Ye, born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, is an American rapper, singer, s… Read Full Bio ↴Ye, born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. He is one of the most prominent figures in hip hop, known for his diverse musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After dropping out of college to pursue a career in music, West began producing for regional artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, he co-produced albums including Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001) before signing with the label as a recording artist. West's debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), received critical acclaim and produced the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Slow Jamz." He topped the chart four other times with the singles "Gold Digger" (2005), "Stronger" (2007), "E.T." (2011, as a featured artist), and "Carnival" (2024).

West's second and third studio albums, Late Registration (2005) and Graduation (2007), both debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, with the latter becoming his most commercially successful to date. Three of his subsequent albums—808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and The Life of Pablo (2016)—were certified triple platinum, while Yeezus (2013) was certified double platinum. Although not as well-received critically as his previous works, Ye (2018), Jesus Is King (2019), and Donda (2021) continued West's streak of consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200. West has also released collaborative albums including Watch the Throne (2011) with Jay-Z, Kids See Ghosts (2018) with Kid Cudi, and Vultures 1 and Vultures 2 (2024) with Ty Dolla Sign. In fashion design, he has collaborated with Nike, Inc., Louis Vuitton, and Gap Inc. on clothing and footwear, and led the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas.

One of the world's best-selling music artists with 160 million records sold, West has won 24 Grammy Awards, the joint 11th-most of all time and the most awarded for any hip hop artist along with Jay-Z. His other accolades include a Billboard Artist Achievement Award, a joint-record three Brit Awards for Best International Male Solo Artist, and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. West holds the joint record with Bob Dylan for most albums (four) topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015. West's first six solo albums were included on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020, with the same publication naming him one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.

West's outspoken views have received significant media coverage. He has been a frequent source of controversy due to his conduct on social media, at award shows, and in public settings, as well as his comments on the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, race, and slavery. His Christian faith, high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian, and mental health have also been topics of media attention. In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that advocated for a consistent life ethic. In October 2022, he was widely condemned and lost many sponsors and partnerships, including his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga, after making a series of antisemitic statements, including denying the Holocaust.

Blueprint Compilation
Kanye West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴

Ladies and gentlemen let's put our
Hands together for the astonishing
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the
8th wonder of the world
The flow of the century, oh it's timeless
HOV'! Thanks for comin' out tonight

You could've been anywhere in the world
But you're here with me
I appreciate that, uhhd
The song changes to: The Jackson Five
- I Want You back

The song changes to: The Doors - Five to One

Yo this song right here
I remember I used to play
This sample for people before I hooked up
And I used to tell people "you know, this
This gon' be like The Truth
But it's gon' better than The Truth"
And to all my niggas, my nigga? said:
"I mean ask these but it ain't no Truth
That ain't no Truth right there!"
And he was all like, the Takeover

Five to one, baby, one in five
No one here, gets, out alive, now
You'll get yours, baby, I'll get mine
Gonna make it, baby, if we try

The old get old, and the young get stronger
May take a week, and it may take longer
They got the guns, but we got the numbers
Gonna win, yeah we're, takin' over come on!

The song changes to: Jay-Z - Takeover

ROC, we runnin' this rap shit
Memphis Bleek, we runnin' this rap shit
B mac, we runnin' this rap shit
Freeway, we runnin' this rap shit
O and Sparks, we runnin' this rap shit
Chris and Neef, we runnin' this rap shit

The takeover, the break's over nigga
God MC, me, Jay-Hova
Hey lil' soldier you ain't ready for war
ROC's too strong for y'all

Ac'right nigga!

The song changes to: Jay-Z -
Heart of the City (Ain't no Love)

Uh, uh, listen first the Fat Boys break up
Now every day I wake up
Somebody got a problem with Hov'
What's up y'all niggas all fed up
Cause I got a little cheddar
And my records movin' out the store

The song changes to: Bobby
"Blue" Bland - Ain't
No Love in the Heart of the City

Ain't no love, in the heart of the city
Ain't no love, in the heart of town
Ain't no love

The song changes to: David
Ruffin - Common Man

Yeeehh

The song changes to: Jay-Z - Never Change

(Never, never, never, never change)
I never change, this is Jay every day
(I never change)

I never change, this is Jay every day
(I never change) i never change, this is Jay

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Blueprint Compilation" by Kanye West feature a series of song transitions and samples that pay homage to various artists and songs. The opening lines introduce Jay-Z, with H to the izz-O and V to the izz-A referring to his stage name "Hova." The song creates an atmosphere of grandeur and celebrates Jay-Z as a legendary figure in the rap industry.

As the song transitions to The Jackson Five's "I Want You Back" and The Doors' "Five to One," Kanye reflects on his early days before he gained recognition as a producer. He recounts playing these samples for people and expressing his belief that his future works would surpass his earlier productions. A friend dismisses Kanye's aspirations, claiming that his beats will never be as significant as Jay-Z's iconic diss track "The Takeover."

The following verses from "Five to One" highlight the struggle between the old and the young, the powerful and the outnumbered. It suggests that although the opposition may have the upper hand at the moment, those who are united and determined will ultimately prevail. This sentiment aligns with the theme of empowerment and taking control, echoed in the subsequent verses featuring Roc-A-Fella artists like Memphis Bleek, Freeway, and Jay-Z himself.

The song continues to reference other samples, including Jay-Z's "Takeover" and "Heart of the City (Ain't no Love)," Bobby "Blue" Bland's "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City," and David Ruffin's "Common Man." Through these references, Kanye underscores the challenges and obstacles often faced in the music industry, emphasizing the lack of love and support that can exist within it.

Overall, "Blueprint Compilation" is a tribute to Jay-Z's influential career and serves as a reflection on Kanye West's own journey in music, highlighting the struggles and aspirations that artists face.

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