How Kanye West’s ‘808s & Heartbreak’ Influenced A New Generation of Rap

Kanye West’s 2008 album, '808s & Heartbreak,' turns ten years old this week. Inspired by the death of his mother, Donda West, as well as the end of his engagement to Alexis Phifer, the album threw fans and critics for a loop with its radical departure from the sounds that made Kanye famous.