a Kanye/808s influence on some rappers today but I don't know if it's enough to make it one of the most influential albums of all time.
13. "RE: Rolling Stone says 808s & Heartbreak is on “Most Groundbreaking Al..." In response to Reply # 0
Yup...
He changed not only the idea of what rappers could do/be but what a singer songwriter could be..
Where would Lana, FUN!, Alex Clare, Banks or any assorted Alt-R&b artists be. Some great songs on there..
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
18. "RE: T-Pain needs to be on there then" In response to Reply # 15 Mon Dec-08-14 11:25 AM by double 0
T-Pains use of autotune is DEFINITELY groundbreaking. But unfortunately he never put together a project that was as strong.
He has some amazing tunes but they weren't all in one place.
EDIT: 808s is not just an autotune story.. from top to bottom (sounds, songwriting) everything introduced the the masses was game changing.
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
63. "RE: I think all those acts would be right where they are now..." In response to Reply # 53
What is a top 20 act? Lana has had a top 10 billboard single and debuted #2 with the first album and #1 with the second album..
So ummm
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
Atillah Moor Member since Sep 05th 2013 13825 posts
Mon Dec-08-14 11:16 AM
17. "Respectfully disagree" In response to Reply # 0 Mon Dec-08-14 11:29 AM by Atillah Moor
I'd say highly creative and courageous though. I always felt I'd have like it more if another artist did the singing. Like Jamie Fox or in my wildest dreams Prince.
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Everything looks like Oprah kissing Harvey Weinstein these days
24. "RE: he made autotune into art" In response to Reply # 23
Yea.. I mean lots of cats were using AT but I can't recall anyone throwing guitar distortion on AT before that album either..
Streetlights is such a beast of a song.. word to esthero
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
31. "RE: Esthero wrote it?" In response to Reply # 26
yea co-wrote.. along with Mr Hudson
Double 0 DJ/Producer/Artist Producer in Kidz In The Hall ------------------------------------------- twitter: @godouble0 IG: @godouble0 www.thinklikearapper.com
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79499 posts
Tue Dec-09-14 01:41 PM
54. "I toured with a live rap band in 99 from Orlando" In response to Reply # 24
and the rapper had his mic plugged into a guitar pedal and it blew us away. Dude was an average rapper but that effect was killing it when it came to the hooks.
Shit sounded so good the other rapper in our group ran out and bought an effect pedal and tried to bite.
Kanye isn't one of my faves but i think he's easily one of the most influential rappers in the game over the last 10 yrs. and i agree w/RS about the 808 album.
44. "Let them have it, it's Rolling Stone" In response to Reply # 0
The same magazine that said Led Zepp's debut was a 2 star album and almost always gets it wrong about Hip Hop. Of course it's incorrect, but at this point it doesn't really matter much.
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