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.
20 Family Business
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He made the team this year? (All, all, the thang, thang)
Aight, they said he wasn't tall enough (all, all that glitters is not gold)
Ma, we here, we gon' cook this Sunday, okay? (And all gold is not reality)
So come by (real is what you lays on me)
That's your new girlfriend?
This is family business
And this is for my cousin locked down, know the answer's in us
That's why I spit it in my songs so sweet
Like a photo of your granny's picture
Now that you're gone, it hit us
Super hard on Thanksgiving and Christmas, this can't be right
Yeah, you heard the track I did, man, "This Can't Be Life"
Somebody please say grace so I can save face
And have a reason to cover my face
I even made you a plate, soul food, know how granny do it
Monkey bread on the side, know how the family do it
When I brought it, why the guard have to look all to it?
As kids, we used to laugh
Who knew that life would move this fast?
Who knew I'd have to look at you through a glass?
And look, you tell me you ain't did it, then you ain't did it
And if you did, then that's family business
And I don't care about (all, all, diamond rings, diamond rings)
They don't mean a thing (all, all, the thang, thang)
All these fancy things (all, all, the thang, thang)
I tell you that all my weight in gold (all, all that glitters is not gold, all good is not reality)
Now all I know, I know all these things (real is what you lays on me)
Yeah, yeah, this is family business
And this is for everybody standin' with us
Come on, let's take a family GRAMMY picture
Abi, remember when they ain't believe in me?
Now she like, "See, that's my cousin on TV"
Now, we gettin' it and we gon' make it
And they gon' hate it and I'm his favorite
I can't deny it, I'm a straight rider
But when we get together be Electric Slidin'
Grandma, get 'em shook up
Aw naw, don't open the photo book up
I got an Aunt Ruth that can't remember your name
But I bet them Polaroids'll send her down memory lane
You know that one auntie, you don't mean to be rude
But every holiday nobody eatin' her food
And you don't wanna stay there 'cause them your worst cousins
Got roaches at their crib like them your first cousins
Act like you ain't took a bath with your cousins
Fit three in the bed if it's six of y'all
I'm talkin' 'bout three by the head and three by the leg
But you ain't have to tell my girl I used to pee in the bed
Rain, rain, rain, go away (uh)
Let the sun come out and all the children say (uh)
Rain, rain, rain, go away (yeah, yeah, uh)
Let the sun come out and all the children say (yeah)
I woke up early this mornin' with a new state of mind
A creative way to rhyme without usin' nines and guns
Keep your nose out the sky, keep your heart to God
And keep your face to the risin' sun
All my niggas from the Chi, is my family, dawg
And my niggas ain't my guys, they my family, dawg
I feel like one day you'll understand me, dawg
You can still love your man and be manly, dawg
You ain't gotta get heated at every housewarmin'
Sittin' here, grillin' people like George Foreman
Why Uncle Ray and Aunt Shiela always performin'?
Second she storm out then he storms in
Y'all gon' sit down, have a good time this reunion
And drink some wine like Communion
And act like everything fine and if it isn't
We ain't lettin' everybody in our family business, uh
(All, all, diamond rings, diamond rings)
They don't mean a thing (all, all, all the thang, thang)
They don't mean a thing (all, all, all the thang, thang, thang)
(All, all that glitters is not gold, all gold is not reality)
They don't mean a thing, a thing (real is what you lays on me)
And I don't care about (all, all, diamond rings, diamond rings)
They don't mean a thing (all, all, all the thang, thang)
All these fancy things (all, all, all the thang, thang, thang)
I tell you that all my weight in gold (all, all that glitters is not gold, all good is not reality)
Now all I know, I know all these things (real is what you lays on me)
All these things (all these things)
CLK Mercedes Benz
These things (all these things)
All these things (all these things)
All these things (these things)
A whole lotta money
All these things (all these things)
Mommy and daddy, can you please stop fighting?
These things (and I don't care about)
All these things (these things)
All these things (all these things)
These things
Let's get Stevie out of jail
The song "Family Business" by Kanye West emphasizes the importance of familial relationships and unity. The first verse is dedicated to family members who have passed on, become incarcerated or can't be present at family gatherings. West expresses his grief and emotional turmoil from these losses, highlighting the close bond he shares with his family members. He even links his music to his family, saying that he "spits it in my songs so sweet" to keep their memory alive.
The second verse is a celebration of the present family members that he cherishes. He invites them to take a picture with him and boasts of their success, despite those who may have doubted them. He comfortably reveals his cousin's name in a proud light on television, and they continue to strive for greatness as a family unit, despite conflict and adversity.
Overall, the song stresses the importance of keeping familial relationships strong and never abandoning them. It encourages listeners to love their familes and to have faith in one another, knowing that they will always have each other's backs through every obstacle that comes their way.
Line by Line Meaning
This is family business
The song is about family and all the good and bad experiences that come with it.
And this is for the family that can't be with us
The song is dedicated to family members who have passed away or are not able to be present for various reasons.
And this is for my cousin locked down, know the answer's in us
The song is also for Kanye's cousin who is in prison, reminding the family that they have the answers and strength to get through tough times.
That's why I spit it in my songs so sweet
Kanye expresses his emotions and experiences through his music in a way that is appealing and touching to his listeners.
Like a photo of your granny's picture
The song is reminiscent of a photo album and the memories that come with looking at pictures of loved ones, particularly those who have passed away.
Now that you're gone it hit us
The loss of a loved one is hard and can affect the family in various ways.
Super hard on Thanksgiving and Christmas, this can't be right
The holidays are particularly tough for the family when a loved one is no longer with them.
Yeah you heard the track I did man, this can't be life
Kanye questions the harsh realities of life and how difficult it can be to deal with the loss of loved ones and other challenges.
Somebody please say grace so I can save face
Kanye is asking for someone to say grace before the meal to give him a chance to collect his emotions and gather himself emotionally.
And have a reason to cover my face
He wants to hide his emotions from the family and put on a strong front.
I even made you a plate, soul food, know how Granny do it
Kanye is trying to be helpful and take care of family members by making them a plate of soul food, similar to how his grandmother would have done it.
Monkey bread on the side, know how the family do it
He also includes monkey bread, a traditional family dish, as part of the meal.
When I brought it why had guard have to look all to it?
Kanye is questioning why he was treated suspiciously when he brought the food, implying that it was because of his fame and wealth.
As kids we used to laugh
He recalls happier times as a child with family members, before the reality of life set in.
Who knew that life would move this fast?
Kanye expresses surprise at how quickly life moves and how much things can change in a short amount of time.
Who knew I'd have to look at you through a glass?
He's describing the pain of having to visit family members who are in prison or separated from their loved ones behind glass.
And look, tell me you ain't did it, you ain't did it
Kanye is addressing a family member who may have done something wrong or questionable, asking for an affirmation or denial of their actions.
And if you did, then that's family business
He accepts that family members make mistakes and that it's best to keep these things within the family and handle them accordingly.
And I don't care 'bout (all the, all the diamond rings, diamond rings) / They don't mean a thing (all, all, all the things) / All these fancy things
Kanye is emphasizing that material possessions don't matter to him, and that what's important is family and the connections he has with them.
I tell you that all (all the glitter) I'm waiting for / Now all I know I know all these things
Kanye is suggesting that he used to be focused on material things but has come to realize that they are not important. He is now focused on family and the meaningful connections he has with them.
And this is for everybody standin' with us
The song is not just for family members but also for those who stand in solidarity with Kanye and his family.
Come on, let's take a family Grammy picture
He wants to celebrate the family's success by taking a picture together.
Abby, remember when they ain't believe in me? / Now she like "See, that's my cousin on TV"
Kanye shares a moment with his cousin Abby, recalling a time when people didn't believe in him and contrasting that with his current success and fame, which Abby is proud of.
Now, we gettin' it and we gon' make it / And y'all gon' hate it and I'm his favorite
Kanye acknowledges that success may draw negativity and criticism from others, but he is still determined to achieve his goals. He also suggests that he is his own favorite family member.
I can't deny it, I'm a straight rider
Kanye feels like he has to be tough and strong to make it in the music industry and life in general.
But when we get together be electric slidin'
He switches gears and talks about the fun times the family has when they're together, particularly when they all dance the electric slide.
Grandma, get 'em shook up / Aw naw, don't open the photo book up
Kanye doesn't want to open the family photo album and stir up any negative feelings or memories.
I got an Aunt Ruth that can't remember your name / But I bet them Polaroids'll send her down memory lane
Kanye has an aunt who can't remember the names of family members, but looking at old photos can trigger memories and help her remember things from the past.
You know that one auntie, you don't want to be rude / But every holiday nobody eatin' her food
Kanye pokes fun at the aunt who always brings bad food to family gatherings and no one wants to eat it.
And you don't want to stay there 'cause them your worst cousins / Got roaches at their crib like them your first cousins / Act like you ain't took a bath with your cousins / Fit three in the bed while six of y'all / I'm talkin' 'bout three by the head and three by the leg / But you ain't have to tell my girl I used to pee in the bed
Kanye paints a vivid picture of the less-than-ideal living situations he's experienced with family members, from cramped sleeping arrangements to hygiene challenges. He even jokes about an embarrassing childhood habit but doesn't appreciate his girlfriend knowing about it.
Rain, rain, rain go away / Let the sun come out and all the children say
He includes a playful verse about a common children's song and the desire for better weather.
I woke up early this mornin' with a new state of mind / A creative way to rhyme without usin' nines and guns / Keep your nose out the sky, keep your heart to God / And keep your face to the risin' sun
Kanye uses this verse to convey that he's in a positive headspace, and is challenging himself to come up with creative rhymes that don't rely on guns and violence. He also emphasizes the importance of keeping grounded and connected to God while staying focused on personal growth and optimism.
All my niggas from the Chi, that's my family dog / And my niggas ain't my guys, they my family dog / I feel like one day you'll understand me dog / You can still love your man and be manly dog
Kanye is proud of his hometown of Chicago and the connections he has with his friends and community there. He suggests that it's possible for men to have close, emotional relationships with each other without compromising their masculinity.
You ain't got to get heated at every house warmin' / Sittin' here, grillin' people like George Foreman / Why Uncle Ray and Aunt Shiela always performin'? / The second she storms out then he storms in
Kanye is reflecting on the interpersonal drama and conflict that can arise within families, often over seemingly small issues. He doesn't see the point in getting worked up over every disagreement and wonders why some family members seem to enjoy stirring up trouble.
Y'all gon' sit down, have a good time this reunion / And drink some wine like Communion / And act like everything fine and if it isn't / We ain't lettin' everybody in our family business
Kanye hopes that the family can put aside their differences and enjoy each other's company at the reunion. He encourages everyone to drink wine together, much like communion in church. He also stresses the importance of keeping family business within the family, not sharing it with outsiders or those who may cause more problems.
(All the, all the diamond rings, diamond rings) / They don't mean a thing / They don't mean a thing, a thing / All these things
Repeating from earlier in the song, Kanye emphasizes the point that material possessions are not important to him, and that he values his relationships and personal connections above all else.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kanye West
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fahrenlancova1302
i pray for you brother❤❤❤
@Blazervitch
Thanks for making this
@EBXNSounds
No Problem!