Album Review 3: Kanye West - 808's and Heartbreaks (Top 5 of 2008)

After weeks, the third review for Top 5 of 2008 is here. This time i'm reviewing Kanye West's cd 808's and Heartbreaks. As you can tell so far, none of these albums are alike. Every album I've reviewed has totally different subject matter. I'm a fan of many types of music even outside of the Rap/Hip Hop Genre. Anyways this is a great album from start to finish. It really is about quality over quantity. Kanye hasn't disappointed me on an album yet, I really think he is on track to become a legend. A lot of people hate him for his "arrogance" and "conceit" but despite those claims, he's a great artist who makes original music. I was surprised by this album. I didn't like his first single "Love Lockdown" that much at first but it grew on me a little. I didn't think a whole album with Autotune would be a good idea at all. But I was totally wrong. This album is great.



1.Say You Will

This is such a great opening track. One things all these albums have in common are great opening tracks. This track is basically about girls not living up to what they say. I think we have all felt this at one time in our lives.

"Why would she make calls out the blue
Now I'm awake sleepless till noon
Hey hey hey hey Don't say you will
Unless you will, hey hey hey hey
Don't say you will and play you will
I pray you will"

9/10

2.Welcome to Heartbreak (feat. Kid Cudi)

This song is just as the title suggests, heartbreak. Its about things not going right in your life. Its about missing out on the important things. We've all been their.

"My friend shown me pictures of his kids
And All I could show him was pictures of my cribs
He Said his Daughter got a brand new report card
And All I got was a brand new sports car"

9.5/10

3.Heartless

Girls can be so heartless at times. I gotta agree with Kanye. Hard times are a part of every relationship. This song was the only other song I heard before the album came out. I liked this much more than Love Lockdown. This song definitely grows on me each time I hear it.

"How could you be so Dr. Evil
Your bringing out a side of me that I don't know
I decided that we weren't gonna speak so,
why we on the phone at 3 in the morn"

9/10

4.Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy)

When I saw this track in the tracklisting I couldn't help but think of the song "Amazing" off of Jeezy's album, The Recession. This song is completely different. My favorite part about this song is the part where Jeezy comes on. It almost sounds like the songs over and Jeezy just comes out of no where. Jeezy and Kanye have great chemistry on tracks. "Put On" was one of my favorite singles from last year.

"I'm amazing born on a full moon
I was bread to get it in no spoon
thats why I'm so goon
Summertime no june" - Jeezy

9/10

5.Love Lockdown

This is one of my least favorite songs on the album. It's probably because I've heard it so many times. But it's still good none the less. This is about Love not going the way its supposed to.

"I'm not lovin you, way I wanted to
What I had to do, had to run from you
I'm in love with you, but the vibe is wrong
And that haunted me, all the way home
So ya never know, never never know
Never know enough, til it's over love
Til we lose control, system overload
Screamin no no no, no no"

8.5/10

6.Paranoid (feat.Mr. Hudson)

This song is about a girl being Paranoid. It's the opposite for me, because I'm usually the paranoid one. At first I didn't really like this song but I like it a lot now. Kanye said on the re-realse of this album, Rihanna would be on it. I think that would be really dope.

"All of the time you wanna complain about the nights alone
So now you’re here with me show some gratitude
leave the attitude way back at home
Yeah you see em look baby let em look give
you cold looks cuz we look cold
Yeah you heard about all the word of mouth
don’t worry about what we can’t control
All the talk in the world lost in the world
til you finally let that thing go
You wanna check into the heartbreak
hotel but sorry we’re closed."

9/10.

7.RoboCop

I heard a ton of talk about this song before the album was out. Everyone hated it. I knew It would probably be the opposite for me, as I always tend to love the songs everyone hates. This song is amazing. It is hands down my favorite song on the album. This song is about a psycho spoiled LA girl.


"Stop Drop, Roll Pop
Cause I'm Cold I
Ain't Used to being told
stop, so I could never be your Ro-Bot"

"You spoiled little LA Girl
Your just an LA girl
You need to stop it now
You Spoiled little LA Girl
Your Just an LA girl
You need to stop it now
Oh your kidding me
You must be joking
or you are smoking
Oh oh your kidding me
Aw your kidding me
Ha ha that was a good one
Your first good one in a while
Your first good one in a while
You need to stop it now
You need to stop it now
Oh you need to stop it now"

10/10.

8.Streetlights

This is my second favorite song on the album. Two dope songs back to back! To me this song is basically about Kanye not living up to a typical gangsta persona because of where he's from. It could also mean that he's not where he wants to be yet but he knows where it is.

"Seems like street lights glowing
Happen to be like moments passing
in front of me so I hopped in the cabin
I payed my fair see I Know my destination
I'm just not there in the streets in the streets
I'm just not there lifes just not fair"

10/10.

9.Bad News

This song is about Kanye hearing Bad News. More importantly its about Kanye hearing his
mother died.

"Didn't you know
i was waiting on you
Waiting on a dream
that'll never come true
Didn't you know
i was waiting on you
My face turnt to stone
when i heard the news"

9.5/10.

10.See You in My Nightmares (feat. Lil Wayne)

I like this song a lot. I didn't like wayne's verse that much at first but I guess it has grown on me a little. This song is about Kanye declaring he doesn't like his girl anymore and about him seeing her in his nightmares as opposed to his dreams.

"Okay I'm back up on my grind
You do you and I'm just gone do mine
You do you, cause I'm just gone be fine
Okay I got you out my mind
And The night is young, the drinks is cold
The stars is out, I'm ready to go
You always thought I was always wrong
Well now you know...
Tell everybody everybody that you know!
Tell everybody that you know
That I don't love you no more
And that's one thing that you know
That you know"

9/10

11.Coldest Winter

This is another song about Kanye's mother. This song really exemplifies how you feel when you miss a loved one.

"On lonely nights I start to fade
Her loves a thousand miles away
Memories made in the coldest winter
Goodbye my friend
Will I ever love again
Memories made in the coldest winter"

9/10

12.Pinocchio Story (Freestyle)

This was a freestyle kanye did at one of his concerts. The concept and everything is great about this song but the quality just ruins it for me. I really would like a stuido version. It's about never figuring out real love. Kanye remenises about life before his fame. It has grown on me a lot though. It's a really meanigfull song.

"Pinochio's story is I just wanna Be a Real Boy
It's Funny Piniochio Lied and thats what Kept him from it
I tell the truth and I keep running"

8.75/10

Overall Score:

9.2/10

Overall I really enjoyed this album. It will be an album I will listen to for years to come. Kanye has never disappointed me with an album and I hope he never will. The production on this album is amazing. If you haven't heard this album yet then shame on you.

==Music Videos==

Love Lockdown



Heartless



==Bonus Tracks==

Here are two original versions of songs that appeared on the album. They are totally different.

Welcome to Heartbreak (Original)

[http://www.zshare.net/audio/55684600c9de69be/]

RoboCop (Original)

[http://www.zshare.net/audio/55684621576ea3e7/]


Previous Albums Reviewed:

Pacewon & Mr. Green - The Only Color that Matters is Green

Flo Rida - Mail on Sunday