Kanye West

Ye, born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Widely recognized as a prominent figure in hip-hop, his music features frequent stylistic shifts that helped facilitate the emergence of artists outside traditional gangsta rap conventions. Beyond his music career, he has engaged in major fashion collaborations with brands such as Nike, Louis Vuitton, Gap Inc., and Adidas through his Yeezy line.

West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and relocated to Chicago, Illinois, with his mother following his parents' divorce when he was three. His father, Ray West, was a former Black Panther and photojournalist who later became a Christian counselor, while his mother, Donda C. West, was an English professor who eventually managed his career. As a child, West lived briefly in Nanjing, China, where his mother taught as a Fulbright Scholar. He developed an early interest in the arts, beginning poetry writing at age five, rapping in third grade, and composing music in seventh grade. After graduating from high school, he briefly studied painting at the American Academy of Art and English at Chicago State University before dropping out at age 20 to pursue music.

West began his production career in the mid-1990s, producing tracks for local Chicago artists, including underground rapper Grav's 1996 debut album. After working as a ghost producer and forming the hip-hop group Go-Getters, he became an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in 2000. He gained widespread recognition for his work on Jay-Z's 2001 album The Blueprint and produced beats for artists such as Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson. Label head Damon Dash eventually signed him as a recording artist. Following a 2002 car accident that fractured his jaw, West recorded his breakthrough single Through the Wire with his mouth wired shut.

West released his debut studio album, The College Dropout, in 2004, featuring hits like Slow Jamz and Jesus Walks. He followed this with Late Registration in 2005, which incorporated string orchestra arrangements co-produced with Jon Brion and became his first of eleven U.S. Billboard 200 number-one albums. His third album, Graduation (2007), featured the chart-topping single Stronger, while his fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008), made extensive use of Auto-Tune. In 2010, he released his fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Over his career, West has sold 160 million records and won 24 Grammy Awards. Six of his albums have been included on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and Time named him among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015. His public life has generated significant controversy, including outbursts at award shows, public statements on politics and race, and an independent U.S. presidential campaign in 2020. Between 2022 and 2025, West faced widespread condemnation and lost corporate partnerships after expressing antisemitic views and support for Nazism. He was married to Kim Kardashian from 2014 to 2022, with whom he has four children.