One decade after Kanye West released his 808s & Heartbreak album, producer Malik Yusef announced he will helm a U.S. tour that pays tribute to the seminal project; however, 'Ye will not participate.
The event—sponsored and hosted by Yusef—will instead feature local artists performing tracks off the LP. Each act will be selected by their respective cities through an online voting process. The details of this system have not been revealed.
"Any musicians have the ability to be a part of the tour, as the musical acts will be curated through an open application audition," Yusef explained in a press release. "Each artist or group will perform songs from the 808s & Heartbreak album in their own style, paying tribute to Kanye West's original tracks."
The 15-city trek will begin in Los Angeles, followed by stops in NYC, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Miami, with a final show in San Francisco. Dates will be posted on Yusef's official website and Instagram at a later date.
Yusef recently spoke to Rolling Stone magazine about his contributions to 808s & Heartbreak, for which he both wrote and produced. He explained 'Ye's mental state going into the project and what they were trying to convey through the music.
"He went deep inside himself and addressed those utterly dark, sick emotions that exist, the doubts, the fears, which makes for obviously a great tale," Yusef told the magazine. "[...] We were addressing heartbreak and heartbreak is a two-way street. Sometimes you get your heart broken and sometimes somebody breaks your heart and you gotta own that [...] That's one thing we like the least, to say 'I made a mistake. I did something wrong. I must atone or repent or redeem myself.' That’s where we were like, 'Yo, what have you done wrong, though?' I think Kanye’s always in that space."
