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

Kanye West

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.

Fashion Designers and Models

brooke shields smiles at the camera, she is wearing a black sequin suit jacket with large lapels and two necklaces, her wavy hair is styled down mostly over her right shoulder

Cindy Crawford Has Loved This Body Oil for Decades

serena williams, alessandro michele, and jared leto pose for a photo in formal attire inside a building, in front of michele is an oversized head from a cat costume

Met Gala Newsmakers: Anna Wintour, Serena Williams

mary quant in a black and white photo from september 1960, she is looking at the camera with a neutral expression and wears a sweater, her hair is in a updo with her bangs reaching just to her eyebrows, she is standing outside on a nondescript london street

Gloria Vanderbilt

Alexander McQueen Personal Appearance at SAKS Fifth Ave - May 1, 2006Alexander McQueen (Photo by Jemal Countess/WireImage for Saks Fifth Ave - NY)

Alexander McQueen

jimmy choo attends the jasper conran runway show during london fashion week spring summer collections 2017

Leigh Bowery

Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid

coco chanel

Coco Chanel

Nicole Ritchie

Nicole Richie

  • World Biography

Kanye West Biography

AP/Wide World Photos.

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.

Jay-Z.  Tim Shaffer/Reuters/Corbis.

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."

Kanye West performs at the 2005 Live 8 concert in Philadelphia. AP/Wide World Photos.

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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  • Social Justice

Kanye West

A timeline of Kanye West's 41 years of excellence

Revisiting the career of one of the greatest artists of our generation.

— 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.

kanye west biography article

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.

kanye west biography article

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 west biography article

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 west biography article

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.

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‘With just about all his collaborators gone, West isn’t just off Forbes’ billionaires list. He’s a toxic asset.’

Kanye West: no American icon has ever self-destructed so spectacularly

The rapper and fashion designer had it all – wealth, power, status, autonomy. But in the end it wasn’t enough

I n 2009, Kanye West was riding high. 808s & Heartbreak – his fourth studio album and a marked departure from his soul-based, hip-hop sound – proved a resounding critical and commercial triumph. A foray into clothing design had culminated in a Paris fashion week sneaker show with Louis Vuitton and a shoe line with Nike, the first for a non-athlete.

No longer was West the dorky producer turned rapper agitating to break out of Jay-Z’s shadow. He had become something even bigger: a true star. The only person who could stop Kanye was Kanye – or Ye, as he’s preferred to be known of late.

Now his empire lies in a smoldering heap in the wake of the 45-year-old artist’s October media blitz.

West himself says he lost $2bn in a single day this week.

First there was the smear campaign against his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, then the White Lives Matter fashion statement in Paris, then his complete transformation into an alt-right puppet. And it crescendoed with West’s fusillade of unprompted antisemitic commentary, starting with him needling the Kushner family during an hourlong Tucker Carlson sit-down in early October, that cost West his diverse portfolio.

Gap, JP Morgan and Creative Artists Agency are among a raft of partners that quickly cut ties. All the while West dug in, claiming on a podcast appearance that Adidas – whom West teamed with after leaving Nike – would never leave him regardless of how many more antisemitic assertions he made.

But a week later, Adidas went their own way too, a move the company reckons cost them $246m in potential fourth-quarter earnings. Overall, West’s Yeezy line accounted for as much as 8% of Adidas’s bottom line. No wonder it took them a week to break up with him.

We’re a long way from the days when a Kanye drop used to mean something else entirely, a deeply immersive sound collage from the vanguard of pop music’s new wave. After years of being typecast as a producer, albeit one who had a hand in Jay-Z’s seminal Blueprint album, West crossed over into emceeing in 2003 with The College Dropout – which didn’t just distinguish him from the gangsta rappers of the era, but made preppy style and nerd idolatry cool. Two years later he consolidated that break with Late Registration, a Billboard blockbuster that marked a sea change in pop music.

West may not have been gangsta in the 50 Cent mold, but he was tough in his own way. He had his own near-death moment, a 2002 car crash that shattered his jaw. During an emergency surgery, a metal plate was inserted into his chin and his jaw was wired shut – a fortunate outcome that nonetheless would disadvantage an aspiring rapper. But West used the experience, rapping about it over a sped-up Chaka Khan hit. That single, Through the Wire, became the lead single of The College Dropout and announced West as a talent who could not be deterred.

Before long West was a cultural giant – bigger than the rapper Common in Chicago, bigger than Russell Simmons at the Def Jam label, bigger than Diddy in business, bigger still than the late designer Virgil Abloh, a complicated relationship that inspired a South Park parody. And once West’s ego grew to size, well, it became impossible to feed. Interrupting Taylor Swift’s winning moment at the 2009 MTV video music awards, marrying Kardashian (the Marilyn Monroe to his Walt Disney, he once crowed), getting into bed with Donald Trump and moaning about slavery being “a choice” – none of it satisfied West. (The rapper has spoken publicly about having bipolar disorder. Medical experts have underscored that mental health struggles and bigotry are separate problems.)

west in maga hat

And yet, astonishingly: he nearly survived every controversy until Adidas changed their number and things came to a head this month. Now, with just about all his collaborators gone, West isn’t just off Forbes’ billionaires list. He’s a toxic asset. Not even the rightwing pundit Candace Owens will have him on her show now – and West was supposed to buy the rightwing social network Parler off her chief executive husband. Loyal fans who took West’s antics as judo moves to get out of his apparel brand deals surely must feel let down after hearing West made an unsolicited visit to Skechers’ LA offices and was shooed away. “I don’t think a board of directors in a million months of Sundays would ever allow a business to touch him again,” says Matt Baker, the chief strategy officer at the brand management firm Deutsch NY.

Where West’s rise beat the odds, his downfall beggars belief. No American icon has ever self-destructed so spectacularly – not the actors (Mel Gibson, Isaiah Washington), TV creepers (Matt Lauer, Bill O’Reilly), sports heroes (Michael Vick, Joe Paterno) or even the tabloid targets (Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan). Even Roseanne Barr, who once dressed as Hitler and was finally written off her own TV reboot after a racist one-liner about former White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, didn’t have her fingers in as many pies as West – not only desperate for new partners, but a new divorce attorney, too. Camille Vasquez, the attorney who redeemed Johnny Depp, won’t touch West, either.

It’s only in recent days that West has trialed an apology on Lex Fridman’s podcast, another unoriginal version of the “if I offended” word salad. But it didn’t make things better for the students of his briefly shuttered Donda Academy, or vindicate his tarnishing of George Floyd – or stop him from spouting more offensive rhetoric. But with Ye’s billions reduced to millions and JP Morgan no longer willing to grant him loans against his net worth or otherwise engage the classic rich guy tax avoidance game, West might soon find the only entity willing to engage him is the IRS – and for them, Heartless is more than a West anthem. It’s modus operandi, too.

Kanye West had it all – wealth, power, status, autonomy. But in the end it wasn’t enough. There was no predicting it would come crashing down so dramatically. And yet there’s still no telling how much farther he could fall.

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Articles on Kanye West

Displaying 1 - 20 of 25 articles.

kanye west biography article

50 years of hip-hop : Its social and political power resonates far beyond its New York birthplace

Anna Lippman , York University, Canada

kanye west biography article

Tupac’s ‘Dear Mama’ endures as rap artists detail complex relationships with their mothers, street life and the pursuit of success

A.D. Carson , University of Virginia

kanye west biography article

Kanye West and Wyndham Lewis: how ‘cancellation’ affected two artists, a century apart

Nathan Waddell , University of Birmingham

kanye west biography article

Antisemitism on Twitter has more than doubled since Elon Musk took over the platform – new research

Carl Miller , King's College London

kanye west biography article

Should Australia let Kanye West in?

Mary Crock , University of Sydney

kanye west biography article

Ye and Adidas break up: Why brand marriages sometimes go bad

Pankhuri Malhotra , University of Oklahoma

kanye west biography article

How Hitler conspiracies and other Holocaust disinformation undermine democratic institutions

Carson Phillips , Gratz College

kanye west biography article

Kanye may not like books, but hip-hop fosters a love of literature

kanye west biography article

Taylor Swift v Damon Albarn: why the idea of the lone songwriter is outdated

Helen Reddington , University of East London

kanye west biography article

What is bipolar disorder, the condition Kanye West lives with?

Ian Hickie , University of Sydney

kanye west biography article

Kanye for president: the dangerous allure of the celebrity politician

Natasha Lindstaedt , University of Essex

kanye west biography article

Why bipolar disorder is becoming more ‘desirable’ than other mental illnesses

Paul Fallon , University of Salford

kanye west biography article

Nebuchadnezzar explained: warrior king, rebuilder of cities, and musical muse

Louise Pryke , University of Sydney

kanye west biography article

I teach and play gospel music and I think Kanye’s Jesus is King is a remarkable gospel album

Andrew Legg , University of Tasmania

kanye west biography article

Kanye West’s new housing project, reviewed by a professor of urban design

Nick Dunn , Lancaster University

kanye west biography article

Childish Gambino: This is America uses music and dance to expose society’s dark underbelly

Daniel Cookney , University of Salford and Kirsty Fairclough , University of Salford

kanye west biography article

Bromance alert: Kanye West and … Jordan Peterson?

David Chandross , Toronto Metropolitan University

kanye west biography article

How the death of the hip-hop DJ spawned the superstar rapper

Adam de Paor-Evans , University of Central Lancashire

kanye west biography article

White people should never rap the n-word : A linguist breaks it down

Darin Flynn , University of Calgary

kanye west biography article

How saying you’re multiracial changes the way people see you

Robert L. Reece , Duke University

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  • Antisemitism
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kanye west biography article

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How Did Kanye Get Here? A Short History of Provocation and Extreme Rhetoric

By Jeff Ihaza

There is apparently no line Kanye West won’t cross. Even before his dangerous and roundly condemned “death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE” tweet got him suspended from Twitter last year, he debuted a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt alongside conservative pundit Candace Owens during his Paris Fashion Week presentation, instantly tarnishing his reputation within the industry. And then, after a noxious cycle of public appearances where Ye doubled down on his comments, repeating antisemitic talking points as well as the debunked claim that George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police was actually a result of a lethal dose of fentanyl, he apparently “agreed” to purchase the far-right social media platform Parler (which is run by Owens’ husband). Most recently, he attempted to apologize to the Jewish people after even more antisemitic comments.

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In looking at Kanye’s behavior since 2016, a call-and-response-style pattern comes into view. We see how one of the most gifted artists in hip-hop fell into the kind of red-pilled logic you see from people who believe everything they see on the Internet. And he doesn’t appear to be ready to stop.

2016: The Red Hat

Kanye west removes sample after ozzy osbourne blasts him as 'antisemite', kanye west and ty dolla $ign drop eerie video for 'vultures (havoc version)', north west sings and raps in kanye and ty dolla $ign's 'talking / once again' clip.

The ordeal marked the beginning of Ye’s public turn towards devout Christianity and right-wing rhetoric. He would go on to cancel the remaining dates on his Saint Pablo tour, and shortly after he was reportedly hospitalized for a “psychiatric emergency.” 

In December of 2016, following his hospitalization, Kanye would visit President-elect Trump at Trump Tower. Trump went on to tell reporters in the building’s lobby that he and Kanye had “been friends for a long time.”

2018: Candace Owens and the “Choice” of Slavery

“I actually think that the rants came from the place of a bravery,” Ye said after drawing headlines with another round of provocative statements. “I had enough of the politics…. Bravery is more important than perfection. Feeling is more important than thought.”

Owens would become a regular figure in Kanye’s orbit, reportedly enlisting Ye to design merchandise for her “Blexit” campaign, which encouraged Black voters to leave the Democratic Party.  Owens was quoted as confirming this to Page Six : “I am blessed to say that this logo, these colors, were created by my dear friend and fellow superhero Kanye West.” She would later backtrack, writing in a statement that “I never once said that Kanye designed the T-shirts for BLEXIT, I would like to publicly apologize to him for any undue stress or pain the effort to correct that rumor has caused him, his business relationships, or his family.”

(Years later, in 2022, Owens’ influence remained: The idea that George Floyd’s death was the result of drugs and not police misconduct is a piece of misinformation plucked directly from her recent documentary  The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM. )

Meanwhile, reports about Ye’s mental health circulated in the press, and Kanye told TMZ about his unhappiness with medication. “These pills that they want me to take three of a day, I take one a week maybe, two a week,” he said. “Y’all had me scared of myself, of my vision. So I took some pills so I wouldn’t go to the hospital and prove everyone right. We are drugged out! We are following other people’s opinions. We are controlled by the media. And today it all changes.”

2019: King Nebuchadnezzar

By 2019, it seemed that Kanye’s antics might be somewhat explained away by his newly devout faith. He launched his Sunday Service Choir and put together an opera called Nebuchadnezzar at the Hollywood Bowl; in the Bible, Nebuchadnezzar is a Babylonian king who conquered the Jews, beginning a long period of captivity. “Jesus has won the victory because now the greatest artist that God has ever created is now working for him,” West reportedly said at the Houston megachurch run by Joel Osteen around this time.

2020-2022: Kim, Instagram, and Pete

In a string of posts from this February, Kanye began publicly criticizing Kim for allowing their daughter to be featured in videos on her TikTok. For several weeks, Kanye ratcheted up the controversy, posting screenshots and insults that many commenters deemed reminiscent of an abusive partner. Ye would use the same tactics in his feuds with corporate behemoths Adidas, Gap, and JP Morgan. 

Among the few voices in Kanye’s corner during his campaign against the mother of his children was his old pal Candace Owens, who came to his defense on Twitter, writing that “Kim is wrong on this one. … It’s actually Kanye that is trying to protect his daughter in this regard and Kim is spinning this as ‘obsession’ and ‘control.’” 

2022: “White Lives Matter”

During the Yeezy Season 9 presentation in Paris, Ye unveiled a t-shirt with a photo of Pope John Paul II on the front and the phrase “ White Lives Matter ” on the back. “We changed the look of fashion over the last 10 years. We are the streets. We are the culture,” Ye said. “And when it comes to the culture, I am Ye, and everyone knows I am the leader.” 

The fashion world was quick to condemn Kanye, and many commenters took issue with the sloppy co-opting of a well-known phrase used in white supremacist circles. Ye went on to post harsh critiques of veteran fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who described the shirt as an “incredibly irresponsible and dangerous act”; he also claimed without any evidence that LVMH was somehow connected to the passing of Virgil Abloh. “I gotta draw the line at you using Virgil’s death in your ‘ye’ is the victim campaign in front your sycophant peanut algorithm gallery,” Tremaine Emory, the creative director at Supreme, wrote on Instagram.

It’s a good summation of Kanye’s biggest problem for the past decade of his career. He loves the sound of his own voice more than anything, no matter who it hurts. 

2023: The Aftermath and the “Apology”

West spent the majority of 2023 doing his version of “damage control” (which, in effect, looked a hell of a lot like doing more damage). After brands like Balenciaga and Adidas cut ties with him over his anti-Semitic outbursts, in Dec. 2022 he was banned from X (formerly known as Twitter) after tweeting, among other things, an image of a swastika interlaced with a Star of David and posting private messages between him and X CEO Elon Musk. “He again violated our rule against incitement to violence,” Musk tweeted at the time. “Account will be suspended.” (Musk apparently changed his mind: Ye was reinstated to X in the summer of 2023.)

In March 2023, West emerged from his brief social media hiatus to post on Instagram that watching Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street “made him like Jewish people again,” adding, in what perhaps constituted his own version of an apology for his anti-Semitic remarks, that “no one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of innocent people.” People were (rightfully) unconvinced: his post was met with uproar, and he was temporarily suspended from Instagram.

In the following months, Ye quietly prepared for his return to the limelight, making an appearance on Travis Scott’s tour and briefly causing a stir in the tabloids over NSFW photos of him with his then-girlfriend, Bianca Censori , taken by paparazzi on a gondola ride in Venice. He spent the fall of 2023 teasing the release of his upcoming album with Ty Dolla Sign, Vultures, dropping a title track in which he rapped “How I’m  antisemitic , I just fucked a Jewish bitch.” Apparently realizing that this revelation neither constituted a defense nor an apology, he took to Instagram on Dec. 26 to release a statement to the “Jewish community” written in Hebrew (a language that, it’s worth noting, the majority of the world’s population of Jews outside Israel do not speak).

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It remains to be seen whether the Jewish community at large will accept his apology — or, perhaps more importantly from Ye’s perspective, whether anyone will forgive him enough to buy Vultures when it drops in January.

Ej Dickson contributed reporting to this story.

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The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Kanye West

Kanye sitting

Imma let you finish what you were doing before clicking on this article, but we simply have to talk about Kanye West . Recent drama between West and ex-wife Kim Kardashian, West and Kardashian's boyfriend Pete Davidson, West and Trevor Noah, West and "Saturday Night Live," West and the Grammys, West and Instagram, West and Coachella, and, well, West and just about everyone in showbiz, it seems, keeps the legendary "Donda 2" rapper in the headlines. And usually, it's for all the wrong reasons.

So you might be wondering, as you wolf down popcorn and refresh Twitter every 30 seconds for a new update on the latest West disaster, how the hip-hop superstar ended up the way he is: a musical genius who simply can't stay out of his own way. As you may have guessed, Ye's stunning and hard-fought success has been balanced out by more than his fair share of personal tragedies and experiences with mental health issues.

From the death of his mother to the Taylor Swift feud to all the latest gossip with Pete Davidson, this is the tragic real-life story of Kanye West.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website .

A car accident almost ended his career right as it began

Netflix's "Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy" is a must-see for any fan of the rapper's music (or anyone fascinated by his antics). One of the early stories it tells is of a serious car wreck in 2002, when he was just starting his music career (via  Newsweek ).

At 3 a.m. on October 23, while driving home from the recording studio, West fell asleep at the wheel of a rented Lexus and smashed the front end into an oncoming car. Nobody died, mercifully enough, but they didn't walk away unscathed, either. The other driver broke both legs while West's jaw was seriously broken in three places, resulting in emergency surgery, a metal plate insert, and his jaw being wired shut for a month and a half.

Newsweek excerpts an MTV interview West had a few months later. "I had nasal fractures," he explained, talking about the lingering complications from the accident. "I'd be talking to people, and my nose would start bleeding. Even to this day, I could start choking because spit will go down the wrong path. ... I'm just learning how to pronounce words like 'What's up' with the 't' and the 's' together without it being slurred, so I can rap again."

As the article points out, West couldn't resist referencing the traumatizing incident in several songs, including recent ones. "God saved me from that crash," he says in this year's "Eazy."

His mother died after cosmetic surgery

The Netflix documentary "Jeen Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy" describes the namesake for Kanye West's two most recent albums, "Donda" and "Donda 2." That would be Dr. Donda C. West, Kanye's mother, who had a larger impact on the legendary rapper than anyone else (via Newsweek ). 

A professor at Chicago State University, Donda separated from her husband Ray when Kanye was 3 and raised him alone for years. In 2004, the doctor retired to be the "momager" of her sun's rapidly rising music career. She even wrote "Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar" and listened to his debut record, "The College Dropout," repeatedly. Who wouldn't love a mom that supportive? Kanye said in 2004 (per Newsweek) that his mom was his "best friend in the whole world."

Sadly, on November 10, 2007, at age 58, Dr. West passed away of heart failure a day after undergoing cosmetic surgery. As the article and the documentary note well, Kanye struggled for years to process his grief. Tragically, although her passing was clearly an unpredictable freak accident, the rapper seems to blame himself. The New Zealand Herald excerpts an interview Kanye did with Q Magazine from 2015, where he was asked what he had sacrificed for success. "My mom," he said. "If I had never moved to L.A., she'd be alive. I don't want to go far into it because it will bring me to tears."

West and Taylor Swift have been going at it for years

Everyone remembers where they were when, at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West stormed the stage, stole the mic from then-up-and-comer Taylor Swift (who'd just won the trophy for best female video for "You Belong With Me"), and said, "Imma let you finish! But Beyonce had the best video of all time. Of all time!" Ah, classic early West.

As  Billboard  points out, West and Swift's relationship never really recovered from that moment, despite him saying the following day, on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "I immediately knew in this situation that it was wrong ... it's someone's emotions that I stepped on. It was rude, period."

In March 2012, Swift was seen sporting a shirt from West's clothing line. Three years later, the two were spotted smiling and having a pleasant chat. It certainly looked like their relationship was thawing, especially after she cheerfully presented him with a VMA award later that year. But the story doesn't end there.

In 2016, West released "Famous," one of the lead singles from his seventh studio album, "The Life of Pablo." "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that b**** famous." Shockingly, the lyric didn't go over too well with Swift, even though there was (and to some degree, remains) a lot of back and forth between the two over whether or not she had approved the lyrics beforehand.

He has Bipolar Disorder

In fact, the man behind "Donda 2" may just be the most famous person to have ever experienced bipolar disorder (BPD), which Mayo Clinic says causes wild mood swings that cause long periods of either mania or depression and all the associated symptoms of those mental states. BPD almost certainly plays a heavy role in many of the rapper's widely publicized highs and lows, his infamous ego and outrageous statements, and his erratic, unpredictable behavior.

The Quint says West opens up a whole lot more than he usually does in Netflix's "Jeen-yuhs: a Kanye Trilogy." "Even me, when I already had the house and wife and the kids and the plaques, I'd still have moments where I felt like, suicidal, would still have moments where I'm addicted to Percocets and don't even realize it," he said.

Just listen to the lyrics he wrote for his 2015 song, "I Feel Like That:" "Feeling afraid in open spaces or in public. Thoughts of ending your life. Feeling that most people could not be trusted. ... Are your feelings easily hurt? Feeling that people are unfriendly, or do you feel like people dislike you?"

It just goes to show that while wealth and fame go a long way toward improving your quality of life, there are some things that can't be bought off.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

He was briefly addicted to opioids

As far as we know, Kanye West isn't currently experiencing an opioid addiction. But he was for a brief, no doubt scary period back in 2016.

West spoke candidly about the experience to  TMZ back in 2018 , saying he had been prescribed opioid painkillers after liposuction surgery. He then says he was "drugged the f*** out, bro!" when he went to visit then-President-elect Donald Trump in December 2016. Anyone who was following Ye at the time likely remembers his pill-popping habit and how he canceled an entire upcoming tour after a "psychiatric emergency" landed him in the hospital for a week (via The New York Times ).

According to the same article, West was angry at the dose he received. He also ignored the liposuction-related death of his mother and decided to undergo the procedure after seeing how his father-in-law, Rob Kardashian, had been treated in the media. He reportedly said he simply didn't want to look "fat."

"Wanna know how pain feels?" he rapped on Travis Scott's 2018 song " Watch ," referencing his undoubtedly harrowing experience. "Got off my main pills ... Opioid addiction, pharmacy's the real trap."

Kanye West had a 'psychiatric emergency'

According to dispatcher audio acquired by TMZ , Kanye West had what emergency responders referred to as a "psychiatric emergency" in November 2016. After they arrived at his trainer's house (they had called in, saying West was acting "erratically"), they handcuffed the rapper to a bed and hauled him off to the UCLA Medical Center.

So what happened that night? Confirmed details and specifics are still pretty hard to come by, but in a 2018 interview with Charlamagne tha God, West said that "fear, stress, control, being controlled, manipulation, being a pawn and chess piece of life" was responsible for the emotional meltdown. TMZ acknowledged that most people believed the incident to be the result of constant pressure in his professional and private life and his aforementioned and mercifully brief post-surgery opioid habit. However, they also noted that the Los Angeles Forum show he'd canceled the day before fell on the anniversary of his mother's funeral, and the traumatic memory of her death fueled depression and anxiety.

He was once in serious debt

In 2016, Business Insider says Kanye West announced on Twitter, "I write this to you my brothers while still 53 million dollars in personal debt... Please pray we overcome ... This is my true heart."

Everyone scrambled to get to the bottom of how one of the world's most popular musicians could've possibly wound up in such a spot. GOBankingRates  has since identified some purchases that might've contributed to the problem, including an engagement ring for his now ex-wife Kim Kardashian that likely cost him between $2.5 and $3 million, a $4.5 million NYC apartment, and $500 haircuts ... every single day. Yes, you read that right, and that would amount to around $182,000 a year. On haircuts. Meanwhile, Vanity Fair believes West got so into debt due to multiple failed attempts to get into the fashion industry.

However, Forbes claims the rapper and entrepreneur has since pulled himself out of this financial hole by becoming a billionaire in 2020, likely a result of raking in massive piles of cash with his Yeezy sneakers line. Even when he was in the thick of it, though, and publicly pleading for help, West didn't let himself get discouraged. "I was trying to play a sport that's a billionaire sport," he told BET, per the  Boston Herald . "It's not a millionaire sport, and I'm proud of the debt. I care about my vision."

His Donda House charity was marred by infighting

According to  ABC Chicago , Kanye West, Che Smith (known popularly as Rhymefest), and his wife started a youth outreach program in Chicago named after West's mother following her tragic passing in 2007. Sadly, the charity eventually became saddled with struggles and infighting. The public saw it all unfold when Rhymefest sought to legally change the organization's name in 2018, alleging that West had hardly participated in running it at all.

Kim Kardashian, then West's wife, took to Twitter to blast their soon-to-be-former business partner. "You're over levergenging [sic] Kanye's name and asked Kanye to donate money to u, so stop w your fake community politics & lies," she said (per ABC Chicago). Rhymefest released a statement in response: "How can you criticize an organization you've never been to OR that you've never even talked to the executive director or any of the team?"

"Our community actually selected the new name," said Donne Smith, the executive director who helped her husband Rhymefest run the program, according to ABC Chicago . "And we did a review of programs and decided we're going to continue our old programs, and also add some new ones contributed by the community.

However, the article goes on to claim that West's support of Donald Trump played a role in the organization's decision to rename itself "Art of Culture, Incorporated."

He is no stranger to controversial political activity

At this point, Kanye West's at least as famous for his outrageous comments and behavior as he is for is music. The Chicago Tribune remembers one of his earliest controversial remarks back in 2005. While hosting a fundraising telethon in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, West said, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people." It was an unscripted outburst that had co-host Mike Myers visibly squirming.

But West has apparently switched gears. In 2018, he had this to say about slavery while at TMZ headquarters ( per CNN ): "When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... For 400 years? That sounds like a choice." Unsurprisingly, the comment sparked outrage. A TMZ employee blasted him on the scene, saying, "Frankly, I'm disappointed. I'm appalled, and brother, I am unbelievably hurt by the fact that you have morphed into something to me, that's not real."

Later that same year, ABC says he started wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat to signal his on-again, off-again support for then-President Donald Trump . And in 2020, West infamously launched a presidential bid that miraculously did even more poorly than you might have expected. According to Billboard , the rapper committed $9 million of his own money to the effort but only managed to get on the ballot in 12 states and pull in 60,000 votes. Rumors that Republican party operatives were behind the campaign in an attempt to undermine Joe Biden were later proven true, as per Business Insider.

West and Kardashian's divorce was devastating

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian officially split in 2022, per Page Six . They began dating in 2011 and married in 2014, a year after having their first child (via  Brides ). According to the article, rumors of the impending split started seriously circulating at the beginning of 2021, when Kardashian, then 40, was seen out and about without her wedding ring. Meanwhile, West spent the holiday season alone at his ranch, which Kardashian apparently insisted he purchase so they could live separately while hashing out divorce details. Brides says Kardashian officially filed for divorce on February 19 and was declared legally single as of March 2, 2022, long after she began dating "Saturday Night Live" star Pete Davidson.

Unsurprisingly, the public has been privy to every mood swing West has suffered since it all began. In late 2021, West made news with his outlandish gestures, designed to lure Kardashian back (via  BuzzFeed ). Most notably, he begged her to "run right back" to him while performing in December. When that didn't work, he started openly harassing Pete Davidson (more on that ongoing mess in a bit) and sharing his every thought on social media. After learning Kardashian was legally single, he posted an original poem called "DIVORCE" (we wonder what that could be about?). "Divorce feels like your soul was dragged over coals," he wrote. "Divorce feels like suffocating / Barely breathing."

He couldn't handle seeing Kardashian with Pete Davidson

It's of course understandable for someone to be hurt by seeing their former spouse in another man's arms, but Kanye West has taken his feud with "Saturday Night Live" veteran Pete Davidson, currently dating his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, to scary extremes.

Complex says the feud started long ago when Davidson first mocked West on "SNL," but it went into overdrive when he started dating Kardashian. The current spat started with passive-aggressive jabs, like West calling Davidson "Skete" on social media, as per BuzzFeed. Then the rapper started asking his followers to yell at "Skete" if they saw Davidson out and about. West frequently referred to the comedian as "garbage" throughout this time and eventually released a music video for his 2021 single "Eazy," in which a terrified claymation Pete Davidson is kidnapped and decapitated.

You don't have to be a mental health expert, police officer, or a survivor of abuse to realize this is a volatile, dangerously escalating situation. As Trevor Noah of "The Daily Show" pointed out, not even Kardashian's wealth and status has protected her from her potentially violent ex-husband, who's been harassing her for months. West responded by calling Noah a racial slur that Bustle says got him booted from the Grammys.

All this controversy and unacceptable behavior has resulted in West being suspended from Instagram and even pulling out of an upcoming appearance at Coachella, per Variety .

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The Morning

Investigating kanye.

How Adidas looked past misconduct in its partnership with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West.

Kanye West, grinning, stands amid a group of people.

By Megan Twohey

When Adidas ended its wildly lucrative shoe deal with Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, a year ago, the breakup appeared to be the culmination of weeks of his inflammatory remarks about Jews and Black Lives Matter. But our examination found that behind the scenes, the partnership was fraught from the start.

Interviews with current and former employees of Adidas and of West, along with hundreds of previously undisclosed internal records, including contracts, text messages and financial documents, provide the fullest accounting yet of the relationship. Here are seven takeaways.

For almost 10 years, Adidas looked past West’s misconduct as profits soared. The partnership, which began in 2013, boosted company profits and made West a billionaire. But West subjected employees to antisemitic and other abusive comments. And though their contract for years had a clause allowing Adidas to end the agreement if West’s behavior harmed the company’s reputation, it’s not clear that executives ever considered invoking it before terminating the deal last year.

West showed a troubling fixation on Jews and Hitler. At a 2013 meeting with Adidas designers at the company’s headquarters in Germany, he drew a swastika on one of their sketches. He later told a Jewish Adidas manager to kiss a portrait of Hitler every day. And West told Adidas colleagues that he admired Hitler’s command of propaganda.

He brought pornography and crude comments into the workplace. Weeks before the swastika episode, West made Adidas executives watch pornography during a meeting at his Manhattan apartment. Last year, he ambushed Adidas executives in Los Angeles with a pornographic film. Staff members also complained to top executives that he had made angry, sexually offensive comments to them.

Big demands and mood swings weighed on the relationship. West, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, at times rejected the assessment and resisted treatment. Tears were common; so was fury. In 2019, he abruptly moved the operation designing his shoes, called Yeezys, to remote Cody, Wyo., and ordered the Adidas team to relocate. In a meeting with company leaders that year to discuss his demands, he hurled shoes around the room.

Adidas adapted to West’s behavior. Managers and top executives started a group text chain, called the “Yzy hotline,” to address matters involving West. The Adidas team working on Yeezys adopted a strategy they likened to firefighting, rotating members on and off the front lines of dealing with the artist.

As the brand grew more reliant on Yeezys, it sweetened the deal for West. Under the 2016 contract, he received a 15 percent royalty on net sales, with $15 million upfront along with millions of dollars in company stock each year. In 2019, Adidas agreed to another enticement: $100 million annually, officially for Yeezy marketing but, in practice, a fund that West could spend with little oversight.

The sales continue. After the relationship between West and Adidas ruptured a year ago and Yeezy sales stopped, the company projected its first annual loss in decades. West’s net worth plummeted. Still, they had at least one more chance to keep making money together. In May, the company began releasing the remaining $1.3 billion worth of Yeezys. A cut of the proceeds would go to charity. But most of the revenue would go to Adidas, and West was entitled to royalties.

You can read the full investigation here .

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

Military and government leaders in Israel are divided over whether to invade Gaza . Troops are waiting at the border.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza released the names and ID numbers of 6,747 people it said had been killed in Israeli strikes.

Many water faucets have run dry and food is increasingly scarce in Gaza. See photos from inside the enclave .

American Response

The U.S. hit targets linked to Iran in eastern Syria. The airstrikes were intended to deter both attacks on American forces in the region and a wider war.

An empty Shabbat table in Times Square had a space for each of the around 200 hostages held by Hamas.

In an essay that went to press before the war began, President Biden’s national security adviser called the Middle East “quieter than it has been for decades.” Critics have pounced .

University of Pennsylvania alumni are pulling their donations , angry over the school’s perceived leftward shift and response to Hamas’s attacks.

Maine Shooting

State and federal authorities combed the countryside around Lewiston, Maine, in search of the gunman who killed 18 people in a mass shooting on Wednesday night.

The suspect, a 40-year-old Army reservist named Robert Card, has not been found. Thousands of Maine residents are locked down.

A survivor of the bowling alley attack described the shock as the shooting began. “This stuff doesn’t happen in Maine. Everybody’s nice,” he said.

Representative Jared Golden, a centrist Democrat whose district includes Lewiston, urged Congress to ban assault rifles, reversing his earlier opposition .

New House Speaker

Mike Johnson has doubted climate science , opposed clean energy and received campaign contributions from fossil fuel companies.

In an interview with Sean Hannity , Johnson suggested that he was skeptical of aiding Palestinians in Gaza and dismissed calls for more gun control.

A federal judge struck down Georgia’s Republican-drawn voting maps, saying they disempowered Black voters . He ordered the legislature to redraw them.

Republicans in North Carolina, a closely divided state, approved a gerrymandered congressional map that favors their party .

More Politics

The Texas House voted to allow local police agencies to arrest migrants , a challenge to the federal government’s power over immigration.

Representative Dean Phillips, a moderate Minnesota Democrat, is running for president in a challenge to Biden.

International

Otis was one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Because the storm cut off travel and communication, the extent of its destruction​ is still unclear .

A government program in Denmark is using demolition and relocation to remake neighborhoods with “non-Western” immigrants, poverty or crime.

Twitter Anniversary

When Elon Musk bought Twitter one year ago, he said the site “obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape.” Experts on misinformation say it has become just that .

How do users feel about the new Twitter — or X, as Musk has rebranded it? Many have abandoned the site, saying its quality and safeguards have deteriorated .

New York banned corporal punishment in private schools after a Times investigation revealed its widespread use in Hasidic schools.

An N.Y.P.D. tow truck hit and killed a 7-year-old boy as he was crossing a street in Brooklyn, police officials said.

Other Big Stories

The U.S. economy surged last quarter, growing 4.9 percent as a strong job market and falling inflation fueled consumer spending .

A woman in Ohio fatally drugged four men she met for sex, according to officials.

The Israel-Hamas war distracts from Ukraine and undermines U.S. dominance in the Middle East, Hanna Notte argues. Who benefits? Russia.

Here’s a column by Nicholas Kristof on the survivors of the Hamas attacks .

MORNING READS

Candy corn: Do you love it or hate it ?

A Morning listen: Try “The Kids of Rutherford County,” a new podcast from Serial Productions .

Modern Love: When breaking up is an act of love .

Lives Lived: Rock Brynner built a varied career as road manager for the Band, bodyguard for Muhammad Ali, professor of constitutional history and more. He died at 76 .

N.F.L.: The Buffalo Bills beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-18, withstanding a last-second Hail Mary attempt.

Soccer stalemate: The U.S. women’s team was held to a 0-0 draw by Colombia in the first of two friendlies this week between the sides. They play again Sunday.

Dame time: Damian Lillard scored 39 points in his Milwaukee Bucks debut, leading his new team to a 118-117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Boxing: These women are fighting by men’s rules .

ARTS AND IDEAS

Till death do us part: The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo., inspired Stephen King to write “The Shining.” And while that may not sound like the most romantic getaway to some, the hotel has become a hot spot for horror-loving couples seeking a spooky setting for their wedding. One couple, who married there on a recent Friday the 13th, said the hotel matched their ideal wedding vibe: “an elegant Victorian funeral.”

More on culture

A recently finished recording billed as the “last song” by the Beatles will be released on Nov. 2, half a century after the group broke up.

The comedian Hasan Minhaj addressed claims he embellished his stand-up, saying he thought “the lines between truth and fiction were allowed to be a bit more blurry.”

Stephen Colbert spoke about gun violence and the failures of Congress.

THE MORNING RECOMMENDS …

Bake Nigella Lawson’s monster cookies .

Clean your sofa .

Take our news quiz .

Here is today’s Spelling Bee . Yesterday’s pangram was cottonmouth .

And here are today’s Mini Crossword , Wordle , Sudoku and Connections .

Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow.

Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox . Reach our team at [email protected] .

Megan Twohey is a prize-winning investigative reporter and a best-selling author who has focused much of her work on the treatment of women and children. More about Megan Twohey

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Kanye West | Biography, Album, Net Worth, Height

Celebrities ● 0 min read ● April 19, 2022

Birthday: June 8, 1977

Height: 5 ft 8 inch( 173 cm)

Zodiac sign: Gemini

Education: College dropout

Occupation: Rapper, Song writer, Music producer, fashion designer, 

Spouse: Kim Kardashian, ( 2014 to 2022) Divorced

Net Worth: $2 billion

Years Active: 1996 to present

Famous for fan-favorite rap songs like Famous, Gold Digger , Kanye West has come a long way from being a college dropout to becoming one of the best-selling and famous rappers in history. He is also a self-made billionaire fashion entrepreneur with his brand YEEZY . 

Those are just the tip of the iceberg. The life of Kanye has a long story. The most highlighted among them is–That Kanye is a rapper to win 24 Grammy awards and was also ranked by Billboard as the third top producer of the decade. 

The famous American rapper dropped out of college in 1995 and started his career in rap in 1996. Kanye started rapping during his third grade. He started composing when he was in his seventh grade and sold them to other artists. Kanye’s mother supported his childhood rapping passion which later turned him into one of the best rappers in history. 

West was a recognized producer in the Rock-a-Fella records producing records for different artists during his early years. He debuted in the industry with his first rap album, The College Dropout, and later established his own record label, GOOD Music . 

Kanye West went from almost going bankrupt to becoming one of the world’s billionaire rappers and fashion designers. But how was the journey for Kanye so far in his life? Let me entertain you with a short life story of Kanye West in this article. 

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Kanye West Early Life

Kanye West Early Life

Kanye Omari West, popularly known by his stage name Kanye West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born to Ray West and Donda West; Ray was a former Black Panther and one of the first Photojournalists in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . His mother was a professor of English at Clark Atlanta University. 

When West was three, his parents divorced, and he moved to Chicago with his mother. He was brought up in a middle-class environment. When West was ten, he moved to China with his mother. 

Kanye’s mother noticed his excellent gift for music and art when he was little. His first song was named “Green Eggs and Ham.” The supportive hand of his mother helped West grow his passion into a global star as we know of now. 

Later, he met and became friends with Producer No I. D. He was his first mentor of Kanye to teach him the art of sampling and programming beats. When Kanye was 15, he received his first sampler. 

Kanye was a good student and he also got a scholarship to attend the American Academy of Arts in Chicago after his graduation in 1997. But he transferred to Chicago State University to study English. When he realized that college was getting in the way of his music career, he dropped out of college at the age of 20 and started making music.

Kanye West Music Career

Kanye West Music

During his career as a rapper and hip-hop music producer, Kanye West has been nominated for 774 awards, and he won 272 of them. Varying in style, critics applauded Kanye’s way of exploring the universe of rap music. 

His choice of instruments ranges from orchestral arrangements to synthesizers and autotune in Late Registration, Graduation, and 808s & Heartbreak. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Yeezus, his fifth and sixth albums, combine elements from Minimalism and Maximalism.

In his interview with the New York Times, Kanye revealed his thoughts about his own discography. According to him, he tried to redefine the sound of the radio in his album 808s & Heartbreak. Kanye also called his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a “backhanded apology.”

If we sideline all the controversies surrounding this rap genius, the trail of songs that he has left is the work of a genius musician. Here is a quick overview of all of his albums–

The College Dropout & Late Registration (2003- 2006)

The College Dropout & Late Registration

Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam

Producers: Kanye West

The College Dropout is undoubtedly the best album of Kanye’s career. It was the stepping stone of his career bringing a whole new perspective on what an artist can rap about.  

In terms of style, Kanye’s work in The Blueprint blended soul music and contemporary pop . But in his debut album, The College Dropout, Kanye changed the way rap lyrics are written. He invented a way of rhyming without using words like ‘guns’ and ‘nines’. As a result, the album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 list. In the first week, the album sold 441,000 copies. 

Late Registration – yet another amazing album from Kanye got some of the best tracks that aged with time like fine wine. The contributions of Jamie Foxx, Adam Levine, and Jay-z are unforgettable in the Late Registration. Late Registration ranked 4th in the BestEverAlbums.com list of best albums. 

Graduation, 808s & Heartbreak ( 2007 – 2009)

Graduation, 808s & Heartbreak

Labels: Universal International, Roc-A-Fella Records

Producers: Kanye West 

Graduation is considered a gem or a Kanye west classic for the aspirational tone in the songs. Champion, Stronger, Good Life, The Glory, and Homecoming are among the finest creations of Kanye. The album has an inspirational tone, but it is more about breaking boundaries, aiming for the best, and not settling for good. The album debuted at number one on the billboard 200 chart and sold over 5 million copies in the US. 

Various rap geniuses contributed to making rap an evolved genre as it is nowadays–Kanye is among those most significant artists. 

The 808s And Heartbreak is the trajectory that changed the direction of hip-hop. Kanye’s mother, Donda passed away during this time; Kanye was also dealing with other sad aspects of his life. He put all of his thoughts and feelings into this album, making it an all-time fan favorite Kanye west album. 808s And Heartbreak also debuted at the number one on the Billboard 200 chart. 

My Beautiful Dark Fantasy, Watch The Throne (2010 – 2011)

My Beautiful Dark Fantasy, Watch The Throne

Labels: Roc-A-Fella Records

The storytelling nature of Kanye is found in his album MBDF, where he mixes up the most prominent voices of Hip-hop in telling some serious troughs. He addresses the most pressing issue of celebrity worship and how it is plaguing the current society at the advent of technology. At the 2012 grammy, My Beautiful Dark Fantasy won the award for the best rap album. 

No Church in the Wild, Niggas in Paris are two of the much-celebrated songs of the album Watch The Throne. According to Kanye West, The album is meant to “protect the music and the culture”. In the album, Kanye collaborated with Jay-Z and Drake. 

Yeezus, The Life Of Pablo (2013 – 2016) 

Yeezus, The Life Of Pablo

Labels: Def Jam, Getting Out Our Dreams

Yeezus is a very minimalistic album and appeals to most of the audience through its simple tone. You may not like the album right away, but it takes place in the listeners’ playlist with time. The album has a grotesque structure that many don’t like, while others consider it as an album way ahead of its time. The album includes some elements of trap music, making it popular among young audiences. 

The Life Of Pablo takes risks in destroying the archetypal album conventions. Kanye takes the listener on a tour of his mind and for a visceral exploration of his thoughts. The album takes the background of the rapper’s career, where he felt that his career was going through the worst position in his life. Kanye named the album after Pablo Picasso, drug dealer Pablo Escobar, and also Saint Paul.

Ye, Kids See Ghosts (2018)

Ye, Kids See Ghosts

Labels: GOOD Music, DefJam, Getting Out Our Dreams

In 2021, the Ye album received platinum certification. In 2018, Kanye told the radio host Big Boy that Ye is the most commonly used word in the Holy Bible. Many listeners rank Ye among the worst albums in the career of Kanye West. All Mine, I Thought About Killing You, Yikes, No Mistakes, Wouldn’t Leave are some songs from the album. 

Kids See Ghosts is a polar opposite to what Ye Feels like. Kanye and Kid Cudi join voices to explore mental illness from the eyes of those who dismiss its existence completely. Feel the Love, Reborn, Ghost Town, Fourth Dimension, are among the best songs from this album. Kanye shows a polished and refined rapping skill in Kids See Ghost . 

Jesus Is The King, Donda (2019 – 2021)

Yeezus, The Life Of Pablo

Labels: DefJam, Getting Out Our Dreams

In Jesus Is The King , Kanye shifts from his usual style of music and follows a Biblical theme. He talked about the album as an expression of the gospel. The album reflects upon the past fifteen years of West’s career as a music producer and rapper. 

Donda , an album West named after his late mother. Donda West passed away in 2007. The album starts with Donda Chant sung by Syleena Johnson, who sings Donda’s name 58 times in honor of her life. In 2022 the sequel to the album Donda , named Donda 2, comes out. 

Kanye West Brand Yeezy

Kanye West Brand Yeezy

Aside from his fame in music, Kanye West made a fortune by setting up a fashion brand named Yeezy. Kanye added his fashion brand Yeezy after the nickname that Jay Z gave him in the intro of the Lucifer track. 

Jay Z called him Kanyeezy, which Kanye shortened and made a brand name out of it. Following several debts in his career, Kanye ventured into the world of fashion products in 2006 by setting up the brand Yeezy. The brand sells a line of sneakers and fashion clothes and accessories for men, women, and children. 

The brand collaborated with big brands like Nike, Louis, Adidas, etc. He was a millionaire when he was only a musician. But, when his brand saw some profit, Kanye finally became a billionaire. In fact, the largest part of Kanye West’s fortune comes from his ownership of Yeezy. As of 2022, the Yeezy brand is worth billions of dollars.

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Kanye West Personal Life

Kanye West Personal Life

Kanye went into a relationship with Alexis Phifer in 2002. They got engaged in 2008, only to break up in 2008. Later, from 2008 until the summer of 2010, Kanye West dated the model, Amber Rose. Unfortunately, the pair did not last for long. 

In 2012, Kanye started dating the then TV star turned supermodel Kim Kardashian who had been his friend for a long time. In 2014, the pair got married in Forte Di Belvedere in Florence. The couple has four children. 

Following several issues, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian started talking about divorce. The news of the couple separating started to circulate on Twitter until Kim confirmed it by officially filing for divorce on February 9, 2021. The couple equally shares the custody of the children while Kim legally declared herself single on March 2, 2022. 

Do you know Cristina Invernizzi ? Do you know who the husband of Cristina Invernizzi is? Read the article to know why her marriage news on headline.

Kanye West Awards And Achievements

Kanye West Awards And Achievements

Kanye has a huge collection of awards and achievements to adorn his career. He got nominated for 774 awards and 272 of which he achieved. Here is a quick overview of the award that Kanye has won–

  • He was nominated for 75 Grammys, 24 of which he received. 
  • Kanye has Accessories Council Excellence Awards. 
  • American Music Awards are also in his bag.
  • He got several ASCAP awards. 
  • Kanye also has the Best Art Vinyl award.
  • Several Billboard awards are in West’s possession. 
  • Kanye won almost all the MTV awards. 
  • People’s Choice Awards and World Music Awards. 

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are interested in Kanye, then You’d love the answers to some of the popularly asked internet questions that I have listed here–

Kanye is the epitome of a successful artist. This college dropout started his career in the music industry with his debut album named The College Dropout back in 2004. He has not stopped ever since. His creativity and success in music remained consistent throughout his career. Kanye is the winner of 24 Grammy awards. These are the reasons why the music industry and the fans respect him.

At the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, Kanye West won ten Grammy awards for his first studio album. The album won the Grammy for the best rap album, and the song Jesus Walks won the award for the best song.

Kanye has a prolific rap career; he has several best-selling albums. But he did not become a billionaire only by selling records. The success of Kanye West came from his successful fashion brand Yeezy. Kanye is worth 2 Billion, according to Forbes magazine.

Jay Z was nominated for 83 Grammy awards, out of which he won 24 Grammy awards. Kanye has the same amount of grammy awards. So if you are asking about a comparison between the number of awards these artists have, then there is your answer.

Bottom Line    

Kanye West is an excellent lyricist, rapper, music producer, and fashion designer. As you can see from reading the above parts of the article, he had a great knack for poetry and art from a very early age. He had a basement studio as a child and got into music production from a very early age. 

The music career of this college dropout turned rapper is inspiring to many new artists. His win of several grammy awards and other awards only vouch for how great of a rapper Kanye is.

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COMMENTS

  1. Kanye West

    Category: Arts & Culture Legal name: Ye Born: June 8, 1977, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. (age 46) Awards And Honors: Grammy Award (2021) Grammy Award (2012) Grammy Award (2012) Grammy Award (2012) Grammy Award (2011) Grammy Award (2011) Grammy Award (2011) Grammy Award (2011) Grammy Award (2009) Grammy Award (2009) Grammy Award (2008) Grammy Award (2008)

  2. Kanye West

    Famous Musicians Fashion Designers and Models Kanye West Kanye West is an outspoken Grammy Award-winning rapper, record producer and fashion designer. Updated: Apr 4, 2022 Photo: Dominique...

  3. Kanye West

    This article is part of a series about Kanye West Awards and nominations Discography ( singles production) Songs Studio albums The College Dropout Late Registration Graduation 808s & Heartbreak My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Yeezus The Life of Pablo Ye Jesus Is King Donda Donda 2 Related Adidas Yeezy Yeezy Gap GOOD Music Donda Donda Academy

  4. Kanye West Biography

    411 Hip Hop Singers #2 Rappers #4 Record Producers #150 Quick Facts Girlfriend: Alexis Phifer (Ex), Amber Rose (Ex) Also Known As: Kanye Omari West, Ye Age: 46 Years, 46 Year Old Males Family: Spouse/Ex-: Kim Kardashian (m. 2014), Kim Kardashian father: Ray West mother: Donda West children: Chicago West, North West, Saint West

  5. 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.

  6. Kanye West

    Kanye West - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ; June 8, 1977), professionally known as , is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer from In 2020, West ran for President of the United States, under his own political party, the Birthday Party. He rose to fame in the mid 2000s.

  7. A timeline of Kanye West's 41 years of excellence

    Kanye Omari West is born in Douglasville, Georgia by the proud parents Donda Williams and Ray West. 1980. At 3, Kanye moves to Chicago with his mother following his parents' divorce. 1990. 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 ...

  8. Kanye West

    People Literature and the Arts Music: Popular and Jazz: Biographies Kanye West West, Kanye views 3,170,374 updated May 29 2018 Kanye West Rap musician, record producer Kanye West began his career in music as a producer for top hip-hop artists such as Jay-Z, but he wanted more: he wanted to rap, too.

  9. The Passion of Kanye West

    Music The Passion of Kanye West How he went from being a nerdy Midwestern kid with braces to become the most provocative pop star in America By Lola Ogunnaike February 9, 2006 Singer Kanye...

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  16. Kanye West News, Research and Analysis

    Articles on Kanye West. Displaying 1 - 20 of 25 articles. Snotty Nose Rez Kids, the rap duo from the Haisla Nation, perform at the Polaris Music Prize Awards in Toronto, in September 2022.

  17. THE LIFE OF 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.

  18. Kanye West: A History of His Antisemitism, Hate Speech and Controversy

    Kanye West and President-elect Donald Trump speak with the press after their meetings at Trump Tower, Dec. 13, 2016. Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images. Shortly after the 2016 election, Kanye ended ...

  19. Kanye West

    Ye, Formerly Kanye West, Previews New Music With Ty Dolla Sign. For months, the rapper has teased "Vultures," his first album since he made a string of antisemitic comments last year.

  20. The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Kanye West

    Kanye said in 2004 (per Newsweek) that his mom was his "best friend in the whole world." Sadly, on November 10, 2007, at age 58, Dr. West passed away of heart failure a day after undergoing cosmetic surgery. As the article and the documentary note well, Kanye struggled for years to process his grief.

  21. Kanye West albums discography

    Kanye West production discography References ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Gold & Platinum: Kanye West". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 24, 2012. ^ "Top Artists (Albums)". RIAA. Retrieved April 1, 2020. ^ a b c "Kanye West - Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.

  22. Kanye West Namedrops Taylor Swift, Bill Cosby And Elon Musk On ...

    Kanye West's new album Vultures was supposed to arrive on Friday (February 9), but as of the writing of this article, it has yet to drop. While fans are still waiting for the rapper's comeback ...

  23. Investigating Kanye

    Nina Westervelt for The New York Times. By Megan Twohey. Oct. 27, 2023. When Adidas ended its wildly lucrative shoe deal with Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, a year ago, the breakup appeared to be ...

  24. Kanye West

    Age: 44. Height: 5 ft 8 inch ( 173 cm) Zodiac sign: Gemini. Education: College dropout. Occupation: Rapper, Song writer, Music producer, fashion designer, Spouse: Kim Kardashian, ( 2014 to 2022) Divorced. Net Worth: $2 billion. Years Active: 1996 to present. Famous for fan-favorite rap songs like Famous, Gold Digger, Kanye West has come a long ...