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.
Brand New
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't like it unless it's (brand new)
You might see me in my (brand new) whip
With my (brand new) bitch, pumpin' my (brand new) shit
You don't like it - get off my (brand new) dick
They say your attitude determines your latitude
I'm high as a motherfucker - fly as a motherfucker
And still the motherfucker you love to hate
But can't - because you love what I make
Now ain't - that about a bitch
And I'ma talk shit until I'm out of hits
They don't want to turn they speakers up they claim I ain't deep enough
All that talkin' I feed off of - keep it up
I'm relaxin' my feet is up - I'm leavin' you haters
Like when Shaq left the Lakers just to "Heat" it up
I state the stats to stunt - I don't need to front
I make history e'ry day - I don't need a month
The survey says - by the streets according
Kanye's just important as Michael Jordan
Was to the NBA when he was scorin'
Ralph Lauren was borin' before I wore him and..
I don't like it unless it's (brand new)
You might see me in my (brand new) whip
With my (brand new) bitch, pumpin' my (brand new) shit
You don't like it - get off my (brand new) dick
Yo wait - I don't want it unless it's (brand new)
You might see me in my (brand new) whip
With my (brand new) bitch, pumpin' my (brand new) shit
You don't like it - get off my (brand new) dick
Now some women hit the mall and some shop at the thrift store
Some of 'em mix and match and make it look like they get more
Some of y'all know you wear a sixteen - squeezin' into a six
Damn - what you make them jeans rip for?
I guess she's lookin' for a brand new man who
Ain't always gotta sit down cause he can't stand you
Boo - this the brand new jam to dance to
While you givin' me "Head" like shampoo - come as you came
Skip the brand name - I won't brand you
What you do here'll stay here like Cancun
Besides your breasts is augmented - I like things authentic
Look at all my whips, they're all vintage
I got a loft with a view of the sea
See I take some more shit and make it new for me
Pimp it out like Xzibit to the (oomph) degree
Why spend and arm and a leg - we can kick it for free you see..
I don't like it unless it's (brand new)
You might see me in my (brand new) whip
With my (brand new) bitch, pumpin' my (brand new) shit
You don't like it - get off my (brand new) dick nigga
??? bustin' and then hit 'em - fuck the cynicism
I'm quick to give y'all niggaz constructive criticism
Like "Wait - you basically suck" - his mother said "My son wanna rhyme!"
I'm like "Ma'am - I don't agree with that decision
Nothin' against him - but if he step I got to diss him
I listen to that weak shit - all of it - I can't follow it
[Barf) Excuse me - I'm "whack"tose intolerant
"I worked too hard to get my baby ballin' kid!"
Down the fives - had me blue collar poppin' it
Now I'm in the club - and look who I get it poppin' with
Me and 'Ye go back like crew cuts
He hook me up - as long as I don't ask him for too much
But even he know 'Fest is layin' it down
Cause this is just an old beat he had layin' around!
I don't like it unless it's (brand new)
You might see me in my (brand new) whip
With my (brand new) bitch, pumpin' my (brand new) shit
You don't like it - get off my (brand new) dick
Kanye I don't like it unless it's (brand new)
You might see me in my (brand new) whip
With my (brand new) bitch, pumpin' my (brand new) shit
You don't like it - get off my (brand new) dick homey
In Kanye West's song "Brand New," he boasts about his success, fame and fortune, declaring that he only likes things that are new, hence the repetition of the phrase "brand new." He asserts that his attitude determines his success and that people love what he creates. He references Michael Jordan, Ralph Lauren, and Shaq to compare himself to their impact in their respective fields of basketball, fashion, and music. The song also includes a feature by rapper Rhymefest, who talks about his beginnings as a struggling rapper and being under Kanye's wing. Overall, the song is an expression of Kanye's confidence in his abilities and his desire to only be associated with things that are new and fresh.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't like it unless it's (brand new)
Kanye wants everything new and fresh. Nothing he has should be old.
You might see me in my (brand new) whip
Kanye has a brand new car.
With my (brand new) bitch, pumpin' my (brand new) shit
Kanye is with a new girl, listening to his new music.
You don't like it - get off my (brand new) dick
If you don't like him or what he has, leave him alone.
They say your attitude determines your latitude
Your attitude determines how far you go in life.
I'm high as a motherfucker - fly as a motherfucker
Kanye is feeling great and on top of the world.
And still the motherfucker you love to hate
People love to hate Kanye.
But can't - because you love what I make
People may hate him, but they cannot ignore his talents.
Now ain't - that about a bitch
He's surprised that people both love and hate him.
And I'ma talk shit until I'm out of hits
Kanye will continue to talk and rap as long as he has a career.
They don't want to turn they speakers up they claim I ain't deep enough
People don't think his music is deep enough.
All that talkin' I feed off of - keep it up
Kanye uses people's hate as motivation for his work.
I'm relaxin' my feet is up - I'm leavin' you haters
He's relaxing and ignoring his haters' negativity.
Like when Shaq left the Lakers just to "Heat" it up
Kanye is leaving behind his haters and moving on to bigger and better things, just like Shaq left the Lakers.
I state the stats to stunt - I don't need to front
Kanye doesn't need to lie or exaggerate his talents.
I make history e'ry day - I don't need a month
Kanye makes history every day and is always creating new things.
The survey says - by the streets according
The streets and people's opinions say that Kanye is important.
Kanye's just important as Michael Jordan
Kanye is as important to music as Michael Jordan was to the NBA.
Was to the NBA when he was scorin'
Just like Jordan was important during his prime scoring years.
Ralph Lauren was borin' before I wore him and..
Kanye was the one who made Ralph Lauren's clothes cool again.
Yo wait - I don't want it unless it's (brand new)
He only wants something if it's new.
Now some women hit the mall and some shop at the thrift store
People have different shopping preferences.
Some of 'em mix and match and make it look like they get more
People can make it look like they spent more money than they actually did.
Some of y'all know you wear a sixteen - squeezin' into a six
Some people are wearing clothes too small for them.
Damn - what you make them jeans rip for?
Why would someone purposely wear clothes too small for them?
I guess she's lookin' for a brand new man who
The girl is looking for a new man.
Ain't always gotta sit down cause he can't stand you
She's looking for a man who doesn't get tired of her.
Boo - this the brand new jam to dance to
This is the new dance song.
While you givin' me "Head" like shampoo - come as you came
She's offering herself to him in a sexual manner.
Skip the brand name - I won't brand you
He doesn't care about branding, just the person.
What you do here'll stay here like Cancun
What happens here stays here, just like in Cancun.
Besides your breasts is augmented - I like things authentic
He prefers things in their natural, original state.
Look at all my whips, they're all vintage
He has old, classic cars.
I got a loft with a view of the sea
He has a nice loft with an ocean view.
See I take some more shit and make it new for me
He takes old things and makes them new again.
Pimp it out like Xzibit to the (oomph) degree
He transforms things to the highest degree possible.
Why spend and arm and a leg - we can kick it for free you see..
Why spend so much money when you can hang out for free?
??? bustin' and then hit 'em - fuck the cynicism
Unclear meaning due to missing lyrics.
I'm quick to give y'all niggaz constructive criticism
He gives criticism, but in a helpful way.
Like "Wait - you basically suck" - his mother said "My son wanna rhyme!"
Even the rapper's own mother doesn't think he's good.
I'm like "Ma'am - I don't agree with that decision
Kanye doesn't think the rapper should pursue music.
Nothin' against him - but if he step I got to diss him
Kanye will have to diss the rapper if he steps to him.
I listen to that weak shit - all of it - I can't follow it
He doesn't like weak rap and is unable to follow it.
[Barf) Excuse me - I'm "whack"tose intolerant
He can't stand bad rap.
"I worked too hard to get my baby ballin' kid!"
He has worked hard to succeed in music.
Down the fives - had me blue collar poppin' it
He worked a blue collar job before he became successful.
Now I'm in the club - and look who I get it poppin' with
He's successful now and is partying with famous people.
Me and 'Ye go back like crew cuts
He and Kanye have known each other for a long time.
He hook me up - as long as I don't ask him for too much
Kanye helps him out, but he doesn't ask for too much.
But even he know 'Fest is layin' it down
Even Kanye knows that he's doing well.
Cause this is just an old beat he had layin' around!
This is an old beat that Kanye gave him to use.
Kanye I don't like it unless it's (brand new)
Repeating the same meaning from earlier.
You might see me in my (brand new) whip
Repeating the same meaning from earlier.
With my (brand new) bitch, pumpin' my (brand new) shit
Repeating the same meaning from earlier.
You don't like it - get off my (brand new) dick homey
Repeating the same meaning from earlier with a new word at the end.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Kanye Omari West, Che Smith, Gabriel Alexander Roth, Sharon La Faye Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Maxed_In
2023 and still jamming classics
@PLOttawa
This song's still brand new. Love it.
@Jamyes9909
PS I wouldn't want it if it wasn't 😂
@stephendunphy1891
Like the Corona virus😂
@Nilz-ie8li
Peak Kanye
@kazamere7
I’m high as mf fly as
@juliusstuckey3913
kanye you a fuckin genius. and fest is one of the underrated lyricists in the fuckin game.
@TampaAries
Julius Stuckey That nigga sucked
@Taxidermistification
the guitar. kanye killed it again.
@juliusstuckey3913
THEY SAY YA ATTITUDE DETERMINES YA LATITUDE/ I'M HIGH AS A MUHFUCKA/ FLY AS A MUHFUCKA MY FAVORITE LINE OF THIS LOST CLASSIC!!!!