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.
God
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My light in darkness, oh
God, God is
He, He is my all and all (and I'll never turn back)
God is
Everything that hath breath, praise the Lord
Worship Christ with the best of your portions
He's the strength in this race that I run
Every time I look up, I see God's faithfulness
And it shows just how much He is miraculous
I can't keep it to myself, I can't sit here and be still
Everybody, I will tell to the whole world, it's Him
King of Kings, Lord of Lords
All the things He has in store
From the rich to the poor
All are welcome through the door
You won't ever be the same
When you call on Jesus' name
Listen to the words I'm saying
Jesus saved me, now I'm saying
And I know, I know God is the force that picked me up
I know Christ is the fountain that filled my cup
I know God is alive, yeah
He has opened up my vision
Giving me a revelation
This ain't 'bout a dead religion
Jesus brought a revolution
All the captives are forgiven
Time to break down all the prisons
Every man, every woman
There is freedom from addiction
Jesus, You have my soul
Sunday Service on a roll
All my idols, let 'em go
All the demons, let 'em know
This a mission, not a show
This is my eternal soul
This my kids, this the crib
This my wife, this my life
This my God-given right
Thank you, Jesus, won the fight
That's what God is
That's what God is
That's what God is
The lyrics of Kanye West's song ON GOD are a powerful expression of the artist's faith in God and his personal experiences of God's faithfulness and salvation. The first stanza establishes the theme of the song, with Kanye proclaiming that God is his light in darkness, his all and all, and that he will never turn back from his faith. The second stanza is a call to worship and praise God, with Kanye stating that everyone who has breath should praise the Lord and offer their best to Christ. He acknowledges his own personal relationship with God and how it has strengthened him in his life's journey, including his trials and triumphs. He believes that God's faithfulness is miraculous and that everyone should know Him.
In the third stanza, Kanye makes a bold statement of his faith and invites others to join him in embracing the truth that Jesus brought a revolution when He forgave captives and broke down prisons. He affirms that there is freedom from addiction and that Jesus has his soul. In the final stanza, Kanye professes his gratitude to Jesus for winning the fight and for the blessings He has bestowed upon him, including his family and his home. The repetition of the phrase "That's what God is" reinforces the message of the song and underscores the artist's belief that God is the source of all goodness and salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
God is
God is my source of everything, my provider and my sustenance.
My light in darkness, oh
God is the light that guides me through the dark moments of my life.
He, He is my all and all (and I'll never turn back)
God is the center of my life, the one that I rely on, and I will never abandon him.
Everything that hath breath, praise the Lord
God is the object of our worship, no matter who we are or where we come from.
Worship Christ with the best of your portions
We should give our best to God, and worship him with all our heart.
I know I won't forget all He's done
God has done so much for me that I will never forget about it.
He's the strength in this race that I run
God is the source of my strength, and he helps me stay strong in difficult situations.
Every time I look up, I see God's faithfulness
God is faithful, and I can see his faithfulness in everything that I look up to.
And it shows just how much He is miraculous
God's faithfulness is a proof of how miraculous he is.
I can't keep it to myself, I can't sit here and be still
I cannot keep God's goodness to myself, I have to share it with others.
Everybody, I will tell to the whole world, it's Him
I will tell everybody in the whole world about God's greatness.
King of Kings, Lord of Lords
God is the king above all kings, and the Lord above all lords.
All the things He has in store
God has many things in store for us, and we need to trust him to receive them.
From the rich to the poor
God's love and blessings are available to everyone, regardless of their economic status.
All are welcome through the door
Everyone is welcome to come to God and receive his blessings.
You won't ever be the same
Once you encounter God, your life will be transformed forever.
When you call on Jesus' name
Calling on Jesus' name is the key to unlocking God's blessings and transforming your life.
Listen to the words I'm saying
Pay attention to my message, which is about God's love and salvation.
Jesus saved me, now I'm saying
Jesus saved me from my sins, and now I am proclaiming his love and salvation to the world.
And I know, I know God is the force that picked me up
I know that God is the one who helped me overcome my difficulties and lifted me up.
I know Christ is the fountain that filled my cup
Christ is the source of my joy and satisfaction, and he fills my life with goodness.
I know God is alive, yeah
God is not dead, he is alive and active in our lives.
He has opened up my vision
God has opened my eyes to the truth and given me a new perspective on life.
Giving me a revelation
God has revealed his truth to me, and given me a deeper understanding of his love and salvation.
This ain't 'bout a dead religion
My faith in God is not just a set of rules and rituals, it is a living relationship with him.
Jesus brought a revolution
Jesus' message is revolutionary, and it has the power to transform lives and change the world.
All the captives are forgiven
Through Jesus' sacrifice, all of us are forgiven and set free from our sins.
Time to break down all the prisons
It is time to break all the chains of sin, addiction, and negativity in our lives and experience God's freedom.
Every man, every woman
God's message of salvation is for everyone, regardless of their gender, ethnicity or background.
There is freedom from addiction
Through God's power, we can overcome addiction and live a life of freedom.
Jesus, You have my soul
Jesus is the one who has saved my soul, and I have given my life to him.
Sunday Service on a roll
This is a reference to the weekly worship service held by Kanye West's church.
All my idols, let 'em go
We need to let go of all the things that we worship or idolize, and give our lives to God.
All the demons, let 'em know
We need to confront and resist the negative forces in our lives, and know that only God can overcome them.
This a mission, not a show
This is not just a performance or a spectacle, it is a true mission to spread God's love and salvation to the world.
This is my eternal soul
This is not just about my temporal life, it is about my eternal destiny and relationship with God.
This my kids, this the crib
This is not just about me, it is about my family and the environment that I create for them.
This my wife, this my life
My relationship with God affects every aspect of my life, including my marriage and my personal values.
This my God-given right
My faith in God is not a choice, it is a right that has been given to me by God himself.
Thank you, Jesus, won the fight
Through Jesus' sacrifice and victory over sin and death, I have been given the ultimate victory and hope.
That's what God is
God is everything that I have described in this song, and much more. He is the creator, the redeemer, and the sustainer of life.
That's what God is
God deserves all the glory and honor for everything that he has done, and everything that he is.
That's what God is
This is not just a one-time proclamation or confession, it is a lifelong journey of faith and worship.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Anthem Entertainment, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Angel Lopez, James Cleveland, James W. Richens, Kanye Omari West, Luis Federico Vindver Arosa, Timothy Lee McKenzie, Victory Elyse Boyd, Warryn S. II Campbell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@infinitychillin
Lyrics
Father, I stretch
Stretch my hands to You
Lifelike, this is what your life like, try to live your life right
People really know you, push your buttons like type write
This is like a movie, but it's really very lifelike
Every single night right, every single fight, right?
I was looking at the 'Gram and I don't even like likes
I was screamin' at my Dad, he told me, "It ain't Christ-like"
I was screamin' at the referee just like Mike
Lookin' for a bright light, Sigel, what your life like
Riding on a white bike, feeling like excite bike (stretch my hands to You)
Pressin' on the gas, supernova for a night light
Screamin' at my dad and he told me, "It ain't Christ-like"
But nobody never tell you when you're being like Christ
Only ever seein' me only when they needin' me
Like if Tyler Perry made a movie for BET
Searchin' for a deity, now you wanna see it free
Now you wanna see if we, let's just see if three a piece
Tell me what your life like, turn it down, a bright light
Drivin' with my dad, and he told me, "It ain't Christ-like" (stretch my hands to You)
I'm just tryna find, I've been lookin' for a new way
I'm just really tryna not to really do the fool way
I don't have a cool way, bein' on my best, though
Block 'em on the text though, nothin' else next though
Not another word, letter, picture, or a decimal (Father, I stretch)
Wrestlin' with God, I don't really want to wrestle
Man, it's really lifelike, everything in my life (stretch my hands to You)
Arguing with my dad, and he said, "It ain't Christ-like"
Man
You know, it's like
Somebody only close who can get you, like, off your
I be on my
I woke up this morning, I said my prayers
I'm all good, then I tried to talk to my dad (stretch my hands to You)
Give him some advice, he starts spazzin' on me
I start spazzin' back, he said "That ain't Christ-like"
I said, "Aah"
@AeliosArt
Most rappers out here dissin each other while Kanye be dissin the devil
@janAkaliKilo
but that ain't how it be. If you think about it, you've got 50 Cent, Big Sean, Drake, all these people, they diss other artists while they's with them. So, I know how it be, man. I got all these people. I know how it be. It's different. It's more of a real battle. You know, he can just sit back and see who get the biggest reaction from the fans and people. But he got to go out there and show his skills. He got to go out there and win that battle."
Kanye said he has a hard time getting to the point where he wants to rap.
"I've never been in a battle," he said.
@FOURTEEFIVE
@@janAkaliKilo hey man do you know where you saw him say its hard for him to get in the mood to rap?
@d.i.g.i.t.a.l.9268
WHASS DAT
@tlj9461
For him it's all just a Hustle... he just making money...talkin the talk and walking the walk is two different things
@blkmerican-.2934
TheDusk420 You’d be surprised how much Lucifer cares about Kanye coming out with a song like this..
@jameskozy7254
It's so rare for anything in our culture to respect and appreciate fathers. We need more of this
@ryanflanagan9624
do you believe in afterlife?
@ameerbashar5887
My dad left soo...
@ryanflanagan9624
@@ameerbashar5887 there is The Father Who will never leave you when you are born again in Christ. do you believe in afterlife?