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He, essentially, wrote and performed a bunch of love songs and ballads on 808s and Heartbreak. Sure, they're Auto-Tuned out of their gourds, but they're heartf
by sachinag 17y ago
He, essentially, wrote and performed a bunch of love songs and ballads on 808s and Heartbreak. Sure, they're Auto-Tuned out of their gourds, but they're heartfelt love songs, all about a girl who left him. On some, he's angry at her, and on some, he's doing his standard "I'm awesome" thing.
But, as you can imagine, most rappers don't do a concept album all about the girl who broke his heart.
- mrtron 17y agoThe additional point that maxklein made was this was coming off one of the best softcore, pop rap albums of all time. It sold something like a million in a week, and then was huge worldwide. He could have made another album like Graduation and sold 10 times the records 808 did. If you want to gain some respect for Kanye, go download the Graduation album and listen to it start to finish. Not only is it great, but it is very introspective and self-critical.
- sachinag 17y agoAbsolutely - the dude's not the best rapper, but he's easily the best lyricist of this generation.
- starkfist 17y agoindeed How could you be so Dr. Evil You're bringing out a side of me that I don't know I decided we weren't gonna speak so why we up 3 a.m. on the phone Why does she be so mad at me for, homie I don't know she's hot and cold I won't stop, won't mess my groove up cause I already know how this thing goes, You run and tell your friends that you're leavin' me They say that they don't see what you see in me You wait a couple months then you gon' see, You'll never find nobody better than me It's pure poetry. Never matched or surpassed. He's truly the Bob Dylan of our times.
- ibsulon 17y agoNo. Bob Dylan is still the Bob Dylan of our times. Go listen to Modern Times or Love and Theft again. In the genre, I'll still put Common above Kanye in lyrics, and so would Jay-Z. How about The Roots? Kayne, as a producer, does great work. His lyrics are usually good. (I'm not a fan of Misogynist hits like Kanye's Workout Plan or Golddigger, but hey.) But Bob Dylan?
- starkfist 17y agoWell, I was being sarcastic. I grew up with the rhymesayers and think Kanye's lyrics are a joke. I'd rather listen to Little Wayne, at least he's not pretending to be deep.
- swivelmaster 17y agoThey're hit or miss. I don't think the quoted line is particularly good, but some of his lyrics are very clever, or very introspective, or very funny, or all three at the same time.
- starkfist 17y agoHis beats are better than his rhymes. I generally like his albums when they first come out, but I don't feel they have much staying power.
- carbocation 17y agoI'd go with Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, Common, Kanye - in that order - for their lyrics. And really, the first three are in a league of their own.
- ibsulon 17y agoWell, just for Illmatic I'd put Nas above Kanye. Nice call on Talib Kweli, though. (Admitting to knowing and liking hip-hop is probably instant disqualification for any future YC application. :)
- yesimahuman 17y agoI don't think Kanye's work is all that ground breaking. However, it is ground breaking in the mainstream, and he is bringing depth to a shallow mainstream genre. I think that is is main achievement. If you listen to music outside of the mainstream (yes, even rap), 808s and Heartbreak doesn't seem like that original or impressive of an album, and there are works by other artists that are far less appreciated or noticed but could make bigger impacts both musically and socially. I do, however, really enjoy a few of the songs on that album, and I think Kanye is an inspiring person even if he can be a total douche.