Ye (born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia), profession… Read Full Bio ↴Ye (born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia), professionally known as Kanye West, is a Grammy award-winning American rapper, producer, singer, author, director, performance artist and fashion designer.

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.

Hate
Kanye West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Haters, haters, these niggas is haters!
And I made myself so easy to love

Yeah, yeah
How much they hate it? Very
Kiss girls like Katy Perry
I am never sprung but I Springer, Jerry
Don't try to this at home, results may vary

King like T.I. But in the Chi, Lary

Whova? Hova, botha
American gangstas you choose whose, colder
Rappers get nasty in the booth
But I'm gross, I cant even stomach myself
Ulcer, more realer 'cause I'm closer
Had girlies in girdles weighing more than they suppose ta
Posera, no sir, my hustle, so Russell
I stretch work, yoga
You know I got it down dog
Al Roker, I used to knock pounds off
It ain't nothing for me to knock nails off
But these M-C's are prayin' for my downfall
They just, haters
I wave at you, I'm so player
I'll never be done I'm so rarer

We killin' the game its not fair
You motherfuckers stay right there
'Cause we too high up in the air
We blastin' off just like a lazer
Nigga pewoon, pewoon, pewoon
Give me rap, give me room, room, room
D-b-9 like vroom, vroom, vroom
Young Hov what we doin', doin', doin'?

We ballin', bitches, eatin' y'all food leavin' dishes
Why these niggas always talkin' leir talk, Ye?
Why I never see them at the clear port, Ye?
Why I always hear they at the airport
While I fly daily like I'm in the Air Force?
Therefore, please stop talkin' my ears off
Millionaire talk, you haters
You mad at me 'cause your paper
need to get his mother fuckin' weight up, waiter
I ain't done, name one thing that I ain't done
It hurts when you say that I ain't the one, you haters
How do I gain your favor, I need to know 'cause I care
I need you to love me I swear, look here
See Ye is, runnin' the Chi like Gale Sayers
I'm runnin' New York, I got the mayor, on my pager
You cant fade us, you hate us
I need you, stay there
I breath you, like air
Air
Ya, ya, ya, yayer
Ya, ya, ya, yayer
Where are my haters?
I love all my haters
Love all my haters
I love all my haters

Where the fuck are my haters? hater
Yayer

Overall Meaning

The song "Hate" by Kanye West featuring Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz is about the hate and jealousy that surrounds them due to their success. The lyrics repeatedly address those who hate on them and their accomplishments. They recognize that they have made themselves easy to love but still face criticism from others. The artists boast about their wealth and success, but they also acknowledge that it comes with the price of dealing with haters.

Throughout the song, the artists reference other successful individuals, such as T.I. and Al Roker, to compare their level of influence and power. Jay-Z emphasizes the notion that haters are trying to bring him down, praying for his downfall. He questions why people talk negatively about him and Kanye West but never see them at places of high status like the "clear port" or running cities like "Gale Sayers" and having the "mayor on [their] pager."

In conclusion, "Hate" is a song that addresses the hate and jealousy that come with being successful. It speaks on the importance of ignoring the negative energy around them and continuing to strive for greatness.

Line by Line Meaning

Haters, haters, these niggas is haters!
I am aware that people don't like me and are spreading negative energy.

And I made myself so easy to love
Despite the haters, I am confident in myself and my ability to attract love.

Yeah, yeah
I am acknowledging the situation at hand.

How much they hate it? Very
The haters despise my success and are envious of my achievements.

Kiss girls like Katy Perry
My sexual prowess is similar to that of a famous performer, Katy Perry.

I am never sprung but I Springer, Jerry
I never fall in love but I am quick to jump in bed with someone, much like the character Jerry Springer presents on his show.

Don't try to this at home, results may vary
Please do not attempt to copy my lifestyle as it may have different results for you.

King like T.I. But in the Chi, Lary
I am like the rapper T.I. in terms of being a king, but in Chicago, I am referred to as Lary (a nickname).

Whova? Hova, botha
Who's there? Jay-Z is here and he's a force to be reckoned with.

American gangstas you choose whose, colder
Out of all the American gangsters out there, decide who is more ruthless.

Rappers get nasty in the booth
When rappers get in the recording studio, they become vulgar and explicit in their lyrics.

But I'm gross, I cant even stomach myself
Even though other rappers get nasty in their lyrics, I find myself to be even more disgusting in my words.

Ulcer, more realer 'cause I'm closer
I am more authentic and genuine in my rhymes because I am closer to the experiences I speak of.

Had girlies in girdles weighing more than they suppose ta
I have had relationships with overweight women who wore girdles to hide their size.

Posera, no sir, my hustle, so Russell
I am posing for no one, my dedication to my work is akin to that of Russell Simmons (a successful entrepreneur).

I stretch work, yoga
I am able to multitask and stretch my work to its limits, much like yoga stretches the body.

You know I got it down dog
You are aware of my skills and abilities.

Al Roker, I used to knock pounds off
Like the TV personality Al Roker, I have had weight loss success in the past.

It ain't nothing for me to knock nails off
I am so skilled that it's effortless for me to destroy the competition.

But these M-C's are prayin' for my downfall
Other rappers are hoping for my failure and demise.

They just, haters
The only thing these other rappers are capable of is hating on me.

I wave at you, I'm so player
I acknowledge the haters, but it doesn't affect my confidence or appeal to the opposite sex.

I'll never be done I'm so rarer
There is no one else quite like me, I am unique and will never be finished with my success.

We killin' the game its not fair
Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz, and I are dominating the rap game with ease and it's almost unfair to our competition.

You motherfuckers stay right there
My competition is not allowed to move up in the world because we are too far ahead.

'Cause we too high up in the air
We are at the top of our game and no one can touch us.

We blastin' off just like a lazer
Our success is like a rocket launching into space, unstoppable.

Nigga pewoon, pewoon, pewoon
The sound of our success is like a gun going off repeatedly.

Give me rap, give me room, room, room
Allow me to showcase my skills and give me space to do so.

D-b-9 like vroom, vroom, vroom
My car (a reference to the Aston Martin DB9) accelerates quickly like a race car.

Young Hov what we doin', doin', doin'?
Jay-Z (also known as Young Hov) is asking what the plan is for our next move.

We ballin', bitches, eatin' y'all food leavin' dishes
We are rich and powerful, enjoying the good life while leaving scraps for those below us.

Why these niggas always talkin' leir talk, Ye?
Other rappers are always lying and trying to talk their way out of situations, but they can't fool me.

Why I never see them at the clear port, Ye?
These rappers claim to be wealthy and successful, but I have never seen them at the airport's private jet terminal (known as the clear port).

Why I always hear they at the airport
Instead, they like to make excuses about being at the airport but are never seen there either.

While I fly daily like I'm in the Air Force?
Meanwhile, I am flying frequently, as if I were in the military's aerial division.

Therefore, please stop talkin' my ears off
I am tired of hearing these false claims and excuses from other rappers.

Millionaire talk, you haters
These other rappers like to talk about being millionaires, but they are really just haters.

You mad at me 'cause your paper
They are angry with me because my success highlights their lack of success and wealth.

need to get his mother fuckin' weight up, waiter
They need to step their game up and improve their status to compete with me.

I ain't done, name one thing that I ain't done
I have accomplished so much, that I challenge anyone to name something I haven't done.

It hurts when you say that I ain't the one, you haters
The negative words of the haters can be hurtful when they try to say I am not the best.

How do I gain your favor, I need to know 'cause I care
Despite their negativity, I still care about the haters' opinion and want to know how to get them to like me.

I need you to love me I swear, look here
I want the haters to love me and am serious about it.

See Ye is, runnin' the Chi like Gale Sayers
I am dominating the Chicago (Chi) rap scene like running back Gale Sayers (a famous athlete from the same city).

I'm runnin' New York, I got the mayor, on my pager
In addition to running Chicago, I am also running the New York rap scene and even have the mayor's attention.

You can't fade us, you hate us
The haters can't compete with us and are only capable of hating.

I need you, stay there
The haters may be negative, but I still want them to be around so I can turn them into fans eventually.

I breath you, like air
I am so immersed in the world of rap and success that I need the haters to survive and thrive.

Air
The haters are like air to me, necessary for my survival and success.

Ya, ya, ya, yayer
I am acknowledging the haters again with a playful phrase.

Where are my haters?
I am calling out to the haters, demanding their attention.

I love all my haters
Despite their negativity, I still love and appreciate the haters for motivating me to be better and more successful.

Love all my haters
I am repeating the sentiment to emphasize its importance.

I love all my haters
Once again, I am expressing my love and respect for the haters.

Where the fuck are my haters? hater
I am playfully calling out to my haters again, asking where they are and expressing that they are not a real threat to me.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Shawn Carter, Kanye West

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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