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 Canโt Be Life, a track from Jay-Zโs The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dreโs Xxplosive to use as a replacement for his drums on This Canโt 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 Olโ Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said Kanye West: โWu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the timeโฆ 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.โ
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 Beyoncรฉ 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 Beyoncรฉ 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. Kanyeโs 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 Kanyeโs 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 Gravโs 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, Camโron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and John Legend among others. He also โghost-producedโ for his once mentor Deric Angelettie according to his song Last Call and the credits of Nasโ 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 partnershipsโincluding his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciagaโafter making antisemitic statements.
Ay Ye Ye Ye
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, oh, oh, oh
I had for us
You turned my dreams into dust
I know Obama was heaven sent
But ever since Trump won, it proved that I could be President
Yeah, you can, at what cost though?
Yo, Tip, I hear your side and everybody talk, though
But ain't goin' against the grain everything I fought for?
Prolly so, Ye, but where you tryna go with this?
It's some shit you just don't align with and don't go against
You just readin' the headlines, you don't see the fine print
You on some choosin'side shit, I'm on some unified shit
It's bigger than your selfish agenda
If your election ain't gon' stop police from murderin' niggas, then shit
Bruh, I never ever stopped fightin' for the people
Actually, wearin' the hat'll show people that we equal
You gotta see the vantage point of the people
What makes you feel equal makes them feel evil
See that's the problem with this damn nation
All Blacks gotta be Democrats, man, we ain't made it off the plantation
Fuck who you choose as your political party
You representin' dudes just seem crude and cold-hearted
With blatant disregard for the people who put you in position
Don't you feel an obligation to them?
I feel a obligation to show people new ideas
And if you wanna hear 'em, there go two right here
Make America Great Again had a negative perception
I took it, wore it, rocked it, gave it a new direction
Added empathy, care and love and affection
And y'all simply questionin' my methods
What you willin' to lose for the point to be proved?
This shit is stubborn, selfish, bullheaded, even for you
You wore a dusty-ass hat to represent the same views as white supremacy, man
We expect better from you
All them times you sounded crazy, we defended you, homie
Not just to be let down when we depend on you, homie
That's why it's important to know what direction you're goin' now
'Cause everything that you built can be destroyed and torn down
You think I ain't concerned about how I affect the past?
I mean, that hat stayed in my closet like 'bout a year and a half
Then one day I was like, "Fuck it, I'ma do me"
I was in the sunken place and then I found the new me
Not worried about some image that I gotta keep up
Lot of people agree with me, but they're too scared to speak up
The greater good of the people is first
Have you considered all the damage and the people you hurt?
You had a bad idea, and you're makin' it worse
This shit's just as bad as Catholic preachers rapin' in church
Y'all been leadin' with hate, see I just approach it different
Like a gang truce, the first Blood to shake the Crip's hand
I know everybody emotional
Is it better if I rap about crack? Huh? 'Cause it's cultural?
Or how about I'ma shoot you, or fuck your bitch?
Or how about all this Gucci, 'cause I'm fuckin' rich?
You'll deal with God for the lack of respect
Startin' to make it seem like Donnie cut you a check
Now you toyin' with hot lava, better be careful with that
What's it mean to gain the world if you ain't standin' for shit?
Okay I gotta say it, Ye, you sound high as a bitch
Yeah, genocide and slavery, we should just try and forget
And all that free thought shit, find a better defense
But if Ye just stuck in his way, he can leave it at that
Fuck it
Alright, Tip, we could be rappin' about this all day, man
Why don't we just cut the beat off and let the people talk?
The lyrics to Kanye West and T.I.'s song "Ye vs. The People" tackle issues surrounding politics, race, and Kanye's support for Donald Trump. The song takes the form of a conversation between Kanye and T.I., with T.I. challenging Kanye's support for Trump and questioning how it aligns with his previous messaging about Black empowerment. Kanye, in turn, defends his position, arguing that he wants to bring new ideas to the political conversation and that his support for Trump doesn't mean he aligns with his more controversial beliefs.
The opening line of the song, "I had for us, you turned my dreams into dust," suggests that T.I. and Kanye had a close relationship, but their political and philosophical differences have strained that relationship. The subsequent discussion revolves around Kanye's decision to support Trump, with T.I. expressing disappointment, and Kanye arguing that he wants to bring something new to the political conversation. At one point, T.I. questions whether Kanye's support for Trump goes against the values he has previously espoused, to which Kanye responds, "It's some shit you just don't align with and don't go against."
The central tension in the song is between loyalty to a political party and the pursuit of new ideas. Kanye argues that the Democratic Party has not done enough for the Black community and that he wants to bring different perspectives to the table. T.I., for his part, emphasizes the importance of standing up for one's beliefs and the harm that can be caused by supporting someone like Trump. The lyrics are compelling because they show two intelligent and passionate people talking through complex issues and trying to come to a better understanding of each other.
Line by Line Meaning
I had for us
I had dreams and plans for us
You turned my dreams into dust
You ruined my dreams and plans
I know Obama was heaven sent
I think that Obama was an amazing president
But ever since Trump won, it proved that I could be President
When Trump won the presidency, it made me realize that I could also become president
Yeah, you can, at what cost though?
Sure, you can become the president, but at what cost?
Don't that go against the teachings that Ye taught for?
Doesn't that contradict the principles that I, Ye, have previously espoused?
Yo, Tip, I hear your side and everybody talk, though
I understand your point of view and the opinions of others
But ain't goin' against the grain everything I fought for?
Doesn't going against the norm and breaking the mold align with everything I've stood for?
Prolly so, Ye, but where you tryna go with this?
That may be true, Ye, but where exactly are you trying to take this argument?
It's some shit you just don't align with and don't go against
There are some things that you just shouldn't agree with or oppose
You just readin' the headlines, you don't see the fine print
You're only reading the surface-level news and not fully understanding the details
You on some choosin'side shit, I'm on some unified shit
You're focusing on taking a side, while I'm trying to promote unity
It's bigger than your selfish agenda
There are more important issues at hand than your personal beliefs
If your election ain't gon' stop police from murderin' niggas, then shit
If my own presidential campaign can't solve the issue of police brutality against black people, then what's the point?
Bruh, I never ever stopped fightin' for the people
I've always been an advocate for the betterment of the people
Actually, wearin' the hat'll show people that we equal
Wearing the hat will demonstrate that we can have differing beliefs but still be seen as equals
You gotta see the vantage point of the people
You need to understand the perspective of the people
What makes you feel equal makes them feel evil
What empowers you makes them feel oppressed
See that's the problem with this damn nation
This is the issue with our country
All Blacks gotta be Democrats, man, we ain't made it off the plantation
Black people are expected to align with the Democratic party and are still not fully liberated
Fuck who you choose as your political party
I don't care which political party you choose
You representin' dudes just seem crude and cold-hearted
The people you represent seem unrefined and indifferent to others' feelings
With blatant disregard for the people who put you in position
Those people are neglecting the ones who gave them power
Don't you feel an obligation to them?
Don't you feel obligated to serve and represent the people who put you where you are now?
I feel a obligation to show people new ideas
I feel the responsibility of introducing people to fresh perspectives and ideas
And if you wanna hear 'em, there go two right here
If you're interested, I can share two new ideas with you right now
Make America Great Again had a negative perception
The phrase 'Make America Great Again' has a negative connotation attached to it
I took it, wore it, rocked it, gave it a new direction
I took that phrase, made it my own, and gave the idea a new direction
Added empathy, care and love and affection
I added elements of compassion, love, and affection
And y'all simply questionin' my methods
You all are merely questioning my approach
What you willin' to lose for the point to be proved?
What are you willing to sacrifice to prove your point?
This shit is stubborn, selfish, bullheaded, even for you
Your stance is stubborn, selfish, and even more stubborn than your usual self
You wore a dusty-ass hat to represent the same views as white supremacy, man
You wore an outdated hat that is associated with white supremacy to represent similar beliefs
We expect better from you
We have higher expectations of you
All them times you sounded crazy, we defended you, homie
We've supported you through all the times you sounded insane
Not just to be let down when we depend on you, homie
We don't want to be disappointed when we rely on you
That's why it's important to know what direction you're goin' now
It's crucial to understand your current direction and where you're heading
'Cause everything that you built can be destroyed and torn down
Because everything you've created can be destroyed and dismantled
You think I ain't concerned about how I affect the past?
Do you believe that I'm not concerned with how my actions affect history?
I mean, that hat stayed in my closet like 'bout a year and a half
I kept that hat in my closet for about a year and a half
Then one day I was like, "Fuck it, I'ma do me"
Then one day I decided to just be myself and not care about other people's opinions
I was in the sunken place and then I found the new me
I was in a dark place mentally, but then I found a new version of myself
Not worried about some image that I gotta keep up
I'm not concerned about maintaining a certain image for others to see
Lot of people agree with me, but they're too scared to speak up
Many people share my beliefs, but are afraid to voice their opinions
The greater good of the people is first
The well-being of the public is the top priority
Have you considered all the damage and the people you hurt?
Have you thought about the negative impact and harm you may be causing?
You had a bad idea, and you're makin' it worse
Your idea was flawed, and you're only making it worse
This shit's just as bad as Catholic preachers rapin' in church
Your actions are just as heinous as Catholic priests sexually abusing children in church
Y'all been leadin' with hate, see I just approach it different
You've been handling this issue with hate, while I'm taking a different approach
Like a gang truce, the first Blood to shake the Crip's hand
Like two gang rivals shaking hands to end their feud
I know everybody emotional
I understand that everyone is passionate about this
Is it better if I rap about crack? Huh? 'Cause it's cultural?
Would it be better if I rapped about drugs because it's considered 'cultural'?
Or how about I'ma shoot you, or fuck your bitch?
Should I rap about violence and misogyny instead?
Or how about all this Gucci, 'cause I'm fuckin' rich?
Or should I rap about my wealth and material possessions?
You'll deal with God for the lack of respect
You'll have to answer to God for your disrespect
Startin' to make it seem like Donnie cut you a check
It's starting to come across like President Trump is paying you off
Now you toyin' with hot lava, better be careful with that
You're playing with fire, be cautious
What's it mean to gain the world if you ain't standin' for shit?
What's the point of achieving everything if you don't stand for anything?
Okay I gotta say it, Ye, you sound high as a bitch
I have to say, Ye, you sound really high right now
Yeah, genocide and slavery, we should just try and forget
We should just forget about the atrocities of genocide and slavery
And all that free thought shit, find a better defense
And all that talk about free thinking, come up with a better argument
But if Ye just stuck in his way, he can leave it at that
But if Ye is set in his beliefs, he can choose to leave it at that
Alright, Tip, we could be rappin' about this all day, man
Okay, TIP, we could argue about this topic forever
Why don't we just cut the beat off and let the people talk?
Why don't we end the music and let the public voice their opinions?
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kanye Omari West, Clifford Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@christophertz
Bro I was in the middle of the sentence boy๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
@Topps44
๐๐๐
@A1LS7
๐๐๐๐๐๐
@williamjones982
๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ funniest part!
@Lioness_UTV
I have to admit that was funny. And Kanye knew exactly what he was doing when he repeated it. ๐
@yummyy_osama9564
๐
@TFP_NC_VRFP
I knew by the look on his face he was gonna interrupt.
@stuporman14
Dude was rambling, interviewer was right to cut him off.
@tdawg719
Was it because his the look on his face looked like pierce Morgan
@jonnehayesjr.9299
@Dingus Kahn It's because that's the only thing Pierce Morgan is good at is interrupting ๐คท๐พโโ๏ธ