Kanye West’s emotional auto-tune triumph, 808s and Heartbreak! After a blistering three album run from College Dropout to Graduation, Kanye was very much on top of the rap game in 2008. However, the loss of his mother and the end of his engagement with his fiancé served to inspire the themes and soundscapes of his next record. This record right from the first track ‘Say You Will’ delivers with its despondent vocals and ice cold synths and bass, with Kanye’s more emotive delivery really varying up the tracklist. This album is equipped with some of Kanye’s finest hooks and production including the immediately catchy ‘Heartless’, the driving pulsating grooves of ‘Paranoid’, the gorgeous ballad ‘Street Lights’ and the amazing interpolation of Tears for Fears on the closer ‘Coldest Winter’. Kanye’s consistent commitment to the moody and emotional sounds while also offering plenty of levity through his various Kanye-isms is nothing short of phenomenal and served to be a strong influence on many hip-hop artists today such as Kid Cudi, Drake and Travis Scott.