Kanye West is a Grammy-winning rapper and sought-after producer who is
as well known for his outrageous statements as he is for his broad
musical palette.
Kanye West - Mini Biography -----
Kanye
West's 2004 debut album "The College Dropout" put him on the map as one
of the greatest hip hop artists of his generation. He's as well-known
for his outrageous statements and antics as he is acclaimed for his
music.
Synopsis
Kanye
Omari West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 8, 1977. He left
college to pursue a musical career, producing tracks for Jay-Z while
polishing his demo. He released The College Dropout in 2004. It
sold 2.6 million copies and won Best Rap Album. His follow-up releases
have been equally successful and West has become a celebrity famous for
his outrageous and entertaining statements.
Early Career
Rapper,
record producer and singer Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta,
Georgia, on June 8, 1977. His parents divorced when he 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. After
spending time rapping and working with local artists, West moved to New
York in 2001 to pursue his music career full time. Respected rapper
Jay-Z hired him to produce songs for his album The Blueprint ,
which sold more than 420,000 copies in the first week alone. West went
on to produce for a handful of stars including rapper Ludacris and
singer Beyonce.
While serving as producer to the stars, West cut
his own demo and began shopping it around. He signed a deal with
Roc-A-Fella Records, Jay-Z's label, in 2002 and began recording in the
studio.
On the way home from a session in Los Angeles, West fell
asleep at the wheel and was involved in a head-on car collision that
left him with a fractured jaw.
Commercial Success
With his jaw wired shut, West returned to the recording studio to complete his debut release The College Dropout .
The album, which was released in 2004, sold 2.6 million copies and
earned him a Best Rap Album Grammy. He matched that feat with 2005's Late Registration and 2007's Graduation .
West
also has won three Best Rap Song Grammys for his hits "Jesus Walks,"
"Diamonds from Sierra Leone" and "Good Life." For his hit "Gold Digger,"
he took home the Best Rap Solo Performance award in 2005. West also won
a Grammy for Best R&B Song for "You Don't Know My Name," sung by
Alicia Keys. His collaboration with Common on "Southside" earned West
the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2007.
Personal Loss
West
was devastated when his mother, Donda West, died to complications from
cosmetic surgery on November 10, 2007. During his first concert
following the funeral, he dedicated a performance of "Hey Mama" to his
mother.
Moving on after his tragic loss, West put out his next album, 808s & Heartbreak ,
in 2008. The recording reached the top of the charts and featured
several hits, including "Heartless" and "Amazing." That same year, West
earned two Grammys for his work with other artists. His duet with
Estelle, "American Boy," won for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and his
work with Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and T.I. netted the honor for Best Rap
Performance by a Duo or Group.
Personal Life and Interests
In 2009, West released two albums on the same day—Good Morning Good Night: Dusk and Good Morning Good Night: Dawn .
That same year, Kanye West debuted the line of shoes he designed for
the luxury goods brand Louis Vuitton. He engages in a number of
charitable activities as well. Founded by his mother in 2007, he
supports the Kanye West Foundation, which works to reduce the number of
high school dropouts.
West and designer Alexis Phifer began
dating in 2002. He proposed in August 2006, but the engagement ended 18
months later. West had also been romantically linked to model Amber
Rose. In early 2012, West began dating reality television star Kim
Kardashian. He announced at a concert in that December that he and
Kardashian are expecting their first child together.
On June 15,
2013, West became a father for the first time. He and Kardashian
welcomed a daughter who was born in a hospital in Los Angeles. The
couple decided to name their daughter North. On October 21, 2013, West
proposed to Kardashian at the AT&T baseball stadium in San
Francisco. Kardashian accepted his proposition.
After an
interview that West had with Britain's BBC in September of 2013, talk
show host Jimmy Kimmel made a parody of the scenario, mocking West in
the process. In response, West released a tirade of tweets attacking
Kimmel. The tweets were deleted shortly after being posted. Kimmel also
announced that he spoke to West on the phone afterwards, with West
saying that Kimmel's life would be much better if he apologized. West
was later brought on to Jimmy Kimmel Live! , where the two cleared the air about their ongoing feud.
Recent Projects
In recent years, Kanye West has released wave after wave of new music. He debuted the record My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
in 2010, which included such collaborators as Nicki Minaj and Kid Cudi.
The following year, West teamed up with Jay-Z for the top-selling album
Watch the Throne .
West seemed to go all out to promote his most recent effort Yeezus in 2013. He debuted the songs "New Slaves" and "Black Skinhead" on Saturday Night Live
and performed at that year's Met Gala in New York as well. West even
had a video of himself performing "New Slaves" projected on the walls of
66 buildings in 10 cities. This song, however, has stirred up some
controversy with its explicit lyrics and examples of modern-day slavery.
West critiques the country's criminal justice system as well as
compares being a celebrity to being a slave.
Kanye West appears on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”
NET WORTH
Kanye West net worth: Kanye West is an American producer, rapper,
fashion designer and actor who has a net worth of $120 million. Kanye
West was born in Atlanta but raised by his mother first in Chicago and
then Oak Lawn, Illinois. He dropped out of college to pursue his career
in the music industry, starting out initially as a producer for
Roc-A-Fella records. Kanye eventually persuaded label head Jay-Z to sign him on as a rapper.
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