kanye west biography.com

Kanye West is an outspoken Grammy Award-winning rapper, record producer and fashion designer.

Who Is Kanye West?

Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 8, 1977. His father, Ray, was a photojournalist for the Atlanta Journal newspaper and was also politically active in the Black Panthers; he later became a Christian counselor. West's mother, Donda, was a teacher who became a professor of English at Chicago State University, and eventually, her son's manager before she died at the age of 58 from heart disease after cosmetic surgery in 2007. Her passing would profoundly affect West musically as well as personally.

Ray and Donda divorced amicably when West was three. After that he was raised on Chicago's middle-class South Shore neighborhood by his mother, and spent summers with his father. At the age of 10, West moved for a year with Donda to China, where she taught as part of a university-exchange program; he was the only foreigner in his class. After returning to Chicago, West was drawn to the South Side's hip-hop scene, and he befriended the DJ and producer No I.D., who became his mentor. West graduated from Polaris High School and won a scholarship to study at Chicago's American Academy of Art — but dropped out of college altogether to pursue music, an act that would inform the title of his first solo album years later.

Music Producer

After spending time producing for local artists, West developed a signature style, dubbed "chipmunk soul," characterized by sped-up soul samples. He then moved to New York in 2001. Here he got his big break handling the production for the Jay-Z track "This Can't Be Life," which appeared on the 2000 album Dynasty: Roc La Familia . The following year he cemented his burgeoning reputation by producing four songs on Jay Z's The Blueprint , widely regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of all time. From there, West went on to produce for other stellar talents, including the rappers Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Ludacris , and the singers Alicia Keys and Beyoncé .

But West was not content to be a backroom player. He wanted to be the headline act but initially struggled to be taken seriously as a rapper. He pleaded with Roc-A-Fella records to let him rap, but as co-founder Jay-Z later told Time magazine, "We all grew up street guys who had to do whatever we had to do to get by. Then there's Kanye, who to my knowledge has never hustled a day in his life. I didn't see how it could work." West got a similar response from other labels. "I'd leave meetings crying all the time," he recalled.

With reluctance, Damon Dash signed West to Roc-A-Fella in 2002, but he did so mostly to retain him as a producer. That October, as West was driving home from a recording session in a California studio, he was involved in a head-on car collision that left him with a shattered jaw. He wrote and recorded a song about the experience, "Through the Wire," with his jaw still wired shut following reconstructive surgery. He then wrote much of the rest of his debut album while recuperating in L.A. But once the album was complete, it was leaked online. In response, West decided to make it better: he revised and rewrote songs and refined the production, adding stronger drums, gospel choirs and strings (he paid for orchestras out of his own pocket).

'The College Dropout'

The album was finally released in February 2004 — it sold 2.6 million copies and made West a star. Titled The College Dropout , it broke the gangsta-rap mold, with themes including consumerism (he was critical of it back then), racism, higher education and his religious beliefs. On the single "Jesus Walks" he rapped, "They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus /That means guns, sex, lies, videotapes/But if I talk about God, my record won't get played." The College Dropout peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart, and West received 10 Grammy nominations, winning three awards including Best Rap Song for "Jesus Walks" and Best Rap Album. Shortly after the album was released, West founded his record label, GOOD music — an acronym for Getting Out Our Dreams — in conjunction with Sony BMG. He would put out music by John Legend , Big Sean, Common , Pusha-T and more.

'Late Registration'

West spent a year and $2 million on his sophomore album, hiring an orchestra and working with the composer Jon Brion, who had never worked with a rapper before. West, the restless bourgeois-creative, wanted to "see how far he could expand" hip hop, he told the New York Times. The results were spectacular, yielding another three Grammy wins — Best Rap Album again, plus Best Rap Song for "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," and Best Rap Solo Performance for "Gold Digger." Late Registration debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 — a feat West would repeat with every subsequent solo album release.

"On Late Registration , the Louis Vuitton Don doesn't just set out to create pop music — he wants to be pop music," wrote Rob Sheffield in Rolling Stone's five-star review of the album. "So he steps up his lyrical game, shows off his epic production skills, reaches higher, pushes harder, and claims the whole world of music as hip hop turf."

In September 2005, a month after Late Registration 's release, West appeared on an NBC broadcast to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He caused a national media storm — his first, but by no means his last — when he opined live on air that " George Bush doesn't care about Black people," articulating widespread criticism of the president for not visiting the devastated city of New Orleans right away. Bush was deeply stung by West's comment, later calling it a "disgusting moment."

'Graduation'

After touring with U2 in 2005-2006, West was inspired to make hip hop more anthemic, to be performed in stadiums and arenas. He began to draw influence from both rock 'n' roll (the Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Killers) and house music (which originated in his hometown of Chicago). This led to his third album, Graduation , on September 11, 2007. It dropped the same day as 50 Cent 's album Curtis , in what was hyped as a battle for hip-hop's soul — the erudite showman versus the bullet-scarred street thug. But with Graduation 's groundbreaking (for hip-hop) palette of layered electronic synthesizers, and sloganeering wordplay — "I'm like the fly Malcolm X /Buy any jeans necessary," he smirked on "Good Morning" — there could only be one winner. West's album sold 957,000 copies in its first six days, going straight to No. 1.

With the music industry beginning to wring its hands about the effect of the internet on its profit margins, West simply embraced the change with his video for the single "Can't Tell Me Nothing," for which he hired the comedian Zach Galifianakis to lip-sync along to the lyrics on an alternate version, creating a viral sensation on YouTube.

Mother's Death

West was on top of the world, hailed as the artist who had killed gangsta rap. And then, in November 2007, tragedy struck. His beloved mother, Donda, died from a heart attack following cosmetic surgery. During his first concert following the funeral, he dedicated a performance of "Hey Mama" to her. Months later, West broke up with his fiancée, Alexis Phifer. His next album, 808s & Heartbreak , released 12 months after his mom died, was shot through with grief, pain and alienation. West even abandoned rapping altogether, preferring to sing through an Auto-Tune vocal processor, which lent his voice a robotic tone — a technique now ubiquitous in hip hop. He classified the new album as "pop art" (not to be confused with the visual art movement) and announced: "Hip hop is over for me." (It wasn't — he won two Grammys for guest raps he made that year, on Estelle's "American Boy" and TI's "Swagga Like Us.")

Taylor Swift VMA Diss and Feud

The fragility of West's state of mind was called into question at the MTV Video Music Awards the following year. At the ceremony in Radio City Music Hall in New York, he invaded the stage during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for the Best Female Video award (for "You Belong to Me") to protest that Beyoncé should have won instead.

The reverberations from that moment are still being felt. West apologized, then retracted his apology in a New York Times interview in 2013. By 2015 they had become friends and were even spotted at dinner together. Then in 2016 Kanye rapped on his song "Famous": "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that b**** famous." Swift hit back from the stage at the 2016 Grammy Awards — this time uninterrupted — with the words: "I want to say to all the young women out there: There will be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments... Don't let those people sidetrack you."

READ MORE: Taylor Swift and Kanye West: A Timeline of the Musicians' Decade-Long Feud

After the Swift debacle, West took a break from music to focus on fashion. He had already been collaborating with labels including A Bathing Ape and Nike on limited-edition sneakers since 2006. He even reportedly interned at Gap in 2009, and later Fendi, to gain experience. He launched his first collection in Paris in 2011 — but it was widely panned. "You can't just dump some fox fur on a runway and call it luxury," sniffed Long Nguyen, style director of Flaunt magazine. West gave a wounded-sounding speech at the show's after-party. "Please be easy," he said. "Please give me a chance to grow." After his second collection a year later received a lukewarm reception, West announced he would no longer be showing in Paris.

He collaborated with the French label APC on a capsule collection in 2013 and signed a $10 million deal with Adidas, launching his first apparel collection Yeezy Season 1, with the brand in October 2015. The line has had a mixed reception — although his Season 5 collection in February 2017 won praise from Anna Wintour . "I liked it a lot," she told the New York Post. "A little bit more focus than sometimes we've seen from him."

'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'

West returned to music in November 2010 with his fifth album — with paranoid celebrity and rampant consumption the dominant themes: it was a bombastic and towering monument to self-aggrandizement that sounded "like an instant greatest hits" according to Pitchfork. It was the best and worst of Kanye West rolled into one: a magnum opus that bordered on the delusional. It yielded four singles, including "Monster," on which West, Jay Z and Rick Ross were memorably battered into runners-up spots by a blistering guest verse from Nicki Minaj . West and his old sparring partner Jay Z then released a collaborative album, Watch the Throne in 2011 — it yielded seven singles including "Otis" and "Niggas in Paris"; and added three more Grammy wins to West's and Jay Z's respective hauls.

Marriage to Kim Kardashian and Children

In 2012 West released a compilation album, Cruel Summer , showcasing artists on his GOOD Music label. But that year the headlines were more concerned over his relationship with the reality-TV star Kim Kardashian, which began in April. They got engaged in October 21, 2013, after West proposed at the AT&T baseball stadium in San Francisco, and they married on May 24, 2014, in the historic Fort di Belvedere in Italy. Andrea Bocelli sang as Kardashian walked down the aisle, in front of guests that included the designer Rachel Roy, the tennis champion Serena Williams , the film director Steve McQueen and music stars Legend, Q-Tip, Rick Rubin, Tyga and Lana Del Rey . The couple have three children: daughter North (born June 15, 2013) son Saint (born December 5, 2015) and another daughter (born via surrogate January 15, 2018). The couple welcomed their fourth child, son Psalm, via surrogate in May 2019.

In February 2021, Kardashian filed for divorce from West.

Anyone listening to West's sixth album, Yeezus , which came out in June 2013, would hear little evidence that the rapper was living an idyllic existence. Sonically the album was abrasive, raw and almost entirely melody-free — West had enlisted the producer Rick Rubin to make wholesale changes just days before the release. Lyrically, West sounded paranoid and narcissistic to the point of bathos, especially on "I Am a God," which contained the immortal line "Hurry up with my damn croissants."

West claimed the album was an "attack on the commercial," and certainly it contained little that was radio-friendly — barring the magnificent glam-rock-inspired single, "Black Skinhead" (the first of only two singles from the album). Yeezus remains the only West album to have sold fewer than 1 million copies in the US. Yet it was critically well received — not least by the rock legend Lou Reed, who told Rolling Stone that "Each track is like making a movie... The guy really, really, really is talented."

Jimmy Kimmel Beef

A Twitter spat erupted that September with West and Jimmy Kimmel , after the talk-show host mocked an interview West had given to the BBC in the UK. Kimmel hired child actors to recite some of West's more bombastic quotes on his show. But West was far from amused. "Jimmy Kimmel is out of line to try and spoof in any way the first piece of honest media in years," read one of a series of angry tweets. Kimmel gleefully read out West's tweets during his next show — sparking more opprobrium from the rapper, who shared a link to a Slate article titled: "Kanye was right."

The following month West appeared in person on Jimmy Kimmel Live — the interview lasted most of the episode, and featured several free-flowing Kanye monologues, covering everything from his career to his thoughts on the paparazzi, Steve Jobs and Jesus. "I don't know if you know this, but a lot of people think you're a jerk," joked Kimmel, although he went on to praise West's character. It turned out the two had known each other prior to the spat, which was why West had been hurt by Kimmel's portrayal of him. Kimmel admitted that considering a celebrity's feelings was "not something that comes to mind when I'm cooking up a comedy sketch." By the end of the show they had cleared the air.

Collaboration with Paul McCartney, Rihanna and More Public Outbursts

At the start of 2015 West became the only rapper in history to record with Paul McCartney , releasing a single, "Four Five Seconds," with the Beatles legend and Rihanna . But a month later came another award-show disruption, this time at the Grammys, where West objected to Beck winning the Best Album award. "Beck needs to respect artistry, and he should have given his award to Beyoncé," West said after the ceremony. Months later he retracted his statement in an interview with The Sunday Times newspaper in England. "I was inaccurate with the concept of a gentleman who plays 14 instruments not respecting artistry," he said.

In March, West was announced as a co-owner of the music-streaming service Tidal, along with various other artists including Beyoncé, Jay Z, Rihanna, Madonna , Chris Martin and Nicki Minaj. In June he headlined the Glastonbury festival in the UK, despite a petition of 135,000 signatures asking for him to be removed from the bill.

'The Life of Pablo'

There was more controversy in the run-up to his seventh album, The Life of Pablo . Before its release on February 14, 2016, West hit the headlines for a series of controversial tweets - including one that proclaimed Bill Cosby , on trial for drugging and raping women, to be innocent. He started a beef with the rapper Wiz Khalifa , whom he mistakenly believed to have criticized his wife, Kim Kardashian ("I am your OG and I will be respected as such," West tweeted.). He also apologized to Michael Jordan for appearing to diss the basketball legend in his lyrics. And then the day after his album came out, West bizarrely urged his followers to lobby Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to invest $1 billion into West's "ideas." He also claimed to be $53 million in debt.

The album itself was another change of direction, and another triumph. It covered a much broader sonic sweep than Yeezus , incorporating a vast array of sounds, styles and influences, from trap to gospel to Auto-Tune crooning, to avant-pop, classic soul and dancehall. Guest vocalists included Frank Ocean , Chance the Rapper , Rihanna, Desiigner and Kid Cudi. It became West's sixth solo album in succession to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Tour Cancellation and Return to the Spotlight

On November 20, 2016, while on his Saint Pablo Tour, West stopped a concert in Sacramento to embark on a garbled rant about radio playlists, MTV, Barack Obama , Donald Trump , Beyoncé and Jay Z ("Jay Z, call me, bruh... I know you got killers. Please don't send them at my head..."). It was the second time within a week that he had ranted onstage and voiced support for Trump, and this time it sounded like a public breakdown — he did not complete the show. The following day he canceled the remaining 21 dates of his tour citing exhaustion, subsequently spending eight days hospitalized at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

In February 2017, the GOOD music president, Pusha T, said in an interview that West was working on a new album. Rumors surrounding the album's development continued to surface, with some reports saying the award-winning artist had retreated to the mountains of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for creative inspiration.

West began working his way back into the news cycle in April 2018 with the announcement that he was writing a philosophy-themed book, Break the Simulation . Days later, he confirmed the rumors about new material in a rapid-fire series of tweets, declaring he would drop two albums within a week of one another in June, the second one involving longtime collaborator Kid Cudi.

The artist then caused a stir when his tweets veered toward his support for President Trump, calling him "my brother" and noting how they shared "dragon energy," even posting a selfie in which he wears Trump's "Make America Great Again" hat. West later sought to clarify things by saying he loved Hillary Clinton too and didn't agree with everything the president said. "I don't agree 100% with anyone but myself," he wrote.

In an early May interview with TMZ, West revealed that he had been addicted to opioids prior to his November 2016 onstage meltdown and hospitalization, which he began taking after undergoing liposuction because "I didn’t want y'all to call me fat." He also raised eyebrows by describing the history of African American enslavement in the U.S. as a "choice," his words again inflaming social media outrage and prompting another attempt at a clarifying explanation later.

Topping the Charts with 'Ye'

On May 31, West held an exclusive listening party in Jackson Hole for industry insiders and select celebrities, like Chris Rock and Jonah Hill , to debut his new studio effort, Ye . The seven-track album, which included contributions from Kid Cudi and Minaj, touched on issues ranging from the sexual assault accusations facing Russell Simmons , to the Tristan Thompson - Khloé Kardashian cheating saga, to the rapper's own controversial comments about slavery and being bipolar.

West expanded on the bipolar topic in a subsequent interview, confirming that he had recently been diagnosed. Echoing his track's lyrics about how it is his "superpower," he insisted that the condition fueled his creativity, but also admitted that it led to unfortunate consequences. "Think about people who have mental issues that are not Kanye West ... think about somebody that does exactly what I did at TMZ but they just do it at work," he said. "Then Tuesday morning they come back and they lost their job."

On June 12, it was revealed that Ye had debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200; it marked West's eighth consecutive chart-topping album, matching the record held by the Beatles and Eminem . Additionally, all seven tracks from Ye had cracked the Top 40, with "Yikes" charting highest, at No. 8.

Sunday Service Sessions

In early 2019, West debuted his Sunday Service sessions — performances of the rapper and associates singing gospel versions of his hit songs from various locations. Little was known about these invite-only sessions, with the public getting glimpses via social media clips.

West then brought a larger-scale version of his new project to Coachella in April for a special Easter Sunday show, in which he and a large contingent of singers and dancers, dressed in matching mauve robes, performed atop a man-made mountain.

'Jesus Is King,' 'Jesus Is Born,' 'Emmanuel' and Operas

Meanwhile, the artist continued working on a new album. Titled Yandhi , with a planned release date of September 29, 2018, the album was pushed back to November 23, before being delayed indefinitely. In August 2019, it was announced that another studio project, Jesus Is King , would be released on September 27, though that date also passed with no sign of the promised album. The gospel-tinged Jesus Is King was finally unveiled on October 25, the same day as a 35-minute IMAX film of the same title that documented one of the artist's Sunday Service sessions.

At the Hollywood Bowl in November, West debuted Nebuchadnezzar , an opera featuring Sunday Service-style choir singing with its creator reading Bible passages from off to the side of the stage. He followed with Mary , an opera based on the nativity story, before releasing the 19-track gospel album Jesus Is Born on Christmas Day.

West dropped the five-track Emmanuel on Christmas Day 2020, consisting of “ancient and Latin inspired new music,” according to the press release .

2020 Presidential Run

On July 4, 2020, West tweeted that he is running for president: "We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States."

West held his first campaign rally on July 19, 2020, in Charleston, South Carolina. With "2020" shaved into his head, he spoke about Planned Parenthood, marijuana and slavery, among other subjects, in his speech that lasted over an hour.

On October 12, he dropped his first campaign video urging voters to write his in on their ballots.

West eventually conceded and alluded to a presidential run in 2024.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1977
• Birth date: June 8, 1977
• Birth State: Georgia
• Birth City: Atlanta
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Kanye West is an outspoken Grammy Award-winning rapper, record producer and fashion designer.
• Astrological Sign: Gemini
• Chicago State University
• Polaris High School
• Interesting Facts
• Kanye is one of the most successful artists in Grammy Awards history. As of 2017 he has won a total of 24 Grammys.
• As of 2015 Kanye's net worth is around $147 million.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us !

• I am Warhol. I am the No. 1 most impactful artist of our generation. I am Shakespeare in the flesh.
• I liberate minds with my music. That's more important than liberating a few people from apartheid or whatever.
• Fashion breaks my heart.

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Kanye West Biography

Birthday: June 8 , 1977 ( Gemini )

Born In: Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, fashion designer, and record producer. He was raised in the middle-class background of Chicago city by his highly educated mother Donda West. He had a knack for creativity and poetry from a very young age. He started rapping at the age of seven and soon confessed to his mother that he wanted to take recording music more formally. When he was twenty, he decided to drop out of college and pursue music professionally. His mother supported him in his endeavors. He started as a small-time producer until he met Jay-Z and produced The Blueprint for him. From that time onwards, Kanye West started getting recognition and worked with talented people like Ludacris, Janet Jackson, and Alicia Keys. But West’s main aspiration was to become a rapper and it was not until the early 2000s that he was given his first opportunity to record his solo album. From then onwards there was no looking back for West and he gave to the entertainment industry good hip-hop music in the form of The College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , and many more along the line. His music has always been appreciated by music critics for its innovation and the risk that he takes with his creativity. Kanye West has always been in the news, whether it is for the numerous awards he has won or for the controversies that he has caused over the years.

Recommended For You

Girlfriend: Alexis Phifer (Ex), Amber Rose (Ex)

Also Known As: Kanye Omari West, Ye

Age: 47 Years , 47 Year Old Males

Spouse/Ex-: Kim Kardashian (m. 2014), Kim Kardashian

father: Ray West

mother: Donda West

children: Chicago West , North West , Saint West

Born Country: United States

Quotes By Kanye West Rappers

Height: 5'8" (173 cm ), 5'8" Males

City: Atlanta, Georgia

Notable Alumni: Chicago State University

U.S. State: Georgia

Founder/Co-Founder: Kanye West Foundation

education: Chicago State University

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Kanye West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, to Dr. Donda C. Williams West and Ray West. His father was one of the former Black Panthers and the first ever black photojournalist at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . His mother was an English Professor at Clark Atlanta University and also the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University. His parents divorced when he was only 3 years old and he moved with his mother to Chicago, Illinois.

West was raised in a humble way and belonged to a middle-class background. He did his schooling at Polaris High School in Illinois. He shifted to Nanjing, China at the age of ten when his mother was asked to teach at Nanjing University as part of an exchange program. He was creative from an early age. He wrote his first poetry at the age of 5. Around the same time, he started to rap and had composed his own music by the time he was in the seventh grade.

Kanye West started to get more and more involved in the hip-hop scene of Chicago and when he was thirteen, he wrote a rap song called Green Eggs and Ham . He persuaded his mother to pay him money so that he can start recording in a studio. Although his mother did not want this for him, she started accompanying him to a small basement studio in the city. There, West met The Godfather of Chicago Hip Hop, No I.D who soon became West’s mentor.

In 1997, West was offered a scholarship from Chicago’s American Academy of Art and he took upon it to learn the art of painting and then took the transfer to the Chicago State University to pursue English literature. At the age of twenty, he decided to drop out of college to pursue his dream of becoming a rapper and musician.

From the mid-90s until the early 2000s, Kanye West was involved in small-time music production projects. He made music for local artists and was also a ghost producer for Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie. West got the much-awaited opportunity in 2000 when he became the producer for artists on Roc-A-Fella Records. He produced hit singles for famous singers like Common, Ludacris, Cam’Ron, etc. In 2001, world-renowned rapper and entertainment business tycoon  Jay-Z  asked West to produce many tracks of his hit album The Blueprint.

Around this time, he continued to produce tracks for singers and rappers like Alicia Keys and Janet Jackson. Subsequently, he became a successful producer but his true desire was to become a rapper. It became a very challenging situation for him to get acceptance as a rapper and crack a record deal. In 2002, Kanye got the breakthrough that he was looking for in an unusual fashion. He met with an accident while coming back from a long recording session in L.A., as he fell asleep at the wheels. While he was in the hospital, he wrote down the song Through the Wire , which was recorded at Record Plant Studios. The song later became a part of his debut album, The College Dropout .

In 2004, Kanye West released his first album, The College Dropout , which became an instant hit among music lovers. It sold 441,000 copies in its first week. It secured the number two position on Billboard 200. The number called Slow Jamz in the album featured Twista and Jamie Foxx alongside West. It was voted the top album of the year by two big music publications. Another track from the album called Jesus Walks showcased West’s emotions about faith and Christianity.

In 2005, West collaborated with American film composer Jon Brion, who co-executively produced many tracks on the album, to work on West’s new album Late Registration . He hired a string orchestra for the album and afforded the cost with the money he had made from The College Dropout . It sold 2.3 million copies in the United States. In the same year, West announced that he will release his Pastelle Clothing line in 2006, but it was canceled in 2009.

In 2007, Kanye West released his third studio album Graduation . He released it at the same time 50 Cent’s Curtis came out. But Graduation outsold Curtis by a huge margin and secured the number one position on the US Billboard 200. It sold about 957,000 copies in its very first week. A track called Stronger became a huge hit.

In 2008, West released his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak . The album topped the Billboard charts and sold 450,000 copies during its first few weeks. The inspiration for this album came from the sad demise of West’s mother Donda West and the break-up with his fiancée Alexis Phifer. The album is said to have encouraged hip-hop music and other rappers to take more creative risks with their productions. In the same year, West announced that he would open 10 Fatburger restaurants in Chicago. The first one was opened in Orland Park in 2008.

In 2009, West teamed up with Nike to release his own shoes. He named them Air Yeezys and released another version of it in the year 2012. Also in 2009, he came out with his new shoe line for Louis Vuitton and released it during Paris Fashion Week. Kanye West also designed shoes for Bape and Giuseppe Zanotti.

In 2010, West’s fifth studio album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was released and it topped the Billboard charts in its first few weeks. It was considered a genius work by music critics. It got rave reviews from all over the world and included hits like All of the Lights , Power , Monster, Runaway , and such. This album went platinum in the United States.

In 2013, West came up with his sixth album Yeezus and took a more non-commercial approach to make it. He incorporated genres like Chicago Drill, Dancehall, Acid House, and Industrial Music in the making of this album. The album was released in the month of June and has received rave reviews from music critics.

On February 14, 2016, Kanye West released his seventh album titled The Life of Pablo.

He came up with his eighth album Ye on June 1, 2018. In August 2018, he released the non-album single XTCY .

In January 2019, Kanye West started his weekly Sunday Service orchestration. It includes soul variations, West's songs, and songs by other celebrities. In January 2022, he announced the release of his eleventh studio album, Donda 2. While the album received a mixed response from critics, it topped several music charts across the globe including the ‘US Billboard 200,’ ‘UK R&B Albums Chart,’ ‘UK Albums Chart,’ ‘Canadian Albums Chart,’ and the ‘Australian Albums Chart.’

In August 2023, reports came out that his eleventh album was in the works. In October, Billboard announced that Kanye West had finished recording his collaborative album with ‘Ty Dolla Sign’ and would soon be released.

For his album,  The College Dropout, West grabbed 10 Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Rap Album . He won a Grammy for the Best Rap Album category. His album was certified triple platinum in the United States.

In November 2007, Kanye West’s mother Donda West died of heart disease right after she underwent a plastic surgery procedure. She was 58 years old at the time. This left West in turmoil, as he was extremely close to his mother; she had released her memoir before her death called Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar.

Kanye West was in an on-and-off relationship with designer Alexis Phifer for four years before getting engaged to her in August 2006. The engagement lasted 18 months before the pair called it quits in 2008.

He was in a relationship with model Amber Rose from 2008 to 2010.

In April 2012, West began dating Kim Kardashian. They got engaged in October 2013 and got married on May 24, 2014, at Fort di Belvedere in Florence, Italy.

West and Kim Kardashian have four children: daughters North West (born June 2013) and Chicago West (born January 2018 via surrogate) and sons Saint West (born December 2015) and Psalm West (born May 2019 via surrogate).

In February 2021, Kardashian filed for divorce from West. In 2022, West began dating actress Julia Fox before breaking up with her in less than two months. In January 2023, reports came out that West had married architectural designer Bianca Censori in an unofficial ceremony. Later, Bianca’s sister, Angelina Censori, confirmed the reports of the marriage.

In August 2021, he filed a request to change his legal name from ‘Kanye Omari West ’ to ‘Ye .’ A month later in October, his request was finalized, and he officially adopted his new name.

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Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, composer, entrepreneur and fashion designer. Spanning an eclectic range of influences, including hip hop, soul, baroque pop, electro, indie rock, synth-pop, industrial and gospel, West is one of the most acclaimed musicians of his generation. Outside of his music career, West’s also had success in the fashion industry.

Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West was first known as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s, producing singles for several mainstream artists. Intent on pursuing a solo career as a rapper, West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004 to critical and commercial success, and founded the record label GOOD Music . He experimented with a variety of musical genres on subsequent acclaimed studio albums, including Late Registration (2005) , Graduation (2007) , and 808s & Heartbreak (2008) before releasing My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) , which was hailed by several critics as the best album of the decade. He succeeded the album with the sonically abrasive work Yeezus (2013) , and went on to release The Life of Pablo (2016) , Ye (2018) , and Jesus Is King (2019) , as well as the full-length collaborations Watch the Throne (2011) and Kids See Ghosts (2018) with Jay-Z and Kid Cudi , respectively.

West’s outspoken views and life outside of music have received significant media attention. He has been a frequent source of controversy for his conduct at award shows, on social media, and in other public settings, as well as for his comments on the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, and race. His Christian faith, as well as his marriage to television personality Kim Kardashian , have also been a source of media attention. As a fashion designer, he has collaborated with Nike, Louis Vuitton, and A.P.C. on both clothing and footwear, and have most prominently resulted in the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas beginning in 2013. He is the founder and head of the creative content company DONDA.

West is one of the world’s best-selling music artists, with over 140 million records sold worldwide. He has won a total of 21 Grammy Awards , making him one of the most awarded artists of all time. Among his other awards include the Billboard Artist Achievement Award, a joint-record three Brit Awards for Best International Male Solo Artist and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award . Three of his albums have been included on the Rolling Stone 2012 update of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, and the same publication named him one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. West is the tied-holder for the most albums topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll with four. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015.

West married Kim Kardashian in 2014. They have a daughter, North “Nori” West , who was born on June 15, 2013. They also have a son, Saint West , who was born on December 5, 2015. Their third child, daughter Chicago West , was born on January 15, 2018. They recently welcomed their fourth child, a son named Psalm West .

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• Born June 8 , 1977 · Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• Birth name Kanye Omari West
• The Louis Vuitton Don
• Height 5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
• Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer. His musical career has been marked by dramatic changes in styles, incorporating an eclectic range of influences including soul, baroque pop, electro, indie rock, synth-pop, industrial and gospel. Over the course of his career, West has been responsible for cultural movements and progressions within mainstream hip hop and popular music at large. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West first became known as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s, producing hit singles for recording artists such as Jay-Z, Ludacris and Alicia Keys. Intent on pursuing a solo career as a rapper, West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004 to widespread critical and commercial success, and founded the record label GOOD Music. He went on to experiment with a variety of musical genres on subsequent acclaimed studio albums, including Late Registration (2005), Graduation (2007), and the polarizing but influential 808s & Heartbreak (2008). He released his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010 to further rave reviews, and has since succeeded it with Yeezus (2013) , The Life of Pablo (2016) and Ye (2018), as well as full-length collaborations Watch the Throne (2011) and Kids See Ghosts (2018) with Jay-Z and Kid Cudi respectively. West's outspoken views and life outside of music have received significant media attention. He has been a frequent source of controversy for his conduct at award shows, on social media, and in other public settings, as well as his comments on the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, and race. His marriage to television personality Kim Kardashian has also been a source of substantial media attention. As a fashion designer, he has collaborated with Nike, Louis Vuitton, and A.P.C. on both clothing and footwear, and have most prominently resulted in the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas beginning in 2013. He is the founder and head of the creative content company Donda. West is among the most critically acclaimed musicians of the 21st century and one of the best-selling music artists of all time with over 135 million records sold worldwide. He has won a total of 21 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all time and the most Grammy-awarded artist of his generation. Three of his albums have been included and ranked on Rolling Stone's 2012 update of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list and he ties with Bob Dylan for having topped the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll the most number of times ever, with four number-one albums each. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015. Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia. After his parents divorced when he was three years old he moved with his mother to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, is a former Black Panther and was one of the first black photojournalists at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ray West was later a Christian counselor, and in 2006, opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland with startup capital from his son. West's mother, Dr. Donda C. (Williams) West, was a professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University, before retiring to serve as his manager. West was raised in a middle-class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois, after living in Chicago. At the age of 10, West moved with his mother to Nanjing, China, where she was teaching at Nanjing University as part of an exchange program. According to his mother, West was the only foreigner in his class, but settled in well and quickly picked up the language, although he has since forgotten most of it. When asked about his grades in high school, West replied, "I got A's and B's. And I'm not even front-in'." West demonstrated an affinity for the arts at an early age; he began writing poetry when he was five years old. His mother recalled that she first took notice of West's passion for drawing and music when he was in the third grade. West started rapping in the third grade and began making musical compositions in the seventh grade, eventually selling them to other artists. At age thirteen, West wrote a rap song called "Green Eggs and Ham" and persuaded his mother to pay for time in a recording studio. Accompanying him to the studio and despite discovering it being "a little basement studio" where a microphone hung from the ceiling by a wire clothes hanger, West's mother nonetheless supported and encouraged him. West crossed paths with producer/DJ No I.D., with whom he quickly formed a close friendship. No I.D. soon became West's mentor, and it was from him that West learned how to sample and program beats after he received his first sampler at age 15. After graduating from high school, West received a scholarship to attend Chicago's American Academy of Art in 1997 and began taking painting classes, but shortly after transferred to Chicago State University to study English. He soon realized that his busy class schedule was detrimental to his musical work, and at 20 he dropped out of college to pursue his musical dreams. This action greatly displeased his mother, who was also a professor at the university. She later commented, "It was drummed into my head that college is the ticket to a good life... but some career goals don't require college. For Kanye to make an album called College Dropout it was more about having the guts to embrace who you are, rather than following the path society has carved out for you." - IMDb Mini Biography By: ahmetkozan
• Spouses Bianca Censori (January 13, 2023 - present) Kim Kardashian (May 24, 2014 - March 2, 2022) (divorced, 4 children)
• Children North West Chicago West Saint West Psalm West
• Parents Donda West Ray West
• Relatives Kim Wallace (Cousin) Jalil Peraza (Cousin)
• Uses alliteration in his rhymes
• Megalomania
• Rarely smiles
• Often goes on passionate, extended rants during concerts
• Sampling an looping of old school R&B, soul, funk, hip hop, etc.
• Kanye broke down at a concert in Paris, a week after the passing of his mother, Dr. Donda West , as he tried to sing the verses of "Hey Mama", a song he had written earlier on in his career in dedication to her.
• Lived in China for a year with his mother when he was 10 years old.
• Was admitted into the UCLA Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation.[November 2016].
• Has a metal plate in his chin from near fatal car accident in which he was involved in around 3 pm on October 23, 2002. He was driving home from a studio session and fell asleep behind the steering wheel and crashed into another car.
• Blogged that Scarlett Johansson was his "favorite white girl".
• [on living in Asia for a year.] Most of the kids had never seen a black person before, so they'd come over to me and touch my face, thinkin' it was paint or something.
• No one at Def Jam or Roc-A-Fella believed in "Through the Wire." So I shot a video using my own money.
• I was never really good at anything except for the ability to learn.
• Nothing is promised in life except for death.
• I can always tell if a band have a British rhythm section due to the gritty production.

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Inside Long Island's UBS Arena on Feb. 9, Ye commands the crowd at a massive listening event for Vultures 1 . His new collab with Ty Dolla $ign is now a No. 1. album. Jason Martinez/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

Music Reviews

At ye's listening events, true believers rally around a chaotic idol.

February 19, 2024 • Kanye West has made stumbling rollouts, toxic comments and blown deals his calling card. But at the launch for his new album Vultures 1 , it's clear there's one place where his magnetism hasn't faded.

Noname, Chief Keef, Kanye West, and Dreezy. Collage by Jackie Lay / NPR. Daniel DeSlover / Frazer Harrison / Dimitrios Kambouris / Xavier Collin/Getty Images / AP Images hide caption

Hip-Hop 50: All Rap Is Local

How chicago rap became a home for controversial, visionary stars.

July 24, 2023 • Though defined from the start by outsiders — hip-hop flyover country one day, scrutiny magnet the next — Chicago's poets, brawlers and hustlers remain the last word on what gives the city its soul.

Boxes containing Yeezy shoes made by Adidas are seen at Laced Up, a sneaker resale store, in Paramus, N.J., on Oct. 25, 2022. Adidas' breakup with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West and the inability to sell his popular Yeezy line of shoes helped batter the company's earnings at the end of last year. Seth Wenig/AP hide caption

Adidas reports a $540M loss as it struggles with unsold Yeezy products

March 8, 2023 • In October, Adidas cut ties with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, over the rapper's antisemitic remarks. The company's inability to sell his popular Yeezy line of shoes helped batter earnings.

Ye attending the Balenciaga Womenswear show in October as part of Paris Fashion Week. Since then, he's made a string of increasingly brazen extremist comments. Jacopo M. Raule/Getty Images For Balenciaga hide caption

Ye says 'I see good things about Hitler' on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' show

December 2, 2022 • The rapper previously known as Kanye West made a series of antisemitic comments, declaring "I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis." Ye was on the show alongside white-nationalist Nick Fuentes.

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, speaks to former President Donald Trump on Oct. 11, 2018. Saul Leob/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Elon Musk says Ye is suspended from Twitter

December 1, 2022 • The announcement by the Twitter CEO to suspend Ye came after the conservative social media platform Parler said it had agreed with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West to call off a deal.

Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, announced a content moderation council for the social media platform. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Elon Musk says Twitter restored Ye's account without his knowledge before acquisition

October 28, 2022 • The social media platform's new owner says the company made the change without consulting or informing him before he completed the deal to purchase Twitter.

Steven Smith and Kanye West speak on stage at the "Kanye West and Steven Smith in Conversation with Mark Wilson" on Nov. 7, 2019, in New York City. Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company hide caption

The status of Ye's Donda Academy is unclear after uproar over his antisemitic remarks

October 27, 2022 • There were mixed signals about whether Ye's unaccredited Christian private school is closing. The uncertainty comes as businesses continue to dissociate from the rapper.

Kanye West holds a Yeezy shoe as he speaks on stage at the "Kanye West and Steven Smith in Conversation with Mark Wilson" at the on Nov. 7, 2019 in New York City. Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company hide caption

Skechers says Ye was escorted out of its offices after an unannounced visit

October 27, 2022 • It is unknown why the Grammy-winning rapper Ye showed up to the Los Angeles office, but it was the latest in a string of controversial episodes after the artist made several antisemitic remarks.

Adidas announced on Tuesday it is severing its partnership with Ye in light of the rap superstar's anti-Semitic comments. Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images hide caption

Adidas cuts ties with Ye over antisemitic remarks that caused an uproar

October 25, 2022 • The decision follows a nearly decade-long relationship between the German sneaker giant and the rap superstar, also known as Kanye West.

Ye, then known as Kanye West, holds a Yeezy sneaker while speaking onstage at the Fast Company Innovation Festival in 2019. Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company hide caption

Calls grow to boycott Adidas as the company stays silent on Ye's antisemitism

October 24, 2022 • Adidas placed its relationship with the rapper under review earlier this month. And while he's since doubled down, the company hasn't given an update — and continues to release new Yeezy products.

Kanye West arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in February 2020, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP hide caption

Balenciaga fashion house reportedly cuts ties with Ye

October 21, 2022 • The move came after several offensive comments from Ye, including antisemitic posts that earned him suspensions from Twitter and Instagram.

Ye (C), formerly known as Kanye West, attends the Givenchy Spring-Summer 2023 fashion show during the Paris Womenswear Fashion Week, in Paris, on Oct. 2, 2022. Julien de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Pop Culture

The family of george floyd plans to file a $250 million lawsuit against ye.

October 19, 2022 • The announcement of the lawsuit comes after Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, made comments about Floyd's death on the podcast Drink Champs.

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, has agreed to purchase the social media site Parler, the company announced on Monday. Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP hide caption

Kanye West to buy the conservative-friendly social site Parler

October 17, 2022 • The Twitter competitor made the surprise announcement Monday, coming days after Ye's accounts on Twitter and Instagram were locked over a string of antisemitic posts

Ye attending Paris Fashion Week, where he ignited controversy wearing a shirt with the slogan "White Lives Matter." Julien de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Twitter follows Instagram in restricting Ye's account after antisemitic posts

October 9, 2022 • Ye, the rapper and fashion designer formerly known as Kanye West, had recently accused hip hop mogul Diddy of being under the influence of "the Jewish people."

"Rap — this is a whole lifestyle," Pusha T tells NPR. "This is a whole culture." Amy Harris/Amy Harris/Invision/AP hide caption

Music Interviews

On 'it's almost dry,' pusha t plays the long game.

June 12, 2022 • NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with the rapper about making his new album It's Almost Dry , working with Kanye and Pharrell and reflecting on what longevity looks like in hip-hop.

Ye, also known by his birth name Kanye West, has been on a social media tear in recent months. He behavior has gotten him booted from the lineup of performers for the 2022 Grammy Awards. Amy Harris/Invision/AP hide caption

The 2022 Grammy Awards

Ye, aka kanye west, is banned from performing at the grammys.

March 20, 2022 • He may have five Grammy nominations this year, including album of the year, but his recent clash with Grammys host Trevor Noah and other "concerning online behavior" will keep him off the stage.

What's going on with Ye — and why does it matter?

March 20, 2022 • Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, has been directing abusive and inappropriate behavior at his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her new partner Pete Davidson.

Kanye West in a sequence from Netflix's documentary series jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy . Netflix hide caption

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We need to talk about kanye.

March 7, 2022 • Kanye West is a successful rapper and producer who has won 22 Grammys. But West has also been a public lightning rod for his outbursts at awards shows, his outspoken support of Donald Trump, his acrimonious divorce proceedings with Kim Kardashian, and much more. Netflix recently released a documentary called jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy . So it seems like a good time to assess the artist himself.

Kanye West in Times Square. Netflix hide caption

Netflix's 'jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy' is (mostly) genius

February 17, 2022 • The three-part docuseries tracks the rappers rise, starting as an up-and-coming producer in Chicago.

Ye, then known as Kanye West, attends the Versace fall 2019 fashion show on Dec. 2, 2018 in New York City. Roy Rochlin/Getty Images hide caption

Kanye West is now officially 'Ye'

October 19, 2021 • The change has been in the works since at least since 2018, when he released a studio album by that name. He has cited its biblical significance as "you," noting "So I'm you, I'm us, it's us."

Kanye West is seen at a Donda listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 22, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Music hide caption

From A Small House In a Big Stadium, Kanye Comes Up Empty-Handed

September 2, 2021 • After a personally eventful year, the artist undertook another – and perhaps his most – ambitious, sprawling introduction of a new album. The results seem to be inversely proportional.

Kanye West, pictured at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, California. His long-awaited album, DONDA is on NPR Music's shortlist of the best releases out on July 23. Rich Fury/VF20/Getty Images for Vanity Fair hide caption

All Songs Considered

New music friday: the top 8 albums out on july 23.

July 23, 2021 • Kanye West's long-awaited (and much-hyped), DONDA tops our list of the best albums out this week, along with new ones from Leon Bridges, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Ledisi and more.

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Did You Know?

• When West was 10 years old, he and his mother spent a year living in China while his mother taught English at Nanjing University.
• After graduating from high school, West briefly attended the American Academy of Art before transferring to Chicago State University, where he majored in English; after a year, he dropped out to pursue a career in music.

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Kanye West Biography

June 8, 1977 • Atlanta, Georgia

Hip-hop artist, music producer.

Kanye West is a quadruple threat: producer, rapper, songwriter, and record executive. His albums have sold millions; his lyrics are sung by renowned recording artists including Brandy, Usher, and Alicia Keys. In 2005, West was named to Time magazine's list of One Hundred Most Influential People in the World. He was in good company, with a peer group that included talk show host Oprah Winfrey (1954–), actor Jamie Foxx (1967–; see entry), and actor Clint Eastwood (1930–). West's lyrics have been criticized for encouraging children and young adults to drop out of school, an allegation he claims is based on a misunderstanding. His newest album, Late Registration, was released in August 2005.

Southern born, Chicago raised

Kanye (Swahili [African] for "only one") West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 8, 1977. His parents divorced when West was three. He was raised on Chicago's South Side by his mother, an English professor, and spent summers with his father, an award-winning photographer who became a church counselor.

West graduated from Polaris High School and completed one year of art school at Chicago State University. He explained his decision to drop out of school to Kimberly Davis in a 2004 interview with Ebony magazine. "I dropped out of school because I wasn't learning fast enough.... I learned from real life better." Real life at that time included rapping and working with local artists. West felt it was time to pursue his music career full time, so he moved to New York in 2001. His mixes and beats were getting him a reputation as a man who knew his jams. Respected rapper Jay-Z (1969–) hired him to produce songs for his 2001 album The Blueprint. Sales of that album exceeded 420,000 in the first week alone. West went on to produce for a handful of stars including rapper Ludacris and singer Beyonce. He was doing well, making a name for himself. But he wanted more.

Releases College Dropout

While acting as producer to the stars, West cut his own demo (a recording that gives listeners an idea of the style and ability of the musician) and began shopping it around. Despite his solid reputation, no one returned his calls. Then in 2002, Roc-A-Fella Records, the label that signed Jay-Z, decided to give West a chance as a rapper. The company already knew he was a talented record producer. West signed a record deal that year and began recording in the studio.

"My [future] is in God's hands. If He wants me to make another album, then He'll give me the inspiration to do so. I can't force it."

On the way home from a recording session in Los Angeles, West fell asleep at the wheel and was involved in a head-on car collision that left him with a broken face and fractured jaw. The artist nearly died in the crash. He endured months of recovery, including reconstructive surgery that left his jaw wired shut. That didn't stop West from moving forward with the album. He explained the ordeal to Ebony magazine: "I feel like the album was my medicine. It would take my mind away from the pain— away from the dental appointments, from my teeth killing me, from my mouth being wired shut, from the fact that I looked like I just fought [boxer] Mike Tyson.... I nearly died. That's the best thing that can happen to a rapper."

So with his jaw wired shut, West returned to the recording studio to sing on a regular basis until he was satisfied with his debut release. One song in particular, "Through the Wire," was the first track of several singles on The College Dropout to become a raging hit. The song chronicles West's ordeal. The album itself, which was released in 2004, went multiplatinum, selling 2.6 million copies. "The best thing is being able to get my creative ideas out," West told Ebony. "That's why I rap in the first place—so my voice can be heard."

The College Dropout was hailed as one of the best albums of the year. Critics praised West for taking hip-hop in a new direction. Songs on the album focus on walking with God while trying to "be real," and the producer/rapper says it all with a gospel choir backing him up. Hip-hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari worked with West on the album. Ben-Ari told Ebony, "He has a vision for things, for example, to bring live instrumentalists back to the game and create music like they did back in the day. Kanye is very open to new things; he is not afraid to think differently, to take a chance and to say his thoughts out loud."

An interview on UniversalUrban.com called West "one of a precious few rappers with actually something to say in his songs." West admits to writing lyrics on topics that aren't usually covered in rap music. "It's like if you wanna rap like Jay [Jay-Z], it's hard to rap like Jay and not rap about what Jay is rapping about," he told UniversalUrban. "Once I found out exactly how to rap about drugs and exactly how to rap about say no to drugs, I knew that I could fill the exact medium between that. Just think about whatever you've been through in the past week, and I have a song about that on my album."

Rewarded for his originality

West won four Billboard Music Awards in 2004: Male New Artist of the Year, New R…B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, R…B/ Hip-Hop Producer of the Year, and Rap Artist of the Year.

Jay-Z, Jiggy, Jigga: A Star by Any Name

Jay-Z was born Shawn Carter on December 4, 1969. The Brooklyn-born boy was nicknamed Jazzy, which got shortened to the now-famous Jay-Z, which sometimes gets changed to Jiggy or Jigga. He is a man of many names and even more talent.

Jay-Z grew up in the dangerous Marcy Projects of Brooklyn. Before he hit his teens, Jay-Z's father left the family. Without a figurehead to support the family, Jay-Z hit the streets to find a way to support himself. He turned to selling drugs, a theme that makes its way into many of his songs. Jay-Z yearned to break into the rap industry and kept company with Big Jaz, a rapper with a record deal. Big Jaz taught the fledgling rapper the ins and outs of the music industry. Jay-Z got tired of waiting for someone to recognize his talent, so he made a bold move and established his own record company. With friends Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, he founded Roc-A-Fella Records, and in 1996 he released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt.

The album was unimpressive in terms of sales; it never got past number twenty-three on Billboard's album chart. But it is considered a classic among rap fans, and many call it his best work. The album spawned four hit singles, including "Feelin' It" and "Can't Knock the Hustle." Listeners of the album were rewarded with the sounds of R…B singer Mary J. Blige and rapper Notorious B.I.G. as well.

Jay-Z followed his debut with the 1997 release of In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. The album reached the number three spot on the charts and included contributions from rapper Puff Daddy and R…B singer/songwriter Teddy Riley. Unlike Reasonable Doubt, this album moved beyond the gangsta rap sound to appeal to the pop rap listening audience. Singles like "This City Is Mine" helped Jay-Z branch out and get airplay, which helped sales of the album. Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life followed the pop rap trend. The 1998 release contained radio-ready singles such as "Hard Knock Life" and "Can I Get A ..." The album increased his airtime as well as his popularity. Jay-Z had six singles off that one release.

Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter was released in 1999. Nearly every single on this album featured a guest vocalist. The album was a huge hit among fans. Jay-Z began working with new producers for his next album, Dynasty Roc la Familia. The 2000 release included the Neptune's-produced single, "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)."

The Blueprint was released in 2001, with producer/rapper Kanye West at the helm. Unlike his other albums, this one was mainly a solo effort. Many critics and fans consider The Blueprint to be Jay-Z's finest album. It featured one of the year's biggest hit single, "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)." The album helped West's career as well, cementing his reputation in the rap industry.

Jay-Z collaborated with the Roots for his Unplugged album in 2001. R. Kelly teamed up with the rapper for the 2002 album, Best of Both Worlds. That same year, Jay-Z released The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse. In 2003, the rapper announced his retirement but promised one more album. That promise was fulfilled with the 2003 release of The Black Album, which claimed the number one spot on Billboard's album chart.

West's debut album won Best Rap Album at the forty-seventh annual Grammy Awards in February 2005. The single "Jesus Walks" won Best Rap Song. And though he was nominated for Best New Artist, he lost to the pop/rock group Maroon 5 (see entry). Altogether, West enjoyed ten Grammy nominations that year, either as producer or recording artist. He was not ignored for the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards, either. In fact, West walked away a double winner from the fifth annual awards in June 2005. He won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist and Video of the Year, for "Jesus Walks." West produced three different videos for that one song.

The popularity of even that one single ("Jesus Walks") is proof that West has found a niche for his gospel/rap/hip-hop/ R…B style of music. But his tunes aren't without their critics. Barbara Kiviat of Time magazine asked the singer about the contradiction between the religious undertones of "Jesus Walks" and the profanity on the rest of The College Dropout. "Contradiction is part of who I am. I am a real person, and I make my mistakes and I laugh and I cry and I smile and I hate and I love," West replied. He also explained his commentary on college, which some critics say encourages kids to drop out. "People try to make it seem like if you go to college and you get all A's, that you'll move to the suburbs, have 2.5 kids and live happily ever after. But in many cases life just doesn't work like that.... What I'm saying is, Make your own decision."

Branching out

On July 2, thousands of recording artists donated their time and talent to Live 8, a concert held in ten cities and four continents across the globe. The mission of this free concert was to pressure political leaders into committing themselves to ending poverty in Africa. The concert was considered a huge success by all participants and its organizer, Bob Geldof (1954–).

West performed in Live 8 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, despite being threatened with a lawsuit if he did. The rapper told MTV News, "We had to go through a lot be here today. I had another performance and they're like, 'There's no way you can be here—you'll get sued if you go to this."' West took the chance because he felt it was the least he could do to help out. "I would rather take that chance because it's important for my people," he told MTV.

As if life wasn't already busy enough, West has begun plans for his own line of clothing and sneakers, tentatively called Pastel and Mascott, respectively. A self-proclaimed fashion lover, the business mogul claims to have been compared to Carlton, the preppy and polite character from the television sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

West established his own record label as well. G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams) has already signed and released an album by John Legend (1979–), the label's first artist. West's second album, Late Registration, was released in August 2005. This was his first album made with his new production partner, film composer/musician/ songwriter Jon Brion. His contributions to the album include playing guitar and keyboards as well as helping with song composition. The partnership surprised people in the music industry. Brion is best known for his orchestral arrangements for female artists Aimee Mann (1960–) and Fiona Apple (1977–). Other recording artists who collaborated with West on Late Registration include Jay-Z, Maroon 5's Adam Levine (1979–), and Brandy (1979–).

West's first single from the album, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," received high marks from music critics. West wasn't so sure. The twenty eight year old told Teen People, "It's hard when people are depending on you to have an album that's not just good, but inspired.... I want my songs to touch people, to give them what they need. Every time I make an album, I'm trying to make a cure for cancer, musically. That stresses me out!"

West worked with award-winning video director Hype Williams to produce a video for "Diamonds." The singer used the video to raise awareness of the so-called "blood diamond" trade of Sierra Leone. Millions of Africans have lost their lives to the mining of these diamonds. The video positions the glamorous life depicted in a modern diamond commercial against the images of the brutal blood diamond trade. "I wanted to do whatever I could to learn more and educate people about the problem," West told Business Wire.

The song's lyrics speak for themselves:

Though it's thousands of miles away, Sierra Leone connect to what we go through today

Over here it's the drug trade, we die from drugs. Over there, they die from what we buy from drugs

The Diamonds. The chains, the bracelets, the charms is

I thought my Jesus piece was so harmless, till I seen a picture of a shorty armless, and here's the conflict

It's in the black person's soul, to rock that gold.

For More Information

Periodicals.

Christian, Margena A. "Why everybody is talking about producer-turned-rapper Kanye West." Jet (January 31, 2005).

Davis, Kimberly. "Kanye West hip-hop's new big shot: talks about his next surprising moves and why marriage is the key to life." Ebony (April 2005).

Davis, Kimberly. "The many faces of Kanye West: producer-turned-hit rapper takes hip-hop in new direction." Ebony (June 2004).

Foxx, Jamie. "Kanye West: in just a few short years, he has emerged as one of music's premiere behind-the-scenes hitmakers. But it took a near-fatal crash—and one of the year's most inventive songs—for him to take center stage." Interview (August 2004).

"Kanye's Next Move." Rolling Stone (August 11, 2005): p. 16.

Kiviat, Barbara. "Ten Questions for Kanye West." Time (December 20, 2004).

"Throw Your Diamonds in the Sky: Kanye West Returns with Epic New Video 'Diamonds from Sierra Leone'; Hype Williams-Directed Video Set to Air This Week as Hot New Remix Feat. Jay-Z Blasts off at Radio." Business Wire (June 15, 2005).

Birchmeier, Jason. "Jay-Z." MTV.com . http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/jay_z/bio.jhtml (accessed on August 9, 2005).

"Kanye West." Rapcityz.com . http://www.rapcityz.com/biokanyewst.htm (accessed on August 9, 2005).

"Kanye West." UniversalUrban.com . http://universalurban.com/kanyewest/index.php (accessed on August 9, 2005).

"Kanye West: Biography." VH1.com . http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/west_kanye/bio.jhtml (accessed on August 9, 2005).

"Kanye West in Legal Battle to Appear at Live 8." Femalefirst (July 4, 2005). http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/entertainment/69392004.htm (accessed on August 9, 2005).

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With reporting by Ralph Bristout , Danielle Cheesman , Rob Hansen , and William Ketchum

In his July 2013 interview with Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, Jay Z had an interesting way of describing longtime collaborator, Kanye West. “He’s like the cowboy [for the culture]. He runs over the hill, the Indians hit him with the arrows and then he comes back and [alerts others] like, ‘Yo, there’s a lot of them over there.’”

One might find the Roc magnate’s quote plainly sarcastic, but in context, it’s a theory that best summarizes the sui generis career of Mr. West — the lightening rod for our culture. Throughout his over a decade-long, illustrious reign, Kanye’s put himself in places where a vain person wouldn’t dare try (i.e. pink polos, kilts, skinny jeans) and made a career of consistently —and willingly — making himself the underdog by going against the grain ( 808s & Heartbreak , Yeezus ) for the sake of not just being able to say he did it first, but to also avoid being boxed in or marginalized.

In interviews, West refers to this quest as a means to “break the glass ceilings,” a description that will likely one day serve as the title to his autobiography or DONDA-helmed biopic. But as his steadfast passion to reinventing the wheel and vim-and-vigor creativity garnered him international acclaim and godly recognition (see “I Am A God”), that forceful entry approach has come to define the genius that is Kanye West. Today (June 8) marks Kanye’s birthday and while his music clearly stands the test of time, the man himself who continues to defy odds as one of the greatest artists of our generation. In celebrating his genius, let’s take a moment to relive Mr. West’s 41 years of excellence with one expansive timeline.

June 8, 1977

Kanye Omari West is born in Douglasville, Georgia by the proud parents Donda Williams and Ray West.

At 3, Kanye moves to Chicago with his mother following his parents’ divorce.

Kanye’s mother, Donda West, helps a then 13-year-old Kanye pay to cut his first record in a basement studio. “The microphone was hanging from the ceiling by a wire hanger. But he was so excited, I couldn’t say no,” Donda West would tell RedEye in 2007. Years later, No I.D. would hear the song, called “Green Eggs and Ham,” and in an interview with Billboard, described it as a “90s-sounding, yelling-type record.”

Graduates from Polaris High School. West receives a scholarship to attend Chicago’s American Academy of Art and studied painting before transferring to Chicago State University to major in English literature.

August 1996

At 19, Ye pops up at the Fat Beats storefront in Greenwich Village and delivers aa freestyle that has since become a great time-capsule for the next generation.

Kanye’s first big break arrives. He sells his first beat to local Chicago rapper Gravity for $8,000. He next sold a beat for $5,000 to Jermaine Dupri for his debut album, Life in 1472 . Months after Dupri’s LP release, he landed a track on Ma$e’s Harlem World group album The Movement . Not before long, he drops out of Chicago State University to pursue his music dream.

After the placements, Columbia Records eventually dangles a record contract. However, things fell through. “I said, I’m going to be bigger than Michael Jackson, I’m going to bigger to Jermaine Dupri. I said that to (Columbia executive) Michael Mauldin,” Kanye would later reveal in an interview. Mauldin happened to be Dupri’s father. By the end of the meeting, as Kanye noted, “they hit me with those three words: we’ll call you. They sent limos on the way up, and when I got downstairs I couldn’t even catch a cab.”

Teams with GLC, Timmy G, and Arrowstar to form the group known as the Go Getters. The team recorded under the Chicago music umbrella as Kon-Mon Productions, which was helmed by Don Crowley, John “Monopoly” Johnson and Happy Lewis. On the label, producers such as Boogz, Arrowstar and Brian “All Day” Miller helped on the production side, while emcees such as GLC, Mikkey, Rhymefest, Timmy G, Miss Criss, Shayla G and Really Doe took over microphone duties.

In what can be considered a tipping point of his career, West begins producing for Roc-A-Fella Records artists; that year, Jay Z’s “This Can’t Be Life” off The Dynasty and the title track for Beanie Sigel’s The Truth . It’s the very start of a decade that Rolling Stone will eventually credit for making West the icon that he became and still remains: “West was as interesting and complicated a pop star as the 2000s produced—a rapper who mastered, upped and moved beyond the hip-hop game; a producer who created a signature sound and then abandoned it to his imitators; a flashy, free-spending sybarite with insightful things to say about college, culture and economics; an egomaniac with more than enough artistic firepower to back it up.”

West gains irreversible recognition thanks to the contributions he makes to Jay Z’s The Blueprint —namely, of the five tracks produced, the Billboard Top 10 hit “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and the diss track-turned-hip-hop culture cornerstone, “Takeover.” As the project becomes a critical and commercial success for Jay—argued to be not just one of his own greatest works, but of hip-hop’s overall—the demand for West’s supply increases.

A defining domino effect is created when, in October, West is injured in a near-fatal car crash after falling asleep while driving home from a California recording studio. Left with a broken jaw, wired shut by reconstructive surgery, West returns to a studio two weeks later to record the ironically-titled, Chaka Khan-sampling “Through the Wire.” And despite the damage, he is far from being silenced with his production still being heard on an omnipresent Top 5 hit: Jay Z and Beyonce’s “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde,” Jay’s then-highest-charting single ever.

First heard on West’s Get Well Soon mixtape, “Through the Wire” is officially released as the lead single off his upcoming debut album, The College Dropout , originally scheduled to drop in August. It doesn’t drop then—in fact, it’s postponed three times—but West officially crosses the threshold into a multi-threat talent as his efforts as both a solo rap artist and behind-the-boards producer begin to chart simultaneously. Among the outputs, Jay Z’s “Encore,” Alicia Keys’ “You Don’t Know My Name,” Ludacris’ “Stand Up,” and Twista’s “Slow Jamz,” the latter of which goes to No.1 across all three Hot 100, R&B, and Rap charts, becoming West’s very first chart-topping song.

The College Dropout is finally released. Selling 441,000 copies in its first week, it debuts at No.2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It’s supported by two new singles, “All Falls Down” and “Jesus Walks”; is eventually certified three-times platinum; and is dubbed a great by both critics and fans. While riding its wave of success, West founds his own record label, GOOD Music. He also shows no signs of slowing down in creating sounds for others, as the same year sees him credited on Twista’s “Overnight Celebrity,” Cam’Ron’s “Down and Out,” and John Legend’s debut single, “Used to Love You.” In what can be determined as a sign of things to come, or simply a telling symbol of his personality, West storms of the American Music Awards upon losing to Gretchen Wilson for the title of Best New Artist, later telling the Associated Press: “I was definitely robbed.”

The aforementioned wouldn’t be West’s first, last, or most controversial moment. After winning Grammy Awards for both Best Rap Album ( The College Dropout ) and Best Rap Song (“Jesus Walks”) earlier in the year, and just three days after releasing his sophomore effort Late Registration , West makes nationwide headlines when he declares, during a live and televised benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina, that—say it with me—“George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” publicly criticizing the then-President’s response to the natural disaster’s aftermath. Emerging unscathed, Late Registration becomes West’s first No.1 album (upon selling 860,000 copies in its first week); spawns the No.1 juggernaut “Gold Digger”; goes three-times platinum like its predecessor; and earns three Grammy Awards (including, again, Best Rap Album). He embarks on his first tour, Touch the Sky, and is named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. Unscathed, we say.

Kanye appears on the February 2006 issue of Rolling Stone , bearing a crown of thorns, for the controversial “The Passion of Kanye West.”

After spending much of the previous year on the road, Kanye is now preparing to release his third studio album. Landing a date of September 11, the college dropout is pitted in a battle of the sales against Southside Jamaica’s own 50 Cent, whose album, Curtis , is also releasing on the day. Kanye’s Graduation demolishes Curtis , taking the top slot on the Billboard 200 in it’s opening week, selling 957,000 units. Publications have since cited the event as the end of gangster music, with a 2015 UPROXX article branding it as the day David slayed Goliath.

Graduation ’s success is bittersweet — in November, Donda West passes away of complications from cosmetic surgery.

‘Ye returns to the road for the you-wouldn’t-wanna-miss Glow In The Dark Tour.

At the MTV Video Music Awards, ‘Ye debuts his new record “Love Lockdown,” performing the drum-heavy song live. In November, he releases his fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak , tackling the loss of his mother and the end of his relationship with his fiancee. Critics focus heavily on the album’s sparse rapping, usage of the Roland TR-808, it’s synth pop sound, and large doses of love and sorrow. In an interview with the Fader , West says “I’m the only voice for the guys because rap dudes don’t rap about love, and R&B. Dudes rap about love.”

The album introduces a burgeoning Kid Cudi to the masses following his contributions to “Welcome to Heartbreak,” “Heartless,” “Paranoid,” and “Robocop.”

‘Ye partners with Nike for his own shoe, the Air Yeezys.

During the VMA’s Kanye West interrupts Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video, which she earned with “You Belong With Me.” West praises Beyonce’s video for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It),” stating “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!”

Kanye West is America’s favorite bad guy.

In July, ‘Ye announces the title of his fifth album as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , a huge departure from the previous title Good Ass Job . He assembles the likes of Jay Z, Kid Cudi, Rihanna, RZA, and Elton John, and a plethora of artists from an array of genres. Prior to the release, Kanye begins the “G.O.O.D. Fridays” series of weekly music, serving as promo singles that did not make the album’s final cut. Twisted Fantasy spawns “Power,” “All of the Lights,” and “Runaway” as two of it’s most captivating records. The finished product becomes one Kanye’s most lauded projects, receiving praise for it’s thorough artistry, and his brutal perspective on dealing with fame. The album is released in November, accompanied by a 35-minute short film directed by Hype Williams, and debuts at number one on the Billboard 200.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy wins the Best Rap Album at the 54th Grammy Awards.

Less than a year later, ‘Ye joins forces with “big brother” Jay Z for the collaborative feat Watch the Throne . Recorded in late 2010, the album builds on the themes touched upon in Twisted Fantasy , with celebrity, fortune, and social issues taking a prominent place within the album’s duration. The album is backed by the popular singles “Otis” and “N—s In Paris.”

Watch the Throne is a success for the pair, earning 290,000 downloads via iTunes. The album is certified platinum by the RIAA a month after it’s debut.

Kanye spends the first half of 2012 continuing the Watch The Throne trek with Jay Z, making it the highest-grossing hip-hop tour ever at the time of its conclusion in June. In September, he releases Cruel Summer , the long-awaited compilation with his G.O.O.D. Music roster. The album features “Mercy” and “Clique,” hit songs that would go on to become fan favorites of his extensive catalog. The same year, he premieres a film of the same title at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, using a custom-built seven-screen cinema for the screening.

In June, Kanye West releases Yeezus , one of his most divisive albums to date. With no album cover, no clear radio singles, and a huge divergence from his previous sound, Kanye says the record is him revolting against the industry. The album becomes his sixth straight number one debut, but his lowest opening week sales. The Yeezus Tour, his first solo tour in five years, sees him donning a mask and having a Jesus character take the stage, with the bubbling Kendrick Lamar rocking as the opening act. June also welcomes his and Kim Kardashian’s their first child, North. And in December, adidas announces their partnership with Kanye, turning a new page in his impact on fashion and pop culture.

Kanye and Kim Kardashian ger married in a private ceremony in Florence, Italy. When Kim K releases a photo from the nuptials on her Instagram page, it garners 2.4 million likes – the most since Instagram was launched years earlier. He also releases a touching song with Paul McCartney, “Only One,” to commemorate the birth of his daughter and his love for his late mother Donda West.

Kanye starts off the year with the release of “FourFiveSeconds,” a single with Rihanna and Paul McCartney. In February, he premieres “Wolves” with Vic Mensa and Sia. But perhaps most importantly, that same month, he debuts his adidas line Yeezy Season 1, and the first Yeezy Boost 750 sneakers, which featur a boot-like silhouette, a zipper on the side, and many people’s first glimpse at adidas’ Boost technology. Later that year, the low-top Yeezy Boost 350 is released. Both shoes became one of the most hyped in sneaker culture. Kanye later drops “All Day” with Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom and McCartney, and performs at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, even with nearly 135,000 people signing a petition to protest his place in the festival. In September, he releases Yeezy Season 2 at New York Fashion Week.

From So Help Me God , to SWISH , to Waves , and finally, to The Life of Pablo , Kanye’s seventh solo album went through multiple name changes, but it was still an event nonetheless. Listeners get their first peek at the album with an epic, one-of-a-kind Madison Square Garden event that features both songs from the album and looks from his Yeezy Season 3 collection with adidas. After performing on SNL , a botched release on Tidal makes Pablo one of the most bootlegged albums ever. But throughout the year, Kanye would tweak songs and resend them to streaming services, describing the album as a “living breathing changing creative expression.” He also goes on the Saint Pablo Tour, which sees him performing on a stage suspended in midair. But, after multiple shows, ends with Kanye either canceling or storming out. The tour is canceled near the end of the year, with Kanye being hospitalized for exhaustion.

The brilliance of Kanye’s 2016 translates to new colorways of the Yeezy 350 V2.

After being holed up in the studio for two years, Kanye pops back into the public, firing up his Twitter account and music output. He dusted off the cobwebs with “Ye Vs. The People” (and “Lift Yourself”) and resurrected G.O.O.D. Fridays with a stream of May-June releases. He propelled Pusha-T’s DAYTONA album to critical acclaim, released his own eighth studio album, ye , in signature unorthodox fashion, and dropped Kids See Ghosts with Kid Cudi. Albums by Nas and Teyana Taylor are up next.

• Chicago Rap

Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia), also known as Ye, is a Grammy award-winning American rapper, producer, singer, author, and fashion…

THE LIFE OF KANYE WEST

Who is kanye west.

Kanye West is a well-known American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer from Chicago. Kanye West started as a  hip-hop beatmaker and soon became a worldwide hitmaker. His work as a producer for artists such as Jay-Z led to a major-label recording contract. This contract led Kanye to have a successful solo career that resulted in a string of chart-topping, multi-platinum albums and nearly two-dozen Grammy Awards. 

WHAT WAS KANYE'S CHILDHOOD LIKE?

Kanye West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 8, 1977. when Kanye was three, his parents divorced. Kanye was raised in Southside Chicago by his mother , Donda West, an English professor, and spent summers with his father, an award-winning photographer who became a church counselor .

EMERGING ADULTHOOD

As Kanye entered adulthood, he graduated from Polaris High School. He then went on to complete one year of art school at Chicago State University. However, Kanye dropped out of college. Kanye explained his reasoning for dropping out. He stated in an interview with Ebony  magazine, “I dropped out of school because I wasn’t learning fast enough… I learned from real-life better.” During this time, Kanye considered  “real life” to be rapping and working with local artists. West felt it was time to pursue his music career full time, so he moved to New York in 2001.

"But hopefully, with God's blessing, there should be no way for me to lose really..."

Kanye’s career as a producer began to grow, and his beats were enhancing his musical reputation in New York. Kanye was hired to produce songs for rapper Jay-Z in his 2001 album The Blueprint. The album sales exceeded Kanye’s expectations. The album sales were over 420,000 in the first week alone. After, this Kanye had many well-known rappers interest in his producing talents. Although, Kanye was doing well, making a name for himself he wanted to known as more than just a producer.  West wanted to be a rapper as well. While making his money as a producer to stars, West began working on his own demo and began promoting at recording sessions. Despite his solid reputation as a producer, no one returned his calls. 

THROUGH THE WIRE: KANYE'S BIG BREAK

Kanye was still in a solid pursuit to become respected in the industry as a rapper. However, one night would change his life forever. In October 2002,  West was on his way home from a recording session in Los Angels when he fell asleep at the wheel. Kanye was in a head-on car collision that left him with his jaw wired shut. For most artists,  this traumatic experience would be devastating. While recording his debut album, Kanye capitalized on the accident. In an interview, Kanye stated, “I feel like the album was my medicine. It would take my mind away from the pain— away from the dental appointments, from my teeth killing me, from my mouth being wired shut, from the fact that I looked like I just fought Mike Tyson… I nearly died. That’s the best thing that can happen to a rapper.” Thus, Kanye returned to the recording studio with his jaw wired shut. This accident inspired Kanye to create his hit single  “Through the Wire,” which sparked his rap career and was the first track of his debut album, “ The College Dropout.”

FINALLY A RAPPER

Once Kanye Dropped his debut album, “The College Dropout,” his career as a rapper skyrocketed.  West earned ten nominations at the 47th annual Grammy Awards in early 2005. The College Dropout won the Best Rap Album award, “Jesus Walks” won Best Rap Song, and a songwriting credit on “You Don’t Know My Name” for the Best R&B Song award was shared with Alicia Keys and Harold Lilly. 

THE COLLEGE DROP & LATE REGISTRATION

 The College Dropout represented a bold new counterpoint to the digital production style that Timbaland had started in the early 2000s, and this, in turn, helped hip-hop evolve beyond the “Bling Era” lifestyle seen by artists like 50 Cent.

The College Dropout became a commercial success, becoming West’s best-selling album in the United States, with sales of over 3.4 million copies by 2014, and was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2020.

On August 30, 2005, Kanye West’s sophomore album, Late Registration, expanded his production style from his previous album. Kanye teamed with producer Jon Brion and created sounds never before heard in hip-hop. The album featured some of Kanye’s best material to date, including hit singles “Diamonds” and “Gold Digger.”  

THE GOOD LIFE

Kanye West produced his third studio album, Graduation , released on September 11, 2007, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. This album became one of the year’s most memorable albums.  This album was released when  50 Cent ’s third album,  Curtis , was steeped in the traditions of gangsta rap. However, Kanye’s futuristic hybrid music style, 50cent, stood no chance.   A competition between the pair spurred on by 50 Cent’s assertion that he would easily outsell Kanye.

In the end, Kanye won as Graduation  sold nearly one million albums to  Curtis ’ 691,000. Perhaps more importantly, Kanye’s success cemented hip-hop’s shift away from the gangsta rap that dominated during the 90s, ushering in an eclectic brand of hip-hop that would embrace styles as diverse as house and rock music. Hip-hop was moving forward fast, and Kanye West would remain a driving force for change in the years to come.

808's & HEARTBREAKS

Close to 2 years after the death of his mother, Donda West, and a failed marriage to Alexis Phifer, Kanye West had released the album (arguably one of his worst) 808’s & Heartbreaks. This album was described as an “unexpected piece of his turmoiled soul” and this seemed to be the direction Kanye’s life was going. His personal troubles became public in 2009 at the MTV Music Awards when he drunkenly interrupted Taylor Swift receiving her award to say that Beyoncé had one of the best music videos of all time. This, to some, was the peak of Kanye’s mental downward spiral. This would lead to Kanye canceling his 808’s & Heartbreaks tour with Lady Gaga. This, along with the fatigue from overworking, Kanye went into a “self-imposed exile in Oahu, Hawaii at Avex Recording Studios”  

MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY

After his release of 808’s & Heartbreaks, many rap connoisseurs questioned whether Kanye was pop or hip-hop. 808’s was tainted with synthesizers and singing rather than the real bar for bar rapping they were used to.   Kanye West took the elements of all of his past albums and created his beautiful dark, twisted fantasy.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is an album with many different themes, all surrounding the troubles of fame: love, sex, power, wealth, escaping, and self-actualization. If his beats did not convey these themes to the listener, then his words indeed did. His words speak volumes on this album as they spew out his pain. Each song addresses one of these 4 different themes in its own unique way. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was not simply a bravado of Kanye’s master skills, but it also influenced the way rap music would be produced and the way in which producers sampled music

KANYE WEST TODAY

Throughout Kanye’s career, he has become a quadruple threat: producer, rapper, songwriter, and record executive. Kanye has successfully produced ten studio albums and is currently working on his 11th, titled Donda 2 .  Kanye West officially changed his name to Ye and is now one of America’s wealthiest and most influential black men.  Kanye West formally became a billionaire last year. The rapper turned to fashion, and athletic shoe mogul is now worth $6.6 billion. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kanye West Biography . Encyclopedia of World Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Sh-Z/West-Kanye.html

Alcorn, C. (2021, March 18). Kanye West is reportedly worth $6.6 billion | CNN business . CNN. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/18/business/kanye-west-net-worth/index.html

Kanye West Biography, Songs, & Albums . AllMusic. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kanye-west-mn0000361014/biography

Kanye West . Kanye West: New Albums, Songs, News, Interviews & Collabs. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.complex.com/tag/kanye-west

Kanye West . History and Biography. (2019, April 27). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://history-biography.com/kanye-west/

Encyclopedia.com. (2022, April 27). .” contemporary musicians. . encyclopedia.com. 25 Apr. 2022 . Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/kanye-west

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Kanye West . Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kanye-West

Kanye West . The Shade Room. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://theshaderoom.com/celebrity-kanye-west/

Jacob, M. K. (2021, August 24). Inside Kanye West’s childhood home with his beloved late mother donda . New York Post. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://nypost.com/2021/08/23/inside-kanye-wests-childhood-home-thats-facing-foreclosure/

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Kanye West: The Biography of a Hip-Hop Superstar Billionaire and his Quest for Jesus (Artists) Paperback – December 18, 2022

Do you want to know more about the life of Kanye West?

This biography book is the perfect read for anyone who wants to learn about one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history. Not only does it cover his early life and musical career, but it also delves into his personal journey and how he has changed over time.

Whether you love him or hate him, there's no denying that Kanye West is one of the most influential and controversial figures in the music industry today. And now, you can learn all about his life and career in a new biography book called "The Biography of a Hip-Hop Superstar Billionaire and his Quest for Jesus."

The book chronicles Kanye's rise to fame, from his early days as a producer to his breakout success as a solo artist. It also delves into his personal life, including his marriage to Kim Kardashian and his much-publicized battle with mental health. If you're a fan of Kanye West, or just curious about one of the most fascinating celebrities of our time, this biography book is a must-read.

You'll be able to understand why Kanye West is such a controversial figure and why so many people are drawn to him. Discover what makes him tick and explore his spiritual quest for Jesus Christ.

Purchase your copy of the Kanye West biography today!

• Print length 58 pages
• Language English
• Publisher United Library
• Publication date December 18, 2022
• Dimensions 5 x 0.12 x 8 inches
• ISBN-10 9493311449
• ISBN-13 978-9493311442
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ United Library (December 18, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 58 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9493311449
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-9493311442
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.4 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.12 x 8 inches
• #2,886 in Social Activist Biographies
• #6,349 in Biographies of Business & Industrial Professionals
• #12,906 in Composer & Musician Biographies

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Kanye West - Biography

The ye rapper, songwriter and fashion designer was born in 1977.

Born Kanye Omari West in Georgia on June 8, 1977, the rapper now known as Ye was writing poetry from the age five before moving on to rap and music making when he was in seventh grade. At 13, Kanye begged his mother, a college professor, to pay for some time in a recording studio, and mid-way though his later English degree at Chicago State University, he dropped out to focus on his growing music career full time. 

Growing success and controversy

Kanye began producing music for local rap artists, and in 2000 he joined Jay-Z 's Roc-A-Fella Records, moving on to produce for stars including Beyoncé and Ludacris. But Kanye's true passion was rapping, and in 2002 he signed to Roc-A-Fella Records and began recording his own tracks. After experiencing a near-fatal car crash after which he had to have his jaw wired shut, Through the Wire became his first breakthrough single, soon followed by the album, The College Dropout which sold over 3 million copies and won the Best Rap Album Grammy. Another 20+ would follow. 

Yeezy, as fans call him, has since created a multi-million dollar empire, including fashion collections and his own record label, GOOD Music. But the rapper has also courted much controversy. At the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards , Kanye outraged fans when he interrupted Taylor Swift 's acceptance speech to declare that Beyoncé should have won the award. In late-2022, the rapper was universally criticized and dropped from the majority of his brand collaborations after making a series of antisemitic remarks and identifying himself a Nazi. 

Personal life

Off-stage and away from his behavior, much focus has also been given to the rapper's relationship with reality television superstar Kim Kardashian . The pair began dating in April 2012, and the following December, Kanye announced Kim was pregnant during one of his concerts. A few months after she gave birth to their daughter North , known as Nori. In October 2013, Kanye proposed, hiring an entire stadium and orchestra. Kim and Ye married in May 2014. They went on to welcome three more children: Saint , born 2015; Chicago, born via surrogate in 2018; and Psalm, born via surrogate in 2019; then announced their divorce in 2021. It was finalized in November 2022.

For the latest news on Kanye and his family, click here . For more on the Kardashians, see here .

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Kanye West Reunites with Former Manager John Monopoly to Plan World Tour

Kanye West has reunited with his former manager, John Monopoly.

According to Billboard , Monopoly discovered Ye in the early ’90s and worked alongside Gee Roberson and Kyambo “Hip-Hop” Joshua in the Roc-a-Fella days.

Ye announced and saluted Monopoly during a Vultures private party in L.A. The two will now tackle putting together a world tour, hoping for a launch in the forthcoming months. It would be Ye’s first tour since 2016’s Saint Pablo Tour.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by John Monopoly (@johnmonopoly)

In related news, don’t look for Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 2 to hit streaming. Ye once again spoke with the YeFanactics Instagram page and revealed he agrees with James Blake sentiment that streaming “devalues our music.”

“Was talking with the team about how to release the next album. Like James Blake said streaming devalues our music. We sell albums on Yeezy.com,” Kanye wrote. “I got 20 million Instagram followers. When five percent of my followers buy an album. That’s one million albums sold That’s 300K more than the biggest album last year.

“We sold 1 million items on Yeezy.com on Super Bowl Sunday so we know it’s possible. How do you feel about us not streaming and only selling the album digitally.”

Ye: Was talking with the team about how to release the next album Like James Blake said streaming devalues our music We sell albums on https://t.co/KZ5lBI5zfM I got 20 million instagram followers When 5% of my followers buy an album. That's 1 million albums sold That's 300k… pic.twitter.com/oIFK89A9Ki — YEFANATICS (@yefanatics) March 10, 2024

Ye new message: pic.twitter.com/tXxcIkDxam — YEFANATICS (@yefanatics) March 10, 2024

As fans await Vultures 2 , Ty Dolla $ign revealed the cover, which holds sentimental meaning.

Responding to a fan online, Ty revealed that the cover features him “holding a picture of my brother Tc, FYI.”

According to HipHopDX , Ty Dolla Sign’s brother, Jabreal Muhammad, known as Big TC, is serving life for a murder that he says he did not commit.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ty Dolla $ign (@tydollasign)

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Kanye West  

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Kanye West is a complete visionary who has shifted the course of pop culture time and time again, first as a producer and then as a rapper and fashion mogul.

Kanye was born in a middle class household in Chicago and was a creative from an early age, often writing poetry and becoming part of the city’s hip hop scene at a young age. He briefly attended college but dropped out when it became detrimental to the creation of his music.

He began producing beats for local artists, developing a signature style that utilized sped-up soul samples and before long he received his first big break when he became an in-house producer for Roc A Fella Records and was responsible for the now classic Jay Z Album ‘The Blueprint’.

Despite his production success, Kanye had maintained a desire to make it as a rapper but due to his unconventional style and background had struggled to secure a deal. Dame Dash reluctantly signed Kanye to Roc A Fella however Kanye was involved in a car accident which he was lucky to survive. With his jaw still wired shut, Kanye channeled his emotions into ‘through The Wire’, a single which would appear on his debut album ‘The College Dropout’ in 2004. The album is considered one of the most important Hip Hop debuts and had a lasting effect on the genre.

With each subsequent album Kanye changed up his sound and broken new ground. On 2008’s ‘808 and Hearrtbreaks’ for example, he embraced auto-tune singing and, although many were unsure at the time, it influenced the future sound of Hip Hop and Rnb (laying the framework for the likes of Drake to become huge stars). In 2013 he stunned fans again with the jarring ‘Yeezus’, which, with its industrial minimalism, shocked the genre to its core and won praise from critics in the process.

Live reviews

I gotta give it to Yeezus. He's still got the juice and for him to pack the 'Bowl' while performing a seven year old album is a testament to that fact. Show started an hour late and I had the feeling there would be some tech glitches, but you definitely couldn't hate on the effort. There was a small orchestra section stage right and on stage left what appeared to be a few DJ's and dudes on drum machines. The center of the stage featured 3 grand white staircases that were reconfigured between songs. There were fireworks at times which didn't quite fit the tone of the album, but who doesn't like fireworks. It was a party atmosphere and I felt a real connection with other fans simply based on the fact that WE LOVE THIS FUCKING ALBUM. We sang, we yelled, we danced, we laughed, and we reminisced about a Kanye that took us back to bring us forward.

Most memorable moments:

Staircases rotate to reveal 60 or so black men in rags and covered in dust. Very striking visual that reminded me of a slave ship. He used what I'll call "human props" throughout the show, but I felt like this moment resonated most.

Jeezy came out for Amazing, but the tech was ALL CHEWED UP. Sound was cutting in and out, poor lighting, pianist was even confused at one point.

At one point Kanye states that this performance is actually more of a dress rehearsal. I figured as much and even debated going to the Saturday show, but there was something about the rawness of an opening night that I wanted to be part of. I'm sure Saturday's show will be way more on point.

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I have never been a person who could pinpoint a moment in which divine providence had played some role in my life. That is, until I saw Kanye.

Watching Kanye West perform is a wholly religious experience. Someone you don't know and can barely see is instructing you to complete strange actions which seem nonsensical, like throwing your hands in there or singing lyrics or pointing your middle finger to the sky. Yet, you follow along. You are surrounded by thousands of people who share similar beliefs and interests as you. Everything is ridiculous expensive and you must pay your way in.

Kanye comes out pretty much an hour late, just because he can. When he finally emerges, it is on a platform suspended in the air. The platform rocks to and fro during the concert, bouncing right above the general admissions mosh pit. It is those in the mosh pit who are the most blessed. They seem positively energized by Kanye, dancing and thrashing for two hours straight.

When Kanye finishes his act, he performs "Ultralight Beam". Towards the end of the show, his platform lowers and he steps down onto the ground, showing us that the man we had seemingly worshiped with our screams and our expressions of adulation walks on the same ground we do. And maybe it was the weed smoke, or maybe the sheer excitement, but as I was swaying to the music, I felt a connection to a higher power, something greater than myself. It was a moment of absolute perfection where I didn't feel alone and hopeless in the world.

Whether his messianic stature is bona fide or self-professed, one thing’s still for certain: an evening with Kanye West will blow your freaking mind.

Love him or loathe him, there are number of things we say about ‘Ye for certain. The guy boasts a repertoire of hits hotter than Seth Rogen’s motorcycle seat. This is a guy with the talent to dethrone his mentor, with the vision to produce the totally unexpected, and with the ego to say and do exactly what he wants. All in all, those ingredients synthesise to produce the greatest live music experience on offer in the modern age. Hands down.

However it’s what we can’t say for certain about West that polarises crowds the world over. The rants, the fights, the Jesus lookalikes; to some extent, it’s no great surprise that the rapper has found himself at loggerheads with audiences on multiple occasions.

But if that’s the price we have to pay to accept this visionary into our lives, then show me where to sign. When Kanye delivers, he arrives first class. “One of the greatest hip-hop sets of all time”, so said the Hollywood Reporter of Coachella 2011. “I am so credible and so influential and so relevant that I will change things”, so said Kanye of himself. Hear, hear, Mr. West.

The sounds of hydraulic machinery filled Oracle Arena, as the stench of dirt weed mingled with the faux fog that had been pumping into the air over the past two hours. The opening samples of “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” were slowed down and turned elastic, thus leaving alien chemtrails of sound in the wake of the shadowy figure tethered to the hovering spacecraft. With heads upturned in anticipation of first contact, the crowd was lost in darkness. Chants of “Kan-ye! Kan-ye!” filled every empty space, until the object of their affection shone his light down on the chosen few.

The party-sized hoverboard had traversed the entire length of the arena (from a height of about 10 feet above the tallest head), before blasting spotlights on those below; instantly creating the largest circle pit a hip-hop tour has ever seen.

“Just wanna feel liberated, I, I, I…”

Kanye West had arrived in Oakland, and while many outside the venue failed to understand the appeal, those who had been waiting patiently (well past start time) were losing their collective mind.

See more at http://ilistensoyoudonthaveto.com/2016/10/26/kanye-west-oracle-arena-10-22-16/

Kanye was a lot more humble than I expected. I've always loved a lot of the lyrics of his songs as they speak about real stuff that's going on, like the media covering up on what's actually important and people higher up trying to make everyone conform. His concert was better than I thought it would be. He was entertaining, interactive with the crowd, tried to get the people on the floor to start a mosh pit (haha) and he talked about some shit in the media against him that wasn't true. The massive screen thing he had happening put an interesting twist to seeing Kanye as it was done in like negative colouring and you could only half see him a lot of the time, which was a bit frustrating but also added to the drama of him. I LOVED the freaky masks he wore half the time, very Kanye- all that bling. He played a good mix of his music from a bunch of new stuff right back to the older stuff. Almost the whole seated crowd were standing the whole time (something I've NEVER seen at a concert) I have a newfound respect for Kanye West and am really happy I finally got to see him. I'd definitely go back

it was fucking horrible as shit like really kanye?

i, as well as everyone else who came to see your show in sacramento, were so hyped. it was literally going to be the highlight of my thanksgiving break. i bought your tickets for $70 as well as a shirt for $20, only for you to show up AN HOUR AND A HALF LATE, perform three songs that you didn't even finish, and to listen to your inaccurate rant about politics. honestly man, i respected you so much as an artist; you were and still are a musical genius and i will forever support your music career, but i lost all respect for you as a person yesterday. you disrespected your fans last night, who have been nothing but loyal to you throughout your career. that was a real shitty move, and to be honest with you man, i feel sorry for you. the money so up in your mind that you don't know who you are anymore.

we miss the old kanye

the socially woke kanye

the finish the show kanye

we hate the new kanye

walk off the stage kanye

the hella fake kanye...

The beginning of the TLOP tour was soo epic ! He plays the extended sample of Father stretch my hands, and when you hear "If young metro don't trust you" the whole stadium goes crazy !! If you want to have a top 5 concert experience download the playlist shown below, bump that with your friends the week of the concert and be ready to leave the concert with no voice lol !!!!

##################################

Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1

Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2

Pop Style (Drake cover)

THat Part (ScHoolboy Q cover)

I Don’t Like

Black Skinhead

Freestyle 4

I Love Kanye

Can’t Tell Me Nothing

Blood on the Leaves

Jesus Walks

Devil in a New Dress

All Falls Down

Flashing Lights

All of the Lights

Niggas in Paris

Real Friends

#############################

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The Saint Pablo Tour was by far the dopest energy in one place that I have felt at a venue the size of Verizon Center. The stage was suspended in air and the attendees with floor seats were actually a mosh pit! They stood the entire time fueling the energy as he floated above their heads and out stretched arms. Everyone in the building stood the entire concert. Everyone. Though the lights were dim and the big screen had an hallucination type effect, the lyrics and his movement came thru with Kanye precision. I had the time of my life at this concert. The cherry on the top was that I was invited as a surprise from my love. The hands down best surprise I've ever received!! I love the old Kanye. I love the new Kanye. I love Kanye. Period.

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