Kanye West Biography
Kanye West is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, fashion designer. West is among the most critically acclaimed musicians of the 21st century. His music has spanned a broad range of styles, incorporating an eclectic range of influences including hip hop, soul, baroque pop, electro, indie rock, synth-pop, industrial, and gospel.
Kanye West Early life
Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia. After his parents divorced when he was three years old he moved with his mother to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, is a former Black Panther and was one of the first black photojournalists at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ray West was later a Christian counselor, and in 2006, he opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland with startup capital from his son.
West’s mother, Dr. Donda C. (Williams) West, was a professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University, before retiring to serve as his manager. West was raised in a middle-class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois, after living in Chicago.
At the age of 10, West moved with his mother to Nanjing, China, where she was teaching at Nanjing University as part of an exchange program. According to his mother, West was the only foreigner in his class, but settled in well and quickly picked up the language, although he has since forgotten most of it.
When asked about his grades in high school, West replied, “I got A’s and B’s. And I’m not even frontin’.” West demonstrated an affinity for the arts at an early age; he began writing poetry when he was five years old. His mother recalled that she first took notice of West’s passion for drawing and music when he was in the third grade.
West started rapping in the third grade and began making musical compositions in the seventh grade, eventually selling them to other artists. At age thirteen, West wrote a rap song called “Green Eggs and Ham” and persuaded his mother to pay for time in a recording studio. Accompanying him to the studio and despite discovering it being “a little basement studio” where a microphone hung from the ceiling by a wire clothes hanger, West’s mother nonetheless supported and encouraged him.
West crossed paths with producer/DJ No I.D., with whom he quickly formed a close friendship. No I.D. soon became West’s mentor, and it was from him that West learned how to sample and program beats after he received his first sampler at age 15.
Kanye West Education
Kanye West attended Polaris High School After graduating from high school, West received a scholarship to attend Chicago’s American Academy of Art in 1997 and began taking painting classes, but shortly after transferred to Chicago State University to study English. He soon realized that his busy class schedule was detrimental to his musical work, and at 20 he dropped out of college to pursue his musical dreams.
Kanye West Music Career
2017–present: Ye, Jesus Is King and further collaborations
It was reported in May 2017 that West was recording new music in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with a wide range of collaborators. In April 2018, West announced plans to write a philosophy book entitled Break the Simulation, later clarifying that he was sharing the book “in real-time” on Twitter and began posting content that was likened to “life coaching”.
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. Additionally, he revealed he would produce upcoming albums by GOOD Music label-mates Pusha T and Teyana Taylor, as well as Nas.
Shortly thereafter, West released the non-album singles “Lift Yourself”, a “strange, gibberish track” featuring nonsensical lyrics, and “Ye vs. the People”, in which he and T.I. discussed West’s controversial support of Donald Trump. 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.
The following week, West released his album, Ye. West has suggested that he scrapped the original recordings of the album and re-recorded it within a month. 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 Nasir and K.T.S.E., which were released the following two Fridays.
In August 2018, West released the non-album single “XTCY” which was originally slated to be included in Ye. On September 7, 2018, West released a collaboration with American rapper Lil Pump titled “I Love It”. On September 9, 2018, West announced via Twitter that Watch the Throne 2 would be coming soon.
Later that month, West also announced his ninth studio album Yandhi to be released by the end of the month and a collaborative album with Chicagoan rapper Chance the Rapper titled Good Ass Job. West also announced in September that he would be changing his stage name to “Ye”. Yandhi was originally set for release on September 29, 2018, but was postponed to November 23, 2018.
West later postponed the album again in November 2018 with no new release date set. Later in 2018, West began collaborating with other new acts besides Lil Pump. West appeared as a guest feature on the tracks “Kanga” and “Mama” with Nicki Minaj on American rapper 6ix9ine’s debut album Dummy Boy. West is also the sole feature of XXXTentacion’s first posthumous album Skins.
6ix9ine and XXXTentacion were both slated to be included in Yandhi. In January 2019, West pulled out of headlining the years Coachella festival, after negotiations broke down due to discord regarding stage design. On January 6, 2019, West started his weekly “Sunday Service” orchestration which includes soul variations of both West’s and others’ songs attended by multiple celebrities including the Kardashians, Charlie Wilson, and Kid Cudi.
West previewed a new song, “Water” at his “Sunday Service” orchestration performance at weekend 2 of Coachella. On October 25, 2019, he released Jesus Is King, a Christian hip hop album. On the US charts, the album 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.
He also collaborated with Vanessa Beecroft on two operas, Nebuchadnezzar and Mary. On December 25, 2019, Kanye released a sort of a prequel album to Jesus Is King called Jesus Is Born on Jesus’ “birthday” and this is also part of his gospel Sunday Service. It has 19 songs, of which includes a cover of West’s own song “Ultralight Beam”.
Kanye West Age
Kanye West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. He is 42 years old as of 2019. He celebrates his birthday on June 8, every year.
Kanye West Family
Kanye West was born in Atlanta, Georgia to Donda West and Ray West. His grandparents are Portwood Williams and Lucille E. Williams. His aunt is Shirlie Scoggins Sullivan who is Donda West’s sister and his uncle is Portwood Williams Jr and he is the brother to Donda West’s.
Kanye West Wife
Kanye West is married to Kim Kardashian who is an American media personality, businesswoman, model, socialite, and actress. Kardashian first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton in 2014.
Kanye West Children
He has four children named North West, Saint West, Psalm West, and Chicago West.
Kanye West Body Measurements
Height: 5 feet 8 inches (173 centimeters)
Weight: 75 kg (163 pounds)
Shoe Size: 7(US)
Body Shape: 42-16-32 inches
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Kanye West Salary
He is the highest-paid rapper by his one-time protégé. Whereby he receives a salary of $150 million dollars annually.
Kanye West Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $1 Billion USD. West has made an estimated $150 million in 2019 almost double Jay-Z’s $81 million, according to Forbes.
Kanye West Acting and filmmaking
West made cameo appearances as himself in the films State Property 2 (2005) and The Love Guru (2008), and in an episode of the television show Entourage in 2007. West provided the voice for “Kenny West”, a rapper, in the animated sitcom The Cleveland Show. 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.
West wrote, directed, and starred in the musical short film Runaway (2010), which heavily features music from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The film depicts a relationship between a man, played by West, and a half-woman, half-phoenix creature. In 2012, West wrote and directed another short film, titled Cruel Summer, which premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in custom pyramid-shaped screening pavilion featuring seven screens constructed for the film.
The film was inspired by the compilation album of the same name. West made a cameo appearance in the comedy Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) as an MTV News representative in the film’s fight scene. In September 2018, West announced starting of a film production company named Half Beast, LLC.
Kanye West Religious beliefs
After the success of his song “Jesus Walks” from the album The College Dropout, West was questioned on 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.” 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.” 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.”
In 2014, West referred to himself as a Christian during one of his concerts. In January 2019, West re-affirmed his Christian faith on Twitter. His wife Kim Kardashian described West’s Christian new birth experience in September 2019: “Kanye started this to really heal himself and it was a really personal thing, and it was just friends and family…He has had an amazing evolution of being born again and being saved by Christ.”
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”, and that “I didn’t even know what it meant to be saved” and that now “I love Jesus Christ.
I love Christianity”. During a surprise appearance at Jimmy Kimmel Live! to discuss his album Jesus Is King, West was asked by Kimmel if he would consider himself to be a Christian music artist now that he had committed himself fully to Christianity, and he replied, “I’m just a Christian everything”.
Kanye West Mental health
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 song “I Feel Like That”, which has not been officially released, he mentions feeling many common symptoms of depression and anxiety. These songs had all been recorded during West’s recording sessions for The Life of Pablo.
On November 20, 2016, soon before abruptly ending a concert prematurely, he said, “Jay-Z—call me, bruh. You still ain’t called me … Jay-Z, I know you got killers. Please don’t send them to my head. Just call me. Talk to me like a man.” The following day, he was committed to the UCLA Medical Center with hallucinations and paranoia.
Contrary to early reports, however, West was not actually taken to the hospital involuntarily; he was persuaded to do so by authorities. 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 canceled concerts to be covered by his insurance policy; he was reportedly paranoid and depressed throughout the hospitalization but remains formally undiagnosed.
Some have speculated that the Paris robbery of his wife may have triggered the paranoia. On November 30, West was released from the hospital. In an interview in 2018, West declared that he became addicted to opioids when they were prescribed to him after he got liposuction. The addiction may have contributed to his nervous breakdown in 2016. West said he often has suicidal ideation. In a 2019 interview with David Letterman, West stated he has bipolar disorder.
Kanye West Politics
In September 2015, West announced that he intended to run for President of the United States in 2020. He later implied on Twitter that he intends to run for President in 2024 due to Donald Trump’s win in the 2016 elections. West later confirmed this in an interview in September 2018, saying that his main political concern is health care in the United States. On December 13, 2016, West met with President-elect Trump.
According to West, “I wanted to meet with Trump today to discuss multicultural issues. These issues included bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago. I feel it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change.” West previously stated he would have voted for Trump had he voted.
In February 2017, however, West deleted all of his tweets about Trump in purported dislike of the new president’s policies, particularly the travel ban. West reassured his support for Donald Trump in April 2018 in a text to Ebro Darden where he said “I love Donald Trump… I love Donald Trump.” West also posted a picture wearing a Make America Great Again hat alongside a series of tweets defending President Trump.
Trump later retweeted several of West’s tweets. Following his return to Twitter in April 2018, West tweeted “I love the way Candace Owens thinks.” Owens, who promotes black conservatism, praised President Trump as the savior of the Free World and criticized the Black Lives Matter movement. The tweet was met with controversy among some of West’s fans.
In May 2018, West said in an interview with radio host Charlamagne tha God that he had been asked by a friend “What makes George Bush any more racist than Trump?” possibly alluding to his previous controversial condemnation of Bush as not caring about black people. West said “racism isn’t the deal-breaker for me. If that was the case, I wouldn’t live in America.”
During an interview with Fader in September 2018, West said he was visiting Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel to possibly start a school building project. On October 11, 2018, West visited the Oval Office for a meeting with President Trump to discuss a range of issues. He and several other musicians watched Trump sign the Music Modernization Act.
His support for Trump led to the creation of a “Donye” parody by famous artist Lushsux who painted Kanye with Trump’s hair. Later in October 2018, West and his wife visited the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, a noted Trump supporter, and said they held “fruitful discussions” about promoting tourism and the arts. The same month, West donated $73,540 to progressive Chicago mayoral candidate Amara Enyia.
The donation was the exact amount Enyia needed to pay a fine she received for not filing campaign finance reports during her abbreviated 2015 mayoral run. On October 26, President Trump praised West during his speech at the Young Black Leadership Summit, adding “I think Kanye may be the most powerful man in all of politics”, referring to a story on West’s effect on African-Americans.
In October 2018, West was reported to have given his support to the Blexit movement, a campaign by Owens to encourage black Americans to abandon the Democratic Party and register as Republicans. Media reports suggested West had advised on the design of the campaign’s logo and branded merchandise, including T-shirts. However, West denied being the designer and disavowed the effort, tweeting “My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in.
I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!!” In January 2019, West re-affirmed his support for President Trump. In the same year, he expressed his opposition to abortion and condemned those who wish to remove religion from the public square.
Kanye West 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. In 2007, the West and the Foundation partnered with Strong American Schools as part of their “Ed in ’08” campaign.
The 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. In 2008, following the death of West’s mother, the foundation was rechristened “The Dr. Donda West Foundation.” The foundation ceased operations in 2011. Kanye West and friend, Rhymefest, also founded “Donda’s House, Inc”.
Got Bars are the Donda’s House signature music/lyric composition and performance program. Participants are selected through an application and audition process. Got Bars is a free music writing program with the goal of helping at-risk Chicago youth. It is aimed at students between 15 and 24 and includes lessons on how to write and record music.
Their curriculum is based on the teaching philosophy and pedagogy of Dr. Donda West with a focus on collaborative and experiential learning. West has additionally appeared and participated in many fundraisers, benefit concerts, and has done community work for Hurricane Katrina relief, the Kanye West Foundation, the Millions More Movement,
100 Black Men of America, a Live Earth concert benefit, World Water Day rally and march, Nike runs, a Hurricane Sandy benefit concert, and an MTV special helping young Iraq War veterans who struggle through debt and PTSD a second chance after returning home. In January 2019, West donated $10 million towards the completion of the Roden Crater by American artist James Turrell.
Kim and Kanye Quiz
Kanye West Movies
Jesus Is King (film) 2019
Runaway 2010
The College Dropout Video Anthology 2005
We Were Once a Fairytale 2009
Kanye West we are together 2006
Cruel Summer (film) 2012
Kanye west the black mamba 2011
Daft Punk: Unchained 2015
The Brotherly Love Table Read 2010
Honor Up 2018
Kanye West Songs
I Love It I Love It · 2018
Stronger Late Registration · 2005
Follow God Jesus is King · 2019
Ni**as In Paris Watch the Throne · 2011
Flashing Lights Graduation · 2007
Closed On Sunday Jesus is King · 2019
All of the Lights My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy · 2010
Runaway My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy · 2010
Fade · 2016
Heartless 808s & Heartbreak · 2008
Mercy Cruel Summer · 2012
Forever · 2009
FourFiveSeconds Anti · 2016
No Church in the Wild Watch the Throne · 2011
Power My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy · 2010
Famous The Life of Pablo · 2016
Can’t Tell Me, Nothing Show, What U Got, Vol. 1 (Mixtapes and Parties) · 2015
Black Skinhead Yeezus · 2013
Run This Town The Blueprint 3 · 2009
Love Lockdown
808s & Heartbreak · 2008
Wolves The Life of Pablo · 2016
Otis Watch the Throne · 2011
Good Morning Graduation · 2007
Homecoming Graduation · 2007
Bound 2 Yeezus · 2013
Devil in a New Dress
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy · 2010
Ultralight Beam The Life of Pablo · 2016
God Is Jesus is King · 2019
Good Life Graduation · 2007
Everything We Need Jesus is King · 2019
Don’t Like.1 Once Upon a Time in 2012 · 2012
All Mine Ye · 2018
Kanye West Awards
He has won a total of 21 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all time. Among West’s other awards include the Chicago Chapter’s Recording Academy Honor, the Billboard Artist Achievement Award, a joint-record three Brit Awards for Best International Male Solo Artist and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.
Three of his albums have been included and ranked on Rolling Stone’s 2012 update of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list and he is tied-holder for the most albums topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll with four. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015.
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album 2012, 2008, 2006, … · My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Graduation, Late Registration, …
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song 2013, 2012, 2010, … · Ni**as In Paris, All of the Lights [Explicit], Run This Town
MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award 2015
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance 2013, 2012 · Niggas in Paris, Otis
Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance 2013, 2012, 2010, … · No Church in the Wild, All of the Lights [Explicit], Run This Town, …
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song 2005 · You Don’t Know My Name
MTV Video Music Award for Best Collaboration 2011 · E.T.
MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography 2017 · Fade
MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video 2005 · Jesus Walks
MTV Europe Music Award for Best Hip-Hop 2006
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group 2009, 2008 · Swagga Like Us, Southside
MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects
2011, 2008 · E.T., Good Life
MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Message 2015 · One Man Can Change the World
BET Award for Best Collaboration 2008, 2006 · Good Life, Gold Digger
BET Hip Hop Award for Best Hip Hop Video
2008, 2007 · Good Life, Stronger [Explicit]
BET Award for Video of the Year 2012, 2006, 2005 · Otis, Gold Digger, Jesus Walks
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
2008, 2006 · Stronger [Explicit], Gold Digger
BET Award for Best New Artist 2004
BET Hip Hop Award for Best Collabo, Duo or Group
2015, 2012 · Blessings, Mercy
American Music Award for Favorite Album Rap/Hip-Hop
2008 · Graduation
American Music Award for Favorite Artist Rap/Hip-Hop 2008
Billboard Music Award for Top Rap Artist 2004
BET Hip Hop Award for Best Hot Ticket Performer
2014, 2008, 2007
BET Hip Hop Award for People’s Champ
2015 · Blessings
BET Hip Hop Award for Best Single of the Year
2012 · Ni**as In Paris
Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist
2009, 2008, 2006
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist 2005
NME Award for Best Solo Artist 2006
BET Hip Hop Award for Made You Look Award
2016, 2012, 2009
BET Hip Hop Award for Best Producer of the Year
2012, 2009
Soul Train Music Award for Best Dance Performance 2016 · Fade
Soul Train Music Award for Best Collaboration 2009 · Knock You Down
Teen Choice Award for Choice Hip-Hop/Rap Artist 2009
Soul Train Music Award for Rhythm & Bars Award 2012 ·Mercy
NME Award for Villain of the Year 2010
BET Award for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist 2011, 2008, 2005
BET Hip Hop Award for CD of the Year 2011 · My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Soul Train Music Award for Best Video of the Year 2006 · Gold Digger
MTV Europe Music Award for Best Urban 2008
People’s Choice Award for Favorite Song 2012 · E.T.
Glamour Award for Man of The Year 2009
People’s Choice Award for Favorite Combined Forces 2010 · Run This Town
Billboard Music Artist Achievement Award 2005
The BET Honors Entrepreneur Award 2015
Billboard Music Award for R&B/Hip-Hop Producer of the Year 2004
Billboard Music Award for Male New Artist of the Year
2004
World Music Award for World’s Best Selling Hip Hop/Rap Artist 2006
World Music Award for World’s Best Selling New Male Artist 2004
Billboard Music Award for New R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year 2004
Frequently Asked Questions About Kanye West
Who is Kanye West?
He is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, fashion designer.
How old is Kanye West?
He is 42 years old as of 2019
How tall is Kanye West?
He stands at a height of 5′ 8″
Is Kanye West married?
Yes, he is married and he is married to Kim Kardashian.
How much is Kanye West worth?
He has an estimated net worth of $1 Billion USD
How much does Kanye West make?
He makes an admirable income of $150 million dollars.
Where does Kanye West live?
Is Kanye West dead or alive?
He is still alive and in good health.