From Sketching & Poetry to One of the Most Influential Musicians

Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, composer, record producer, and a businessman. He is considered as one of his generation’s greatest musicians as well as one of the most influential hip-hop artists and producers. Alongside more than 160 million albums sold worldwide, Kanye West is one of the best-selling musicians ever. He has garnered 22 Grammy Awards and 75 nominations, which ranks him with Jay-Z for the joint-tenth-most Grammy Awards ever. In 2005 and 2015, Time included him in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world. As of 2022, Forbes assessed his net worth to be $400 million, placing him among the world’s wealthiest musicians. West also started an independent presidential campaign in 2020 which was unsuccessful.

Quick Facts:

• Name: Kanye Omari West (Now “Ye”)

• Nationality: Chicago, USA

• Net Worth: USD 500 million

• Education: Polaris School for Individual Education, Oak Lawn, Illinois.

• Occupation: Rapper, Singer, songwriter, record producer, fashion designer

• Date of Birth: June 8, 1977

• Age: 45

• Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia, U.S

• Marital Status: Married: 2014, Div. - 2022

• Spouse’s Name: Kim Kardashian

• Children: 4 (North West, Psalm West, Chicago West, Saint West)

Kanye West was born to English professor Donda West(mother) and former Black Panther and prominent photojournalist Ray West(father) on June 8th, 1977. He and his mother moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Chicago, Illinois when his parents split, he was just 3 years old. Early on, West had a passion for the arts. He started writing poetry and sketching when he was 5 years old. He started rapping while he was in third grade, and by the time he was in middle school, he was writing and composing his own music.

When he was 14 years old, he eventually met his mentor, the DJ and producer No I.D., at a nearby radio station. Kanye was mentored by No I.D. who showed him the ropes in terms of making beats and experimenting with hip-hop productions. West became acquainted with Jay Z, another upcoming rapper, and the two frequently performed freestyles together.

At some point, Kanye began making beats for other musicians in the Chicago region, and he also founded a rap group called the Go-Getters. In 1999, the group released their debut and sole album. While driving home in 2002, he met with a bad car accident. He almost died, sustaining very bad injuries. He kept creating music while staying in the hospital for recovery, using an electronic drum kit and other tools. He worked as a song producer for Jay-Z and other celebrities before releasing his own music. More than half of the songs on Jay-”The Z’s Z’s Blueprint” album were produced by Kanye West.

After dropping out of Chicago State University, Kanye’s album was named aptly on the same, “The College Dropout,” In terms of sales and critical acclaim, the album was a big hit. In the US, it eventually sold more than 4 million copies. The Recording Industry Association of America certified it as platinum four times in addition (RIAA). In 2005, Kanye released his second album, Late Registration, which was likewise a great hit. His third studio album, Graduation, was released by Kanye in 2007. The album, which once again debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, was an enormous hit. 808s & Heartbreak, Kanye’s fourth studio album, was released in 2008. Even though it didn’t have the same commercial success as his other albums, it nevertheless got good reviews from reviewers. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye’s fifth studio album, was released in 2010 to positive reviews. It too debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, and music critics gave it one of the greatest ratings of all time. Yeezus, his sixth studio album, was released in 2013 and got favourable remarks from music reviewers. In the US, it had sales of over two million copies. 2016 saw the release of The Life of Pablo, the seventh studio album.

Business Career

In January 2007, West’s first sneaker collaboration, a limitededition Bapesta from A Bathing Ape, was released. In contrast to later co-branded releases, West designed an altogether unique style from the ground up. The design featured the “Dropout Bear” mascot from The College Dropout on the heel, as well as the brown, orange, and tan colour scheme shown on the album’s cover. West teamed with Nike to develop his own shoe, the Air Yeezys, in 2009, with a second edition following in 2012. He was the first non-athlete to be handed a Nike shoe contract. During Paris Fashion Week in January 2009, he debuted his first shoe line designed for Louis Vuitton. The collection was introduced in the summer of 2009. West has also created footwear for Italian shoemaker Giuseppe Zanotti. In the fall of 2009, West relocated to Rome and interned at the Italian design house Fendi, where he contributed concepts for the men’s collection. West partnered with M/M Paris in March 2011 on a set of silk scarves using artwork from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

In 2004, he also started the production firm and record label “GOOD Music.” Since then, the label has signed musicians like John Legend, Big Sean, Pusha T, Kid Cudi, and Mos Def. In 2003, Kanye West and his mother founded the “Kanye West Foundation,” which is now known as the Dr. Donda West Foundation. It aims to give kids in low-income neighbourhoods access to arts and music education. He also established “Got Bars” in 2013, a free musicwriting programme that aids young people in Chicago’s high-risk neighbourhoods in learning how to compose, record, and produce their own songs.

Personal Life

West and Kim Kardashian, reality television star, had been friends for a long time before they started dating in April 2012. In October 2013, Kardashian and West announced their engagement. Their wedding took place at Fort di Belvedere in Florence on May 24, 2014. Together, they have four children.

West and Kardashian both cited “irreconcilable differences” in April and consented to joint custody of their four kids. In 2021, West made it clear that he preferred marriage to divorce on a number of occasions. On March 2, 2020, Kardashian was formally pronounced unmarried.