People, Locations, Episodes

Wed, 06.08.1977

Kanye West, Music Artist, and Producer born

Kanye West was born on this date in 1977. He is a Black music producer and rapper.

Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta, GA. His father was Ray West, a former Black Panther who was one of the first Black photojournalists at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; he is now a Christian counselor. His mother is Dr. Donda West. When Kanye was three years old, his parents divorced, and he and his mother moved to Chicago. He was raised in an upper-middle-class family, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, IL.

After attending The American Academy of Art, a Chicago art school, West attended Chicago State University but eventually dropped out to continue working on his music career. His mother, Dr. West, was the chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as his manager.

While attending school, West produced for local artists. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for major artists, including Jay-Z, Cam'ron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, Eminem, John Legend, and others. West's production style often uses pitched-up vocal samples with his instruments, usually from soul songs. West has said producer RZA influenced his style.

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 two albums received numerous awards, including six Grammys, critical acclaim, and commercial success. West also runs his record label, GOOD Music. West's mascot and trademark is a teddy bear, which has appeared on the covers of his three albums and the single cover for his song "Stronger." His album titles tend to be related to his experiences with education.

On September 2, 2005, controversy arose when West deviated from the prepared script during a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina relief, "A Concert for Hurricane Relief." He said, “I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it [the media] says, 'they're looting.' You see a white family, it says, 'they're looking for food.'.And, you know, it's been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are Black. And even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I've tried to turn away from the TV because it's too hard to watch. I've even been shopping before even giving a donation, so now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what's, what is the biggest amount I can give, and just to imagine if I was if I was down there, and those are, those are my people down there. So anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help—with the setup, the way America is set up to help, the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible. I mean, this is, the Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way—and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us!”

With whom West was paired to present, Mike Myers spoke with obvious discomfort. Once it was West's turn to speak again, he said, “George Bush doesn't care about black people.” In March 2007, West and his father supported World Water Day by having a "Walk for Water" rally. In July 2007, West changed the release date of "Graduation," his third album, to the same release date as 50 Cent's album "Curtis," to challenge the saleability of their material, “One on One.”

West switched rapping for singing on his emotive 2008 effort 808s & Heartbreak and embraced maximalism on the 2010s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Following several collaborations, West released his abrasive sixth album, Yeezus, in 2013. West is among the best-selling artists of all time, having sold over 21 million albums and 100 million digital downloads.  He has won many Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all time and the most Grammy-awarded artist of his age. Time named West one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005, 2011, and 2015. He has also been included in several Forbes annual lists. Three of his albums rank on Rolling Stone's 2012 "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list; two feature at #8 and #1 in Pitchfork Media's The 100 Best Albums of 2010–2014.

West's background and style from his debut album deviated from hip-hop's then-dominant "gangsta" persona. He would later alter the genre stylistically as rappers adopted his alternative aesthetic. West is an outspoken and controversial celebrity; West has often been a source of controversy due to his appearances at award shows and various television and radio interviews. West has collaborated with brands Nike, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, and A.P.C. West also runs his record label GOOD Music and has directed several short films.  West is married and the father of three children.

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.  West has been responsible for cultural movements and musical progressions within mainstream hip-hop and popular music throughout his career.

In an interview in 2018, West declared that he became addicted to opioids when they were prescribed to him after he got liposuction. The addiction may have contributed to his nervous breakdown in 2016.  West said he often has suicidal ideation.  In a 2019 interview with David Letterman, West stated he has bipolar disorder.  In 2020, his wife filed for divorce.

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