Disconnect

Pull the plug on Ye. Not for his auto-tune "meltdown". Rather for the spare and lazy effort that was 808s & Heartbreak.

The opening Say You Will soothes; "Hey, hey, hey" and "don't say you will" take me to that zone. The choir-ish/pushing single buttons beat create that relaxing mood. "Misses so fly crash lands in my room/can't waste no time she might leave soon." Ain't that the truth. I like the grab your neck line but I feel like I've heard that feeling from Ye before (see Bittersweet). "I admit I still fantasize about you." Ye's crying out loud, awww. The only reason to scoff here is after 3 minutes Ye fancies himself so much that he lets the beat play for another 3 minutes. That seemingly is a trend that Ye wont stop. I know it's a spacey intro but Ye could have gotten deeper into his supposed dream/feelings state.

People really like Welcome to the Heartbreak? It's few pros aren't enough for repeat listens; it doesn't say anything! You're heartbroken because you're an arrogant prick who buys cribs & cars. Don't buy it. He used this "top so lonely" shit on Graduation. The pop star with a conscious doesn't sell to me anymore.

Heartless & Love Lockdown are worthy singles at any point in Ye's career. Get over the auto-tune mishap and enjoy the songs. In Ye's concept for 808s, these are the only songs he came through on.



When Paranoid comes on you move. Although extremely cliche and on not an exclusive Ye feeling, the song works on all levels. Robocop is ill. Remember this is the 808s side. It's all silly. And the singing at the end was a nice, honest jab at his girl. I'm extremely mad that he added the violins; the song's supposed to have a rugged appeal. Street Lights sounds like the morning after the Heartbreak or the numerous days sitting and dwelling. It really captures the album's concept. It's soft and subtle. Coldest Winter, yeah those drums.



If this was Ye's emotional outbreak why does he have Jeezy and Weezy spit? Even Cudi was a weak fit. And upon hearing that all these fools, including T-Pain, had actual input on 808s besides their song is chilling. Maybe that's why the album was sub par or Ye has lost his mind allowing input from these peons. Amazing sonically is annoying and doesn't fit. Trying to figure it's connection with 808s is even odder. These are the best words of headstrong after a fight you could come up with? I've got nothing to say about Jeezy's verse and him alluding to hypertension. Nightmares is even harsher on the ears. Weezy's verse wasn't that bad but *shoulder shrug* or meh.

Pass on Pinnichio Story. It's a half freestyle, half written 6 minute whatever song. Ye wants to be a real boy? Please. He can take off the Pastelle, hand in the shades and stop acting like a bitch. BUT he doesn't want to. Another case of the "top so lonely" playing like a broken record. Bad News is like a ticker tape song. On the bottom of Ye's shades you'll see this scroll across: "Bad News: Ye and girlfriend Alexis broke up how long ago? 1+ yr ago; Ye's mother died; Ye didn't win another award".

The concept is tight: actual Heartbreak mixed with fun, 808s. Ye's take on artistic expression of this though faltered horribly. Are we to buy that his spare take on love and loss is purely for art's sake, that this is how he feels--cold, uptight and unwillingly to expound? That he's feeling so shitty that he reverts to a 5 year old, sucks his thumb, doesn't say anything, goes against rap and masks his emotion with auto-tune? Hell, I bought the auto-tune bit and that's the least of my problems with 808s. Letting Coldest Winter, one of the better beats/concepts of the album, go with what, only two phrases repeated 20 times? I still hold on to it but damn, that was a waste. Were Ye's few attempts at using details about love and loss new? To me his expression was dull and quite rehashed from his previous work. Hasn't he always been introspective about women, fame and their consequences? He's been like that since day 1. If he dedicates an album and redirects a whole career to love, loss and "Pop Art", then his lyrical material better be thorough or out of this world. The downfall of most the songs was lack of material. Fine, Say You Will and Street Lights are probably better with less. But the rest could use some fine tuning. A part of me suspects Ye wants to spread his wings and fly, butterfly (no Mariah Carey). Joke aside, Ye wants to push the envelope. He wants to be remembered as that one person who changed the game. Well, he's trying too hard. I think he wanted to crush the whole world with this idea so bad, he rushed it; 3 weeks in Hawaii doesn't make an album good. He should have kept it to himself along with Pee-Wee Herman suit and Lego heart. I respect his idea and creativity wholeheartedly. BUT 808s & Heartbreaks faltered... big time. It could have been extremely solid and enjoyable but never a classic. Anyone who thinks 808s was a classic probably is rocking a Kanye scarf right now at their computer. Very little of what Ye says connected with me; his emotions have grown stale to me.

Ye is # 1 right now; it is his time. He can be whatever he wants. Everybody is aiming at him. However, Ye aimed at himself like Plaxico Burress.