Background

Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents divorced when he was three and he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, is a former Black Panther and was one of the first black photojournalists at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ray West was later a Christian counselor, and in 2006, opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland with startup capital from his son.

Kanye West's mother, Dr. Donda C. (Williams) West, was a professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as his manager.

West demonstrated an affinity for the arts at an early age; he began writing poetry when he was five years old. His mother recalled that she first took notice of West's passion for drawing and music when he was in the third grade. Growing up in the city, West became deeply involved in its hip hop scene. He started rapping in the third grade and began making musical compositions in the seventh grade, eventually selling them to other artists. At age thirteen, West wrote a rap song called "Green Eggs and Ham" and began to persuade his mother to pay $25 an hour for time in a recording studio. It was a small, crude basement studio where a microphone hung from the ceiling by a wire clothes hanger. Although this wasn't what West's mother wanted, she nonetheless supported him. West crossed paths with producer/DJ No I.D., with whom he quickly formed a close friendship. No. I.D. soon became West's mentor, and it was from him that West learned how to sample and program beats after he received his first sampler at age 15.

Education

West graduated from Polaris High School. After graduation, West received a scholarship to attend Chicago's American Academy of Art in 1997 and began taking painting classes, but shortly after transferred to Chicago State University to study English. He soon realized that his busy class schedule was detrimental to his musical work, and at 20 he dropped out of college to pursue his musical dreams. This action greatly displeased his mother, who was also a professor at the university. She later commented, "It was drummed into my head that college is the ticket to a good life... but some career goals don't require college. For Kanye to make an album called College Dropout it was more about having the guts to embrace who you are, rather than following the path society has carved out for you."

Career

Kanye West began his early production career in the mid-1990s, making beats primarily for burgeoning local artists, eventually developing a style that involved speeding up vocal samples from classic soul records. His first official production credits came at the age of nineteen when he produced eight tracks on Down to Earth, the 1996 debut album of a Chicago rapper named Grav. For a time, West acted as a ghost producer for Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie. Because of his association with D-Dot, West wasn't able to release a solo album, so he formed and became a member and producer of the Go-Getters, a late-1990s Chicago rap group composed of him, GLC, Timmy G, Really Doe, and Arrowstar. His group was managed by John "Monopoly" Johnson, Don Crowley, and Happy Lewis under the management firm Hustle Period. After attending a series of promotional photo shoots and making some radio appearances, The Go-Getters released their first and only studio album World Record Holders in 1999. The album featured other Chicago-based rappers such as Rhymefest, Mikkey Halsted, Miss Criss, and Shayla G. Meanwhile, the production was handled by West, Arrowstar, Boogz, and Brian "All Day" Miller.

West spent much of the late-1990s producing records for a number of well-known artists and music groups. The third song on Foxy Brown's second studio album Chyna Dollwas produced by West. Her second effort subsequently became the very first hip-hop album by a female rapper to debut at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in its first week of release. West produced three of the tracks on Harlem World's first and only album The Movement alongside Jermaine Dupri and the production duo Trackmasters. His songs featured rappers Nas, Drag-On, and R&B singer Carl Thomas. The ninth track from World Party, the last Goodie Mob album to feature the rap group's four founding members prior to their break-up, was co-produced by West with his manager Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie. At the close of the millennium, West ended up producing six songs for Tell 'Em Why U Madd, an album that was released by D-Dot under the alias of The Madd Rapper; a fictional character he created for a skit on The Notorious B.I.G.'s second and final studio album Life After Death. West's songs featured guest appearances from rappers such as Ma$e, Raekwon, and Eminem.

Despite his success as a producer, West's true aspiration was to be a rapper. Though he had developed his rapping long before he began producing, it was often a challenge for West to be accepted as a rapper, and he struggled to attain a record deal. Multiple record companies ignored him because he did not portray the gangsta image prominent in mainstream hip hop at the time. After a series of meetings with Capitol Records, West was ultimately denied an artist deal.

The College Dropout was eventually issued by Roc-A-Fella in February 2004, shooting to number two on the Billboard 200 as his debut single, "Through the Wire" peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five weeks. "Slow Jamz", his second single featuring Twista and Jamie Foxx, became an even bigger success: it became the three musicians' first number one hit. The College Dropout received near-universal critical acclaim from contemporary music critics, was voted the top album of the year by two major music publications, and has consistently been ranked among the great hip-hop works and debut albums by artists. "Jesus Walks", the album's fourth single, perhaps exposed West to a wider audience; the song's subject matter concerns faith and Christianity.

Though West had not been able to afford many live instruments around the time of his debut album, the money from his commercial success enabled him to hire a string orchestra for his second album Late Registration. West collaborated with American film score composer Jon Brion, who served as the album's co-executive producer for several tracks. Late Registration sold over 2.3 million units in the United States alone by the end of 2005 and was considered by industry observers as the only successful major album release of the fall season, which had been plagued by steadily declining CD sales.

West's third studio album, Graduation, garnered major publicity when its release date pitted West in a sales competition against rapper 50 Cent's Curtis. Upon their September 2007 releases, Graduation outsold Curtis by a large margin, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling 957,000 copies in its first week. Graduation once again continued the string of critical and commercial successes by West, and the album's lead single, "Stronger", garnered the rapper his third number-one hit. "Stronger", which samples French house duo Daft Punk, has been accredited to not only encouraging other hip-hop artists to incorporate house and electronica elements into their music, but also for playing a part in the revival of disco andelectro-infused music in the late 2000s.

808s & Heartbreak, which features extensive use of the eponymous Roland TR-808 drum machine and contains themes of love, loneliness, and heartache, was released by Island Def Jam to capitalize on Thanksgiving weekend in November 2008. Reviews were positive, though slightly more mixed than his previous efforts. Despite this, the record's singles demonstrated outstanding chart performances. Upon its release, the lead single "Love Lockdown" debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a "Hot Shot Debut", while follow-up single "Heartless" performed similarly and became his second consecutive "Hot Shot Debut" by debuting at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. While it was criticized prior to release, 808s & Heartbreak had a significant effect on hip-hop music, encouraging other rappers to take more creative risks with their productions.

West took a brief break from music and threw himself into fashion, only to hole up in Hawaii for the next few months writing and recording his next album. Importing his favorite producers and artists to work on and inspire his recording, West kept engineers behind the boards 24 hours a day and slept only in increments. Noah Callahan-Bever, a writer for Complex, was present during the sessions and described the "communal" atmosphere as thus: "With the right songs and the right album, he can overcome any and all controversy, and we are here to contribute, challenge, and inspire." A variety of artists contributed to the project, including close friends Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, and Pusha T, as well as off-the-wall collaborations, such as with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, West's fifth studio album, was released in November 2010 to rave reviews from critics, many of whom described it as his best work that solidified his comeback. In stark contrast to his previous effort, which featured a minimalist sound, Dark Fantasy adopts a maximalist philosophy and deals with themes of celebrity and excess.The record included the international hit "All of the Lights", and Billboard hits "Power", "Monster", and "Runaway", the latter of which accompanied a 35-minute film of the same name. Dark Fantasy went on to go platinum in the United States,but its omission as a contender for Album of the Year at the 54th Grammy Awards was viewed as a "snub" by several media outlets. Following a headlining set at Coachella 2011 that was described by The Hollywood Reporter as "one of greatest hip-hop sets of all time", West released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z. By employing a sales strategy that released the album digitally weeks before its physical counterpart, Watch the Throne became one of the few major label albums in the Internet age to avoid aleak. "Niggas in Paris" became the record's highest charting single, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2012, West released the compilation album Cruel Summer, a collection of tracks by artists from West's record label GOOD Music. Cruel Summer produced four singles, two of which charted within the top twenty of the Hot 100: "Mercy" and "Clique". West also directed a film of the same name that premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in custom pyramid-shaped screening pavilion featuring seven screens.

Yeezus, West's sixth album, was released June 18, 2013 to rave reviews from critics. It became the rapper's sixth consecutive number one debut. Def Jam issued "Black Skinhead" to radio in July 2013 as the album's lead single. On September 6, 2013, Kanye West announced he would be headlining his first solo tour in five years, to support Yeezus, with fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar, accompanying him along the way.

0ххa single jointly produced with Rihanna and McCartney, was released on January 23, 2015. West had played the song before radio programmers at the iHeartMedia Music Summit, but, at the time of release, an indication was not given about whether it will appear on the next albums of either West or Rihanna. West also appeared on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special and performed the songs "Jesus Walks", "Only One" (without Paul McCartney, who also performed at the event) and premiered a new song entitled "Wolves", which features Sia Furler and fellow Chicago rapper, Vic Mensa. "Wolves" is reported to be the first track on West's seventh solo album, titled So Help Me God. On March 2, 2015, West released the second single from the album called "All Day" which featuresTheophilus London, Allan Kingdom and Paul McCartney. West performed the song at the 2015 BRIT Awards with a number of US rappers and UK grime MC's including: Skepta, Wiley, Novelist, Fekky, Krept & Konan, Stormzy, Allan Kingdom, Theophilus London and Vic Mensa, although McCartney was not present for the performance.

Achievements

• 

  West is among the most critically acclaimed artists of the twenty-first century, receiving praise from music critics, fans, fellow musicians, artists, and wider cultural figures for his work. He has received 49 awards out of over 161 nominations, including 18 Grammy awards. West's debut album, The College Dropout (2004), earned him the Best Rap Album at the 2005 Grammy Awards, three MOBO Awards, and Best New Artist at the Black Entertainment Television Awards. His second album, Late Registration (2005), earned him seven Grammy nominations, two nominations at the BRIT Awards, and Best Rapper at the Vibe Music Awards. "Stronger", the second single from his third album, Graduation (2007), won Best Video at the MOBO Awards, a Best Video of the Year nomination at the Music Television Video Music Awards, and a Video Star nomination at the Music Television Europe Music Awards.

Works

More photos

• music

  • College Dropout 2004
  • Late Registration 2005
  • Graduation 2007
  • 808s & Heartbreak 2008
  • My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 2010
  • Yeezus by Kanye West 2013
  • Ye 2018

Religion

After the success of his song "Jesus Walks" from the album The College Dropout, West was questioned on his beliefs and said, "I will say that I'm spiritual. I have accepted Jesus as my Savior. And I will say that I fall short every day." In a 2008 interview with The Fader, West stated that "I'm like a vessel, and God has chosen me to be the voice and the connector."

In a 2009 interview with online magazine Bossip, West clarified that he believed in God, but "would never go into a religion," explaining that "I feel like religion is more about separation and judgment than bringing people together and understanding. That's all I'm about." However, in 2014, West referred to himself as a Christian during one of his concerts.

Politics

Kanye has had a lot of negative things to say about Republicans, especially George Bush but Obama doesn't really like him either so it's hard to decide which party he would fit into. He has shown support for the left-wing liberal Occupy Wall Street movement though. Kanye West has strong political views and criticized George Bush and the American government. He has stated his views on the way black Africans are treated and discrimination in general. He was also very critical of George Bush's reaction (or lack of it) to the Hurricane Katrina disaster in the predominantly black region of Louisiana. In a live televised appeal, Kanye West stated that "George Bush doesn't care about Black people", which was later mixed into a song.

In September 2015, West announced that he intended to run for President of the United States in 2020. He later implied on Twitter that he intends to run for President in 2024 due to Donald Trump's win in the 2016 elections. West later confirmed this in an interview on September 2018, saying that his main concern if he was president, is healthcare.

Views

West, alongside his mother, founded the "Kanye West Foundation" in Chicago in 2003, tasked with a mission to battle dropout and illiteracy rates, while partnering with community organizations to provide underprivileged youth access to music education. In 2007, the West and the Foundation partnered with Strong American Schools as part of their "Ed in '08" campaign. As spokesman for the campaign, West appeared in a series of PSAs for the organization, and hosted an inaugural benefit concert in August of that year.

Quotations: "George Bush doesn't care about black people."

"I was never really good at anything except for the ability to learn."

"We buy our way out of jail but we can't buy freedom, We buy a lot of clothes when we don't really need them, Things we buy to cover up what's inside."

"Nothing in life is promised except death."

"I'll say things that are serious and put them in a joke form so people can enjoy them. We laugh to keep from crying."

"If you have the opportunity to play this game of life you need to appreciate every moment. a lot of people don't appreciate the moment until it's passed."

Personality

On the album Ye, West implied that he had bipolar disorder and compared it to a "superpower"; these allusions followed rumors that West was diagnosed with the disorder. West stated that he was diagnosed with a "mental condition" at age 39. West said he has considered suicide and thinks about "killing myself all the time.

Physical Characteristics: On the album Ye, West implied that he had bipolar disorder and compared it to a "superpower"; these allusions followed rumors that West was diagnosed with the disorder. West stated that he was diagnosed with a "mental condition" at age 39. West said he has considered suicide and thinks about "killing myself all the time.

Quotes from others about the person

• Jason Birchmeier: "As his career progressed throughout the early 21st century, West shattered certain stereotypes about rappers, becoming a superstar on his own terms without adapting his appearance, his rhetoric, or his music to fit any one musical mold."
  
  Jon Caramanica: "Mr. West has had the most sui generis hip-hop career of the last decade. No rapper has embodied hip-hop's often contradictory impulses of narcissism and social good quite as he has, and no producer has celebrated the lush and the ornate quite as he has. He has spent most of his career in additive mode, figuring out how to make music that's majestic and thought-provoking and grand-scaled. And he's also widened the genre's gates, whether for middle-class values or high-fashion and high-art dreams."

Interests

• Favourite film – Coming To America (1988).
  
  Favorite White Girl – Scarlett Johansson.
  
  Favorite Clothing – Louis Vuitton.
  
  Favorite Shoes – Louis Vuitton, Nike Air 180s.

• Politicians

  Donald Trump

• Writers

  Kanye West said he is proud that he doesn't read books.

• Artists

  Kid Cudi

• Sport & Clubs

  Basketball

• Athletes

  Chicago Bulls

• Music & Bands

  Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Makaveli, Eminem, Biggie Smalls, Himself

Connections

West began an on-and-off relationship with designer Alexis Phifer in 2002, and they became engaged in August 2006. The pair ended their 18-month engagement in 2008. West subsequently dated model Amber Rose from 2008 until the summer of 2010. In April 2012, West began dating reality star and longtime friend Kim Kardashian. West and Kardashian became engaged in October 2013, and married on May 24, 2014, at Fort di Belvedere in Florence, Italy. Their private ceremony was subject to widespread mainstream coverage, with West taking issue with the couple's portrayal in the media. They have three children: daughters North "Nori" West (born June 2013) and Chicago West (born January 2018 of a surrogate pregnancy); and son Saint West (born December 2015).

Father:

Ray West

Mother:

Donda West

ex-girlfriend:

Alexis Phifer

ex-girlfriend:

Amber Rose

Wife:

Kim Kardashian

Daughter:

North West

born 15-Jun-2013

Daughter:

Chicago West

Son:

Saint West

Friend:

Jay-Z

References

• Kanye West: God and Monster
• The Cultural Impact of Kanye West
• Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar
• Harper's Bazaar September 2018
• Kanye West: A Biography
• Kanye West (People in the News)
• Rolling Stone Magazine # 1035
• Harper's Bazaar Magazine (September, 2016)