A new Kanye West release hit the web November 17, and it wasn't his newest album, 808s & Heartbreak, which is slated for release just before Thanksgiving weekend. Sky High, a new West mixtape featuring remixes of tracks the rapper produced for various big-name hip-hop DJs and producers, served as a little taste for fans anxiously awaiting 808s & Heartbreak. Compiled by DJ Benzi and Kanye's friend Plain Pat, Sky High was released on http://Imeem.com first and then distributed to hip-hop blogs afterward. Benzi, who calls Ann Arbor, Michigan home, told MTV that the mixtape was commissioned by West and his camp just over a year ago when he was given a cappellas and other session tapes primarily from West's albums Late Registration and Graduation. Among the remixers that appear on Sky High are Kanye West's former touring DJ A-Track, New York DJ legend Stretch Armstrong, club-rap producer Diplo, and house music king Kenny Dope. Benzi told MTV that “each remix had at least five revisions before finally complete. And I'm sure it drove some of the producers insane. In the end, I'm psyched about the project. I think we did all of his classics justice.” While you get psyched about West's two new releases, try http://www.stubhub.com/kanye-west-tickets for Kanye West tickets.



Rapper Kanye West is no stranger to the other side of the studio glass, as he got his start in the music business producing hits like “This Can't Be Life” for Jay-Z. The hip-hop king was so impressed with West that he gave him a major-label recording contract, and in 2004 Kanye West released his debut album, The College Dropout. The album debuted at number two and showed that making the jump from producer to MC was seamless for West with popular singles like “All Falls Down,” “Through the Wire” and “Jesus Walks.” With his next two releases, 2005's Late Registration and 2007's Graduation (are you sensing a theme yet?), West soared to the Number One spot on the charts and proved his penchant for creating controversy when he uttered the famous words “George Bush doesn't care about black people” during a Hurricane Katrina telethon. The controversy continued when West and rapper 50 Cent engaged in a war-of-the-record sales in 2007; West's Graduation outsold 50's album by a landslide thanks to hot singles like “Can't Tell Me Nothing,” “Good Life” and “Stronger.” Subsequent to releasing his third effort, West embarked on the ambitious Glow in the Dark tour featuring opener Rihanna, and the rapper is sure to hit the road in 2009 so get your Kanye West tickets as soon as they go on sale!

In mid-October 2008, Kanye West held a listening party for 808s & Heartbreak in which he played emotional singles “Heartless” and “Love Lockdown,” among other tracks, and revealed his new vocal style that features him singing rather than rapping (the vocals are then treated with the electro “auto-tune” effect). West explained to the group of 700 friends and fans (and media) that the album is an entirely new direction for him, and also one that fans will surely love.