Ye (born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia), profession… Read Full Bio ↴Ye (born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia), professionally known as Kanye West, is a Grammy award-winning American rapper, producer, singer, author, director, performance artist and fashion designer.

West began making beats and rapping in the early 90s in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois, when he formed the rap group Go Getters with Chicago natives GLC and Really Doe. He later gained nationwide popularity through his work in New York, where he began producing tracks for artists such as Jay-Z, Twista, Mase, Talib Kweli and Alicia Keys.

West's style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his drums and instruments. The first major label song he produced was The Truth by Beanie Sigel, and his first major release featuring his trademark vocal sampling style was This Can’t Be Life, a track from Jay-Z’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dre’s Xxplosive to use as a replacement for his drums on This Can’t Be Life.

West has said that Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA influenced him in his style, and has said on numerous occasions that Wu-Tang rappers Ghostface Killah and Ol’ Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said Kanye West: “Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time… We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that.”

In 2004 (after being pushed aside by many record companies who felt he wasn't a marketable hip-hop artist), he managed to release his debut solo album, The College Dropout on Roc-A-Fella Records. The album received critical acclaim, including 10 Grammy nominations and the awards for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album, as well as defining the style for which West would become known: "wordplay" and heavy sampling of the 70s soul and RnB tracks.

Not content to rest on his laurels, West invested two million dollars and hired a string orchestra to help with his latest effort, Late Registration (2005). West collaborated with Jon Brion to help develop the sound of the album, despite his lack of experience in hip hop production. The album received widespread acclaim like its predecessor and again claimed the Best Rap Album award at the Grammys.

West was no stranger to controversy, such as storming out at the 2004 American Music Awards after not receiving Best New Artist, but just days after the release of his second studio album, West began embroiled in a major controversy after going off-script during Hurricane Katrina broadcast, proclaiming "George Bush doesn't care about black people", which Bush claimed was "one the most disgusting moments of my presidency". In January 2006, West posed on the cover of Rolling Stone wearing a crown of thorns, once again attracting controversy.

For his third release, West was keen to produce songs that could be used more effectively when performing in arenas. For Graduation, the third and ultimately final entry into his 'Dropout Bear' series, West drew musical inspiration from The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. In the lead up to the album he became involved in a friendly rivalry with 50 Cent over which of the two artists' upcoming albums would sell more, as they were both released on the same day. West ultimately sold 957,000 copies in the first week of release, outselling Curtis by a large margin. The albums lead single "Stronger" sampled Daft Punk, and was West's third number one on Billboard 200. Many proclaim West's 'victory' over 50 Cent to be the 'death' of gangster rap as the dominant hip hop subgenre.

Following the death of his mother, Donda West, and the end of his engagement to long term partner Alexis Phifer, West abandoned his initial plan to release a fourth album entitled Good Ass Job, and shocked his fans by releasing 808s and Heartbreak, which was full of autotune singing, extensive use of the TR-808 drum machine, themes of love, loss and loneliness and very little rapping. It received slightly more mixed reviews than his previous efforts, but many critics cite 808s and Heartbreak as the catalyst for a new wave of rappers, most prominently Drake, due to its themes which were uncommon in mainstream hip-hop.

West's grief seemed to lead to a spiral out of control which culminated in him storming on stage at the 2009 VMAs to interrupt Taylor Swift's award acceptance speech to proclaim that Beyoncé deserved the award instead, in a move that is infamous in pop culture and was vilified by the entire world in the aftermath. West disappeared from the public eye following this, and his upcoming tour with Lady Gaga was cancelled. The disgraced West, who was described as a 'jackass' by President Obama, seemed to have much work to do to return to the his former glory, but he was about to embark on what some critics consider to be the best run of his career.

West holed up in Hawaii for a few months and worked tirelessly to produce what many consider to be his magnum opus. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, West's fifth studio album, was released in November 2010 to rave reviews from critics, which solidified his comeback. 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. The record included the international hit All of the Lights, and Billboard hits Power, Monster, and Runaway, the latter of which accompanied a 35-minute film of the same name. During this time, West initiated the free music program G.O.O.D. Fridays through his website, offering a free download of previously unreleased songs each Friday of the week, a portion of which were included on the album. Dark Fantasy went on to go platinum in the United States, 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.

Following a headlining set at Coachella 2011 that was described by The Hollywood Reporter as "one of greatest hip-hop sets of all time," West released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z. 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. Niggas in Paris became the record's highest charting single, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2012, West released the compilation album Cruel Summer, a collection of tracks by artists from West's record label GOOD Music. Cruel Summer produced four singles, two of which charted within the top twenty of the Hot 100: Mercy and Clique. West also directed a film of the same name that premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in custom pyramid-shaped screening pavilion featuring seven screens.

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. Determined to "undermine the commercial," he once again brought together close collaborators and attempted to incorporate Chicago drill, dancehall, acid house, and industrial music. Primarily inspired by architecture, 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. Initial promotion of his sixth album included worldwide video projections of the album's music and live television performances.

Yeezus, West's sixth album, was released June 18, 2013 to rave reviews from critics. It became the rapper's sixth consecutive number one debut. Def Jam issued "Black Skinhead" to radio in July 2013 as the album's lead single. On September 6, 2013, Kanye West announced he would be headlining his first solo tour in five years, to support Yeezus, with fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar, accompanying him along the way.

In November 2013, West stated that he was working on and recording his next studio album. The album was to be produced by Rick Rubin and Q-Tip.. Kanye released a single entitled "Only One", on December 31, 2014 featuring Paul McCartney, as well as collaborating with McCartney on the Rihanna track " FourFiveSeconds", released in January 2015. West appeared on the SNL 40th Anniversary Special on February 15th 2015 to debut a new song Wolves, featuring Sia Furler and Vic Mensa. Another single, entitled "All Day" was released on March 2, 2015, again featuring McCartney as well as Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom. In June of the same year, Kanye headlined the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, which garnered much outrage including a petition with 135,000 signatures against his appearance, leading to West declaring he was "the greatest living rock star on the planet" towards the end of his set, and the performance receiving a mixed reaction among fans and critics, due to its controversy. In September 2015, West performed {album artist kanye west]808s and Heartbreak in its entirety at the Hollywood Bowl over two nights, which received rave reviews a featured a 60 person orchestra, guests such as Kid Cudi and Mr Hudson, and over 70 dancers. West released "Facts" at the turn of the new year.

West had originally stated that his upcoming album would be called 'So Help Me God' before changing the title to 'SWISH' and announcing that it would be released on February 11th. In January 2016 he released "Real Friends" and "No More Parties in LA", featuring Kendrick Lamar. As well as renaming the album once again to "Waves", West became involved in several twitter controversies in the lead up to the album, including with rapper Wiz Khalifa after he suggested that West had stolen the idea of the wave from other artists and seemingly dissed Kim Kardashian, which later turned out to be a misunderstanding over the use of "KK". West again changed the name of the album just days before it's release, this time to "{album artist=kanye west]The Life of Pablo", and debuted it at Madison Square Garden on February 11, but delayed it's release for a few days. On February 14, West released the album are a performance on SNL. West initially claimed the album was to be a Tidal exclusive, but it was later released on other streaming platforms, although it is yet to receive a physical release. West continued to tinker with the mixing and production of the album even after it was released, and it was updated several times, including the final song "Saint Pablo" in June 2016. West had also made public his plans to release an album in the summer of 2016, entitled "Turbo Grafx 16", based on the 1990s games console, which never surfaced, although he did release a single thought to be from the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music album "Cruel Winter", called Champions. In the same month, a video for "Famous" was released, including nude wax figures of celebrities such as West, Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Donald Trump, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Bill Cosby and George W. Bush.

In August 2016, West embarked on the ambitious Saint Pablo Tour, which included a mobile stage suspended from the ceiling. After the violent robbery of Kim's jewellery in Paris in October, West had to end a show early and postpone shows following it. In the following performances, West cancelled shows early and went on long winded rants against fellow artists such as Jay Z and Beyoncé among others, as well as making controversial political statements including implying his support for Donald Trump. On November 21st 2016, West cancelled the rest of the tour and was hospitalised due to sleep deprivation and extreme dehydration. Following this, West disappeared from social media, and only resurfaced 11 months later with a series of tweets which included many philosophical thoughts and the announcements two albums in June 2018, a solo album which would include 7 tracks on June 1, and a collaboration with Kid Cudi to be released on June 8.

On August 29th, 2021, Kanye released his 10th highly anticipated studio release Donda via GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings after a series of three listening parties.

Personal life:
West was born in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was three years old (as mentioned in Hey Mama) his parents divorced, and he moved with his mother to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, was a former Black Panther; one of the first black photojournalists at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; and is now a Christian counselor. Kanye’s late mother, Dr. Donda West, worked as a Professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as Kanye’s manager. He was later raised in an upper middle class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago.

After attending The American Academy of Art, a Chicago art school, West attended Chicago State University but eventually dropped out due to poor grades and to continue working on his music career. While attending school, West produced for local artists, including on rapper Grav’s debut album Down to Earth. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for major hip hop/R&B artists, including Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Cam’ron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and John Legend among others. He also “ghost-produced” for his once mentor Deric Angelettie according to his song Last Call and the credits of Nas’ Poppa Was a Playa.

West was married to Kim Kardashian. Together they had four children: daughters named North (*2013) and Chicago (*2018); and sons named Saint (*2015) and Psalm (*2019). In 2021, Kardashian filed for divorce.

In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that primarily advocated for a consistent life ethic. In 2022, he faced backlash and lost a number of sponsors and partnerships—including his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga—after making antisemitic statements.

Bonus Track Diamonds From Sierra Leone/Album Version
Kanye West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Diamonds are forever
They won't leave in the night
Have no fear that they might
Desert me

Diamonds are forever (forever, forever)
Throw your diamonds in the sky if you feel the vibe
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever, forever)

The Roc is still alive every time I rhyme.
Forever ever? Forever ever? Ever, ever? Ever, ever? Ever, ever? Ever, ever?

Close your eyes and imagine, feel the magic
Vegas on acid,
Seen through Yves St. Laurent glasses
And I've realized that I've arrived, 'cause
It take more than a magazine to kill my Vibe does
He write his own rhymes, so sort of
I think 'em
That mean I forgot better shit than you ever thought up
Damn, is he really that caught up?
I ask if you talkin' bout classics, do my name get brought up?
I remember I couldn't afford a Ford Escort or even a four-track recorder
So its only right that I let the top drop on a drop-top Porsche
Its for yourself that's important
If a stripper named Porscha and you get tips from many men
Then your fat friend her nickname is Minivan
Excuse me,
That's just the Henny, man, I smoke, I drink
I'm supposed to stop I can't because

I was sick about awards
Couldn't nobody cure me
Only playa that got robbed but kept all his jewelry
Alicia Keys tried to talk some sense to them
30 minutes later seems there's no convincing them
What more can you ask for?
The international assholes nah
Who complains about what he is owed?
And throw a tantrum like he is 3 years old
You gotta love it though somebody still speaks from his soul
And wouldn't change by the change, or the game, or the fame,
When he came, in the game, he made his own lane
Now all I need is why'all to pronounce my name
Its Kanye - But some of my plaques - they still say Kane
Got family in the D, Kin-folk from Motown
Back in the Chi - them folks ain't from Motown
Life movin' too fast I need to slow down
Girl ain't give me no ass, ya need to go down

Diamonds are forever (forever, forever)
My father Ben said I need Jesus
So he took me to church and let the water wash over my ceaser
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever)
The preacher said we need leaders
Right then my body got still like a paraplegic

You know who you can call you gotta best believe it
The Roc stand tall and you would never believe it
Take your diamonds and throw 'em up like you bulimic
Yea the beat cold but the flow is anemic
After debris settles and the dust get swept off
Big K pick up where young Hov left off
Right when magazines wrote Kanye West off
I dropped my new shit sound like the best of
A&R's lookin' like "pssh we messed up"
Grammy night, damn right, we got dressed up
Bottle after bottle till we got messed up
In the studio, where really though, yea he next up
People askin' me if I'm gon' give my chain back
That'll be the same day I give the game back
You know the next question dog "Yo, where Dame at?"
This track the Indian dance to bring our reign back
"What's up with you and Jay, man, are why'all OK man?"
They pray for the death of our dynasty like Amen
Are, are, are, right here stands a-man
With the power to make a diamond with his bare hands

Diamonds are forever (forever, forever)
Diamonds are forever (forever, forever, forever)

Overall Meaning

The song Diamonds From Sierra Leone by Kanye West with the Bonus Track as the Album Version talks about the power of diamonds. Kanye starts by saying that diamonds are forever and that they won't leave in the night, meaning that they have permanence and are not fleeting like emotions. He continues by saying that there is no fear that they might desert him, meaning that there is comfort in knowing that diamonds are valuable and reliable. Kanye then talks about how the Roc, referring to Roc-A-Fella Records, is still alive every time he rhymes, and he urges listeners to throw their diamonds in the sky if they feel the vibe. The chorus repeats the line "diamonds are forever" several times, emphasizing the importance of the gemstones.

Kanye then describes how he feels like he has arrived, comparing the experience to being in Vegas on acid and looking through Yves St. Laurent glasses. He mentions how he writes his own rhymes before claiming that he has forgotten better lyrics than anyone else has ever thought up. Kanye then says that he could not afford a Ford Escort or even a four-track recorder but that it is only right that he now lets the top drop on a drop-top Porsche. He mentions a stripper named Porscha and how her fat friend’s nickname is Minivan, seemingly alluding to an experience he had at a strip club. Kanye then talks about how awards made him sick and how he was robbed, but he kept all his jewelry, referencing a time when he had been robbed at gunpoint. The track ends with Kanye saying that the Roc stands tall and taking diamonds and throwing them up like they are bulimic, showing off their value and power.

Line by Line Meaning

Diamonds are forever
The value of diamonds never fades away

They won't leave in the night
Diamonds are a permanent possession

Have no fear that they might
There is no need to worry about losing diamonds

Desert me
As diamonds cannot desert the owner

Throw your diamonds in the sky if you feel the vibe
Show your love for diamonds by throwing them up in the air

The Roc is still alive every time I rhyme.
The spirit of Roc-A-Fella Records still lives on through Kanye's music

Close your eyes and imagine, feel the magic
Kanye invites the listener to embrace the imagination and experience the magic of diamonds

Vegas on acid, Seen through Yves St. Laurent glasses
Kanye describes the surreal experience of seeing Las Vegas on drugs and high fashion

And I've realized that I've arrived, 'cause
Kanye has achieved success in his career

It take more than a magazine to kill my Vibe does
Kanye's determination is too strong to be negatively influenced by any publication

He write his own rhymes, so sort of I think 'em
Kanye is proud of his ability to write his own lyrics

That mean I forgot better shit than you ever thought up
Kanye believes that he has forgotten more creative ideas than others have ever thought up

Damn, is he really that caught up?
Kanye acknowledges that he may be perceived as overly focused on his own abilities

I ask if you talkin' bout classics, do my name get brought up?
Kanye wonders if his music is considered timeless and discussed with other classics

I remember I couldn't afford a Ford Escort or even a four-track recorder
Kanye reflects on his past struggles and financial limitations

So its only right that I let the top drop on a drop-top Porsche
Kanye enjoys the fruits of his labor by driving a luxury car

Its for yourself that's important
Kanye believes that personal success and happiness are more important than impressing others with material possessions

If a stripper named Porscha and you get tips from many men
Kanye makes a crude joke about strippers and their nicknames

Then your fat friend her nickname is Minivan
Kanye elaborates on his previous joke by giving a nickname to the stripper's overweight friend

Excuse me, That's just the Henny, man, I smoke, I drink
Kanye blames his crude jokes on being drunk and high

I'm supposed to stop I can't because
Kanye admits that he has difficulty controlling his behavior

Alicia Keys tried to talk some sense to them
Alicia Keys attempted to sway the public's opinion about an issue that did not go as planned

30 minutes later seems there's no convincing them
Despite Alicia Keys' efforts, others were not convinced by her argument

What more can you ask for?
Kanye wonders what else he could possibly offer his fans

The international assholes nah
Kanye refers to himself and others as arrogant and self-centered

Who complains about what he is owed?
Kanye believes that he deserves fair compensation for his work

And throw a tantrum like he is 3 years old
Kanye is aware that he can be childish and throw a fit when things do not go his way

You gotta love it though somebody still speaks from his soul
Kanye is proud to be someone who speaks from the heart, despite any criticism he may receive

And wouldn't change by the change, or the game, or the fame,
Kanye will not let success or celebrity status change who he is as a person

When he came, in the game, he made his own lane
Kanye pursued his dreams and success in a unique way, carving out his own path in the music industry

Now all I need is why'all to pronounce my name Its Kanye - But some of my plaques - they still say Kane
Kanye reminds people to pronounce his name correctly and acknowledges that some of his awards have a misspelled name

Got family in the D, Kin-folk from Motown Back in the Chi - them folks ain't from Motown
Kanye shares some information about his family and hometown, highlighting the differences between the two

Life movin' too fast I need to slow down
Kanye recognizes that life is moving quickly and he wants to take a step back and slow down

Girl ain't give me no ass, ya need to go down
Kanye makes a crude joke about a woman not giving him attention or sex

My father Ben said I need Jesus So he took me to church and let the water wash over my ceaser
Kanye shares a personal experience with his father and religion

The preacher said we need leaders Right then my body got still like a paraplegic
Kanye reflects on a powerful moment in church when he was called to be a leader

You know who you can call you gotta best believe it
Kanye is telling his fans that they can always count on him

The Roc stand tall and you would never believe it
Kanye is proud of the success of Roc-A-Fella Records despite some doubters

Take your diamonds and throw 'em up like you bulimic
Kanye encourages listeners to show off their diamonds again

Yea the beat cold but the flow is anemic
Kanye admits that the beat is good, but his rhymes are weak in this song

After debris settles and the dust get swept off
Kanye is alluding to a time when the chaos of a situation settles down

Big K pick up where young Hov left off
Kanye is following in the footsteps of his mentor, Jay-Z

Right when magazines wrote Kanye West off
Kanye is referencing a time when people thought he was finished in the music industry

I dropped my new shit sound like the best of
Kanye is confident in his new music and believes it is some of his best work

A&R's lookin' like pssh we messed up
Kanye is mocking music industry executives who did not believe in him

Grammy night, damn right, we got dressed up
Kanye is celebrating his success at the Grammy Awards

Bottle after bottle till we got messed up
Kanye is describing a night of heavy drinking

In the studio, where really though, yea he next up
Kanye is hinting at the success of a talented artist in the music industry

People askin' me if I'm gon' give my chain back That'll be the same day I give the game back
Kanye will give up his chain (a symbol of his success) the day he gives up on the music industry

You know the next question dog Yo, where Dame at?
Kanye's friend and business partner Damon Dash is a common topic of conversation among fans

This track the Indian dance to bring our reign back
The beat of this song is similar to a traditional Indian dance, which could potentially bring back the success of Roc-A-Fella Records

What's up with you and Jay, man, are why'all OK man?
Fans are curious about the status of Kanye's relationship with his mentor, Jay-Z

They pray for the death of our dynasty like Amen
Kanye perceives that others wish for the downfall of his and Jay-Z's legacy in the music industry

Are, are, are, right here stands a-man
Kanye is confident in his abilities and refuses to back down against any criticism

With the power to make a diamond with his bare hands
Kanye sees himself as powerful and successful, able to create something valuable out of nothing

Diamonds are forever (forever, forever) Diamonds are forever (forever, forever, forever)
Kanye ends the song by repeating the opening lines, emphasizing the everlasting value of diamonds

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHN BARRY, KANYE OMARI WEST, DON BLACK, DAVID SHEATS, DEVON HARRIS, ANDRE BENJAMIN, ANTWAN PATTON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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