quote:

Originally posted by RapidFire its good. I hear a lot of 80s influence in it (Tears For Fears in particular) the last track is basically 'Memories Fade' and I hear Mad World in the intro of 'Amazing'. thought I should point that out but yeah definetly great record.

Yeah, it has an eighties vibe for me too. "Welcome to Heartbreak" and "Say You Will" are tops on the album I think.

Hate on vocoders all you want, but this is no T-Pain album. Instead of doing the same old thing every top 40 track has done with autotune, I think he's taken it a step further.

I do agree that the Lil Wayne track is by far the worst... don't know why Kanye even did any collabs on this one.

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Haha, that vid is so on the money.

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quote:

Originally posted by tctitan as for influences, he said he went to a daft punk concert & said it was the best show he's ever seen & he's been majorly influenced by them artistically.

As if that wasn't already fucking obvious. Also, I believe his reference to their "influence" on his music should be more along the lines of:

"... he said he went to a Daft Punk concert and noticed the massive amount of success the tour had, and decided to capitalize on it."

I can understand using autotune on one or two tracks just for the "effect", but Christ, if you're going to use it as much as he has then it's blatantly obvious that there's something he's not capable of. Horrible album, in my opinion. Cheese.

Everyone knows he can't sing or rap. Still an excellent producer.

Think about it. If you had his status would you not put out solo albums just because you suck at rapping? Fuck no. He knows people will eat that shit up just because he is Kanye. I would do the exact same thing given the opportunity.

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I've never been able to eat a whole baby.
Kill the women. Eat the children.
It's just one of those days where you want to bend over everyone you know and kiss their ass goodbye with a big sideways boot.

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quote:

Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov Yeah, it has an eighties vibe for me too. "Welcome to Heartbreak" and "Say You Will" are tops on the album I think. Hate on vocoders all you want, but this is no T-Pain album. Instead of doing the same old thing every top 40 track has done with autotune, I think he's taken it a step further. I do agree that the Lil Wayne track is by far the worst... don't know why Kanye even did any collabs on this one.

look everything sounds the same thru autotune. everything. the tonality of his voice compared to everyone else that has done it is minute. you can't give him creative points for something that has been beat to death.

Half of this is good. Paranoid is probably the strongest track for me. I give him credit for actually trying something different.

commons universal mind control > kanyes love lockdown

For those that say Kanye can not rap. I beg to differ. he has quite a few verses that are incredibly strong and well written.

Just an example from "All Falls Down"

I say fuck the police, thats how I treat em
We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom
We'll buy a lot of clothes when we don't really need em
Things we buy to cover up what's inside
Cause they make us hate ourself and love they wealth
That's why shortys hollering "where the ballas' at?"
Drug dealer buy Jordans, crackhead buy crack
And a white man get paid off of all of that
But I ain't even gon act holier than thou
Cause fuck it, I went to Jacob with 25 thou
Before I had a house and I'd do it again
Cause I wanna be on 106 and Park pushing a Benz
I wanna act ballerific like it's all terrific
I got a couple past due bills, I won't get specific
I got a problem with spending before I get it
We all self conscious I'm just the first to admit it

And yes the whole album is autotune. Im sick of it myself but good music is good music reguardless. So far my favorite from the album has been "Bad News" and "Coldest Winter".

As for the "hes ripping off Daft Punk" argument. Last I checked Daft Punk approves of what hes doing and the visuals he uses for his performances yes they have a strong DP influence (after all they helped him out and cameo'd in "Stronger"). But hell ask anyone who saw the "Glow in the Dark" tour if the visuals wernt incredible. I like that DP rubbed off on his visuals he uses during performances.

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I will never be forgotten. I will only fade as time goes on from your conscious thoughts

Ricardo Villalobos - 808 The Bassqueen

quote:

Originally posted by Imagin For those that say Kanye can not rap. I beg to differ. he has quite a few verses that are incredibly strong and well written. Just an example from "All Falls Down" I say fuck the police, thats how I treat em We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom We'll buy a lot of clothes when we don't really need em Things we buy to cover up what's inside Cause they make us hate ourself and love they wealth That's why shortys hollering "where the ballas' at?" Drug dealer buy Jordans, crackhead buy crack And a white man get paid off of all of that But I ain't even gon act holier than thou Cause fuck it, I went to Jacob with 25 thou Before I had a house and I'd do it again Cause I wanna be on 106 and Park pushing a Benz I wanna act ballerific like it's all terrific I got a couple past due bills, I won't get specific I got a problem with spending before I get it We all self conscious I'm just the first to admit it And yes the whole album is autotune. Im sick of it myself but good music is good music reguardless. So far my favorite from the album has been "Bad News" and "Coldest Winter". As for the "hes ripping off Daft Punk" argument. Last I checked Daft Punk approves of what hes doing and the visuals he uses for his performances yes they have a strong DP influence (after all they helped him out and cameo'd in "Stronger"). But hell ask anyone who saw the "Glow in the Dark" tour if the visuals wernt incredible. I like that DP rubbed off on his visuals he uses during performances.

His lyrics are ok, but his flow and delivery are absolutely terrible. No breath control at all. You need to listen to some people who can actually rap well, and have much more profound lyrics all in one package.

For me the lyrics on something like this are light years ahead. Not to mention the flow, delivery, and breath control delivered by Vinny Paz are way better than anything Kanye could ever do.

Shara Worden:
I know that times were hard
I know that you've been feelin' down
If you only knew how I'm feelin'
For you
If I could take your pain
I wish that I could wash it all away
If you only knew how i'm feelin'

Mommy I'm sorry if my first letter made you cry
To be honest with you I don't think that I wanna die
Sometimes I feel like that I'm cancerous in others lives
Thats probably why I drink at night and sleep till 4 or 5
It's kinda hard walking through life with my distorted eyes
When I was younger I was stupid and I thought I thrived
I thought alot about everything I said in the letter
And questioned whether or not if I was dead you'd be better
You think my shorty would be happy if I never met her
It's too late now mommy I could never forget her
Could never forget how she told me to love
Cuz my father and my grandmother is always above
It's glory above you know that daddy taught me to thug
And everytime we was with nanny she'd bombard me with hugs (damn)
I MISS 'EM mommy and it's hard to believe
That I'm grown and I don't understand it - why did they leave

(Better to die and sleep then never wake and sleep)
(Then linger on and dare to live when your souls life is gone)

Shara Worden:
You've been runnin' around for so long
You've been hurting yourself too much
You keep messin' around with darkness
You're the one who's losin
x2

Mommy I think Im'a that try to stick around a while
I got a niece and my nephews they need me around a while
I think they need me cuz they hittin that age
And they ain't tryin to speak to Lenny cuz they spittin' they rage
And mommy speakin of Lenny I think my brother need me
And we Italian so you know my mother loved to feed me
And it's the little things you do for me that make it worth it
Like when I play a joint that we did and you say it's perfect
And when Jay got knocked you knew that I was hurt
You told me put all of my heart in a song and it worked
I promised him I'd be there when he got out the bing
You ain't raised me to be a liar ma' thats not my thing
I told him that I'd hold him down the whole time that he gone
they kept him locked in a cage but thats cool cuz hes strong
so mommy keep that first letter I wrote you on the low
I think I wanna stay alive and see if I can grow

Shara Worden:
You've been runnin' around for so long
You've been hurting yourself too much
You keep messin' around with darkness
You're the one who's losing
x2

(you have power and money, but you are mortal, you know you can not escape death, but immortality can be obtained,

the legend is always the same, if others have succeeded conquering death why must we accept it, I know where

immortals live and how to obtain their secret, we too might become wisemen. The elements of chemistry are many, but finite, so are the

techniques of enlightenment..)

Shara Worden:
I know that times were hard
I know that you've been feelin' down
If you only knew how im feelin'
For you
If I could take your pain
I wish that I could wash it all away
If you only knew how i'm feelin'

___________________
I've never been able to eat a whole baby.
Kill the women. Eat the children.
It's just one of those days where you want to bend over everyone you know and kiss their ass goodbye with a big sideways boot.

Latest Mix

Jedi Mind Tricks is a great underground group. I am a huge fan of their work. Albeit im not a fan of his "gay bashing" phase he was in pretty badly (Visions of Ghandi). Servents in Heaven, Kings in Hell was my favorite rap album of 07.

The song you quoted "Razorblade Salvation" is one of my favorites. Honestly when it comes to flow i prefer Slug of Atmosphere for his expressiveness of the words (Staying with underground rappers). Vinnie when he gets deep is incredible to listen to but sometimes he does get repetitive with all the talk of violence he can get into. The 2nd Army of the Pharoahs album suffered from that. There was nothing to break up the monatany of of violent beat your head in lyrics (albiet their wordplay is incredible) instead of something to take you away from all that (Into the arms of angels made "Torture Papers" for me)

So I agree that Kanyes delivery is not on par with the absolute best in hip hop. But his lyrical content is definitly above average and the beats he crafts for himself are top notch. Back on topic 808 and hearbreaks you cant tell me listening to that album he didnt put his heart on wax and bare himself. Expecially when you consider "Heartless" is talking about his girlfriend of the last few years and loosing his mother "Coldest Winter".

___________________
I will never be forgotten. I will only fade as time goes on from your conscious thoughts

Yeah I don't appreciate the gay bashing either or the violent references to Islam. I agree with you about Kanye, he is an amazing producer and he always goes all out. But I don't think he is a world class rapper.

___________________
I've never been able to eat a whole baby.
Kill the women. Eat the children.
It's just one of those days where you want to bend over everyone you know and kiss their ass goodbye with a big sideways boot.

Latest Mix