This samples the title track of The Alan Parsons Project’s 1984 album Ammonia Avenue. They’re characterized by a punchy low-end subby-ness that is easily tunable to different pitches. What are 808 beats?Ĩ08s are a type of electronic percussion sample that originates from the Roland TR-808 drum machine. The 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine. It became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic, dance, and hip hop genres, popularized by early hits such as “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye and “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force. The 808 of the title is a reference to the Roland TR-808 drum machine, used heavily in the album. Recording sessions took place at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and at Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii. The album was recorded over a span of approximately three weeks from September to October 2008. What does 808 mean in 808s and heartbreak? The Atlanta-born artist also hits the headlines for his eccentric sense of style, his struggles with mental health, and of course his marriage to mega-star Kim Kardashian. Kanye West is one of the most famous rappers of all time – but he’s not just known for his music.
808 is also often mistakenly referenced as the penal code for “disturbing the peace.” Why Kanye is the most influential? What does 808 stand for?Ĩ08 is the common nickname for the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, an electronic drum machine from the 1980s popular in hip-hop music. The current state of rap would undoubtedly be incredibly different. Without this album, who knows whether the genre would have grown the way that it did. Through “808s and Heartbreak” West welcomed the rap game into a new world-one of greater intimacy, vulnerability and creativity. WHY IS 808’s and Heartbreak so influential? For the iTunes release of 808s & Heartbreak, Brooklyn based artist KAWS has created a special a special album cover as well as some album art. Whether or not you like his new musical approach, the album will be dropping next week on November 24th, 2008.
Lyrically, Kanye wanders into new poetic territory with lines like “ and that haunted me, all the way home.” It works in part because it’s surprising to hear such ambient soul come from Kanye’s mouth (so to speak), but "Love Lockdown" is predictable compared to the rest of 808s, an album that sometimes sounds more like Coldplay than the work of a man who can’t be told nothin'. (How many other rappers could say that if we can continue to call Kanye a “rapper?”) " Love Lockdown" takes a more eclectic approach, floating on a repetitive piano line and sparse bass before exploding into a drum-heavy chorus. If we take away one lesson from this album it’s that Kanye doesn’t have to rap in order to make hits.