Kanye West | Artist
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer born 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia. He began his early production career in the mid-1990s, creating beats primarily for burgeoning local artists in the Chicago area. He received his first official production credits at age nineteen, when he produced eight tracks on Down to Earth, the 1996 debut album of Chicago-based underground rapper Grav. In 1998, West was the first producer signed to the management-production company Hip Hop Since 1978, founded by Gee Roberson and Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua. In 2000, West began producing for artists on Roc-A-Fella Records as an in-house producer, where he established his early reputation, producing hit singles for artists such as Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Then, pursuing a solo career, he created a string of excellent works which attracted great critical and commercial success, kicking off with his excellent first two albums The College Dropout and Late Registration. The 2010 album release My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, is regarded by many as his masterpiece. His eclectic style incorporates influences as diverse as soul, baroque pop, electro, indie rock, synth-pop, industrial and gospel. West has become one of the most critically acclaimed and highest selling musicians of the 21st century. In terms of recorded output, he has released 15 studio albums under his own name, plus 89 solo and collaboration Singles. Standout albums include The College Dropout (2004), Late Registration (2005), Graduation (2007), 808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), Yeezus (2013), The Life of Pablo (2016), and Late Orchestration: Live at Abbey Road Studios (2006). The 2018 collaboration with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghosts, is also excellent. Kanye's father, Ray West, is a former Black Panther and was one of the first black photojournalists at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ray later became a Christian counselor, and in 2006, opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland, with startup capital from his son. West's mother, Donda C. 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. On July 4, 2020, West announced on Twitter that he would be running in the 2020 presidential election. On July 7, West was interviewed by Forbes about his presidential run, where he announced that his running mate would be Wyoming preacher Michelle Tidball, and that he would run as an independent under the "Birthday Party", explaining his decision of why he chose the name, saying, "Because when we win, it's everybody's birthday".
Artist Website: kanyewest.com
Featured Albums: Kanye West
Related Artists: Jay-Z, Kids See Ghosts
