Kanye is well on his way to becoming the most acclaimed artist of all time. While appearing in this Rolling Stone article is undoubtedly one of Ye's more low-key honors, it does serve as a reminder of how influential he is, not just in hip-hop, but in music as a whole.
"Kanye West's Auto-Tune-heavy, emotionally naked fourth album came after a brutal year during which his mother died and his engagement broke up," said the magazine. "But the album's cavernous sound and exposed-soul lyrics confused even those who had been aware of West's recent trials. Its core aesthetic was like nothing in Hip Hop: freshly butchered feelings enumerated in detail, but masked by digital processing; beds of spare synths used to balance a mix of singing and rapping. However, over time it served as a new template for up-and-comers in Hip Hop and R&B. Drake cited West as his budding sound's 'most influential person' when he was hustling mixtapes, while artists like Future further tweaked the idea of using Auto-Tune as a way to convey emotions that evoke too much feeling when spoken of explicitly."
Is Kanye's spot on the list well-deserved? Let us know what you think. Meanwhile, you can peep the full list right over here. Other hip-hop inclusions are Dr. Dre's The Chronic, Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, and Run-D.M.C.'s self-titled debut.
