808s & Heartbreak

About 808s & Heartbreak

808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by American hip hop producer and vocalist Kanye West. It was released on November 24, 2008, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West recorded the album during September and October 2008 at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii, with the help of producers No I. D., Jeff Bhasker and others. Guest appearances are featured from Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, Mr Hudson, and Lil Wayne. Conceived in the wake of several distressing personal events, 808s & Heartbreak marked a major musical departure from West's previous rap records, instead featuring a sparse, electronic sound and West singing through an Auto-Tune vocal processor. His lyrics explore themes of loss, alienated fame, and heartache, while the album's production abandons conventional hip hop sounds in favor of a minimalist sonic palette, which includes prominent use of the titular Roland TR-808 drum machine. 808s & Heartbreak debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 450,145 copies in its first week. Despite varying responses from listeners, the album received positive reviews from most music critics, who generally commented on West's experimentation, and was named one of 2008's best records in several year-end lists. Four singles were released in promotion, including the hit singles "Love Lockdown" and "Heartless". more »