Whether it’s the arching melancholia of “Street Lights” or the pained wails of “Coldest Winter”, Kanye’s robotic detachment mirrors one’s futility in holding back raw emotion. By funneling his angst through the computer, Kanye ironically made himself sound even more human, going from a god on the mic to a mortal in the machine. Yet, those Auto-Tuned vocals are what’s fueled 808s’ enduring relevance over the past decade. It was weird, it was cold, and it was incredibly divisive.īoth critics and fans were mixed on the new Kanye, but they were especially critical of his rough vocal delivery. Instead, we pushed back a half-open door to a multi-million-dollar Chicago high rise apartment, only to find an Auto-Tuned Yeezy, singing glum poetry over minimalist beats as a neon light flickered aimlessly in the corner. Gone was the bombast of 2007’s Graduation, the majesty of 2005’s Late Registration, and the jaunt of his 2004 debut, College Dropout. However, all of that loneliness and guilt, further amplified by West’s separation from his fiancee, Alexis Phifer, manifested into 808s & Heartbreak, which debuted 10 years ago today.

When his mother Donda died in 2007, everything changed.

Between each bar, he quietly teased an inner vulnerability that was rare among his peers, meditating on his faith, his family, and his racial consciousness. With his first three albums, Kanye rose to the top of the world, flaunting his fame with a critical eye over bouncy soul samples and synth-heavy arena rock. In 2008 - before the Kardashians, before the Twitter tirades, before the #MAGA bullshit - there was Kanye West, producer extraordinaire, brash Chicagoan, Back to the Future superfan.

Kanye west 808s and heartbreak tracks