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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Gareth Grundy

Urban review: Kanye West, Love Lockdown

Two years ago, Kanye West called himself the 'the number one human being in music', but since then he's discovered a little humility, with hip hop's most compelling protagonist humbled by the internet, of all things. He leaked his new single, a prelude to next month's album 808s and Hearthbreak online last month, no doubt expecting acclaim. Instead, fans were baffled by its synthesized vocal and shuffling drums, which were quickly beefed up, adding drama to what was previously a dirge. The bloggers were right and the superstar was wrong, although smart enough to use them as a focus group. Welcome to the new world.

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