808s & Heartbreak by Kanye West

Pros: Incredible musicianship & production. Offbeat but emotionally affecting.
Cons: Damn Auto-Tune, although it's less bothersome than on most other records.

This was not set up to be a good move. Kanye West had made three of the finest hip-hop records of the past half-decade. Despite limited lyrical skills, he used relatability, a way with a punchline, and strong production values to make three classic or ...

Pros: Impeccable production, interesting theme
Cons: Overuse of auto-tune, Kanye's not a good singer

I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying that Kanye West's new album, 808s & Heartbreak, is the single most polarizing commercial release of the year. And that's even with the new Guns and Roses release that's hit the market as ...

Pros: Brave, emotional content, exceptional production, songs you can't forget.
Cons: Live song equals disaster, Lil' Wayne ruins a not-so-good song, "Street Lights" is boring.

Kanye West is a rapper who is many things to many people. Some people feel he's a whiny, egotistical artist who seems to think the world owes him something. Some people think he is over-rated and others feel he is a ...

Pros: a few head bobbing selections
Cons: musically Kanye's voice needs work, album sounds mechanical and forced

One of the nice things going on at the Microsoft Zune Marketplace is the 99 cent full album sale.  Select albums can be found in the marketplace for only 99 cent which is a fantastic bargain when compared to the in-store prices.  My most recent ...

Pros: Cohesive, thematically adventurous, and ballsy all around
Cons: Auto-Tune makes this album a love-it-or-hate-it experience, along with the narrow musical palette

From the beginning of time, music has always been a means of releasing pent-up emotion. From the weepy confessionals of 70s singer-songwriters, to the men blasting the trumpets at war. I'm sure the harpists even got into it from time to time. It's only ...

Pros: You feel his pain...seriously though, it's good.
Cons: Fizzes out toward the end, another lame Yeezy/Weezy collabo.

So I'll be honest, I'd kind of tuned out to new rap (well, new music in general) as of late. Part of it was just being busy with school, and part of it was because I'd kind of got used to new rap albums for the year sucking, to the point where I wasn't ...

Pros: Refreshing new direction, sense of authenticity
Cons: Wholly forgettable 2nd half, childish lyrics

Vocal/Experimental It's been getting increasingly difficult to tell what Kanye West has planned for us behind the scenes. Not only has he changed his style with each album, but his ambition has been escalating from being one of the greatest ...

Pros: Kanye's fearlessness. The dark, brilliantly produced aesthetic.
Cons: If you're looking for another hip-hop gem from Mr.West... sorry.

When I was in eighth grade I experienced my first ever break-up. This girl, let's call her Cold-hearted Buttface (and, yes, I am no longer in eighth grade. I swear), broke up with me after three weeks of true love. She didn't even offer an explanation. ...

Pros: Will grow on you
Cons: Too many to mention

For his fourth album, Kanye West choose to make significant changes to what he is about as the person know best for his work as a producer and rapper, changes his focus by doing a Pop album, one in which he doesn't rap in at all. Kanye, can't actually ...

Pros: Innovative, great production and musicality
Cons: No "hits" like "Gold Digger" or "Stronger"

There has been a lot of disagreements among Kanye West fans about this CD, but as a die-hard fan of both Kanye's and music in general, I was very pleased with the innovation and musicality of this CD.  Though it's nothing like his previous work, the level of quality in music and production that Kanye fans are used to is definitely still there.

I explained to a friend that the CD is almost theatrical, invoking emotions and feeling like a soundtrack to a movie.  You can almost imagine scenarios in your head as you listen to the music (and that's before you stop to pay attention to the lyrics).  Kanye is definitely coming from a different place on this CD - he seems to be sensing his own mortality and realizing what he had to give up to pursue his dream - but it's not a bad place at all. 

Fav tracks - "Welcome to Heartbreak" and "Street Lights"
Not so Fav - "Love Lockdown"