This sequence of events is reflected in his recently released album, "808s & Heartbreak," where life events have inspired him to create a sound completely different than what we have ever heard from Kanye.To truly appreciate "808s & Heartbreak," you must first understand the meaning behind the title. "808s" refers to the classic Roland TR-808 synthesizer drum machine, which is used on every track and infuses a 1980's-sounding electronic beat. Additionally, the record was produced in the 808 area code, located in Hawaii. "Heartbreak" refers to multiple elements of the record, including Kanye's vocals recorded through the T-Pain-popularized Auto-Tune, which gives the tracks a raw feel that expresses heartbreak more effectively than simply singing or rapping, the chest thumping taiko drums and trance from the choir monks.

The tone of the album is set from the moment the listener hits play. "Say You Will" begins with the monk choir. pulling the listener in. The deep and introspective lyrics engage the listener into contemplating the emotions that Kanye is conveying, and the chorus of him singing, "Hey, hey, hey, hey," will be stuck in the listener's head for days. Quite possibly the deepest lyrics of the record are found in this first song when Kanye states, "When I grab your neck, I touch your soul."

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