Kanye West808s & Heartbreak

Built entirely on programmed Roland TR-808 drum machines and minimal analog synths after Kanye's mother died and his engagement ended. Auto-Tune splits the difference between T-Pain's R&B and the glacial loneliness of '80s new wave. 'Love Lockdown' mimics a heartbeat with tribal drums and a stark piano melody. 'Heartless' is impossibly catchy and rawly vulnerable. 'Street Lights' is perhaps the most poignant track, a melancholic meditation on loneliness. Initially polarizing, 808s became arguably the most influential hip-hop album of the 2000s, blueprinting the sounds of Drake, Kid Cudi, and Travis Scott. Includes 2 LPs, full CD, poster, and lyric sheet.