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.
Brigade Level Formation
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To free you from all of the tough talk
(No more tough talk)
And unnecessary bore-ish
(yeah, we know what it is)
A good doctor (Yes, yes)
See, I've been huffing and
While y'all been and ducking like
That ain't rough enough
While I been grinding and building
To wake up the children
From lies, there's truth in their eyes
We gotta fill 'em with the knowledge
I was born to reach the depths of your soul
With this rhythmic speech
That's why I gotta do what I gotta
My life is a saga
I hustled yesterday like it ain't no tomorrow
So holla, if you ready for change, mindstate
To give you something that fathom your head
Ain't no hickey it's that
Sickley up for freedom
Come we the chosen for this musical path
Thought-provoking is the basis for draft
Join all in, children, women and men
We gon tighten up our boots
And march till it ends
Come on, left, right, right, left
We go left, right, right, left
Come on left, right, right, left
We gon tighten up our boots
And march till it ends
Come on, left, right, right, left
We go left, right, right, left
Come on, left, right, right, left
We gon tighten up our boots
And march till it ends
This a story about a bad girl
That used to be good
A miseducation of Lauryn that
Stayed in the hood
See she probably could have
Made it in Hollywood
But she was misguided, misled
And misunderstood
She wanted her baby dad with
Good hair like Blair Underwood
And push a whip with twelve
Cylinders under the hood under the truth
Now she got six kids to feed under her roof
She didn't want her daughters to end
Up in the same position
So she named one Hope
Named the other Ambition she ain't wanna
But the problems with poverty left
Them with no choice
Then one got locked, then one got popped
It's like they snatched her
Soul in an instance don't worry mom
'cause Minister Farra-Kan' got your soldiers
In prison thinking totally different
Come on, left, right, right, left
We go left, right, right, left
Come on left, right, right, left
We gon tighten up our boots
And march till it ends
Come on, left, right, right, left
We go left, right, right, left
Come on, left, right, right, left
We gon tighten up our boots
And march till it ends
It's a reason that I'm touching y'all
Hope it reach you, Olskool for the kids
Ice-Gre for his people
I knew I couldn't rhyme about slanging dope
And I refuse to write a rhyme
About the price of my coke
And I ain't never gon' brag
How I roll the boat
No disrespect to the ones that do
That's just you
So ain't no need to write a rhyme
This is far from hate
'Cause if you check my deck
I prolly got your tape
But that's the beautiful part about rap
We got a voice
And the beautiful part about life
We got a choice
I choose to put it down, I be deep in thought
So if you like my talk, then talk that talk
And if you like my walk, then walk that walk
And if we all stand tall
We won't come up short
Revolution starts in the mind and then
We gon tighten up our boots
And march till it ends
Come on, left, right, right, left
We go left, right, right, left
Come on left, right, right, left
We gon tighten up our boots
And march till it ends
Come on, left, right, right, left
We go left, right, right, left
Come on, left, right, right, left
We gon tighten up our boots
And march till it ends
Yeah, Chicago holla at you boy
Englewood's finest
In the song "Brigade Level Formation," Kanye West delivers a powerful message about the need for change, enlightenment, and unity. He starts by introducing himself as someone who is here to free people from the tough talk and unnecessary boredom that surrounds them. He sees himself as a good doctor, ready to provide the remedy for the lies and deception that have infiltrated society.
Kanye then reflects on his own journey, emphasizing his hard work and dedication to waking up the children from the lies they have been fed. He believes in filling people with knowledge and reaching the depths of their souls through his rhythmic speech. He recognizes that his life is a saga, a constant hustle for a better tomorrow. The march towards change is a recurring theme, exemplified by the lines "We gon tighten up our boots and march till it ends." Kanye calls for all to join in, regardless of gender or age, to create a thought-provoking movement based on unity and inspiration.
The second verse tells the story of a woman who was once good but became misguided and misunderstood. She had the potential to make it big but instead found herself stuck in the hood. She desired a partner with good qualities but ended up with the harsh reality of poverty and multiple children to support. Despite the challenges, this woman named her daughters Hope and Ambition, showing her determination to break the cycle of poverty. However, one of her children ended up in jail, and the other was tragically killed. The verse highlights the hardships faced by those in marginalized communities and the need for empowerment and change.
Overall, "Brigade Level Formation" is a call to action, urging listeners to examine their surroundings, challenge the status quo, and work towards creating a better future. It emphasizes the importance of knowledge, unity, and the power of individual choices in making a collective impact.
Line by Line Meaning
Finally, someone is here (Ha ha ha)
I have arrived to bring you liberation and joy
To free you from all of the tough talk
To liberate you from meaningless and empty rhetoric
(No more tough talk)
There will be no more empty speeches or boastful claims
And unnecessary bore-ish
And tedious and uninteresting subjects
(yeah, we know what it is)
(Yes, we understand the true nature of things)
A good doctor (Yes, yes)
I am like a skilled physician, here to heal and mend
See, I've been huffing and
You see, I have been working hard and
Puffing long enough
Striving and laboring for a considerable period
While y'all been and ducking like
While all of you have been avoiding and hiding like
That ain't rough enough
That is not adversarial or challenging enough
While I been grinding and building
While I have been working tirelessly and constructing
To wake up the children
To awaken and enlighten the young generation
From lies, there's truth in their eyes
To expose falsehoods and reveal the truth in their perception
We gotta fill 'em with the knowledge
We must impart them with wisdom and understanding
I was born to reach the depths of your soul
I possess the innate ability to touch the innermost parts of your being
With this rhythmic speech
Through the use of poetic and musical language
That's why I gotta do what I gotta
That is why I must do whatever is necessary
My life is a saga
My existence is an epic tale
I hustled yesterday like it ain't no tomorrow
I worked tirelessly in the past as if tomorrow may not exist
So holla, if you ready for change, mindstate
So call out if you are prepared for a shift in mindset
To give you something that fathom your head
To present you with concepts that are difficult to comprehend
Ain't no hickey it's that
It is not a minor mark, it is
Sickley up for freedom
An extraordinary effort towards liberation
Come we the chosen for this musical path
Join us, the selected ones, on this artistic journey
Thought-provoking is the basis for draft
Intellectually stimulating ideas form the foundation of our creation
Join all in, children, women and men
Everyone, regardless of gender or age, should come together
We gon tighten up our boots
We will prepare ourselves for the challenges ahead
And march till it ends
And persist until the mission is accomplished
This a story about a bad girl
This is a tale concerning a troubled woman
That used to be good
Who was once virtuous and righteous
A miseducation of Lauryn that
The misguidance and miseducation of a girl like Lauryn
Stayed in the hood
Remained in the impoverished neighborhood
See she probably could have
She likely had the potential to
Made it in Hollywood
Succeeded in the glamorous entertainment industry
But she was misguided, misled
However, she was misled and deceived
And misunderstood
And not fully comprehended or recognized
She wanted her baby dad with
She desired a partner for her child
Good hair like Blair Underwood
Who had attractive hair like Blair Underwood
And push a whip with twelve
And drive a luxurious car equipped with twelve
Cylinders under the hood under the truth
Powerful engine cylinders hidden beneath the surface truth
Now she got six kids to feed under her roof
Now she has the responsibility of nourishing six children in her home
She didn't want her daughters to end
She did not wish for her daughters to experience
Up in the same position
The same challenging circumstances
So she named one Hope
Therefore, she named one of them Hope
Named the other Ambition she ain't wanna
Named the other one Ambition, as she desired to inspire
But the problems with poverty left
However, the issues stemming from poverty prevented
Them with no choice
Them from having any alternatives
Then one got locked, then one got popped
Subsequently, one was imprisoned, and the other was killed
It's like they snatched her
It seemed as if they abruptly took away her
Soul in an instance don't worry mom
Spirit in an instant, but do not fret, mother
'cause Minister Farra-Kan' got your soldiers
For Minister Farra-Kan supports and guides your warriors
In prison thinking totally different
Incarcerated, but their mindset has completely transformed
It's a reason that I'm touching y'all
There is a purpose behind my connection with all of you
Hope it reach you, Olskool for the kids
I hope it resonates with you, old school style, particularly for the younger generation
Ice-Gre for his people
An artist named Ice-Gre representing and advocating for his community
I knew I couldn't rhyme about slanging dope
I understood that I could not rap about selling drugs
And I refuse to write a rhyme
And I reject the idea of composing a verse
About the price of my coke
Concerning the cost of my cocaine
And I ain't never gon' brag
And I will never boast
How I roll the boat
About my ability to navigate through life successfully
No disrespect to the ones that do
I do not mean any disrespect to those who engage in such activities
That's just you
That is simply your choice and identity
So ain't no need to write a rhyme
Therefore, there is no reason to craft a verse
This is far from hate
This is certainly not fueled by hatred
'Cause if you check my deck
Because if you examine my collection of music
I prolly got your tape
I likely possess a recording by you
But that's the beautiful part about rap
Yet, that is the remarkable aspect of hip-hop
We got a voice
We possess a platform to express ourselves
And the beautiful part about life
And the astonishing facet of existence
We got a choice
We have the ability to make decisions
I choose to put it down, I be deep in thought
I opt to express profound ideas, as I contemplate deeply
So if you like my talk, then talk that talk
So if you appreciate my rhetoric, then embrace it
And if you like my walk, then walk that walk
And if you admire my actions, then emulate them
And if we all stand tall
And if we all present ourselves with confidence
We won't come up short
We will not fall short of our goals
Revolution starts in the mind and then
A fundamental change begins with a shift in mentality
We gon tighten up our boots
We will prepare ourselves for the challenges ahead
And march till it ends
And persist until the mission is accomplished
Yeah, Chicago holla at you boy
Yes, I extend my greetings and acknowledge Chicago, my hometown
Englewood's finest
Representing the best of Englewood, a neighborhood in Chicago
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@djpeterg4531
didnt know there was more than two minutes, thank you for uploading!