A Very Brief Treatise on Kanye West

Remember when Kanye West was known as simply a good producer who relied on soul samples?

Well, it seems as though those days are long behind him; love him or hate him, you have to admit that West has come a long way from "College Dropout," both as a producer and an emcee. He has, in my estimation, gone from being a top-tier producer to the most creative and talented artist in hip-hop period. His soulful beats have become epic, orchestral works with a fullness that puts his earlier work to shame. Even a beat as stellar as the one he put together for "Never Let You Down" pales in comparison to the sheer brilliance that was his production work for a song like "I Wonder." Why? Because Kanye is one of the few hip-hop acts left--mainstream or underground--who consistently pushes himself and gives himself challenges. It is the reason that his work has gotten better with each album, with "College Dropout" being well-done, yet largely bereft of serious subject matter, "Late Registration" being better lyrically, sonically, and topically, and "Graduation" being his most mature work to date. The ego that drives him to meltdown during the MTV VMAs is also the same ego that pushes him to be the best artist he possibly can be.

What, then, do I make him Kanye's next project, entitled "808s and Heartbreak"? I think it's an example of Kanye toeing the line between greatness and failure. From a career standpoint, it's a progression that is both logical and illogical. Logical because doing something like making an entire album where one sings through an auto-tuner is something no one else has done, and illogical because the auto-tuner itself has been so overused in hip-hop as of late. It's unlike West to trendhop, much less make said trendhopping the basis of an entire album. However, West is creative enough to make it work, particularly given his production prowess. Judging from the two singles leaked already, he seems to have the right idea. "Love Lockdown" isn't the best song he's done, but it's a good enough single; I'm more of a fan of "Heartless," personally.

Check out the first two singles below:

Heartless:


Love Lockdown: