Yeezy performed “Say You Will” during his Coachella set in 2011. The opening track shows listeners that Kanye is embarking on new territory creatively, implementing icy synths and an electronic buzzsaw cutting through fans’ ears with a sonic that’s foreign to most hip-hop fans. The aggressive electronic beat has Wayne rapping over it in auto-tune, a feature he’s embraced throughout his career, caressing the hook of the break-up anthem, “I got the right to put up a fight/ But not quite cause you cut off my light/ But my sight is better tonight/ And I might see you in my nightmare.” Continuing with the dark project’s theme, the collabo is properly titled, “See You In My Nightmares.” Kanye and Weezy never truly connected for an epic record, while both dominated the late 2000s. Yeezy enlists Lil Wayne, who was at the top of the hip-hop world in 2008, for one of his precise use of features on the project. “See You In My Nightmares,” Featuring Lil Wayne The nearly four-minute track boasts one of the most memorable outros on the album, without saying one word.ġ0. The soulful “Bad News” details relationship situations that Kanye has experienced throughout his life rapping, “People will talk like it’s old news/ I played it off and act like I already knew/ Let me ask you how long have you known dude/ You played it off and act like he’s brand new.” After two minutes of emotional bars, the record then switches to a full instrumental with a blaring drum beat over bold synths tunefully fused behind piano keys. One of the few tracks on the album that is actually from a female’s perspective. “Pinocchio Story” was most recently performed during Yeezy’s two-night Hollywood Bowl cinematic expression with a 10-minute extended version. There was never a studio version recorded because it would’ve taken away from the realness of the song, where Kanye touches on his imperfections and disconnect from the real world, which coincided with the LP’s theme. It wasn’t planned to be a part of the album until Beyonce fell in love with the raw recording of the track, which really made it special, audience shrieks included.

The cathartic “Pinocchio Story” was first performed in Singapore as a freestyle before 808s & Heartbreak was even released.

808s and heartbreak poster