FAMOUS KANYE WEST – The Biography of Kanye West
IntFAMOUS KANYE WESTroduction
Famous Kanye West is an American rapper, fashion designer, and record producer. He was brought up in Chicago city, in a middle-class environment, by his mother Donda West, who was well educated. From an early age, Kanye Omari West showed a remarkable aptitude for creativity and poetry. At the tender age of seven, he embarked on his journey as a rapper and promptly expressed his desire to his mother to pursue a more professional approach to making music.
At the age of twenty, he made the decision to discontinue his academic education and embark on a professional career in music. His mother provided him with assistance and encouragement in his pursuits. Initially, he began his career as a relatively unknown producer until he crossed paths with Jay-Z and subsequently produced the critically acclaimed album The Blueprint for him. Subsequently, Kanye West began to receive acknowledgment and collaborated with accomplished individuals such as Ludacris, Janet Jackson, and Alicia Keys.
Kanye West’s Formative Years
- Birth and Childhood
Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. At a tender age, he relocated to Chicago, Illinois to reside with his mother following their separation from his father, who is presently a pastoral marriage counselor and once worked as a photojournalist. Kanye forged a profound bond with his mother, Donda West. Due to professional obligations, he resided temporarily in a Chinese city as his mother was assigned to a university to provide English lessons. Subsequently, they came back to Chicago, where she resumed her teaching duties at the University of Chicago.
West, initially a somewhat inconspicuous student, pursued further education at the International Academy of Art and Design and Technology after graduating. Subsequently, he enrolled at the University of Chicago. However, West ultimately made the decision to forsake his academic path and fully dedicate himself to a career in music. His mother immediately recognized Kanye’s tremendous musical talent, as he displayed proficiency in playing many instruments and had a remarkable voice, along with intuitive originality in rap. In the 1990s, he embarked on his career as a producer, specializing in crafting rhythms specifically for local performers.
- Early Career
West was renowned for his exceptional ability to expedite vocal samples from old soul records. By the age of 19, the young man had already overseen the production of eight tracks for the debut album Down to Earth by the renowned Chicago rapper Grav, which achieved great acclaim. Initially, West served as an anonymous music producer for Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie.
In this particular organization, West had restrictions in releasing a solo album. Consequently, he established a rap collective known as The Go-Getters, where he served as both a producer and vocalist. The group consisted of GLC, Timmy G, Really Doe, Arrowstar, and West himself. The record label Hustle Period had notable managers, like John “Monopoly” Johnson, Don Crowley, and Happy Lewis, inside their group. The group successfully completed multiple advertising picture shoots and received invitations to appear on several radio programs.
The Go-Getters released their first and sole studio album titled World Record Holders in 1999. This album, while being the only one, was exceptional due to the involvement of Rhymefest, Mikkey Halsted, Miss Criss, and Shayla G. in the production. The album was mostly produced by West, with additional support from Arrowstar, Boogz, and Brian “All Day” Miller. Concurrently, West furthered his career as a producer for several singers and musical groups during the 1990s.
He received significant feedback for the production of the third track in Foxy Brown’s second studio album: Chyna Doll, which was produced by West. During its initial week of sales, it achieved the distinction of becoming the first hip-hop album by a female artist to debut at the number-one spot on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. This accomplishment garnered West significant acclaim and admiration in the realm of music.
A Trajectory of Kanye West’s Professional Musical Career
Subsequently, West dedicated his efforts to the composition of the tracks for the album The Movement, which stands as the sole Harlem World record to have the esteemed involvement of notable producers including Jermaine Dupri and the Trackmasters. His musical compositions featured renowned rappers Nas and Drag-On, as well as the talented R&B vocalist Carl Thomas. The musician had already composed six songs for the album Tell ‘Em Why U Madd by the late 1990s. West’s tracks featured guest appearances by other renowned rappers like Ma $ e, Raekwon, and Eminem.
In the year 2000, he seized a significant opportunity by commencing production for performers signed to Roc-A-Fella Records. Subsequently, West played a pivotal role in the revival of Jay-Z’s creative trajectory by making significant contributions to his album The Blueprint (2001). Regarded as one of the finest hip-hop albums, The Blueprint garnered commercial success and brought recognition and praise to Kanye West for his contributions to production. As a result, West emerged as one of the most renowned producers. Jay-Z’s album achieved sales exceeding 85 million copies, featuring four self-produced songs, with the standout track being the lead single Izzo (H.O.V.A.).
West successfully developed a distinct vocal style and musical identity in his recordings. In addition, West collaborated with Roc-A-Fella Records, where he produced music for artists including Beanie Sigel, Freeway, and Cam’ron. In addition, he created prosperous compositions for Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson. He attempted to secure contracts as a rapper with Capitol Records, but his application was rejected due to his lack of the necessary qualifications or credentials.
In 2002, he experienced an automobile accident due to a momentary lapse of consciousness. His jaw was impacted by the shock and required the use of wires to seal it during the reconstruction surgery. During his recuperation, he produced a musical composition at Record Plant Studios.
The song Through The Wire is derived from his personal encounter following the accident and was included as one of the tracks on his first album. The song had its debut in the mixtape Get Well Soon and was released for sale in late 2002. Simultaneously, West revealed his ongoing efforts towards the creation of an album titled The College Dropout. The sophomore release in his discography was titled Late Registration and was released in 2005. The album achieved sales of about 904,000 copies during its initial week and garnered eight Grammy Award nominations.
One of his most renowned albums was Graduation released in 2007. In the subsequent year, he unveiled his subsequent album titled 808s & Heartbreak. He temporarily withdrew from the music industry until he resurfaced in 2010 with his album titled My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It was considered one of the finest rap albums of recent times. Additionally, he continued to experience profound melancholy due to the passing of his mother, which had occurred two years prior. In 2011, he organized and led his “Watch the Throne” tour.
In 2013, West released his sixth album Yeezus, and adopted a less commercially-oriented approach in its creation. He integrated several genres such as Chicago Drill, Dancehall, Acid House, and Industrial Music throughout the production of this record. The album was published in June and has garnered enthusiastic acclaim from music critics.
Kanye West debuted his seventh album, The Life of Pablo, on February 14, 2016.
He released his eighth album, titled Ye, on June 1, 2018. In August 2018, he unveiled the standalone single XTCY which was not included in any album.
Kanye West initiated his weekly Sunday Service arrangement in January 2019. It encompasses soul variations, compositions by West, and songs performed by other celebrities.
In January 2022, he made a public statement on the launch of his eleventh studio album, titled Donda 2. Although the album garnered a varied reception from critics, it achieved the highest position on multiple music charts worldwide, including the ‘US Billboard 200,’ ‘UK R&B Albums Chart,’ ‘Canadian Albums Chart,’ and the ‘Australian Albums Chart.’
In August 2023, news emerged regarding the development of his eleventh album. Billboard reported in October that Kanye West completed the recording of his joint album with Ty Dolla Sign and that its release was imminent.
- Net Worth
Kanye West presently holds the title of the most affluent musician globally. Throughout the years, he has amassed substantial wealth from his achievements in the music, fashion, and entertainment industries. The estimated net worth of Kanye West is US$2 billion.
- Accolades and Accomplishments
Kanye West received 10 Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, for his album The College Dropout. He was awarded a Grammy for his exceptional achievement in the Best Rap Album category. The album received triple platinum certification in the United States.
The Personal Life of Kanye West
Kanye West’s mother, Donda West, passed away in November 2007 due to heart disease following a plastic surgery operation. At the time, her age was 58. This caused great upheaval for West since he had a very strong bond with his mother. Prior to her passing, she had published a memoir titled Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar.
In August 2021, he submitted a formal application to modify his official name from ‘Kanye Omari West’ to ‘Ye’. One month later, in October, his request was completed, and he formally took his new name.
- Romantic Involvements
Kanye West maintained a sporadic romantic involvement with designer Alexis Phifer for a duration of four years prior to their engagement in August 2006. The engagement ended after a duration of 18 months in 2008.
Subsequently, he entered into a romantic partnership with model Amber Rose, which lasted from 2008 until 2010.
West commenced a romantic relationship with Kim Kardashian in April 2012. Their engagement took place in October 2013, followed by their wedding on May 24, 2014, at Fort di Belvedere in Florence, Italy. West and Kim Kardashian have a total of four children. They have two daughters named North West, who was born in June 2013, and Chicago West, who was born in January 2018 through a surrogate. They also have two males named Saint West, who was born in December 2015, and Psalm West, who was born in May 2019 through a surrogate. Kardashian initiated divorce proceedings against West in February 2021.
Shortly after Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s official separation in March 2022, he initiated a romantic relationship with actress Julia Fox, which ended within a span of less than two months.
After that, West appears to have remarried. His purported new spouse is an employee at his company, Yeezy. On January 13, 2023, it was reported that West and Bianca Censori just held a private wedding-like ceremony, but they had not yet completed the necessary paperwork to make their marriage legally recognized.
On Monday, January 9, West was observed wearing a gold wedding band at a lunch outing with Censori in Beverly Hills. The site also disclosed that he had recently released a song titled Censori Overload dedicated to her. Censori is of Australian nationality. Her precise age is not publicly disclosed, however, it has been claimed that she is estimated to be approximately 28 years old. According to her LinkedIn profile, she completed her secondary education in 2012 and obtained her bachelor’s degree in 2017. She holds the post of Chief Architect at Yeezy.
In previous instances, Censori had dark brown hair, but she recently changed her hair color to blonde and opted for a shorter hairstyle in recent photographs alongside West. Censori obtained both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Melbourne. She completed her master’s degree in 2020 and obtained her bachelor’s degree in 2017. According to her LinkedIn profile, she worked as a student architect at DP Toscano Architects from July 2017 until June 2020 before joining Yeezy in November 2020.
- Scandals
In October 2022, Kanye West engaged in one of his characteristic diatribes following backlash over his choice to don a shirt bearing the phrase “White Lives Matter.”
In September 2022, Ye initiated an Instagram tirade targeting the former partners and ex-boyfriends of those associated with the Kardashian-Jenner family, thereby exacerbating the existing tensions. The situation was already unfavorable, as it was said that these individuals were affected by a Kardashian Curse.
In autumn 2022, Kanye escalated his ‘jokes’ to a heightened degree of discomforting awkwardness. Following the demise of Queen Elizabeth in the United Kingdom, the rapper conveyed a statement on his Instagram story, expressing empathy towards London and acknowledging his own experience of losing his significant other. This statement alluded to his separation from Kim Kardashian.
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