Kanye West Biography

Summary

"Kanye Omari West" (; born June 8, 1977) is a ten-time Grammy Award-winning American rapper, record producer and singer. He released his debut album "The College Dropout" in 2004, his second album "Late Registration" in 2005, and his third album "Graduation" in 2007. His first three albums have received numerous awards, critical acclaim, and commercial success. West also runs his own record label GOOD Music. West's mascot and trademark is 'Dropout Bear,' a teddy bear which has appeared on the covers of his three albums as well as the singles 'Stronger', 'Homecoming' and 'Good Morning.'

West's parents divorced when he was three years old, and he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. He enrolled at Chicago State University but later dropped out to continue pursuing his music career. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for musical artists including Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson. West's style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments. Some controversy has also surrounded West, such as an incident during a live telecast of a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina relief, when he deviated from the script and told the audience, 'George Bush doesn't care about black people.'

On May 16, 2008, Kanye West was crowned by MTV as the year's #1 "Hottest MC In The Game."

Life and career

Kanye West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, where he lived with both of his parents. When he was three years old, his parents divorced, and he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. His father was Ray West, a former Black Panther who was one of the first black photojournalists at the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution," and is now a Christian counselor. West's late mother, Dr. Donda 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 West's manager. He was raised in an upper-middle-class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago.

West took some art classes at the American Academy of Art, a Chicago art school, and also enrolled at Chicago State University, but dropped out due to poor grades and a primary interest in working on his music career. While attending school, West produced for local artists. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for major hip hop/R&B artists, including Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Cam'ron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, John Legend, T.I., and Lil Wayne among others. He also 'ghost-produced' for his mentor Deric Angelettie, according to his song 'Last Call' and the credits of Nas' 'Poppa Was a Playa.'

"The Blueprint" (2001)

West's sound was featured heavily on Jay-Z's critically acclaimed album "The Blueprint," released on September 11, 2001. His work was featured on the lead single 'Izzo (H.O.V.A.),' 'Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)' and a diss track against Nas and Mobb Deep named 'Takeover'; West has worked with Mobb Deep and Nas since the track's release. West soon became a major name in hip hop production following the release of the album, but struggled to find a way to get a record deal. Jay-Z admitted that Roc-A-Fella was initially reluctant to support West as a rapper, claiming that he saw him as a producer first and foremost. Multiple record companies pushed him aside because he was not the stereotypical hip hop artist. Companies felt he was not as marketable as rappers who portray the 'street image' prominent in hip hop culture.

"The College Dropout" (2002–2004)

On October 23, 2002, West was involved in a near fatal car crash while driving home from the recording studio. The crash provided inspiration for West's first single, 'Through the Wire.' West's faith is apparent in many of his songs, such as 'Jesus Walks,' which became a staple at his benefit performances, such as the Live 8 concert. These songs were featured on West's debut album, "The College Dropout," which was released on Roc-A-Fella Records in February 2004, and went on to receive critical acclaim. The album also defined the style for which West would become known, including wordplay and sampling. The album was eventually certified triple platinum. Guest appearances included Jay-Z, Ludacris, GLC, Consequence, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Common, and Syleena Johnson. The album also featured the singles, 'All Falls Down' and 'The New Workout Plan,' as well as Twista's number one single, 'Slow Jamz.'

West was involved in a financial dispute over Royce Da 5'9''s song 'Heartbeat,' produced by West and released on "Build & Destroy: The Lost Sessions." West maintains that Royce never paid for the beat, but recorded to it and released it; hearing him on the beat, the original customers decided not to buy it from West. After the disagreement, West vowed to never work with Royce again. Other Kanye West-produced hit singles during the period "The College Dropout" was released included 'I Changed My Mind' by Keyshia Cole, 'Overnight Celebrity' by Twista and 'Talk About Our Love' by Brandy.

"Late Registration" (2005)

On August 30, 2005, West released his second album "Late Registration." Reviews were mostly favorable, with "Rolling Stone" commenting that "Late Registration" is an undeniable triumph,' and with "Spin" mentioning it is 'As ornate and bloated as West's ego.' With the help of producer samples in different ways along with compositions of strings and other sounds, the record earned the number one spot on the "Village Voice"s Pazz & Jop critics' poll of 2005. The first two singles from "Late Registration" were 'Diamonds from Sierra Leone' (which features vocals from Shirley Bassey's 'Diamonds Are Forever') and 'Gold Digger' featuring Jamie Foxx, (which contains an interpolation of Ray Charles's 'I Got a Woman'). The album sold over 860,000 copies in its first week, and earned eight Grammy Award nominations including "Album of the Year" and "Record of the Year" for the song 'Gold Digger.' The album also included 'My Way Home,' a track that sampled Gil Scott-Heron's mournful 'Home Is Where The Hatred Is.' The album is certified triple platinum. Guest appearances include Lupe Fiasco, Jamie Foxx, Adam Levine, Paul Wall, GLC, Cam'ron, Common, Brandy, Nas, Jay-Z, Consequence, The Game, and Really Doe.

In September 2005, West announced that he would release his Pastelle Clothing line in spring 2006: "Now that I have a Grammy under my belt and "Late Registration" is finished, I am ready to launch my clothing line next spring." The current status of this project is unknown. In that year, West produced the hit singles 'Go' by Common and 'Dreams' by The Game.

Awards and controversy (2006)

In January 2006, West again sparked controversy when he appeared on the cover of "Rolling Stone" in the image of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns. In 2006 he told Playboy, 'I throw up historical subjects in a way that makes kids want to learn about them,' West claimed, 'I'm definitely in the history books already.'

After the 2006 Grammy nominations were released, West said he would 'really have a problem' if he didn't win the Album of the Year because of the comments, saying 'I don't care what I do, I don't care how much I stunt - you can never take away from the amount of work I put into it. I don't want to hear all of that politically correct stuff.' West won several Grammy awards, including Best Rap Album, but did not win the Album of the Year Award. The award instead went to U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." Coincidentally, in November 2006, West was the opening act for U2 during the fifth leg of their Vertigo Tour in Australia and New Zealand.

On August 5, 2006, West headlined the second day of the Lollapalooza music festival in his hometown of Chicago. Later that month, "People" magazine reported that West became engaged to his girlfriend Alexis while spending two weeks overseas with her.

On November 2, 2006, when 'Touch the Sky' failed to win Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards, West went onto the stage as the award was being presented to Justice and Simian for 'We Are Your Friends' and argued that he should have won the award instead. Hundreds of news outlets worldwide criticized the outburst. On November 7, 2006, West apologized for this outburst publicly during his performance as support act for U2 for their Vertigo concert in Brisbane, Australia. He also later spoofed the incident in a Saturday Night Live sketch in which West disrupts several awards ceremonies, including the Nobel Prize, in similar fashion.

In December 2006, Robert 'Evel' Knievel sued West for trademark infringement in West's video for 'Touch the Sky.' Knievel is taking issue with a 'sexually-charged video' in which West takes on the persona of 'Evel Kanyevel' and attempts flying a rocket over a canyon. The suit filed in federal court claims infringement on his trademarked name and likeness. Knievel also claims the 'vulgar and offensive' images depicted in the video damage his reputation. The suit seeks damages and to stop distribution of the video.

This year he was also rumored to be working on Michael Jackson's next album, which was scheduled for release in late 2007, along with his cousin Devo Springsteen and John Legend.

"Graduation", Glow in the Dark Tour, and "808s & Heartbreak" (2007-present)

In 2007, it was announced that West would be starring in a series directed by Larry Charles. He has been working on the pilot episode for the past two years with Larry Charles and Rick Rubin. He also had this to say on January 14:

'I wouldn't do something as cliché as a reality show. At least give me the credit for being more creative than that. It's a situational half-hour comedy. It's fictional, and loosely based on my life.' West collaborated with Japanese hip hop group Teriyaki Boyz to produce the single 'I Still Love H.E.R.,' a reference to Common's 1994 single 'I Used to Love H.E.R..' It is rumored that West's introductory lines preceding his verse are a thinly-veiled jab at producer/rapper Danny!, who was mercilessly compared to West in the beginning of his career.

Further to this, during a radio appearance in early 2007, West, like many of his peers, recorded an impromptu freestyle to the popular song 'Throw Some D's.' West's version became extremely popular because of the different stance he took. The song that to all other rappers was about automobile rims, was used by West to comically refer to D-cup breasts. Because of the unexpected success of the song, West went on to make a video for the freestyle, in which he is seen playing his 'Old Ass Cousin.'

West was also featured in a new song called 'Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been).' It was believed to be a single from his upcoming album, "Graduation", because he is featured on the track, but Nike quickly explained that it was for the Nike Air Force 1's anniversary. It was meant only to be an exclusive track for the company.

On March 25, 2007, he and his father Ray West supported World Water Day by having a 'Walk for Water' rally. After a two-year break, West has returned to being a fashion columnist in lifestyle magazine "Complex". On July 7, 2007 West performed with The Police and John Mayer at the American leg of Live Earth. West hosted the August 17 edition of British comedy-variety show The Friday Night Project. In May 2007, West split from long-time model girlfriend Alexis Rainey.

In July 2007, West changed the release date of "Graduation," his third album, from September 18, 2007, to the same release date as 50 Cent's album "Curtis", September 11, 2007. 50 Cent later claimed that if "Graduation" were to sell more records than "Curtis," he would stop releasing solo albums. However, 50 Cent would later dispel his comments. The album has been certified double platinum. Guest appearances included T-Pain, Mos Def, & Lil Wayne.

On August 26, 2007, West appeared as himself on the HBO television show "Entourage" which he used as a platform to premier his new single 'Good Life' during the end credits. In September 2007, West suggested that his race had to do with his being overlooked for opening the MTV Video Music Awards in favor of Britney Spears; he claimed, 'Maybe my skin's not right.' On September 9, 2007, West performed at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. On that night, he lost all 5 awards that he was nominated for, including Best Male Artist and Video of the Year. After the show, he was visibly upset that he had lost at the VMA's 2 years in a row, stating that he would not come back to MTV ever again. He also appeared on several radio stations saying that when he made the song 'Stronger' that it was his dream to open the VMA's with it. He has also stated that Britney Spears hasn't had a hit in a long period of time and that MTV exploited her for ratings.

Following the MTV stint, West was nominated in 8 Grammy Award categories for the 50th annual Grammy Awards. He won four of them, including Best Rap Album for "Graduation" and Best Rap Solo Performance for 'Stronger' from "Graduation". During the four-hour televised Grammy Awards ceremony, West also performed two songs: 'Stronger' (with Daft Punk) and 'Hey Mama' (in honor of his recently deceased mother).

Kanye West and designer Alexis Phifer ended their 18-month engagement in 2008. The couple had been dating on and off since 2002, with Kanye eventually proposing in August 2006. According to a friend, the couple's relationship had been straining, significantly influenced by the sheer amount of time and attention West was dedicating to his current concert tour. 'Its always sad when things like this end, and we remain friends,' Phifer told "People".

On April 16, Kanye kicked off the Glow In The Dark Tour in Seattle at the Key Arena. The tour was originally scheduled to end in June in Cincinnati but has been extended into August. Over the course of the tour Kanye will be joined by a varying group of opening acts including Lupe Fiasco, Rihanna, N.E.R.D., DJ Craze, and Gnarls Barkley.

On September 7, West debuted a new song 'Love Lockdown' at the MTV Video Music Awards. 'Love Lockdown', which features no rapping and only singing using an auto-tune device, will appear on Kanye's upcoming fourth studio album, "808s & Heartbreak". The new album was expected to be released on December 16, but West announced on his blog on September 24, 2008, that he had finished the album and would be releasing it sometime in November, earlier than previously scheduled. In early October, West made a suprise appearance at a T.I. concert in Los Angeles, where he stated that "808s & Heartbreak" will be released on November 25th, and that the second single will be 'Heartless.'

Musical style and influence

Kanye West's style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments. The first major label song he produced was "The Truth" by Beanie Sigel, and his first major release featuring his trademark vocal sampling style was 'This Can't Be Life,' a track from Jay-Z's "The Dynasty: Roc La Familia." West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dre's 'Xxplosive' to use as a replacement for his drums on 'This Can't Be Life.'

West has said that Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA influenced him in his style, and has said on numerous occasions that Wu-Tang rappers Ghostface Killah and Ol' Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said by Kanye West:

Following the critical and commercial success of his debut "The College Dropout", West went on to experiment with his production style for subsequent albums. "Late Registration" — during which he collaborated with film composer Jon Brion — saw West take on a more 'cinematic' approach to hip-hop sound, incorporating his signature sampling style with horn riffs, piano loops, string arrangements, and various other orchestra to produce rich, multi-layered instrumentation. His style evolved even further during the conception of "Graduation", for which made heavy use of synth-based beats and futuristic sound effects while distancing himself from soul samples, opting for a more eclectic variety of interpolations lifted from artists ranging from Elton John and Michael Jackson to Daft Punk and Public Enemy.

Alongside his pursuit as a producer and later a rapper, West has additionally displayed an escalating interest in singing over the course of his career. The first signs could be found within "The College Dropout", which retained 'Spaceship,' a track that expressed a chorus delivered by West in a melodic, half-rapped, half-sung style - a manner not too different from and occasionally used by his favorite rappers Ghostface and ODB. In mid-2008, while guest starring on multiple other artists' singles, West first began singing verses both with the auto-tune effect on Young Jeezy's 'Put On' and without on Fonzworth Bentley's 'Everybody.' It eventually culminated with the release of the lead single, 'Love Lockdown', from Kanye's fourth album "808's & Heartbreak". The song stands as the first solo single by West to feature virtually no rapping whatsoever, instead sang entirely using the auto-tune effect.

Political views

In the song 'Crack Music,' West rapped, 'How did we stop the Black Panthers?/Ronald Reagan cooked up an answer,' a reference to the conspiracy that the Reagan administration intentionally placed crack cocaine in the ghettos of the United States. In the song 'Roses,' West rapped about his grandmother's struggle against AIDS and expressed his outrage at the limited availability of treatment: 'If Magic Johnson got a cure for AIDS / And all the broke mothafuckas passed away / You telling me if my grandma was in the NBA / Right now she would be okay?.' This is also a reference to Johnson's highly publicized battle with the HIV virus. Demonstrating his views against George W. Bush, in a 2006 live orchestral performance of 'All Falls Down', West replaced 'the White man gets paid off of all of that' with 'George Bush gets paid off of all of that.'

On August 22, 2005, the MTV special "All Eyes On Kanye West" aired, in which West spoke out against homophobia in hip-hop. He claimed that hip-hop has always been about 'speaking your mind and about breaking down barriers, but everyone in hip-hop discriminates against gay people.' He then reflected on a personal experience. He said that he had a 'turning point' when he realized one of his cousins was gay. He said regarding this experience: 'This is my cousin. I love him and I've been discriminating against gays.' He drew comparison between African Americans' struggle for civil rights and today's gay rights movement. The following year, in an interview with "Entertainment Weekly", West further expounded his experiences with and views on the relationship between the black and gay communities:

Kanye West has planned to perform at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August, along with Wyclef Jean and N.E.R.D. in support of Barack Obama.

Hurricane Katrina fundraiser controversy

On September 2, 2005, during a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina relief on NBC, "A Concert for Hurricane Relief", West was a featured speaker. Controversy arose when West was presenting, as he deviated from the prepared script:

The actor Mike Myers, with whom West was paired to present, spoke next and continued to read the script. Once it was West's turn to speak again, he said 'George Bush doesn't care about black people.' At this point, telethon producer Rick Kaplan cut off the microphone and then cut away to Chris Tucker, who was unaware of the cut for a few seconds. Still, West's comment reached much of the United States.

Business Ventures

In August 2008, Kanye West revealed plans to open 10 Fatburger restaurants in the Chicago area, with the first coming in September 2008 in Orland Park. The second will follow in January 2009, while a third location is yet to be revealed, although they are in the process of finalizing the lease. His company, KW Foods LLC, has bought the rights to the chain in Chicago.

Kanye is planning to release his own clothing line called Pastelle in late 2008 or 2009 (See Pastelle Clothing)

Philanthropy

Kanye West has started the 'Kanye West Foundation' in Chicago, IL in 2003. In 2007 Kanye West was recognized by AAE as the fifth best Black Celebrity Philanthropists of 2007. On August 24 2007 Kanye hosted the inaugural benefit concert for his foundation that launched the foundations partnership with Strong American Schools. The foundation has also been called the Donda West Foundation at times. Focused on helping Latino and African American children stay in school and to get a proper education through grade school, high school, and college. The foundation also focuses on children who need help to stay in high school by finding a path through music. Kanye has contributed over 500,000 dollars to his foundation.

Kanye West has appeared and participated in many fundraisers, benefit concerts, and community work that include the Hurricane Katrina Fundraiser, Kanye West Foundation, Millions More Movement, 100 Black Men of America, Live Earth concert benefit, World Water Day rally and march, Nike runs, and a MTV special that shows firsthand Kanye West helping give young Iraq War veterans that struggle through debt and PTSD a second chance after returning home.

Mother's death

On Saturday, November 10, 2007, West's mother, Donda West, died due to complications from cosmetic surgery involving a tummy tuck and breast reduction procedure. TMZ reported that Beverly Hills physician Andre Aboolian had advised Donda West not to have surgery because she had higher risk due to a health condition that could lead to a heart attack. Aboolian referred her to another internist. Donda never met with the doctor recommended by Aboolian and had the procedures performed by a third doctor, Jan Adams.

Dr. Jan Adams sent condolences to Donda West's family but declined to publicly discuss the procedure because of confidentiality. He had been under scrutiny by the medical board. Dr. Adams appeared on "Larry King Live" on November 20, 2007 but left before speaking. Two days later, he appeared again, with his attorney, stating he was there to 'defend himself.' He stated the recently released autopsy results 'spoke for themselves.' The final coroner's report January 10, 2008 said Donda West died of 'coronary artery disease and multiple post-operative factors due to or as a consequence of liposuction and mammoplasty.'

The funeral and burial for West's mother, Donda West, was held in Oklahoma City on November 20, 2007. West held his first concert following the funeral at The O2 in London on November 22. He dedicated a performance of 'Hey Mama,' as well as a cover of Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing,' to his mother, and has done so on all other dates of his Glow in the Dark tour. West also sang a performance of 'Hey Mama' at the 50th Grammy Awards. West first referred to his mother's death in his lyrics in Young Jeezy's song 'Put On.' The death of Kanye West's mother is also mentioned in The Game's song 'My Life', where The Game explains how West's mother would be proud of him.

Arrest

On September 11, 2008, West and his road manager/bodyguard Don Crowley were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport and booked on charges of felony vandalism after an altercation with the paparazzi. The incident, which was caught on tape and later posted on TMZ.com, started after West and Crowley grabbed the men's cameras and broke them outside the passenger security screening area. The camera equipment was reportedly valued at more than $10,000, but according to TMZ, West had actually damaged only $100 worth of equipment. California law states that, 'only someone who criminally damages property worth more than $400 can be prosecuted for felony vandalism,' meaning that charges against West could be lowered to a misdemeanor from his encounter with the paparazzi at the airport. However, West's road manager Don Crowley destroyed more $7,000 worth of camera equipment belonging to TMZ meaning he still faces felony counts. West and Crowley were released from the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division station in Culver City at 12:53 p.m PDT on $20,000 bail bond. On September 26, 2008 the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said it would not file felony counts against West over the incident. Instead the case file has been forwarded to the city attorney's office, which could bring lesser misdemeanor charges against the musician.