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.
Homecoming )
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you think about me now and then?
Do you think about me now and then?
'Cause I'm coming home again
I met this girl when I was 3 years old
And what I loved most she had so much soul
She said "Excuse me lil homey, I know you don't know me
And from that point I never blow her off
Niggas come from out of town, I like to show her off
They like to act tough, she like to tow 'em off
And make 'em straighten up their hat 'cause she know they soft
And when I grew up she showed me how to go downtown
In the nighttime her face lit up, so astounding
I told her in my heart is where she'll always be
She never messed with entertainers 'cause they always leave
She said it felt like they walked and drove on me
Knew I was gang affiliated, got on TV and told on me
I guess that's why last winter she got so cold on me
She said "'Ye, keep making that keep making that platinum and gold for me!"
I'm coming home again
Do you think about me now and then?
Do you think about me now and then?
'Cause I'm coming home again
Do you think about me now and then?
Do you think about me now and then?
'Cause I'm coming home again
Maybe we can start again
But if you really cared for her
Then you wouldn't have never hit the airport to follow your dreams
Sometimes I still talk to her, but when I talk to her
It always seems like she talking 'bout me
She said, "You left your kids, and they just like you
They want to rap and make soul beats just like you
But they just not you" and I just got through
Talking 'bout what niggas tryna do, just not new
Now everybody got the game figured out all wrong
I guess you never know what you got 'til it's gone
I guess that's why I'm here and I can't come back home
And guess when I heard that? When I was back home
Every interview I'm representing you, making you proud
Reach for the stars so if you fall, you land on a cloud
Jump in the crowd, spark your lighters, wave 'em around
If you don't know by now, I'm talking 'bout Chi-Town!
I'm coming home again
Do you think about me now and then?
Do you think about me now and then?
'Cause I'm coming home again
Maybe you, do you remember when?
Fireworks at Lake Michigan
Oh, now I'm coming home again
Maybe you, do you remember when?
Fireworks at Lake Michigan
Oh, now I'm coming home again
Maybe we can start again
The lyrics to Kanye West's "Homecoming" express the rapper's longing to return to his hometown of Chicago after achieving great success in the music industry. The song is a tribute to his hometown and the woman who showed him around the city when he was young. Through his lyrics, Kanye reminisces about the good times they shared, such as watching fireworks at Lake Michigan. However, he also addresses the woman's disappointment in him for leaving his family behind and pursuing his dreams.
The chorus serves as a plea for forgiveness and a desire to start over. Kanye reflects on his journey to fame and recognizes that he can't go back to the way things were before. He acknowledges the sacrifices he made and the toll they took on his relationships. However, he also takes pride in representing Chicago and encourages others to aim high and not give up on their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm coming home again
The singer is returning to their hometown.
Do you think about me now and then?
The singer is wondering if the person they are addressing ever thinks about them.
Do you think about me now and then?
The singer repeats their previous question, emphasizing their desire for an answer.
'Cause I'm coming home again
The artist repeats their purpose for returning to their hometown - to be home again.
I met this girl when I was 3 years old
The artist met a girl when they were young.
And what I loved most she had so much soul
The singer appreciated the girl's spirit and character.
She said 'Excuse me lil homey, I know you don't know me
The girl introduced herself to the singer when they first met.
But, my name is Windy and I like to blow trees'
The girl's name was Windy and she enjoyed smoking marijuana.
And from that point I never blow her off
The artist never ignored Windy after their initial meeting.
Niggas come from out of town, I like to show her off
The artist enjoyed showing off Windy to people who were not from their town.
They like to act tough, she like to tow 'em off
Windy was not intimidated by people who acted tough and would put them in their place.
And make 'em straighten up their hat 'cause she know they soft
Windy would assert her dominance over people she saw as weak.
And when I grew up she showed me how to go downtown
As the singer grew older, Windy taught them how to navigate the city.
In the nighttime her face lit up, so astounding
Windy's beauty was especially striking at night.
I told her in my heart is where she'll always be
The singer held Windy in high regard and valued her friendship.
She never messed with entertainers 'cause they always leave
Windy avoided entertainers because they tended to abandon their relationships.
She said it felt like they walked and drove on me
Windy felt used and taken advantage of by people in the entertainment industry.
Knew I was gang affiliated, got on TV and told on me
Someone with knowledge of the singer's gang affiliation exposed them on television.
I guess that's why last winter she got so cold on me
Windy distanced herself from the singer after their secret was made public.
She said ''Ye, keep making that keep making that platinum and gold for me!'
Despite their rocky relationship, Windy still encouraged the artist to continue making successful music.
Maybe we can start again
The artist hopes to reconnect and mend their relationship with Windy.
But if you really cared for her
The artist questions the loyalty of the person they are addressing in regards to Windy.
Then you wouldn't have never hit the airport to follow your dreams
The singer implies that the person they are addressing chose their aspirations over their relationship with Windy.
Sometimes I still talk to her, but when I talk to her
The artist still communicates with Windy, but their conversations are strained.
It always seems like she talking 'bout me
The singer feels like Windy is always criticizing them during their conversations.
She said 'You left your kids, and they just like you
Windy reminds the singer that they have a responsibility to their children, who have similar aspirations.
They want to rap and make soul beats just like you
The singer's children aspire to follow in their footsteps and pursue careers in music production and performance.
But they just not you' and I just got through
Windy acknowledges that the artist's children are talented, but they don't have the same unique qualities that the artist possesses.
Talking 'bout what niggas tryna do, just not new
The artist dismisses the idea that their children would be doing anything groundbreaking or innovative in their music careers.
Now everybody got the game figured out all wrong
The singer believes that the music industry has become predictable and formulaic.
I guess you never know what you got 'til it's gone
The singer reflects on how their relationship with Windy deteriorated over time.
And I can't come back home
The artist feels like they can no longer go back to their hometown.
And guess when I heard that? When I was back home
The artist recounts a moment when they first heard the news about their gang affiliation being made public while they were back in their hometown.
Every interview I'm representing you, making you proud
The artist feels like they are constantly representing their hometown, and by extension Windy, in their interviews and public appearances.
Reach for the stars so if you fall, you land on a cloud
The singer encourages aspiring artists to aim high and pursue their dreams.
Jump in the crowd, spark your lighters, wave 'em around
The artist encourages concert-goers to have a good time and participate in the show by using their lighters as a symbol.
If you don't know by now, I'm talking 'bout Chi-Town!
The singer emphasizes that their message and their success are tied to their hometown of Chicago.
Maybe you, do you remember when?
The singer asks if the person they are addressing recalls a specific memory.
Fireworks at Lake Michigan
The memory in question involved watching fireworks display at Lake Michigan.
Oh, now I'm coming home again
The artist reminds the person they are addressing that they will soon be returning to their hometown.
Maybe we can start again
The artist reiterates their desire to repair their relationship with Windy and potentially start anew.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTONY WILLIAMS, KANYE WEST, WARRYN CAMPBELL, CHRIS MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@OSyaz90
No matter what Kanye does or how irrationally he acts in the present day, nothing will ever take away from the fact that he’s made some of the best music in his generation.
@chrism7163
Thats what im saying
@chathamhart5637
onm
@MadCon93spiracy
he an artist, he emotional and sensitiv....he wants to prove himself to the world....problem he already way bigger than he realizes
Good luck yeezy...get well and be yourself.....fuck the rest cause u one o the best
@simulationone
Absolutely
@yvangogh6655
True!
@VCNO
“Reach for the starts so if you fall, you land on a cloud.” What a lyricist. ❤
@powderedphantom5765
Pit bull said reach for the stars so if you fall you land on the top of the world
@kavirajpremchand2753
mr worldwide @@powderedphantom5765
@tiaartistone
My favorite line ❤