Kanye West

Ye, also known as Kanye Omari West (born 1977) is an American rapper, music producer, composer, entrepreneur and designer.

According to a number of music critics, he was called one of the greatest artists of the 21st century. Today he is one of the highest paid musicians.

There are many interesting facts in the biography of Kanye West, which we will talk about in this article.

So, here is a short biography of Kanye Omari West.

Biography of Kanye West

Kanye West was born on June 8, 1977 in Atlanta (Georgia). He grew up and was brought up in an educated family. His father, Ray West, was a member of the Black Panthers political force, and his mother, Donda West, was a professor of English.

Childhood and youth

When Kanye was barely 3 years old, his parents decided to break up. As a result, he stayed with his mother, with whom he settled in Chicago.

During his school years, the future rapper showed good academic ability, getting high marks in almost all subjects. In addition, the boy showed a keen interest in music and drawing.

When Kanye West was 10 years old, he and his mother went to China, where Donda taught at one of the local universities. Later, the child received from her a computer "Amiga", with which he was able to write music for games.

Back in Chicago, Kanye began to chat with hip-hop lovers, as well as rap. In his youth, he began to compose melodies, which he successfully sold to other performers.

After receiving his diploma, he continued his studies at the American Academy of Arts, where he studied art.

Soon West decided to transfer to another university where he studied English. At the age of 20, he dropped out of his studies, as it did not allow him to fully pursue music. And although this upset his mother very much, the woman resigned herself to the act of her son.

Music

When Kanye West was 13 years old, he wrote the song "Green Eggs and Ham", persuading his mother to give him money to record the track in the studio. After that, he met producer No I.D., who taught him how to handle the sampler.

During this period of his biography, the teenager gained popularity as a producer, writing a number of hits for famous artists, including Jay-Z, Ludacris, Beyonce and other performers.

At the same time, Kanye was in a car accident, as a result of which he shattered his jaw. A couple of weeks later he wrote the song "Through the Wire", after which he became the author of dozens of tracks.

This led to the fact that West collected enough material to record his 1st album "The College Dropout" (2004). The disc won a Grammy for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song for the hit Jesus Walks.

An interesting fact is that Rolling Stone magazine named "The College Dropout" the album of the year, and in the "Spin" magazine it took 1st place in the rating of "40 best albums of the year". As a result, Kanye West gained stunning fame overnight.

In the following years of his biography, the rapper continued to present new records: "Late Registration" (2005), "Graduation" (2007), "808s & Heartbreak" (2008) and "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" (2010). All of these albums have sold millions of copies, and have won the most prestigious music awards and praise from critics.

In 2011, Kanye co-authored with rapper Jay-Z presented the disc "Watch the Throne". The album took first places in the charts of 23 countries of the world and became the leader of "Billboard 200". In 2013, West's sixth solo album was released, which contained 10 tracks.

Three years later, West's next album, "The Life of Pablo", was released. It was followed by the discs "ye" (2018) and "Jesus is King" (2019), each of which featured hits.

In addition to success in the musical Olympus, Kanye West has reached great heights in other areas. As a designer, he has collaborated with brands such as Nike, Louis Vuitton and Adidas. After that, he founded the company GOOD Music and the creative agency DONDA (in memory of his mother).

And yet, Kanye gained the greatest popularity as a rap artist. Many critics call him one of the greatest artists of the 21st century. In total, sales of his discs exceeded 121 million copies!

An interesting fact is that West is the owner of 21 Grammy awards. He was repeatedly ranked among the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time magazine.

In 2019, Kanye was on the 2nd place in the list of the richest musicians according to the Forbes, with an income of $ 150 million. Curiously, the next year, his income has already reached $ 170 million!

Personal life

In his youth, the singer courted fashion designer Alexis Phifer and was even engaged to her. However, after a year and a half, the lovers broke off the engagement. After that, he dated for about 2 years with model Amber Rose.

At the age of 35, Kanye West became interested in the participant in the television show Kim Kardashian. A couple of years later, the lovers decided to get married in Florence. In this marriage, the couple had sons Saint and Psalm and daughters - North and Chicago (Chi Chi).

An interesting fact is that Chicago was born with the help of a surrogate mother. In 2007, a tragedy occurred in West's personal biography - his mother died. A day before her death, the woman decided to undergo breast reduction surgery, which led to cardiac arrest.

After that, the musician performed the song "Hey Mama" at concerts, which he wrote in memory of his mother. During her performance, he usually cried, unable to find the strength to hold back his tears.

West is the organizer of a charity foundation in Chicago, which aims to help fight illiteracy, as well as help disadvantaged children get musical education.

Kanye West today

In 2020, the artist presented a new album, "God’s Country". He has an Instagram account, where he periodically uploads new photos and videos.

On his page you can find more than one photo in which he stands next to Elon Musk. The fact is that the rapper is actively interested in the developments of the talented inventor and is even thinking of opening his own car plant, having established cooperation with Tesla.