The central theme of the album is about loss, failed-relationships or just heartbreak in general.

Kanye’s lyrics are forlorn, vulnerable and depressive. The instrumentals feature icy piano keys, mournful string sections and of course, a boatload of 808s. In comparison, 808s was much darker, bleaker and more emotionally distressing, which perfectly depicted Kanye’s state of mind around that time. And the tone, the lyrics and the overall atmosphere of the album were completely different from West’s previous works that found him utilizing a lot of soul samples. Kanye’s fourth studio album was named “808s & Heartbreak” with the title being inspired by the Roland TR-808 Drum Machine. And so one of the most influential records of the past decade was born. And he believed that in order to do that, he would have to go through a musical sea-change and go beyond just rap. Kanye wanted to express the emotional torment he was going through in his music. The remnants of these traumatic events and the media scrutiny overwhelmed West, resulting in Kanye scrapping what would have been the fourth installment in his series of Education-themed albums and completely starting anew. And in the process, Kanye found himself in a position he’s never been in before.

Afterwards, Kanye also called it quits with his long-time partner and fiancée Alexis Phifer. In November of 2007, Kanye’s mother Donda West tragically passed away. But just when one would assume life couldn’t get any better for Mr.West, tragedy strikes. By that time, Kanye has already cemented himself as a significant voice in the entire music industry and his sound and style, which usually don’t involve imageries about gangs or drugs pushed the entire genre forward and created room for up-and-coming rappers who didn’t go through violent childhoods and instead had different stories to share. Kanye emerged victorious and the album received wide acclaim from both fans and critics alike. In 2007, Kanye West was at the top of the world, his third studio album “Graduation” was put up against 50 Cent’s “Curtis” album in the form of a sales competition.

Kanye west 808s and heartbreak tracks