From the
2001: A Space Odyssey
nod to the use of Japanese Taiko drums and tribal Nazca lines, Kanye seems to be veering ever closer to pop-art aesthetics, all evident in Love Lockdown. The rest of 808s & Heartbreak wanders around various topics, but Kanye himself seems to be seeing himself more as an artist than just a musician, a theme coming through in some of his many interviews with the mainstream press.
808s & Heartbreak explores new areas for hip hop and rap that feel very globalized, even strangely post-American.
Get the album on iTunes, or see Kanye's official site.
