There’s no doubt that Kanye West changed the Hip Hop tide and the conversation numerous times. He, among others, have been unafraid to push the envelope and try something different.

Rolling Stone recently recognized the efforts of Mr. West, ranking his 808s & Heartbreak album as one of the “most groundbreaking albums of all time.”

“Kanye West’s Auto-Tune-heavy, emotionally naked fourth album came after a brutal year during which his mother died and his engagement broke up,” the famed music-based magazine wrote. “But the album’s cavernous sound and exposed-soul lyrics confused even those who had been aware of West’s recent trials. Its core aesthetic was like nothing in Hip Hop: freshly butchered feelings enumerated in detail, but masked by digital processing; beds of spare synths used to balance a mix of singing and rapping. However, over time it served as a new template for up-and-comers in Hip Hop and R&B. Drake cited West as his budding sound’s ‘most influential person’ when he was hustling mixtapes, while artists like Future further tweaked the idea of using Auto-Tune as a way to convey emotions that evoke too much feeling when spoken of explicitly.”

Kanye released his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. Initially the LP was met with mixed reviews as West strayed from his usual sound in favor of a more auto-tune based melody. Over time the album has widely been recognized as one that changed the genre.

Other Hip Hop albums mentioned include Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Run-D.M.C.’s self-titled debut.

Read the full Rolling Stone story here.

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