808's And Heartbreak

I'm right in the middle of many things right now (new job, new decks, US university applications, etc etc) so my talented brother has kindly agreed to step in. Bravo.
Kanye West- Anyway (Link 2)

So Kanye’s Heartbreak is leaking all over the internet at the moment, and I for one am a little confused. Auto-tune? 808s? TEARS FOR FEARS samples? Wake up, Mr West.

Kanye wants to do whatever he wants, and what he wants is to no longer be seen as just a rapper, but a pop artist not bound in by a particular style. Those in the know realised some time ago that his music is just great pop, and when it comes to flow he’s never really had skills that pay the bills. In a John-Woo-style shoot-out of great rappers, Kanye would be first of the gang to die.

The problem is, he’s turned into a bit of prick. Yes, rappers are supposed to be arrogant, but The College Dropout gave hip-hop back its soul not because of all those vintage samples, but through its subject matter: less bitches and bling, more tales of how he used to pee the bed as a child. Sadly, post-fame, his last album revealed that he has become everything that he used to rail against: “I shop so much I can speak Italian”, anyone? Don’t even get me started on Drunk and Hot Girls. Graduation is a good album, but he’s not easy to love any more.

And so to “808s”: this sounds like we’re headed towards an album of commercial r ‘n b. The title hints that it’s going to be about relationship troubles. So perhaps a move towards a bit of honesty and soul again, which is good. But the musical wrapping concerns me a little, as a whole album of this is going to be a bit much for me.

I do like the fact that he’s trying to switch up his game rather than ploughing the same path, but hopefully there will be some genuine rapping in there as well.

Over to you Kanye.