 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
808s & Heartbreak
- By Kanye West
- Genre: Pop
Common Sense Media says
Mostly tame tales of woe from rapper turned singer.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this excellent album shows a different side of rapper Kanye West. He's switched from rapping to singing, and tackles the heavier subject matter of loss and loneliness. The lyrics are clean, with not even one expletive slipping out (a grand feat considering Young Jeezy and Lil' Wayne appear on the album).
What's the story?
808s & HEARTBREAK is Kanye West's fourth CD and follows in the footsteps of his coming of age "education" trilogy, which featured the most recently released hit LP Graduation in 2007. After the release of that album, West experienced several personal challenges, including the widely publicized death of his mother. 808s has been described by West as "therapeutic" and the dozen tracks on the album deal with all aspects of loneliness, heartbreak, and sorrow. But West manages to add a positive spin to his struggles. The title comes from West's incorporation of the Roland TR-808 drum machine, which can be heard throughout the album.
Is it any good?
With a mix of speaking, rapping, and synthesized harmonies, West's vocals are approachable and heartfelt. He brings together elements like operatic samples, tribal drum beats, and Electronica to create a musical collage that works.
Auto-tune (pitch correction technology) is used sparingly by West and in just the right places. "RoboCop" and "Pinocchio Story" are two stand-out tracks on the album. "Streetlights" has an infectiously poetic chorus, "Things ain't always set in stone…seems like street lights glowing, happen to be just like moments passing in front of me, so I hopped in the cab and I paid my fare, see I know my destination, but I'm just not there."
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how West has changed over the years. Do you think he is a better rapper or singer? On this album West experiments with various musical technologies. Do you think more artists should try new things like this? Why do you think West chose to release this album over Thanksgiving weekend? Do you think a lot of music is marketed for holiday gift buying?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
An unusual still excellent release from a talented rapper
This release is less good than his other release, but still manages to be excellent. With quite simple lyrics and deep electronic music Kanye overall talks about being heartbroken. It's hard to choose which tracks are the best, since you'd switch from Robocop to Paranoid then Street Lights or Welcome to Heartbreak (with Kid Cudi). The message may be too deep for children under 12, but then there's no problem, it's just a question of maturity. The only offensive word used is censored, so this album is melodically great for everybody, and lyrically better for teens and up. (for its theme)
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Kid, 12 years old
May 23, 2010
AGE
older kids
I love his songs, but they can get annoying
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AGE
The best
This is the best album but in see you in my nightmares lil wanye says sh*t.
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AGE
This is a great album. Kanye West pieces together poetic yet catchy lyrics with great electronic sounds. A must-have. Okay, sure he's not so good of a role model but atleast his music's good! No violence. There's one sexual reference (I can make you come...I can make you go) that will fly off the top of kid's heads. No language. No drug content.
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AGE
13 and up.
This album is really good. Its very clean, and doesn't have many things wrong with it at all. It soo much cleaner than Graduation, and some of his other albums.
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AGE
This mom really likes it...
As the parent of a 12 year old girl, I want to help her find music that isn't too adult in concept or language, but something that her friends like as well. This album is excellent for all of these requirements. I was surprised that I liked so many of the tracks. A few are pretty uneventful and unexciting, but for the most part, these are great songs. I also checked out the disc Graduation, which I liked as well. I think Kanye West just found a new "mom" fan.
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AGE
This truly is an excellent album.
Kanye West's use of the autotune is perfectly placed. The lyrics are about loneliness and loss. I recommend the tracks, robocop, heartless, amazing ,street lights and most of all, see you in my nightmares. This album shows the maturity of Kanye without being tedious or boring.
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AGE
Good...and Bad
Good CD, but unforunatly, Kanye isn't a good role model.
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AGE
I'm Sorry...
I just really thougth that this album was a dissapointment. Tracks like 'Say You Will' is tedious and boring. I bought this album thinking I was in for a treat. Nope. The few songs there are on this album gice it something to fall back on, like 'Welcome to Heartbreak,' 'RoboCop,' and 'Paraniod.' Otherwise, it's like bread without yeast.
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| Artist: | Kanye West |
| Release date: | November 24, 2008 |
| Label: | Roc-A-Fella |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Parental advisory: | No |
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