Kanye West

YeTemplate:Efn (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; born Kanye Omari West Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Described as one of the greatest rappers of all time<ref>Sources referring to West as one of the greatest rappers of all time:

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</ref> as well as one of the most prominent figures in hip-hop,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> he is known for his varying musical style<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and polarizing cultural and political commentary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

After dropping out of college to pursue a music career, West began producing for regional artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, he co-produced albums such as Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001) before signing with the label as a recording artist. West's debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), received acclaim and included the US Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Slow Jamz". He topped the chart on four other occasions with the singles "Gold Digger" (2005), "Stronger" (2007), "E.T." (2011, as a featured artist), and "Carnival" (2024).

The College Dropout and five of West's subsequent albums—Late Registration (2005), Graduation (2007), 808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and Yeezus (2013)—were all included on Rolling StoneTemplate:'s 2020 "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, with the same publication naming him one of the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> One of the world's best-selling music artists with 160 million records sold,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> West has won 24 Grammy Awards, making him the 12th-most awarded of all time. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

West's outspoken views have received significant media coverage. He has been a frequent source of controversy due to his conduct on social media, at award shows and in public settings, as well as his comments on the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, race, and slavery. His Christian faith, high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian, feuds with Taylor Swift and with Drake, and mental health have also been topics of media attention.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Graham2019">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Schaffstall">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2020, West ran an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign. Starting in 2022, West has drawn widespread condemnationTemplate:Emdashand lost sponsors and partnershipsTemplate:Emdashfor his antisemitic views. He has self-identified as a Nazi, praised Adolf Hitler, used swastika imagery, and denied the Holocaust.

Early life

Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia.Template:Efn After his parents divorced when he was three years old, he moved with his mother to Chicago, Illinois.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="leader">Template:Cite magazine</ref> His 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,<ref name="leader" /> and in 2006, opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland, with startup capital from his son.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=wapo-water>Template:Cite news</ref> West's mother, Donda C. West (née Williams),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.

West was raised in a middle-class environment, attending Polaris School for Individual Education<ref name="KWstBio5">Template:Cite magazine</ref> in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois, after living in Chicago.<ref name="cant ignore">Template:Cite magazine</ref> At the age of 10, West moved with his mother to Nanjing, China, where she was teaching at Nanjing University as a Fulbright Scholar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to his mother, West was the only foreigner in his class, but he settled in well and quickly picked up the language, although he has since forgotten most of it.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> When asked about his grades in high school, West replied, "I got A's and B's."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

West demonstrated an affinity for the arts at an early age; he began writing poetry when he was five years old.<ref name=Chicago>Template:Cite news</ref> West started rapping in the third grade and began making musical compositions in the seventh grade, eventually selling them to other artists.<ref name=KanplicatedPg2>Template:Cite web</ref> West crossed paths with producer No I.D., who became West's friend and mentor.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp After graduating from high school, West received a scholarship to attend Chicago's American Academy of Art in 1997 and began taking painting classes. Shortly after, he transferred to Chicago State University to study English. At age 20, he dropped out to pursue his musical career.<ref>West, Donda, p. 106</ref> This greatly displeased his mother, who was also a professor at the university, although she would later accept the decision.<ref name=":0" />Template:Rp

Musical career

1996–2002: Early work and Roc-A-Fella

West 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.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web
Template:Cite web</ref> For a time, West acted as a ghost producer for Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie. Due to his association with Angelettie, West was not able to release a solo album, so he formed the Go-Getters, a hip-hop group composed of him and fellow Chicago natives GLC, Timmy G, Really Doe, and Arrowstar.<ref name=Barber>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Go-Getters independently released their first and only studio album, World Record Holders in 1999 through West's company, Konman Productions.<ref name=Barber /> West spent much of the late 1990s further producing for several musical acts.<ref name="Saddleback">Template:Cite book</ref> He produced "My Life" on Foxy Brown's second studio album Chyna Doll (1999), which became the second hip-hop album by a female rapper to peak atop the US Billboard 200 chart.<ref name="Saddleback" />

West received early acclaim for his production work on Jay-Z's The Blueprint. The two are pictured here in 2011.

In 2000, West began producing for artists on Roc-A-Fella Records as an in-house producer. West is often credited with revitalizing Jay-Z's career with extensive contributions to his 2001 album The Blueprint,<ref name="Mitchum" /> which Rolling Stone ranked among their list of greatest hip-hop albums.<ref name="RS500">Template:Cite magazine</ref> West produced songs for label cohorts such as Beanie Sigel and Freeway, but also produced beats which were used by artists on other labels including Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson.<ref name="Mitchum">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> Meanwhile, West struggled to attain a record deal as a rapper.<ref name="Road">Template:Cite news</ref> Multiple record companies, including Capitol Records,<ref name=KanplicatedPg2 /> denied or ignored him because he did not portray the gangsta image prominent in mainstream hip-hop at the time.<ref name=":0" />Template:Rp Desperate to keep West from defecting to another label, then-label head Damon Dash reluctantly signed West to Roc-A-Fella as a recording artist.<ref name=":0" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After a 2002 car accident shattered his jaw,<ref name=wsws /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West was inspired; two weeks after being admitted to the hospital, he recorded "Through the Wire" at the Record Plant Studios with his jaw still wired shut.<ref name="wsws">Template:Cite web</ref> The song was first included on West's debut mixtape Get Well Soon..., which was released in December 2002.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the same time, West announced that he was working on an album titled The College Dropout, whose overall theme was to "make your own decisions. Don't let society tell you, 'This is what you have to do.Template:' "<ref>Reid, Shaheem (December 10, 2002). "Kanye West Raps Through His Broken Jaw, Lays Beats For Scarface, Ludacris Template:Webarchive". MTV. Retrieved October 23, 2007.</ref>

2003–2006: The College Dropout and Late Registration

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West in Portland in December 2005 as a supporting act for U2 on their Vertigo Tour

West recorded the remainder of the album in Los Angeles while recovering from the car accident. It was leaked months before its release date,<ref name="Road" /> and West used the opportunity to remix, remaster, and revise the album before its release;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West added new verses, string arrangements, gospel choirs, and improved drum programming.<ref name="Road" /> The album was postponed three times from its initial date in August 2003,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was eventually released in February 2004, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200 as his debut single, "Through the Wire" peaked at No. 15 while on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five weeks.<ref name=acharts>Kanye West—Through the Wire—Music Charts Template:Webarchive. aCharts.us. Retrieved July 3, 2010.</ref> "Slow Jamz", his second single, featuring Twista and Jamie Foxx, became the three musicians' first No. 1 hit. The College Dropout received critical acclaim, was nominated for the top album of the year by American Music Awards and Billboard,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and has consistently been ranked among the great hip-hop works and debut albums by artists.<ref name=USAToday/><ref name=NYTimes/>

"Jesus Walks", the album's fourth single, reached the top 20 of the Billboard pop charts, despite industry executives' predictions that a song containing such blatant declarations of faith would never make it to the radio.<ref name=USAToday>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=NYTimes>Template:Cite news</ref> The College Dropout was certified triple platinum in the U.S., and garnered West 10 Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, and Best Rap Album (which it received).<ref name="grammy">Template:Cite news</ref> During this period, West founded GOOD Music, a record label and management company that housed affiliate artists and producers, such as No I.D. and John Legend,<ref name="Sheffield">Sheffield, Rob (November 22, 2010). Review: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Template:Webarchive. Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 11, 2010.</ref> and produced singles for Brandy, Common, Legend, and Slum Village.<ref name="auto" />

West invested $2 million and took over a year to make his second album.<ref>Brown, p. 120</ref> West was inspired by Roseland NYC Live, a 1998 live album by English trip hop group Portishead, produced with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra,<ref name=Praise>Template:Cite news</ref> incorporating string arrangements into his hip-hop production. Though West had not been able to afford many live instruments around the time of his debut album, the money from his commercial success enabled him to hire a string orchestra for his second album Late Registration.<ref name=Praise /> West collaborated with American film score composer Jon Brion, who served as the album's co-executive producer for several tracks.<ref name=Pilot>Perez, Rodrigo (August 12, 2005). "Kanye's Co-Pilot, Jon Brion, Talks About The Making Of Late Registration" Template:Webarchive. MTV. Viacom. Retrieved March 2, 2006.</ref><ref name=Pg124>Brown, p. 124</ref> Late Registration sold over 2.3 million units in the United States alone by the end of 2005 and was considered by industry observers as the only successful major album release of the fall season, which had been plagued by steadily declining CD sales.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

When his song "Touch the Sky" failed to win Best Video at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards, West went onto the stage as the award was being presented to Justice and Simian for "We Are Your Friends" and argued that he should have won the award instead.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Hundreds of news outlets worldwide criticized the outburst. On November 7, 2006, West apologized for this outburst publicly during his performance as support act for U2 for their Vertigo concert in Brisbane.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He later spoofed the incident on the 33rd-season premiere of Saturday Night Live in September 2007.<ref name="snlarchives">Template:Cite web</ref>

2007–2009: Graduation, 808s & Heartbreak, and VMAs incident

West's third studio album, Graduation, was released in September 2007. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and selling 957,000 copies in its first week.<ref name=firstday>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Graduation continued the string of critical and commercial successes by West, and the album's lead single, "Stronger", garnered his third number-one hit.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> "Stronger", which samples French house duo Daft Punk, has been accredited to not only encouraging other hip-hop artists to incorporate house and electronica elements into their music, but also for playing a part in the revival of disco and electro-infused music in the late 2000s.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> His mother's death in November 2007<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the end of his engagement to Alexis Phifer<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> profoundly affected West, who set off for his 2008 Glow in the Dark Tour shortly thereafter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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West (center) working on 808s & Heartbreak with producer and former mentor No I.D. (left) in October 2008

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West performing in 2008

Recorded mostly in Honolulu, Hawaii in three weeks,<ref name="TheFader">Template:Cite magazine</ref> West announced his fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak, at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, where he performed its lead single, "Love Lockdown". Music audiences were taken aback by the uncharacteristic production style and the presence of Auto-Tune, which typified the pre-release response to the record.<ref name=Observer>Template:Cite news</ref> 808s & Heartbreak was released by Island Def Jam in November 2008.<ref name=Question>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Sales">Template:Cite web</ref> Upon its release, the lead single "Love Lockdown" debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> while follow-up single "Heartless" debuted at number four.<ref>Heartless: Hot 100 Charts Template:Webarchive. Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2009.</ref> While it was criticized prior to release, 808s & Heartbreak is considered to have had a significant effect on hip-hop music, encouraging other rappers to take more creative risks with their productions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

While Taylor Swift was accepting her award for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, West went on stage and grabbed the microphone from her to proclaim that Beyoncé deserved the award instead. He was subsequently removed from the remainder of the show for his actions.<ref name="Cnn.com">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="rollingstone.com">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> West was criticized by various celebrities for the outburst,<ref name="Cnn.com"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="latfallout">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="MTV">Template:Cite web</ref> and by President Barack Obama, who called West a "jackass".<ref name="BBCquote">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="politico.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="people.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="www.foxnews.com">Template:Cite news</ref> The incident sparked a large influx of Internet photo memes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West subsequently apologized,<ref name=latfallout /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> including personally to Swift.<ref name="MTV.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="MSNBC">Template:Cite web</ref> However, in a November 2010 interview, he seemed to recant his past apologies, describing the act at the 2009 awards show as "selfless".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2010–2012: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Watch the Throne, and Cruel Summer

Following the highly publicized incident, West took a brief break from music and threw himself into fashion, then returned to Hawaii for a few months writing and recording his next album.<ref name="Bever" /> Importing his favorite producers and artists to work on and inspire his recording, West kept engineers behind the boards 24 hours a day and slept only in increments. Noah Callahan-Bever, a writer for Complex, was present during the sessions and described the "communal" atmosphere as thus: "With the right songs and the right album, he can overcome any and all controversy, and we are here to contribute, challenge, and inspire."<ref name="Bever">Template:Cite web</ref> A variety of artists contributed to the project, including close friends Jay-Z, Kid Cudi and Pusha T, as well as collaborations with artists including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Gil Scott Heron.<ref>Hermes, Will (October 25, 2010). Lost in the World by Kanye West feat. Bon Iver and Gil Scott-Heron | Rolling Stone Music. Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 2, 2011.</ref>

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West at the SWU Music & Arts Festival in Brazil in 2011

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, West's fifth studio album, was released in November 2010 to widespread acclaim from critics, many of whom considered it his best work and said it solidified his comeback.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In stark contrast to his previous effort, which featured a minimalist sound, Dark Fantasy adopts a maximalist philosophy and deals with themes of celebrity and excess.<ref name="Sheffield" /> The record included the international hit "All of the Lights", and Billboard hits "Power", "Monster", and "Runaway",<ref name="Hot100">[[[:Template:BillboardURLbyName]] Kanye West Album & Song Chart History—Hot 100]. Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2010.</ref> the latter of which accompanied a 35-minute film of the same name directed by and starring West.<ref name="BillboardPremiere">Template:Cite magazine</ref> During this time, West initiated the free music program GOOD Fridays through his website, offering a free download of previously unreleased songs each Friday, a portion of which were included on the album. This promotion ran from August to December 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Dark Fantasy went on to go platinum in the United States,<ref name="RIAA">Template:Cite web</ref> but its omission as a contender for Album of the Year at the 54th Grammy Awards was viewed as a "snub" by several media outlets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2011 saw West embark on a festival tour to commemorate the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, performing and headlining at numerous festivals, including: SWU Music & Arts, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Oya Festival, Flow Festival, Live Music Festival, The Big Chill, Essence Music Festival, Lollapalooza, and Coachella, which was described by The Hollywood Reporter as "one of greatest hip-hop sets of all time".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> West released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z in August 2011. By employing a sales strategy that released the album digitally weeks before its physical counterpart, Watch the Throne became one of the few major label albums in the Internet age to avoid a leak.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> "Niggas in Paris" became the record's highest-charting single, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="Hot100" /> The co-headlining Watch the Throne Tour kicked off in October 2011 and concluded in June 2012.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2012, West released the compilation album Cruel Summer, a collection of tracks by artists from West's record label GOOD Music.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

2013–2015: Yeezus and the Yeezus Tour

Sessions for West's sixth solo effort begin to take shape in early 2013 in his own personal loft's living room at a Paris hotel.<ref name="NewYorkTimes">Template:Cite news</ref> Determined to "undermine the commercial",<ref name="sessions">Template:Cite web</ref> he once again brought together close collaborators and attempted to incorporate Chicago drill, dancehall, acid house, and industrial music.<ref name="chicagotribune">Template:Cite news</ref> Primarily inspired by architecture,<ref name="NewYorkTimes" /> West's perfectionist tendencies led him to contact producer Rick Rubin fifteen days shy of its due date to strip down the record's sound in favor of a more minimalist approach.<ref name="Rstonerubin">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Initial promotion of his sixth album included worldwide video projections of the album's music and live television performances.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=snl>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Yeezus, West's sixth album, was released June 18, 2013, to rave reviews from critics.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It became his sixth consecutive number one debut, but also marked his lowest solo opening week sales.<ref name="billboard123">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

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West on the Yeezus Tour in 2013

In September 2013, West announced he would be headlining his first solo tour in five years, to support Yeezus, with fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar accompanying him as a supporting act.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The tour was met with rave reviews from critics.<ref name="rsyeezus">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Rolling Stone described it as "crazily entertaining, hugely ambitious, emotionally affecting (really!) and, most importantly, totally bonkers".<ref name="rsyeezus" /> Writing for Forbes, Zack O'Malley Greenburg praised West for "taking risks that few pop stars, if any, are willing to take in today's hyper-exposed world of pop", describing the show as "overwrought and uncomfortable at times, but [it] excels at challenging norms and provoking thought in a way that just isn't common for mainstream musical acts of late".<ref name="Greenburg">Template:Cite web</ref> West subsequently released a number of singles featuring Paul McCartney, including "Only One"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and "FourFiveSeconds", also featuring Rihanna.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In November 2013, West stated that he was beginning work on his next studio album, hoping to release it by mid-2014,<ref>Jackson, Reed (November 25, 2013). "Kanye West Hopes To Have New Album Out By Summer" Template:Webarchive. XXL.</ref> with production by Rick Rubin and Q-Tip.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Having initially announced a new album entitled Yeezus II slated for a 2014 release, West announced in March 2015 that the album would instead be tentatively called So Help Me God.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In May 2015, West was awarded an honorary doctorate by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for his contributions to music, fashion, and popular culture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn The next month, West headlined at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, despite a petition signed by almost 135,000 people against his appearance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Another petition aimed to block West from headlining the 2015 Pan American Games, garnering 50,000 supporters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2016–2017: The Life of Pablo and tour cancellation

West announced in January 2016 that Swish would be released on February 11, and later that month, released new songs "Real Friends" and a snippet of "No More Parties in LA" with Kendrick Lamar. On January 26, 2016, West revealed he had renamed the album from Swish to Waves.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the weeks leading up to the album's release, West became embroiled in several Twitter controversies.<ref name="dailybeast">Template:Cite news</ref> Several days ahead of its release, West again changed the title, this time to The Life of Pablo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On February 11, West premiered the album at Madison Square Garden as part of the presentation of his Yeezy SeasonTemplate:Nbsp3 clothing line.<ref name="pitchfork.com">Phillips, Amy (February 11, 2016). "Kanye West New Album The Life Of Pablo Debut Live Stream: Watch It Here" Template:Webarchive. Pitchfork. Retrieved February 11, 2016.</ref> Following the preview, West announced that he would be modifying the tracklist once more before its release to the public.<ref>West, Kanye (February 12, 2016). "The album is being mastered and will be out todayTemplate:Nbsp... added on a couple of tracksTemplate:Nbsp...". Twitter. Retrieved February 16, 2016.</ref> He released the album exclusively on Tidal on February 14, 2016, following a performance on Saturday Night Live.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Pitchfork>Template:Cite web</ref> Following its release, West continued to tinker with mixes of several tracks, describing the work as "a living breathing changing creative expression"<ref name="fader">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and proclaiming the end of the album as a dominant release form.<ref name="slate">Template:Cite web</ref> Despite West's earlier comments, in addition to Tidal, the album was released through several other competing services starting in April.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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West on the Saint Pablo Tour in 2016

In February 2016, West stated on Twitter that he was planning to release another album in the summer of 2016, tentatively called Turbo Grafx 16 in reference to the 1990s video game console of the same name.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> In June 2016, West released the collaborative lead single "Champions" off the GOOD Music album Cruel Winter, which has yet to be released.<ref name="6 Minute Track">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Later that month, West released a controversial video for "Famous", which depicted wax figures of several celebrities (including West, Kardashian, Taylor Swift, businessman and then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, comedian Bill Cosby, and former president George W. Bush) sleeping nude in a shared bed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In August 2016, West embarked on the Saint Pablo Tour in support of The Life of Pablo.<ref name="hhd" /> The performances featured a mobile stage suspended from the ceiling.<ref name="hhd">Template:Cite web</ref> West postponed several dates in October following the Paris robbery of several of his wife's effects.<ref name="bbm">Template:Cite web</ref> On November 21, 2016, West cancelled the remaining 21 dates on the Saint Pablo Tour, following a week of no-shows, curtailed concerts and rants about politics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was later admitted for psychiatric observation at UCLA Medical Center.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He stayed hospitalized over the Thanksgiving weekend because of a temporary psychosis stemming from sleep deprivation and extreme dehydration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following this episode West took an 11-month break from posting on Twitter and the public in general.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2017–2019: Ye and the Wyoming Sessions

It was reported in May 2017 that West was recording new music in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with a wide range of collaborators.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April 2018, West announced plans to write a philosophy book entitled Break the Simulation,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> later clarifying that he was sharing the book "in real time" on Twitter and began posting content that was likened to "life coaching".<ref name="Kanyelifecoach">Template:Cite news</ref> Later that month, he also announced two new albums, a solo album and self-titled collaboration with Kid Cudi under the name Kids See Ghosts, both of which would be released in June.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, he revealed he would produce upcoming albums by GOOD Music label-mates Pusha T and Teyana Taylor, as well as Nas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shortly thereafter, West released the non-album singles "Lift Yourself" and "Ye vs. the People", in which he and T.I. discussed West's support of Donald Trump.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Pusha T's Daytona, "the first project out of Wyoming", was released in May to critical acclaim, although the album's artwork—a photograph of deceased singer Whitney Houston's bathroom that West paid $85,000 to license—attracted some controversy.<ref name="Recording">Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following week, West released his eighth studio album, Ye. West has suggested that he scrapped the original recordings of the album and re-recorded it within a month.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The week after, West released a collaborative album with Kid Cudi, titled Kids See Ghosts, named after their group of the same name. West also completed production work on Nas' Nasir<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and Teyana Taylor's K.T.S.E., which were released in June 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In September, West announced his ninth studio album Yandhi to be released by the end of the month and a collaborative album with fellow Chicagoan rapper Chance the Rapper titled Good Ass Job. That same month, West announced that he would be changing his stage name to "Ye".<ref name="The Guardian 29 September 2018">Template:Cite news</ref> Yandhi was originally set for release in September 2018 but was postponed multiple times.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2019, West pulled out of headlining that year's Coachella festival after negotiations broke down due to discord regarding stage design.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July, it was reported that songs from West's unreleased album Yandhi were leaked online.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following month, Kim Kardashian announced that West's next album would be titled Jesus Is King, effectively scrapping Yandhi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By October, the entire unfinished album was available for a short time on streaming services Spotify and Tidal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2019–2022: Jesus Is King, Donda, and Donda 2

Template:Main On January 6, 2019, West started his weekly "Sunday Service" events, which included soul variations of both West's and others' songs and were attended by multiple celebrities, including the Kardashians, Charlie Wilson, and Kid Cudi.<ref name="Hearst Magazine Media, Inc.">Template:Cite web</ref> West previewed a new song, "Water" at his "Sunday Service" orchestration performance at Coachella 2019,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which was later revealed to feature on his upcoming album Jesus Is King;<ref name="track">Template:Cite magazine</ref> West released the album on October 25, 2019.<ref name="Ryan2019">Template:Cite web</ref> It became the first to ever top the Billboard 200, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Rap Albums, Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums at the same time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On December 25, 2019, West and Sunday Service released Jesus Is Born, containing 19 songs, including several re-workings of older West songs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

West released a single titled "Wash Us in the Blood" on June 30, 2020, featuring fellow American rapper and singer Travis Scott, along with the music video, which was set to serve as the lead single from his tenth studio album Donda.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, in September 2020, West stated that he would not be releasing any further music until he is "done with [his] contract with Sony and Universal".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On October 16, he released the single "Nah Nah Nah".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West held several listening parties at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for his upcoming album Donda in the summer of 2021, where he had taken up temporary residence in one of the stadium's locker rooms, converting it into a recording studio to finish the recording.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After multiple delays, Donda was released on August 29, 2021.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> West claimed the album was released early without his approval and alleged that Universal had altered the tracklist.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He released a deluxe edition of Donda, including five new songs, to streaming services on November 14, 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 20, days after ending their long-running feud,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> West and rapper Drake confirmed that they would stage the "Free Larry Hoover" benefit concert on December 9 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

On January 5, 2022, West was announced as one of the 2022 headliners of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Later that month on January 15, West released the first single for his upcoming album Donda 2, "Eazy" featuring The Game,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> to be executive produced by American rapper Future.<ref name="ReleaseDate">Template:Cite magazine</ref> West hosted a listening event for the album at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on February 22.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In April, shortly before Coachella, West pulled out as headlining act,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> then proceeded to pull out of headlining Rolling Loud.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> West and The Game performed the single on July 22, marking West's first performance in five months following the low profile he had been keeping since Donda 2 remained unfinished.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A day later, despite cancelling as headliner, he appeared at Rolling Loud during Lil Durk's set.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2022, after weeks of controversial antisemitic statements, West released a new song, "Someday We'll All Be Free", on his Instagram.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

2023–present: Vultures trilogy, Bully, and In a Perfect World

File:YS Bologna 2024.jpg

¥$ listening party in Bologna, Italy, for Vultures 1 (2024)

On August 25, 2023, West was reported to be in the process of recording his eleventh studio album, with two sources close to him stating that the release of new music was "imminent".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On October 13, Billboard reported that West had finished recording a collaborative studio album with Ty Dolla Sign and was in the process of shipping the album to distributors, adding that the album was originally intended for an official release that day but was ultimately pushed back for unknown reasons and expected to drop within the coming weeks.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The eponymous lead single for the album, "Vultures" featuring Bump J, was released on November 22, 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Throughout late 2023 and early 2024, West and Ty Dolla Sign held several concerts previewing songs from the album. In a trailer, West announced that Vultures would be released as a trilogy of albums, with three volumes set to be released on February 9, March 6, and April 5, 2024. In January 2024, West co-signed 4Batz and called him his favorite new artist.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On February 8, 2024, West released the first volume's second single, "Talking / Once Again" featuring his eldest daughter North.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A day later, producer Erick Sermon revealed in an interview that West's upcoming eleventh studio album was titled Y3, while also stating that he had contributed to the album in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> West has since denied working on an album titled Y3.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On February 10, 2024, hours after West held a listening party at UBS Arena, the first volume of the Vultures trilogy, entitled Vultures 1, was officially released.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming West's eleventh consecutive and Ty Dolla Sign's first number one album, respectively.<ref name=":02">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Vultures 2 released later that year on August 3.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On September 28, during a concert in Haikou, China at the Wuyuan River Stadium, West announced his eleventh solo album Bully, debuting the track "Beauty and the Beast".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> On March 15, 2025, he shared a song on his X account, "Lonely Roads Still Go to Sunshine", featuring his daughter North and vocals credited to Sean Combs, resulting in legal action from Kim Kardashian.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> On March 18, he shared links on X to three versions of Bully, all of which were accompanied by a short film starring his son Saint.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He stated that the album was "not finished and half of the vocals [are] AI", and added that he did not intend to release it on streaming services because of "French and Jewish record labels".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bully would later be released as the "screening version" on YouTube for a temporary time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On March 26, 2025, West released "WW3" under the name Ye onto streaming services, after having been previously teased by Dave Blunts and Adin Ross.<ref name="raptvww3">Template:Cite report</ref> A week later, DJ Akademiks announced that West was working on WW3, a collaborative album with Blunts,<ref name="HNHH: WestBlunts">Template:Cite web</ref> a few days after they held an interview where West wore a black Ku Klux Klan-inspired outfit and said further controversial remarks.<ref name="vibeww3">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name="billboardakademiks">Template:Cite report</ref> West changed the album's title to Cuck on April 21,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in the following weeks released the singles "Cousins" and "Heil Hitler". After Cuck leaked on May 18, 2025,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West stated that he was "done with antisemitism", and asked God to "forgive me for the pain I've caused". He removed pro-Nazi and antisemitic lyrics from the Cuck singles, and on June 22, announced he was changing the album's title to In a Perfect World.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On April 29, during the production of In a Perfect World, West released Donda 2 on streaming services.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On May 21, he released the single "Alive", featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again, as the theme song for his upcoming YZY SZN 10 fashion collection.<ref name="YeNBAAlive">Template:Cite magazine</ref> On June 20, West released a three-track extended play (EP) preview of Bully on streaming services.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 27, West released Never Stop, an EP by Sean Combs' son Christian "King" Combs. West served as Never StopTemplate:'s executive producer, and North appears on the song "Lonely Roads". The EP's release coincided with the closing arguments of Sean Combs' criminal trial, in which he was charged with racketeering and sex trafficking; West has been an outspoken defender of Combs.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Musical style

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West performing in 2012

West's musical career is defined by frequent stylistic shifts and different musical approaches.<ref name="amg">Template:Cite web</ref> In the subsequent years since his debut, West has both musically and lyrically taken an increasingly experimental approach to crafting progressive hip-hop music while maintaining accessible pop sensibilities.<ref name="Gates, Henry Louis, et al. 2010 705–713">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Caramanica">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Rob Tannenbaum 2006 p. 49">Tannenbaum, Rob. "Playboy Interview: Kanye West." Playboy (March 2006), 49.</ref> Ed Ledsham of PopMatters said that "West's melding of multiple genres into the hip-hop fold is a complex act that challenges the dominant white notions of what constitutes true 'art' music."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> West's rhymes have been described as funny, provocative and articulate, capable of seamlessly segueing from shrewd commentary to comical braggadocio to introspective sensitivity.<ref name="McCormick">Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref> West imparts that he strives to speak in an inclusive manner so groups from different racial and gender backgrounds can comprehend his lyrics, saying he desired to sound "just as ill as Jadakiss and just as understandable as Will Smith".<ref name=Vh1>VH1 staff (October 12, 2005). Template:Cite web. VH1. Viacom. Retrieved May 16, 2008.</ref> Early in his career, West pioneered a style of hip-hop production dubbed "chipmunk-soul",<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="Cowie, Del">Template:Cite web</ref> a sampling technique involving the manipulation of tempo in order to chop and stretch pitched-up samples from vintage soul songs.<ref name="king">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Ryan">Template:Cite web</ref>

On his debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), West formed the constitutive elements of his style, described as intricate hip-hop beats, topical subject matter, and clumsy rapping laced with inventive wordplay.<ref name="Gates, Henry Louis, et al. 2010 705–713" /><ref name="auto1">Template:Cite news</ref> The record saw West diverge from the then-dominant gangster persona in hip-hop in favor of more diverse, topical lyrical subjects,<ref name=ebony>Davis, Kimberly. "The Many Faces of Kanye West" Template:Webarchive (June 2004) Ebony.</ref> including higher education, materialism, self-consciousness, minimum-wage labor, institutional prejudice, class struggle, family, sexuality, his struggles in the music industry, and middle-class upbringing.<ref name="Love">Love, Josh. Review: The College Dropout Template:Webarchive. Stylus Magazine. Retrieved on July 23, 2009.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news Alt URL Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="Caramanica" /> Over time, West has explored a variety of music genres, encompassing and taking inspiration from chamber pop on his second studio album, Late Registration (2005),<ref name=Pilot /> arena rock and europop on his third album, Graduation (2007),<ref name=Greene>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Loop>Template:Cite web</ref> synth-driven electropop on his fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> acid-house, drill, industrial rap and trap on Yeezus (2013),<ref name="chicagotribune" /><ref name="atlantic">Template:Cite web</ref> gospel and Christian rap on The Life of Pablo (2016), Jesus Is King (2019) and Donda (2021),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="rs-wip">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="rs-detroit">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="ConsequenceReview">Template:Cite web</ref> and psychedelic music on Kids See Ghosts (2018).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other ventures

Fashion

Early in his career, West made clear his interest in fashion and desire to work in the clothing design industry.<ref name="amg" /><ref name="NewYorkTimes" /> He launched his own clothing line in spring 2006,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and developed it over the following four years before the line was ultimately cancelled in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2007, West's first sneaker collaboration was released, a special-edition Bapesta from A Bathing Ape.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, West collaborated with Nike to release his own shoe, the Air Yeezys, becoming the first non-athlete to be given a shoe deal with the company.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2009, he introduced his first shoe line designed for Louis Vuitton during Paris Fashion Week. The line was released in summer 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West has additionally designed shoewear for Italian shoemaker Giuseppe Zanotti.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In fall 2009, West moved to Rome, where he interned at Italian fashion brand Fendi, giving ideas for the men's collection.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2011, West collaborated with M/M Paris for a series of silk scarves featuring artwork from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2011, West premiered his women's fashion label at Paris Fashion Week.<ref name="TIFDb">Kanye West—Spring/Summer 2012 ready-to-wear show—The Internet Fashion Database Retrieved and verified on October 2, 2011</ref> His debut fashion show received mixed-to-negative reviews.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2012, West premiered a second fashion line at Paris Fashion Week.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Critics deemed the sophomore effort "much improved" compared to his first show.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

On December 3, 2013, Adidas officially confirmed a new shoe collaboration deal with West.<ref name="Little">Template:Cite news</ref> After months of anticipation and rumors, West confirmed the release of the Adidas Yeezy Boosts. In 2015, West unveiled a Yeezy clothing line, premiering in collaboration with Adidas early that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June 2016, Adidas announced a new long-term contract with Kanye West that extended the Yeezy line to a number of stores, planning to sell sports performance products like basketball, football, and soccer,<ref name="newcontract">Template:Cite web</ref> although Adidas terminated the partnership with West in October 2022 due to his antisemitic remarks.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> In May 2021, West signed a 10-year deal linking Yeezy with GAP to create Yeezy Gap, however, in September 2022, West announced that he was ending the deal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Business ventures

West founded the record label and production company GOOD Music in 2004, in conjunction with Sony BMG, shortly after releasing his debut album, The College Dropout. West, alongside then-unknown Ohio singer John Legend and fellow Chicago rapper Common were the label's inaugural artists.<ref name=Founded>Template:Cite web</ref> The label houses artists including West, Big Sean, Pusha T, Teyana Taylor, Yasiin Bey / Mos Def, D'banj and John Legend, and producers including Hudson Mohawke, Q-Tip, Travis Scott, No I.D., Jeff Bhasker, and S1. GOOD Music has released ten albums certified gold or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In November 2015, West appointed Pusha T the new president of GOOD Music.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In August 2008, West revealed plans to open 10 Fatburger restaurants in the Chicago area after his company, KW Foods LLC, bought the rights to the chain in Chicago. The first location opened in September 2008 in Orland Park and a second followed in January 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Orland Park location closed in early 2011 due to poor sales performance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In January 2012, West announced his establishment of the creative content company Donda, named after his late mother.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In his announcement, West proclaimed that the company would "pick up where Steve Jobs left off"; Donda would operate as a "design company" with a goal to "make products and experiences that people want and can afford".<ref name="vh1.com">Graham, Mark, Kanye West's Epic 1600-word Twitter Rant: Neatly Organized for your Reading Pleasure, January 5, 2012, 'VH1', retrieved August 4, 2015.</ref> In stating Donda's creative philosophy, West articulated the need to "put creatives in a room together with like minds" in order to "simplify and aesthetically improve everything we see, taste, touch, and feel".<ref name="vh1.com" /> West is notoriously secretive about the company's operations, maintaining neither an official website nor a social media presence.<ref>Hope, Clover, Kanye West has a Dream: Inside his Creative Agency DONDA Template:Webarchive, August 19, 2013, 'VIBE', retrieved August 4, 2015.</ref><ref>Pasori, Cedar, How Kanye West's Creative Company DONDA is making its own Brand of Cool Template:Webarchive, November 3, 2014, 'Complex Magazine', retrieved August 4, 2015.</ref> Contemporary critics have noted the consistent minimalistic aesthetic exhibited throughout Donda creative projects.<ref>Sargent, Jordan, DONDA: Kanye West Goes G.O.O.D. Trill Hunting with His Minimalist Design Company Template:Webarchive, November 13, 2013, 'Spin Magazine', retrieved August 4, 2015.</ref><ref>Babcock, Gregory, Kanye's Stylish Pastor Releases DONDA-Designed Book Template:Webarchive, June 23, 2015, 'Complex Magazine', retrieved August 4, 2015.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

West expressed interest in starting an architecture firm in May 2013, saying "I want to do product, I am a product person, not just clothing but water bottle design, architectureTemplate:Nbsp... I make music but I shouldn't be limited to one place of creativity"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and then later in November 2013, delivering a manifesto on his architectural goals during a visit to Harvard Graduate School of Design.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2018, West announced he was starting an architecture firm called Yeezy Home, which will act as an arm of his already successful Yeezy fashion label.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2018, the first Yeezy Home collaboration was announced by designer Jalil Peraza, teasing an affordable concrete prefabricated home as part of a social housing project.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In March 2015, it was announced that West is a co-owner, with various other music artists, in the music streaming service Tidal. The service specialises in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sixteen artist stakeholders including Jay-Z, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Madonna, Chris Martin, Nicki Minaj co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In October 2022, in response to bans he received on Twitter and Instagram stemming from his antisemitic comments,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> West reached an agreement in principle to acquire the alt-tech social network Parler for an undisclosed amount.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Parler and West mutually agreed to terminate the proposed deal in mid-November.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Philanthropy

West, alongside his mother, founded the Kanye West Foundation in Chicago in 2003, tasked with a mission to battle dropout and illiteracy rates, while partnering with community organizations to provide underprivileged youth access to music education.<ref name="Mission Statement">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007, West and the Foundation partnered with Strong American Schools as part of their "Ed in '08" campaign.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As spokesman for the campaign, West appeared in a series of PSAs for the organization, and hosted an inaugural benefit concert in August of that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2008, following the death of West's mother, the foundation was rechristened The Dr. Donda West Foundation.<ref name="Mission Statement" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The foundation ceased operations in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2013, Kanye West and friend Rhymefest founded Donda's House, Inc., a program aimed at helping at-risk Chicago youth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

West has contributed to hurricane relief in 2005 by participating in a Hurricane Katrina benefit concert after the storm had ravaged black communities in New Orleans<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2012 when he performed at a Hurricane Sandy benefit concert.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2019, West donated $10 million towards the completion of the Roden Crater by American artist James Turrell.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the following protests, he donated $2Template:Nbspmillion between the family of Floyd and other victims of police brutality, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. The donation funded legal fees for Arbery and Taylor's families, as well as establishing a 529 plan to fully cover college tuition for Floyd's daughter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Acting and filmmaking

West made cameo appearances as himself in the films State Property 2 (2005) and The Love Guru (2008),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="MTV Comedy Lover">Template:Cite web</ref> and in an episode of the television show Entourage in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West provided the voice for "Kenny West", a rapper, in the animated sitcom The Cleveland Show (2010–2012).<ref name="MTV Comedy Lover" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, he starred in the Spike Jonze-directed short film We Were Once a Fairytale (2009), playing himself acting belligerently while drunk in a nightclub.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West wrote, directed, and starred in the musical short film Runaway (2010), which heavily features music from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.<ref name="BillboardPremiere" /> The film depicts a relationship between a man, played by West, and a half-woman, half-phoenix creature.<ref name="vulture">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2012, West co-directed another short film, along with Alexandre Moors,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> titled Cruel Summer, which premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in a custom pyramid-shaped screening pavilion featuring seven screens constructed for the film. The film was meant to tie in with the compilation album of the same name to be released later that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West made a cameo appearance in the comedy Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) as a MTV News representative in the film's fight scene.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In September 2018, West announced the starting of a film production company named Half Beast, LLC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A documentary shot over 21 years featuring footage of West's early days in Chicago through the death of his mother to his presidential run was announced to debut in 2021. Titled Jeen-Yuhs, it was acquired by Netflix for $30 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and released in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A documentary shot over six years with a billion-dollar budget was announced in 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Titled In Whose Name?, it was directed by Nico Ballesteros and was released on September 19, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Presidential campaigns

2020

File:Kanye West North Charleston Rally, July 2020.jpg

West at his first campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, on July 19, 2020

On July 4, 2020, West announced on Twitter that he would be running in the 2020 presidential election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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'."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> West also said he no longer supported Trump because he "hid in [a] bunker" during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="France">Template:Cite news</ref> Continuing, he said, "You know? Obama's special. Trump's special. We say Kanye West is special. America needs special people that lead. Bill Clinton? Special. Joe Biden's not special."<ref name="France" />

Various political pundits speculated that West's presidential run was a publicity stunt to promote his latest music releases.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Better source needed On July 15, 2020, official paperwork was filed with the Federal Election Commission for West, under the "BDY" Party affiliation<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> amid claims that he was preparing to drop out.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West held his first rally that weekend, on July 19.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> West aligned himself with the philosophy of a consistent life ethic, a tenet of Christian democracy.<ref name="PCR2020">Template:Cite web</ref> His platform advocated for the creation of a culture of life, endorsing environmental stewardship, supporting the arts, buttressing faith-based organizations, restoring school prayer, providing for a strong national defense, and "America First" diplomacy.<ref name="Kornhaber2020">Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2020, West told Forbes that he is ignorant on issues such as taxes and foreign policy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

West conceded on Twitter on November 4, 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He received 66,365 votes in the 12 states he had ballot access in, receiving an average of 0.32%. Reported write-in votes gave West an additional 3,931 votes across 5 states. In addition, the Roque De La Fuente / Kanye West ticket won 60,160 votes in California (0.34%).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to Reuters, on January 4, 2021, a Kanye West-linked publicist pressured a Georgia election worker to confess to bogus charges of election tampering to assist Trump's claims of election interference.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2021, The Daily Beast reported that West's presidential campaign received millions of dollars in services from a secret network of Republican operatives, payments to which the committee did not report. According to campaign finance experts, this was done to conceal a connection.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2024

West stated his intention to run for president again in the 2024 presidential election, saying at a November 2019 event, "When I run for president in 2024, we would've created so many jobs that I'm not going to run, I'm going to walk." He was met with laughter from the audience.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In response to a request for additional information from the Federal Election Commission regarding the creation of a presidential exploratory committee, West's representatives emphasized that he "has not decided whether to become a candidate for president in the 2024 election" and refused to file additional paperwork with the commission.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West officially launched his presidential campaign in November 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West claimed to have asked former president Donald Trump to be his running mate; according to West, Trump was "caught [...] off-guard" by the request and warned him of losing if he decided to run.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2023, an attorney for West said that he "is not a candidate for office in 2024".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Views

Template:Main West has been an outspoken and controversial celebrity throughout his career, receiving criticism from the mainstream media, industry colleagues and entertainers, and three U.S. presidents.<ref name="amg" /><ref name="NewYorkTimes" /> His conduct has been characterized as trolling or rage-baiting.<ref name="DashTroll" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, Damon Dash said: "[West]'s a person that pulls triggers... It's one publicity stunt after another."<ref name="DashTroll">Template:Cite web</ref> West believes that his bipolar disorder allows him to claim that "anything [he] do[es] and say[s] is an art piece".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:Wikinews In a 2005 speech, West criticized both the media and the government's racial disparities in their response to Hurricane Katrina, stating on live television "George Bush doesn't care about black people".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He apologized for the comment in 2010, saying he "didn't have the grounds to call [Bush] a racist" and later stated in regard to the remark that he "was programmed to think from a victimized mentality".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West voiced his opposition to abortion in 2013, citing his belief in the Sixth Commandment,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and in 2022 deemed abortion "genocide and population control" of black people.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2018, West stated that the 400-year enslavement of Africans "sounds like a choice",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> before elaborating that his comment was in reference to mental enslavement and argued for free thought.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He later apologized for the comment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:Multiple image In late 2022, West made a series of antisemitic statements,<ref name="cnbc" /> resulting in the termination of his collaborations, sponsorships, and partnerships with Vogue, Universal Music Group, CAA, Balenciaga, Gap, and Adidas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Several former associates of West have claimed that he has espoused antisemitic views since the early 2000s, describing it as a "well-known but well-kept secret" within his inner circle.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In November 2022, West was widely condemned after appearing at a dinner hosted by Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago beside Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist.<ref name="cnbc">Template:Cite news</ref> In a subsequent December appearance on Alex Jones's InfoWars, West praised Adolf Hitler, denied the Holocaust,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and identified himself as a Nazi.<ref name="timesofisraelnazi">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="vanityfairnazi">Template:Cite web</ref> After the interview, West used his Twitter account to post a picture of a swastika entangled in a Star of David, and his account was terminated.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2023, Twitter reversed the ban, citing assurances from West that he would not post harmful content.<ref name="Busby 2023 c026">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Al Jazeera 2023 n578">Template:Cite web</ref>

According to a 2023 report published by the Anti-Defamation League, West's antisemitic rhetoric has caused several instances of hate-speech vandalism, harassment, and violence across the United States.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In December 2023, weeks before the slated release of his upcoming album, West apologized for his antisemitic remarks in a written statement on Instagram.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In a subsequent interview, he said "[s]ome of the stuff I was saying was true"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and that Black people cannot be antisemitic because they "are Jew".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 2025, he professed his love for Hitler on Twitter and purchased local advertising during Super Bowl LIX which directed viewers to his website, where he was selling a swastika T-shirt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In May 2025, Rolling Stone wrote that West's social media tirades had turned him into "a cultural and business pariah".<ref name="RS: SuingDentist" /> That month, West renounced antisemitism,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> though some questioned his sincerity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November, West met with the Israeli-Moroccan Orthodox rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto to express remorse. He blamed his antisemitism on his struggles with bipolar disorder, which he said would "take [my ideas] to an extreme where I would forget about the protection of the people around me, or myself", and expressed a desire to take accountability.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal life

West has been one of the wealthiest musical artists; his net worth was as high as $1.8 billion in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2022, Forbes estimated his net worth to have dropped to $400 million in large part due to Adidas's termination of their partnership following a series of public antisemitic statements.<ref name="Voytko">Template:Cite web</ref>

Name change

In August 2021, West applied to court to have his legal name changed from "Kanye Omari West" to "Ye", with no middle or last name;<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> he cited "personal reasons" for the change.<ref name="NameChangeUSAToday">Template:Cite web</ref> The request was granted by Michelle Williams Court, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, in October 2021.<ref name=":3" /> West had alluded to wishing to change his name since 2018 and had used Ye as a nickname for several years prior,<ref name="NameChangeUSAToday" /> stating in a 2018 interview that he believed "ye" (Template:IPAc-en) was the most commonly used word in the Bible:Template:Efn "In the Bible it means 'you'. So, I'm you. I'm us. It's us. It went from being Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye."<ref name="NameChangeIndy">Template:Cite news</ref> He has said that the name Ye represents him without an ego.<ref name="NameChangeUSAToday" /> West began releasing music under the name Ye and made an effort to change his social media handles from @kanyewest to @ye in 2025. HotNewHipHop noted that the public still generally referred to him using his birth name, "[w]hether for SEO reasons, force of habit, animosity, or intentional suppression".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Relationships and family

In April 2025, West said that he and a male cousin had an incestuous relationship as children. The relationship began when they attempted reenacting what they saw in gay pornography magazines that West had discovered in his mother's closet. West said that he performed oral sex on his cousin until he was 14, when he ended the relationship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Kim Kardashian

In April 2012, West began dating reality television star Kim Kardashian, with whom he had already been long-time friends.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West and Kardashian became engaged in October 2013,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and married at Fort di Belvedere in Florence in May 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their private ceremony was subject to widespread mainstream coverage, with which West took issue.<ref>Lee, Christina. "Kanye West Blasts Media Coverage Of Kim Kardashian In Wedding Speech." Template:Webarchive Idolator. May 28, 2014.</ref> The couple's high-profile status and respective careers have resulted in their relationship becoming subject to heavy media coverage; The New York Times referred to their marriage as "a historic blizzard of celebrity".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

West and Kardashian have four children: North West (born June 2013),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Saint West (born December 2015),<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Chicago West (born via surrogate in January 2018),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Psalm West (born via surrogate in May 2019).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2020, during a presidential campaign rally of his, West revealed that he had previously considered abortion during Kardashian's first pregnancy but has since adopted anti-abortion views.<ref name=Henderson>Template:Cite news</ref> In April 2015, West and Kardashian traveled to Jerusalem to have North baptized in the Armenian Apostolic Church at the Cathedral of St. James.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In September 2018, West announced that he would be permanently moving back to Chicago to establish his Yeezy company headquarters there.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This did not actually occur, and West instead went on to purchase two ranches near Cody, Wyoming, where he recorded his eighth solo studio album, Ye. Kardashian resides with their children in a home that the now-divorced couple owns in California,<ref name=Melas>Template:Cite news</ref> whereas West moved into a home across the street to continue to be near their children.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2021, West began the process of selling his Wyoming ranch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In July 2020, West acknowledged the possibility of Kardashian ending their marriage due to his adoption of anti-abortion views. Later that month, West wrote on Twitter that he had been attempting to divorce Kardashian. He also wrote that the Kardashian family was attempting "to lock [him] up".<ref name=Henderson/> In January 2021, CNN reported that the couple were discussing divorce.<ref name=Melas/> A month later, Kardashian filed for divorce,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with the couple citing "irreconcilable differences", agreeing to joint custody of their children, and declining spousal support from each other.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The divorce settlement was finalized in November 2022, and West was ordered to pay $200,000 in monthly child support and be responsible for half of the children's medical, educational, and security expenses.<ref name=finalized>Template:Cite news</ref>

Other relationships

West began an on-and-off relationship with the designer Alexis Phifer in 2002, and they became engaged in August 2006. They ended their 18-month engagement in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Phifer stated that the pair had split amicably and remained friends.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West dated model Amber Rose from 2008 until mid-2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In an interview following their split, West stated that he had to take "30 showers" before committing to his next relationship with Kim Kardashian.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In response, Rose stated that she had been "bullied" and "slut-shamed" by West throughout their relationship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In January 2022, actress Julia Fox confirmed in an Interview essay that she was dating West.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West continued to say that he wanted his "family back" and publicly lashed out at Kardashian's new boyfriend, comedian Pete Davidson.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> His treatment of Davidson and Kardashian has been described by commentators as harassment and abusive; the 64th Annual Grammy Awards dropped him as a performer in response to his "concerning online behavior".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Less than two months after confirming their relationship, Fox said that she and West had split up but remained on good terms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She later said that she dated West purely to "give people something to talk about" during the COVID-19 pandemic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and to "get him off Kim's case".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In January 2023, it was reported that West had informally married Australian architect Bianca Censori, who works for West's Yeezy brand, in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The ceremony had no legal standing; the couple did not file for a marriage license.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In response to West's subsequent trips to Australia to visit Censori's family, Australian Minister for Education Jason Clare commented that West may be denied a visa due to his recent antisemitic remarks. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Anti-Defamation Commission further argued against granting West entry.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In April 2025, West claimed in the song "Bianca" that Censori had left him following his controversial Twitter comments, but shared a photo later that month showing that they were still together.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Legal issues

Template:See also He has been accused of the extensive use of uncleared samples in his music, leading to numerous lawsuits.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In December 2006, Robert "Evel" Knievel sued the rapper for trademark infringement of his name and likeness in West's video for "Touch the Sky". Knievel took issue with the "vulgar and offensive" and "sexually charged video" in which West takes on the persona of "Evel Kanyevel" that Knievel claimed damaged his reputation. The suit sought monetary damages and an injunction to stop distribution of the video.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West's attorneys argued that the music video amounted to satire and therefore was covered under the First Amendment. Days before his death in November 2007, Knievel amicably settled the suit after being paid a visit by West, saying, "I thought he was a wonderful guy and quite a gentleman."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2014, after an altercation with a paparazzo at the Los Angeles Airport, West was sentenced to serve two years' probation for a misdemeanor battery conviction, and was required to attend 24 anger management sessions, perform 250 hours of community service, and pay restitution to the photographer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A separate civil lawsuit brought by the paparazzo was settled in 2015, a week before it was due for trial.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to TMZ, an appeal to have West's conviction expunged from his criminal record was granted by a judge in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 29, 2022, a complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in New York claiming copyright infringement due to unauthorized use of a sample on the song "Flowers". The complaint claims that West sampled Marshall Jefferson's 1986 house track "Move Your Body" without gaining permission or providing compensation.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In July 2022, West was sued for $416,000 by the fashion rental company the David Casavant Archive. The lawsuit claimed that West had failed to make payments on and return 13 rented pieces.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

West was sued three times in 2024. The first lawsuit, filed by a former security guard in April, accused him of racial discrimination, alleging he treated black employees worse than white ones.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The second, filed by a former assistant in June, accused him of wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and breach of contract;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the accuser amended the lawsuit to include sexual assault later that year, and to include stalking, sexual battery, sex trafficking, and false imprisonment in July 2025.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> West denied the allegations in the second lawsuit and said he planned to countersue the accuser for "sexual coercion".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The third, filed by a former model in November, accused him of sexual assault and strangulation. The accuser said that during a music video set, West choked and gagged her.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Religious beliefs

After the success of his song "Jesus Walks" from the album The College Dropout, West was asked about his beliefs and said, "I will say that I'm spiritual. I have accepted Jesus as my Savior. And I will say that I fall short every day."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a 2008 interview with The Fader, West stated that "I'm like a vessel, and God has chosen me to be the voice and the connector".<ref name="vulturejesus">Template:Cite web</ref> In a 2009 interview with online magazine Bossip, West stated that he believed in God, but at the time felt that he "would never go into a religion".<ref name="bossip">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2014, West referred to himself as a Christian during one of his concerts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kim Kardashian stated in September 2019: "He has had an amazing evolution of being born again and being saved by Christ."<ref name="Conner2019">Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2019, West said with respect to his past, "When I was trying to serve multiple gods it drove me crazy" in reference to the "god of ego, god of money, god of pride, the god of fame",<ref name="Gibson2019">Template:Cite web</ref> and that "I didn't even know what it meant to be saved" and that now "I love Jesus Christ. I love Christianity."<ref name="Schaffstall" />

Politics

Template:See also In September 2012, West donated $1,000 to Barack Obama's re-election campaign; further, in August 2015, West donated $2,700 to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. He also donated $15,000 to the Democratic National Committee in October 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2016, West met with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> West subsequently stated he would have voted for Trump had he voted.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 2017, however, West deleted all his tweets about Trump in purported dislike of the new president's policies, particularly the travel ban.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> West reiterated his support for Donald Trump in April 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2018, West donated to progressive Chicago mayoral candidate Amara Enyia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On June 29, 2024, West traveled to Moscow, Russia, to celebrate the 40th birthday of the Russian fashion designer Gosha Rubchinskiy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> For this, the Ukrainian politician George Tuka labeled West an "enemy of Ukraine"; he traveled during the war between Russia and Ukraine, and Tuka said the money West spent on his trip would fund "the murder of civilians of Ukraine".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Mental health

On November 19, 2016, West abruptly ended a concert<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> before being committed at the recommendation of authorities to the UCLA Medical Center with hallucinations and paranoia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While the episode was first described as one of "temporary psychosis" caused by dehydration and sleep deprivation, West's mental state was abnormal enough for his 21 cancelled concerts to be covered by his insurance policy.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He was reportedly paranoid and depressed throughout the hospitalization,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but remained formally undiagnosed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Some have speculated that the Paris robbery of his wife may have triggered the paranoia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 30, West was released from the hospital.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In his song "FML" and his featured verse on Vic Mensa's song "U Mad", he refers to using the antidepressant medication Lexapro, and in his unreleased song "I Feel Like That", he mentions feeling many common symptoms of depression and anxiety.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a 2018 interview, West said that he had become addicted to opioids when they were prescribed to him after liposuction. The addiction may have contributed to his nervous breakdown in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition to his opioid addiction,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West has stated that he has had addictions to alcohol,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> sex,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and pornography.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> West said that he often has suicidal ideation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> though his diagnosis was not made public until his 2018 album Ye.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He told President Donald Trump that it was a misdiagnosis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He had reportedly accepted the diagnosis again by 2019,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but again suggested that it had been a misdiagnosis in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> However, in 2025, he attributed his then-recent antisemitic remarks to it.<ref name=":4" /> In December 2022, he suggested that he may be autistic,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and later said in February 2025 that he had received a professional diagnosis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In August 2024, West's former Chief of Staff Milo Yiannopoulos stated in an affidavit filed to the California Dental Board that West was addicted to nitrous oxide.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He alleged that dentist Thomas Connelly, who installed titanium prosthodontics for West in January 2024, had moved into West's apartment building and was charging him $50,000 a month to supply the drugs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2025, West and Censori sued Connelly for "medical malpractice, professional negligence, and related tortious and contractual violations". Their lawyer, Andrew Cherkasky, said that West "experienced increased confusion, mood instability, anxiety, and depression" as a result of Connelly's alleged role in facilitating the addiction.<ref name="RS: SuingDentist">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Musical influence

West is among the most critically acclaimed popular music artists of the 21st century, earning praise from music critics, industry peers, and cultural figures.<ref name="The Perfectionism of Kanye West">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="The enigma of Kanye West—and how the world's biggest pop star ended up being its most reviled, too">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2014, NME named him the third most influential artist in music.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Billboard senior editor Alex Gale declared West "absolutely one of the best, and you could make the argument for the best artist of the 21st century."<ref name="Ryan" /> Sharing similar sentiments, Dave Bry of Complex Magazine called West the twenty-first century's "most important artist of any art form, of any genre."<ref name="complex">Template:Cite web</ref> The Atlantic writer David Samuels commented, "Kanye's power resides in his wild creativity and expressiveness, his mastery of form, and his deep and uncompromising attachment to a self-made aesthetic that he expresses through means that are entirely of the moment: rap music, digital downloads, fashion, Twitter, blogs, live streaming video."<ref name="theatlantic">Template:Cite web</ref> Joe Muggs of The Guardian argued that "there is nobody else who can sell as many records as West does [...] while remaining so resolutely experimental and capable of stirring things up culturally and politically."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Rolling Stone credited West with transforming hip-hop's mainstream, "establishing a style of introspective yet glossy rap" while deeming him "a producer who created a signature sound and then abandoned it to his imitators, a flashy, free-spending sybarite with insightful things to say about college, culture, and economics, an egomaniac with more than enough artistic firepower to back it up."<ref name="RSguide">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Writing for Highsnobiety, Shahzaib Hussain stated that West's first three albums "cemented his role as a progressive rap progenitor".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier described West as "[shattering] certain stereotypes about rappers, becoming a superstar on his own terms without adapting his appearance, his rhetoric, or his music to fit any one musical mold".<ref name="amg" /> Lawrence Burney of Noisey has credited West with the commercial decline of the gangsta rap genre that once dominated mainstream hip-hop.<ref name="Burney">Template:Cite news</ref> The release of his third studio album Graduation has been described as a turning point in the music industry,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is considered to have helped pave the way for new rappers who did not follow the hardcore-gangster mold to find wider mainstream acceptance.<ref name="Lamarre">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Theisen, Adam">Template:Cite news</ref>

Hip-hop artists like Drake,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nicki Minaj,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Travis Scott,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Playboi Carti,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lil Uzi Vert,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Chance the Rapper<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> have acknowledged being influenced by West. Several other artists and music groups of various genres have named West as an influence on their work.Template:Refn

Achievements

West is the fourth-highest certified artist in the U.S. by digital singles (69 million).<ref name="Top Artists (Digital Singles)">Template:Cite web</ref> He had the most RIAA digital song certifications by a male artist in the 2000s (19),<ref name="RIAA Tallies The Decade's Top Gold & Platinum Award Winners">Template:Cite web</ref> and was the fourth best-selling digital songs artist of the 2000s in the U.S.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Spotify's first ten years from 2008 to 2018, West was the sixth most streamed artist, and the fourth fastest artist to reach one billion streams.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West has the joint-most consecutive studio album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 (9)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was the first rapper to top the Billboard Hot 100 in three distinct decades (2000s, 2010s, 2020s).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He ranked third on BillboardTemplate:'s 2000s decade-end list of top producers<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and has topped the annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll the joint-most times (four albums) with Bob Dylan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

West has been nominated for 75 Grammys, of which he has won 24.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He has been the most nominated act at five ceremonies,<ref>Template:Cite news
Template:Cite news
Template:Cite news
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Template:Cite news</ref> and has received the fourth-most wins overall in the 2000s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2008, West became the first solo artist to have his first three albums receive nominations for Album of the Year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> West has won a Webby Award for Artist of the Year,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an Accessories Council Excellence Award for being a stylemaker,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> International Man of the Year at the GQ Awards,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a Clio Award for The Life of Pablo Album Experience,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and an honour by The Recording Academy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> West is one of eight acts to have won the Billboard Artist Achievement Award.<ref>Template:Cite web
Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2015, he became the third rap act to win the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

West's first six solo studio albums were included on Rolling StoneTemplate:'s 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<ref name="Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2020 edition">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Entertainment Weekly named The College Dropout the best album of the 2000s,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Complex named Graduation the best album released between 2002 and 2012,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 808s & Heartbreak was named by Rolling Stone as one of the 40 most groundbreaking albums of all time,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The A.V. Club named My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy the best album of the 2010s,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Yeezus was the most critically acclaimed album of 2013 according to Metacritic,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and The Life of Pablo was the first album to top the Billboard 200, go platinum in the U.S., and go gold in the UK via streaming alone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Discography

Solo studio albums Template:Div col

• 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)
• Ye (2018)
• Jesus Is King (2019)
• Donda (2021)
• Donda 2 (2022)
• Bully (2025)
• In a Perfect World (TBA)

Collaborative studio albums

• Watch the Throne (2011) (with Jay-Z)
• Kids See Ghosts (2018) (with Kid Cudi, as Kids See Ghosts)
• Vultures 1 (2024) (with Ty Dolla Sign, as ¥$)
• Vultures 2 (2024) (with Ty Dolla Sign, as ¥$)

Compilation albums

• Cruel Summer (2012) (with GOOD Music)

Visual albums

• Bully V1 (2025)

Videography

• The College Dropout Video Anthology (2004)
• Late Orchestration (2006)
• VH1 Storytellers (2010)
• Runaway (2010)
• Jesus Is King (2019)
• Jeen-Yuhs (2022)
• Bully V1 (2025)
• In Whose Name? (2025)

Tours

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Headlining tours

• School Spirit Tour (2004)
• Touch the Sky Tour (2005–2006)
• Glow in the Dark Tour (2008)
• Watch the Throne Tour (with Jay-Z) (2011–2012)
• The Yeezus Tour (2013–2014)
• Saint Pablo Tour (2016)

Template:Col-2 Supporting tours

• Truth Tour (with Usher) (2004)
• Vertigo Tour (with U2) (2005–2006)
• A Bigger Bang (with The Rolling Stones) (2006)

Books

• Thank You and You're Welcome (2009)
• Through the Wire: Lyrics & Illuminations (2009)
• Glow in the Dark (2009)

See also

• Black conservatism in the United States
• List of people with bipolar disorder
• List of Christian hip-hop artists

Further reading

• Kanye in Oxford: The #YeezOx highlights. Retrieved April 27, 2015.

External links

• Template:Twitter
• Template:AllMusic
• Template:IMDb name
• Template:Discogs artist
• Template:C-SPAN