But Kanye has always been more of a master assimilator: He's achieved in part because he's used wealth and fame to explore the wider world- culturally and artistically- rather than shut himself off from it. Stylized Auto-Tune seems to be on about every third song on top 40 radio these days, making West seem like an opportunist or a bandwagon-jumper.

In part it's because it's not what people want or expect from Kanye West. So why is this approach, from this guy, now such a problem?

And, lest we forget, Kanye West himself made his name as a producer in part thanks to his 'chipmunk soul' vocal samples. In this decade, records like Radiohead's Kid A/ Amnesiac, the Knife's Silent Shout, and Daft Punk's Discovery were heralded in part for screwing with vocals last year both Battles and Dan Deacon revived the old Alvin and the Chipmunks trick of shifting pitches and speeds and Bon Iver's forthcoming EP features a song sung through vocoder. But vocal manipulation isn't only the practice of radio-ready rap, of course- it's been a signpost for 'futuristic music' ever since Joe Meek heard 'a New World' almost 50 years ago. The recent embrace of the common studio aid seems akin to pro wrestling saying, 'Fuck it, this isn't real' and making it more transparent and scripted (and successful).

808s and heartbreak hat