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.
Gold Digger
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, she's a triflin' friend indeed
Oh, she's a gold digger
Way over town, that digs on me
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head
Cutie the bomb, met her at a beauty salon
With a baby Louis Vuitton under her underarm
She said, "I can tell you rock, I can tell by your charm
Far as girls, you got a flock
I can tell by your charm and your arm"
But I'm lookin' for the one, have you seen her?
My psychic told me she'll have a ass like Serena
Trina, Jennifer Lopez, four kids
And I gotta take all they bad ass to ShowBiz?
Okay, get your kids, but then they got their friends
I pulled up in the Benz, they all got up in
We all went to Den and then I had to pay
If you fuckin' with this girl, then you better be paid
You know why? It take too much to touch her
From what I heard she got a baby by Busta
My best friend said she used to fuck with Usher
I don't care what none of y'all say, I still love her
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head
Eighteen years, eighteen years
She got one of your kids, got you for eighteen years
I know somebody payin' child support for one of his kids
His baby mama car and crib is bigger than his
You will see him on TV any given Sunday
Win the Super Bowl and drive off in a Hyundai
She was supposed to buy your shorty Tyco with your money
She went to the doctor, got lipo with your money
She walkin' around lookin' like Michael with your money
Shoulda got that insured, Geico for your money
If you ain't no punk
Holla, "We want prenup! We want prenup!" (Yeah!)
It's somethin' that you need to have
'Cause when she leave yo' ass, she gon' leave with half
Eighteen years, eighteen years
And on the 18th birthday he found out it wasn't his?
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head
Now, I ain't sayin' you a gold digger, you got needs
You don't want a dude to smoke but he can't buy weed
You go out to eat, he can't pay, y'all can't leave
There's dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves
But while y'all washin', watch him
He gon' make it to a Benz out of that Datsun
He got that ambition, baby, look at his eyes
This week he moppin' floors, next week it's the fries
So stick by his side
I know there's dudes ballin', and yeah, that's nice
And they gonna keep callin' and tryin', but you stay right, girl
And when you get on, he'll leave yo' ass for a white girl
Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head
Let me hear that back
The lyrics to Gold Digger by Kanye West tell a story of a man who is involved with a woman who he believes is only with him for his money, hence the title "Gold Digger." The lyrics describe the woman as "trifling" and "digs" on the man, taking his money when he is in need. While he does not want to directly call her a gold digger, he acknowledges that she is not interested in being with broke men. The man in the song also recognizes that he is not the only one being pursued by the woman, as she mentions that he has a flock of girls around him.
The song then goes on to describe the woman's lavish lifestyle, as she carries a baby Louis Vuitton under her arm and is interested in taking all of her kids and their friends to ShowBiz. The man in the song, however, continues to stay with her despite her shady motives, insisting that he still loves her.
Eventually, the song reveals that the woman has a child with the man and is receiving child support from him. However, her lifestyle still exceeds his, with her car and house being bigger than his own. Kanye recommends that the man protects himself with a prenup, as he knows that once the woman leaves him, she will take half of his assets.
Overall, the lyrics of Gold Digger portray a cautionary tale about the dangers of getting involved with someone for their money or letting others take advantage of one’s wealth.
Line by Line Meaning
She take my money when I'm in need
She takes advantage of my financial vulnerability
Yeah, she's a triflin' friend indeed
Yes, she is a disloyal and untrustworthy friend
Oh, she's a gold digger
She only values money and material possessions, not genuine relationships
Way over town, that digs on me
She lives far away but still shows interest in me because of my wealth
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
She does give me money, but that doesn't necessarily make her a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
But she refuses to associate with men who don't have money
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
I need to leave her and move on with my life
Cutie the bomb, met her at a beauty salon
I met her at a place where appearances are prioritized over substance
With a baby Louis Vuitton under her underarm
She displays her wealth conspicuously, even using a designer baby bag
She said, "I can tell you rock, I can tell by your charm
She flatters me by recognizing my wealth and charisma
Far as girls, you got a flock
I have many women interested in me
I can tell by your charm and your arm"
She can tell by my confidence and my Rolex watch
But I'm lookin' for the one, have you seen her?
I'm searching for true love, not just superficial attraction
My psychic told me she'll have a ass like Serena
I've been told that my soulmate will have features similar to Serena Williams
Trina, Jennifer Lopez, four kids
I've dated famous women like Trina and Jennifer Lopez who have multiple children
And I gotta take all they bad ass to ShowBiz?
Do I have to take care of all their kids and expenses?
Okay, get your kids, but then they got their friends
Fine, take your kids, but then their friends want to come too
I pulled up in the Benz, they all got up in
I arrived in my luxury car, and they all wanted a ride
We all went to Den and then I had to pay
I had to foot the bill for everybody's entertainment
If you fuckin' with this girl, then you better be paid
If you're dating a woman like this, you need to have a lot of money
You know why? It take too much to touch her
She's high-maintenance and requires a lot of money to please
From what I heard she got a baby by Busta
Rumor has it that she has a child with Busta Rhymes
My best friend said she used to fuck with Usher
My friend claims that she has a history with Usher
I don't care what none of y'all say, I still love her
Despite her flaws and gold digging tendencies, I still have feelings for her
Eighteen years, eighteen years
I'm stuck with the financial burden of supporting a child for 18 years
She got one of your kids, got you for eighteen years
She has a child with me and now I'm obligated to support them for 18 years
I know somebody payin' child support for one of his kids
I know someone who is paying child support for one of their children
His baby mama car and crib is bigger than his
His ex-partner has nicer material possessions than he does
You will see him on TV any given Sunday
Despite his financial struggles, he tries to appear successful and wealthy on TV
Win the Super Bowl and drive off in a Hyundai
He may win a championship, but can only afford a humble Hyundai car
She was supposed to buy your shorty Tyco with your money
She was supposed to buy things for your child with your money
She went to the doctor, got lipo with your money
Instead, she spent the money on elective liposuction surgery
She walkin' around lookin' like Michael with your money
Now she looks like Michael Jackson because of the plastic surgery
Shoulda got that insured, Geico for your money
He should have insured his money and possessions against theft and fraud
If you ain't no punk
If you're not weak or cowardly
Holla, "We want prenup! We want prenup!" (Yeah!)
Demand a prenuptial agreement to protect your finances in case of a divorce
It's somethin' that you need to have
Having a prenup is a necessary precaution in a relationship with a gold digger
'Cause when she leave yo' ass, she gon' leave with half
If you don't have a prenup, you may lose half of your wealth in a divorce
And on the 18th birthday he found out it wasn't his?
After financially supporting a child for 18 years, he discovered that the child was not biologically his
Now, I ain't sayin' you a gold digger, you got needs
I'm not necessarily calling you a gold digger, but I recognize that you have financial needs
You don't want a dude to smoke but he can't buy weed
You don't want a man who smokes, but you also don't want a man who can't afford to buy weed
You go out to eat, he can't pay, y'all can't leave
If you go out to eat and he can't pay, you're stuck there until somebody else covers the bill
There's dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves
He may have to work in the restaurant's kitchen to cover the bill
But while y'all washin', watch him
While you're doing dishes, keep an eye on him
He gon' make it to a Benz out of that Datsun
He has drive and ambition, and will eventually upgrade from his old car to a Benz
He got that ambition, baby, look at his eyes
He has a strong desire for success and it shows in his determined gaze
This week he moppin' floors, next week it's the fries
He may have a lowly job now, but he's determined to work his way up
So stick by his side
If you truly love him, support him in his quest for success
I know there's dudes ballin', and yeah, that's nice
I'm aware that there are wealthy men out there, and that may seem appealing
And they gonna keep callin' and tryin', but you stay right, girl
Other men will try to win you over with their wealth, but stay loyal to me
And when you get on, he'll leave yo' ass for a white girl
If you become successful and wealthy, he may leave you for a woman of a different race or social status
Get down girl, go 'head, get down
Dance and celebrate, despite the gold digger's influence on your life
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
I need to leave this situation and move on
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
I need to move on and find someone who values me for more than my money
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
I need to stop enabling her gold digging ways and cut her out of my life
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head
I need to move on and find someone who values me for who I am, not what I have
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kanye West, Renald J. Richard, Ray Charles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vivienballard391
I am not implying that she is only interested in the financial stability of men; however, it must be said that she avoids relations with impoverished men.
@kalceii9698
XD
@Heyguysitsme554
Lmaoooo
@malachite-6172
what the hell🤣
@ronkledonkanusmoncher564
Now I, being Kanye west, do not wish to create a false narrative that I have somehow hinted at the woman in question being solely interested in her own personal financial gain, but I do wish to elaborate that she does not affiliate with any persons that may be listed as below the poverty line.
@Shadowtopia69
So, thou art implying such a thing after all, sir?
@beast0nerd
“When she leave you ass she gonna leave with half”
Bill Gates: 😭
@reverse_meta9264
No prenup, ouch
@robertholguin7010
As my kids say...Fo Sho!!!
@beverlybalius9303
Lol