Song: Love Lockdown

Song: Love Lockdown
Artist: Kanye West
Album: Love Lockdown




Over the course of his three albums I have become more and more interested in Kanye West. I’m not a huge hip-hop fan, and have over the last several years become more and more disconnected with what’s been coming out. But Kanye is different. He’s been amping up his game, incorporating different musical styles with his productions. In fact, I can’t really name anyone that’s been pushing things forward more in that world. Even Missy Elliot, whom I am a huge fan of, hasn’t really been very innovative with her last two records.

After the surprise announcement of a new album in December, Kanye surprised all with his a performance of a new song, “Love Lockdown” at the end of MTV’s Video Music Awards. The response was decidedly mixed, as he didn’t rap on the song, he sang (with the help of autotune) and the song itself was very different from what he’s done in the past.

Check it out:



Shortly afterward Kanye posted a studio version of the song that again, got his blog buzzing with a lot of feedback, and a lot of it negative. So, in what surprised me (for Kanye) he came back with a newly mixed version. New vocals, new beats, just fleshed it out. And it was a unanimously considered improvement. It takes Kanye in a very exciting new direction and one that makes me very excited for his excellently named new album, “808’s & Heartbreak.”

“Love Lockdown” is a slow-building, almost “In the Air Tonight”-like ode to a relationship gone bad. I know nothing about his personal life, so not sure if this is something true to life or not. Either way, I was starting to think that Kanye might be the true future of hip hop, and now I’m starting to think he could be the future of music. Staying tuned here.

Enjoy.