Kanye West suffered a broken heart, learning it was lonely at the top. Then his mother passed away from complications of cosmetic surgery, creating a huge void in his life. On top of all that some sick joker turned him on to the suicidal post-punk sounds of The Cure’s “Pornogaphy” and “Movement” by New Order. Kanye’s new “808s & Heartbreak” collection has split fans and critics the same way those seminal early-’80s mope-core classics did. With the exception that those two bands weren’t, I dunno, among the biggest mainstream pop stars in the world at the time! Kanye trying to sing is truly the bravest, or insanest, artistic move by a major entertainment brand in recent memory. “See You In My Nightmares” features Lil’ Wayne in a true bargain, more Auto Tune bang than you can get anywhere else for a buck.

by Mark Emge