Last year’s “Welcome To Heartbreak” was one of the outstanding songs for Kanye West and his 808’s & Heartbreak album. The song proved to be a major introduction for Kid Cudi‘s vocal talents, but also a Rap first, so says its creator. In the new book, Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Story Behind The Song (CSS Books), the Hip Hop superstar emcee/producer annotates his track, claiming it to be the first time an emcee criticized wealth and material things in his own possession.
West writes that the song spawned out of a conversation he shared with MTV producer Dave Sirulnick, which involved the man showing pictures of children to the entertainer, prompting an image used in the song. Kanye adds that he wishes for marriage and a family, but has yet to attain those things, due to a number of reasons in his life.
“It was the first time a rap artist spoke condescendingly about property, possessions like a sports car. People are so concerned with what they have or what other people have instead of what’s really important – other people. Things like cars are usually used to show how people make it, but there is nothing more important than home and family,” writes West.
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The annotation also explains West‘s pursuit of privacy to feel human, and talks about relationships and how the loss of the mother influenced the platinum-selling 2008 album.
Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Story Behind The Song hits book stores November 10. Songs from John Legend, Smokey Robinson and Hall & Oates are also included – 101 in all.
