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.
Last Call
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo, fuck you, Kanye, first and foremost
For making me do this shit, muhfucker
Had to throw everybody out the muhfuckin' room
'Cause they don't fuckin'
I'd like to propose a toast
I said toast, motherfucker
And I am
(Here's to the Roc)
And they ask me, they ask me, they ask me, I tell them
(Here's to Roc-A-Fella)
Raise your glasses, your glasses, your glasses to the sky and
(Here's to the Roc)
This is the last call for alcohol, for the
(Mr. Rockefeller)
So get your ass up off the wall
The all around the world Digital Underground Pac
The Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer of the Roc
I take my chain, my 15 seconds of fame
And come back next year with the whole fucking game
Ain't nobody expect Kanye to end up on top
They expected that College Dropout to drop and then flop
Then maybe he stop savin' all the good beats for himself
Roc-A-Fella's only niggas that helped
My money was thinner than Sean Paul's goatee hair
Now Jean Paul Gaultier cologne fill the air, here
They say he bougie, he big-headed
Would you please stop talking about how my dick head is
Flow infectious, give me 10 seconds
I'll have a buzz bigger than insects in Texas
It's funny how wasn't nobody interested
'Til the night I almost killed myself in Lexus
Now I am
(Here's to the Roc)
And they ask me, they ask me, they ask me, I tell them
(Here's to Roc-A-Fella)
Raise your glasses, your glasses, your glasses to the sky and
(Here's to the Roc)
This is the last call for alcohol, for the
(Mr. Rockefeller)
So get your ass up off the wall
Now was Kanye the most overlooked? Yes sir
Now is Kanye the most overbooked? Yes sir
Though the fans want the feeling of A Tribe Called Quest
But all they got left is this guy called West
That'll take Freeway, throw him on tracks with Mos Def
When you call him Kwa-li or Kwe-li, I put him on songs with Jay-Z
I'm the Gap like Banana Republic and Old Navy, and ooh
It come out sweeter than old Sadie
Nice as Bun-B when I met him at the Source awards
Girl he had with him, ass coulda won the horse awards
And I was almost famous, now everybody love Kanye
I'm almost Raymond
Some say he arrogant. Can y'all blame him?
It was straight embarrassing how y'all played him
Last year shoppin' my demo, I was tryna shine
Every motherfucker told me that I couldn't rhyme
Now I could let these dream killers kill my self-esteem
Or use my arrogance as the steam to power my dreams
I use it as my gas, so they say that I'm gassed
But without it I'd be last, so I ought to laugh
So I don't listen to the suits behind the desk no more
You niggas wear suits 'cause you can't dress no more
You can't say shit to Kanye West no more
I rocked 20,000 people, I was just on tour, nigga
I'm Kan, the Louis Vuitton Don
Bought my mom a purse, now she Louis Vuitton Mom
I ain't play the hand I was dealt, I changed my cards
I prayed to the skies and I changed my stars
I went to the malls and I balled too hard
"Oh my God, is that a black card?"
I turned around and replied, "Why yes
But I prefer the term African American Express"
Brains, power, and muscle, like Dame, Puffy, and Russell
Your boy back on his hustle, you know what I've been up to
Killin' y'all niggas on that lyrical shit
Mayonnaise-colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips
And I am
(Here's to the Roc)
And they ask me, they ask me, they ask me, I tell them
(Here's to Roc-A-Fella)
Raise your glasses, your glasses, your glasses to the sky and
(Here's to the Roc)
This is the last call for alcohol for my niggas
(Mr. Rockefeller)
So get your ass up off the wall
So this A&R over at Roc-A-Fella, named Hip Hop
Picked the "Truth" beat for Beanie
And I was in the session with him, I had my demo with me
You know, like I always do
I played a songs, he's like "Who that spittin'?" I'm like "It's me"
He's like, "Oh, okay."
Uh, he started talkin' to me on the phone, going back and forth
Just askin' me to send him beats
And I think he's tryna get into managing producers
'Cause he had this other kid named Just Blaze he was messin' with
And um, he was friends with my mentor, No I.D.
And No I.D. told him
"Look, man, if you wanna mess with Kanye you gotta tell him that you like the way he rap"
I was all, I dunno if he was gassin' me or not
But he's like he wanna manage me as a rapper and a producer
I'm like, oh shit
I was messin' with, uh, D-Dot also
People were like this, started talking about the ghost production
But that's how I got in the game
If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here
So you know, after they picked that "Truth" beat
I was figuring I was gonna get some more work
But shit just wasn't poppin' off like that
I was stayin' in Chicago, I had my own apartment
I be doin' like just beats for local acts just to try to keep the lights on
And then to go out and buy, get a Pelle Pelle off lay-away
Get some Jordans or something or get a TechnoMarine
That's what we wore back then
I made this one beat where I sped up this Harold Melvin sample
I played it for Hip over the phone
He's like, "Oh, yo that shit is crazy
Jay might want it for this compilation album he doin' called The Dynasty"
And at that time, like the drums really weren't soundin' right to me
So I went and um, I was listening to Dre Chronic 2001 at that time
And really I just, like bit the drums off "Xxplosive"
And put it like with it sped up sample
And now it's kind of like my whole style, where it started
When he rapped on "This Can't be Life"
And that was like, really the first beat of that kind that was on The Dynasty album
I could say that was the the resurgence of the soul sound
You know, I got to come in and track the beat
And at the time I was still with my other management
I really wanted to roll with Hip Hop
Just I, I just needed some fresh air, you know what I'm sayin'?
'Cause I, I been there for a while
I appreciate what they did for me but
You know there's a time in every man's life where he gotta make a change
And try to move up to the next level
That day I came and I tracked the beat and I got to meet Jay-Z and he said
"Oh, you a real soulful dude"
And he, uh, played the song 'cause he already spit his verse by the time I got to the studio
You know he do it one take
He said tell me what you think of this
And I heard it, and I was thinking like, man
I really wanted more like of the simple type Jay-Z
I ain't want like the, the more introspective, complicated rhy- or the, in my personal opinion
So he asked me, "What you think of it?"
And I was like, "Man, that shit tight," you know what I'm sayin'? What I'ma tell him?
I was on the train, man, you know
So after that I went back home
And, man I'm, I'm just in Chicago, I'm tryna do my thing
You know, I got groups, I got acts I'm tryna get on
And like wasn't nothin really like poppin' off the way it should have been
One of my homies that was one of my artists, he got signed
But it was supposed to really go through my production company
But he ended up going straight with the company
So, like I'm just straight holdin' the phone
Gettin' the bad news that dude was tryna leave my company
And I got evicted at the same time
So I went down and tracked the beats from him
And I took that money, came back, packed all my shit up in a U-Haul
Maybe about ten days before I had to actually get out
So I ain't have to deal with the landlord, 'cause he's a jerk
Me and my mother drove to
Newark, New Jersey, I hadn't even seen my apartment
I remember I pulled up, I unpacked all my shit
You know, we went to IKEA, I bought a bed, I put the bed together myself
I loaded up all my equipment, and the first beat I made was, uh, "Heart of the City"
And Beans was still working on his album at that time
So I came up there to Baseline, it was Beans' birthday, matter of fact
And I played like seven beats
And, you know I guess he was in the zone, he already had the beats that he wanted
I had did "Nothing Like It" already at that time
But then Jay walked in
I remember he had a Gucci bucket hat on
I remember it like, like it was yesterday
And Hip Hop said, "Yo, play that one beat for him"
So I played "Heart of the City"
And really I made "Heart of the City," I really wanted to give that beat to DMX
Then I played another beat, then I played another beat
And I remember that Gucci bucket, he took it and like put it over his face
And made one of them faces like, ooh
Two days later I'm in Baseline and I seen Dame
Dame didn't know who I was and I was like, "Yo, what's up I'm Kanye"
"You that kid that gave all them beats to Jay? Yo, this nigga got classics to your beats, B"
You know how he talk his shit
I'm like "oh, shit"
And all this time I'm starstruck, man
I'm still thinking 'bout, you know I'm picturing these niggas on the show
The Streets is Watching or whatever
I'm lookin', these were superstars in my eyes
And they still are, you know
So, Jay came in and he spit all these songs like in one day, and in two days
I gotta bring up one thing, you know, go back to in story
The day I did the 'Can't be Life' beat I tracked
I remember Lenny S, he had some Louis Vuitton sneakers on, he think he fly
And Hip Hop was there, I think Ty-Ty, John Meneilly, a bunch of people
I didn't know all these people at the time, they was in the room, and I said, "Yo, Jay I could rap"
And I spit this rap that said, uh "I'm killin' y'all niggas on that lyrical shit
Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push miracle whips"
And I saw his eyes light up when I said that line
But you know the rest, the rap was like real wack and shit, so that's all the response
He said, "Man, that was tight"
And that was it, you know, I ain't get no deal or nothin'
Okay, fast forward
So, Blueprint, "H to the Izzo," my first hit single
And I just took that proudly, built relationships with people
My relationship with Kweli I think was one of the best ones to ever happen to my career as a rapper
Because, you know, of course later he allowed me to go on tour with him
Man, I appre-, I love him for that
And at this time, you know I didn't have a deal
I had songs, and I had relationships with all these A&R's
'Cause they wanted beats from me, so they'd call me up, I'd play them some beats
"Gimme a beat that sound like Jay-Z"
You know, they dick riders, whatever
So I'll play them these post-Blueprint beats or whatever and then I'll play my shit
I'll be like, "Yo, but I rap too"
Ayy, I guess they was lookin' at me crazy 'cause you know
'Cause I ain't have a jersey on or whatever
Everybody out there listen here
I played them 'Jesus Walks' and they didn't sign me
You know what happened, it was some A&R's that fucked with me though
But then like the heads, it'd be somebody at the company that'll say "nah"
Like, Dave Lighty fucked with me, my nigga Mel brought me to a bunch of labels
Jessica Rivera, man
I'm not gonna say nothin' to mess my promotion up
Let's just say I ain't get my deal
The nigga that was behind me, I mean, he wasn't even a nigga
The person that actually kicked everything off was Joe 3H from Capitol Records
He wanted to sign me really bad
Dame was like, "Yo, you got a deal with Capitol? Okay, man, just make sure it's not wack"
Then one day I just went ahead and played it
I wanted to play some songs, cause you know Cam was in the room, Young Guru, and Dame was in the room
So I played, actually it's a song you'll never hear
Well maybe I might use it so, it's called 'Wow'
I go to Jacob with 25 thou', you go with 25 hundred, wow
I got eleven plaques on my walls right now
You got your first gold single, damn, nigga, wow"
Like the chorus went like
Don't bite that chorus, I might still use it
So I play that song for him and he's like "oh, shit"
"I ain't gonna front, it's kinda hot"
Like they still weren't looking at me like a rapper
And I'm sure Dame figured
Like, man, if he do a whole album, if his raps is wack
At least we can throw Cam on every song and save the album, you know
So, uh, Dame took me into the hallway
He's like "Yo, man, B, B, you don't want a brick, you don't want a brick"
"You gotta be under an umbrella or you'll get rained on"
I told Hip Hop and Hip Hop was like, "oh, word?"
Actually, even with that I was still about to take the deal with Capitol
'Cause it was already on the table and 'cause of my relationship with 3H
That, you know, 'cause I told him I was gonna do it, and I'm a man of my word
I was gonna roll with what I said I was gonna do
Then, you know, I'm not gonna name no names
But people told me, "Oh, he's just a producer rapper"
And told 3H that told the heads of the Capitol
And right, the day I'm talking about, I planned out everything I was gonna do, man
I had picked out clothes, I already started booking studio sessions
I started arranging my album, thinking of marketing schemes, man, I was ready to go
And, and they had Mel call me, they said, "Yo, Capitol pulled on the deal"
And, you know I told them that Roc-A-Fella was interested and
I don't know if they thought that was just something I was saying to gas them up
To try to push the price up or whatever
I went up,I called G, I said, "Man, you think we could still get that deal with Roc-A-Fella?"
So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
The lyrics to Kanye West's song "Last Call" provide insight into his journey in the music industry and his rise to success. The song begins with Kanye expressing frustration at being pushed to rap by others in the room and having to kick them out. He then raises a toast, celebrating his success and the support he received from Roc-A-Fella Records.
Kanye reflects on his early days as an unknown artist, stating that no one expected him to succeed. He mentions his first album, "College Dropout," and how people expected it to flop. However, Roc-A-Fella was the only record label that believed in him and helped him launch his career. He talks about the moments leading up to his breakthrough, acknowledging the doubts and struggles he faced along the way.
The lyrics also touch on Kanye's attitude and perceived arrogance, which he sees as a driving force behind his success. He credits his confidence and ambition for propelling him forward and mentions the near-fatal incident in a Lexus car that brought attention to him. Kanye embraces his unique style and acknowledges the criticism he faces for being different.
Towards the end of the song, Kanye reflects on the relationships he built with industry professionals and the challenges he faced in securing a record deal. He mentions how Capitol Records initially showed interest in signing him, but due to the perception that he was just a producer-rapper, they pulled out. Eventually, he found support from Roc-A-Fella Records, and he is grateful for the opportunity.
Overall, "Last Call" showcases Kanye West's determination, resilience, and belief in his own talent, while also providing a glimpse into the highs and lows of his journey in the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
(Let's run it, let's run it, let's run it)
Let's get started and make things happen
Yo, fuck you, Kanye, first and foremost
I'm frustrated with Kanye for making me go through this process
For making me do this shit, muhfucker
Kanye has pushed me to the point of needing to do this
Had to throw everybody out the muhfuckin' room
I had to remove everyone from the room because they were not cooperating
'Cause they don't fuckin'
Because they weren't supportive or interested in what I was doing
I'd like to propose a toast
I want to make a celebratory statement
I said toast, motherfucker
Let's raise a glass and celebrate
And I am
I am now ready to speak
(Here's to the Roc)
Cheers to Roc-A-Fella
And they ask me, they ask me, they ask me, I tell them
People ask me about my success and I tell them
(Here's to Roc-A-Fella)
Cheers to Roc-A-Fella again
Raise your glasses, your glasses, your glasses to the sky and
Lift your glasses high to celebrate
(Here's to the Roc)
Cheers to Roc-A-Fella once more
This is the last call for alcohol, for the
This is the final opportunity to celebrate and drink to
(Mr. Rockefeller)
Cheers to Mr. Rockefeller
So get your ass up off the wall
Stop standing around and join in the celebration
The all around the world Digital Underground Pac
Referring to the influence of global hip hop legends like Digital Underground and Tupac Shakur
The Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer of the Roc
An important, but often overlooked figure in the Roc-A-Fella label
I take my chain, my 15 seconds of fame
I take my moment in the spotlight, no matter how short it may be
And come back next year with the whole fucking game
I aim to come back even stronger next year and dominate the entire industry
Ain't nobody expect Kanye to end up on top
No one expected Kanye to achieve such huge success
They expected that College Dropout to drop and then flop
People expected Kanye's album to be a failure after the College Dropout
Then maybe he stop savin' all the good beats for himself
People speculated that Kanye was only keeping the best beats for his own projects
Roc-A-Fella's only niggas that helped
Roc-A-Fella was the only label that supported Kanye's success
My money was thinner than Sean Paul's goatee hair
I had very little money, similar to Sean Paul's thin goatee hair
Now Jean Paul Gaultier cologne fill the air, here
Now I'm surrounded by luxury and success, represented by the scent of high-end cologne
They say he bougie, he big-headed
People accuse Kanye of being too high-class and arrogant
Would you please stop talking about how my dick head is
Please stop focusing on my ego and arrogance
Flow infectious, give me 10 seconds
My rapping style is captivating and grabs attention instantly
I'll have a buzz bigger than insects in Texas
I'll become widely popular and influential, surpassing even the buzz of Texas insects
It's funny how wasn't nobody interested
It's ironic how no one was interested in me before
'Til the night I almost killed myself in Lexus
Until the night I almost committed suicide in my Lexus
Now was Kanye the most overlooked? Yes sir
Was Kanye underestimated and ignored? Yes, indeed
Now is Kanye the most overbooked? Yes sir
Now am I in high demand and overwhelmed with opportunities? Yes, indeed
Though the fans want the feeling of A Tribe Called Quest
Fans desire the nostalgic vibes of A Tribe Called Quest
But all they got left is this guy called West
But all they have now is me, Kanye West
That'll take Freeway, throw him on tracks with Mos Def
I collaborate with artists like Freeway and Mos Def to create amazing tracks
When you call him Kwa-li or Kwe-li, I put him on songs with Jay-Z
When people mispronounce his name, I put him on tracks with Jay-Z
I'm the Gap like Banana Republic and Old Navy, and ooh
I am versatile and can appeal to different markets, like Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy
It come out sweeter than old Sadie
The final product turns out better than expected
Nice as Bun-B when I met him at the Source awards
I impressed Bun-B when I met him at the Source awards
Girl he had with him, ass coulda won the horse awards
The girl he was with had an incredible physique, deserving of an award
And I was almost famous, now everybody love Kanye
I was once almost famous, but now everyone loves and admires me
I'm almost Raymond
I am striving for even greater success, just like Usher's alter ego, Raymond
Some say he arrogant. Can y'all blame him?
Some criticize me for being arrogant, but can you really blame me?
It was straight embarrassing how y'all played him
It was humiliating how everyone underestimated me
Last year shoppin' my demo, I was tryna shine
Last year, I was trying to make a name for myself and showcase my talent
Every motherfucker told me that I couldn't rhyme
Everyone doubted my skills as a rapper, saying I couldn't rhyme
Now I could let these dream killers kill my self-esteem
I could let these people who want to crush my dreams destroy my confidence
Or use my arrogance as the steam to power my dreams
Instead, I use my confidence and arrogance as fuel to drive me towards my dreams
I use it as my gas, so they say that I'm gassed
I use my confidence as motivation to prove my critics wrong, even if they say I'm exaggerating
But without it I'd be last, so I ought to laugh
But without my confidence, I would be left behind, so I have to laugh at the doubters
So I don't listen to the suits behind the desk no more
I no longer pay attention to the executives in suits making decisions
You niggas wear suits 'cause you can't dress no more
You wear suits to compensate for your lack of style
You can't say shit to Kanye West no more
You have nothing to say to Kanye West anymore, as I have achieved great success
I rocked 20,000 people, I was just on tour, nigga
I performed in front of 20,000 people while on tour, man
I'm Kan, the Louis Vuitton Don
I am known as Kan, the personification of luxury and success
Bought my mom a purse, now she Louis Vuitton Mom
I bought my mom a designer purse, now she's known as Louis Vuitton Mom
I ain't play the hand I was dealt, I changed my cards
I didn't accept my circumstances, I worked hard to change my situation
I prayed to the skies and I changed my stars
I prayed for a better future and made my own destiny
I went to the malls and I balled too hard
I went to the shopping malls and spent extravagantly
"Oh my God, is that a black card?"
"Wow, is that a prestigious black credit card?"
I turned around and replied, "Why yes
I responded, "Yes, it is
But I prefer the term African American Express"
But I prefer to call it an African American Express card"
Brains, power, and muscle, like Dame, Puffy, and Russell
I possess intelligence, influence, and strength, similar to figures like Dame Dash, Puff Daddy, and Russell Simmons
Your boy back on his hustle, you know what I've been up to
I am back to hustling and working hard, you know what I've been doing
Killin' y'all niggas on that lyrical shit
I am dominating everyone with my lyrical skills
Mayonnaise-colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips
I drive a white Mercedes-Benz that stands out, representing my success
So this A&R over at Roc-A-Fella, named Hip Hop
There was an A&R executive named Hip Hop at Roc-A-Fella
Picked the "Truth" beat for Beanie
He chose the beat for Beanie Sigel's song "Truth"
And I was in the session with him, I had my demo with me
I was present in the recording session with Beanie Sigel, and I had my own demo with me
You know, like I always do
As I usually do
I played a songs, he's like "Who that spittin'?" I'm like "It's me"
I played some songs, he asked who was rapping, and I proudly said it was me
He's like, "Oh, okay."
He responded casually, showing interest
Uh, he started talkin' to me on the phone, going back and forth
We began a conversation over the phone, discussing various topics
Just askin' me to send him beats
He asked me to send him more beats
And I think he's tryna get into managing producers
I believe he wants to explore managing producers as well
'Cause he had this other kid named Just Blaze he was messin' with
He was also working with another young producer named Just Blaze
And um, he was friends with my mentor, No I.D.
He had a connection with my mentor, No I.D.
And No I.D. told him
No I.D. advised him
"Look, man, if you wanna mess with Kanye you gotta tell him that you like the way he rap"
"If you want to work with Kanye, you have to compliment his rapping skills"
I was all, I dunno if he was gassin' me or not
I wasn't sure if he was genuinely impressed or just trying to flatter me
But he's like he wanna manage me as a rapper and a producer
He expressed his interest in managing me both as a rapper and a producer
I'm like, oh shit
I was surprised and excited by the opportunity
I was messin' with, uh, D-Dot also
I was also working with Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie
People were like this, started talking about the ghost production
People began speculating about ghost production and who was actually creating the beats
But that's how I got in the game
That's how I initially entered the music industry
If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here
If it wasn't for those opportunities, I wouldn't have achieved success
So you know, after they picked that "Truth" beat
After they chose the beat for "Truth"
I was figuring I was gonna get some more work
I anticipated receiving more opportunities and projects
But shit just wasn't poppin' off like that
But things didn't work out as anticipated
I was stayin' in Chicago, I had my own apartment
I was living in Chicago, in my own apartment
I be doin' like just beats for local acts just to try to keep the lights on
I was producing beats for local artists in order to make ends meet
And then to go out and buy, get a Pelle Pelle off lay-away
I would save up money to buy a Pelle Pelle jacket on layaway
Get some Jordans or something or get a TechnoMarine
I would splurge on things like Air Jordans or a TechnoMarine watch
That's what we wore back then
That was the fashion trend at the time
I made this one beat where I sped up this Harold Melvin sample
I created a beat by increasing the tempo of a Harold Melvin sample
I played it for Hip over the phone
I shared the beat with Hip Hop over the phone
He's like, "Oh, yo that shit is crazy
He responded enthusiastically, saying that the beat was amazing
Jay might want it for this compilation album he doin' called The Dynasty"
Jay-Z might be interested in using it for his compilation album, The Dynasty
And at that time, like the drums really weren't soundin' right to me
At that time, I felt that the drums in the beat needed improvement
So I went and um, I was listening to Dre Chronic 2001 at that time
So I listened to Dr. Dre's Chronic 2001 album for inspiration
And really I just, like bit the drums off "Xxplosive"
I borrowed the drums from the song "Xxplosive" in the process
And put it like with it sped up sample
I combined it with the sped-up sample
And now it's kind of like my whole style, where it started
That became the foundation of my signature style
When he rapped on "This Can't be Life"
When he recorded his verse for the song "This Can't Be Life"
And that was like, really the first beat of that kind that was on The Dynasty album
That was the first beat of its kind to be featured on The Dynasty album
I could say that was the the resurgence of the soul sound
That marked the revival of the soulful sound in hip hop
You know, I got to come in and track the beat
I had the opportunity to record and produce the beat
And at the time I was still with my other management
At that time, I was still working with my previous management team
I really wanted to roll with Hip Hop
I really wanted to sign with Hip Hop as my new manager
Just I, I just needed some fresh air, you know what I'm sayin'?
I needed a change and a fresh start
'Cause I, I been there for a while
Because I had been in the same situation for a long time
I appreciate what they did for me but
I'm grateful for their support, but
You know there's a time in every man's life where he gotta make a change
At some point, everyone needs to make a change in their life
And try to move up to the next level
And aim to reach the next level of success
That day I came and I tracked the beat and I got to meet Jay-Z and he said
On that day, I recorded the beat and got the chance to meet Jay-Z. He said
"Oh, you a real soulful dude"
"Oh, you have a genuine soulful vibe"
And he, uh, played the song 'cause he already spit his verse by the time I got to the studio
He played the song because he had already recorded his verse before I arrived at the studio
You know he do it one take
He is known for recording his verses in a single take
He said tell me what you think of this
He asked for my opinion on the song
And I heard it, and I was thinking like, man
When I heard it, I was thinking
I really wanted more like of the simple type Jay-Z
I was hoping for a more straightforward and simple Jay-Z style on the song
I ain't want like the, the more introspective, complicated rhy- or the, in my personal opinion
I didn't want the more introspective and complex rhymes, but that's just my personal opinion
So he asked me, "What you think of it?"
He asked for my honest opinion on the song
And I was like, "Man, that shit tight," you know what I'm sayin'? What I'ma tell him?
I responded, "Man, that song is great," you know? What else can I say?
I was on the train, man, you know
I was on the right path, you know
So after that I went back home
After that, I returned home
And, man I'm, I'm just in Chicago, I'm tryna do my thing
I was just in Chicago, trying to make a name for myself
You know, I got groups, I got acts I'm tryna get on
I had artists and groups I was trying to promote
And like wasn't nothin really like poppin' off the way it should have been
But nothing was happening as expected
One of my homies that was one of my artists, he got signed
One of my friends who I was managing as an artist got signed
But it was supposed to really go through my production company
But the deal was supposed to be made with my production company
But he ended up going straight with the company
But he ended up signing directly with the record label
So, like I'm just straight holdin' the phone
So, I'm just left with disappointment
Gettin' the bad news that dude was tryna leave my company
Receiving the bad news that the artist was trying to leave my company
And I got evicted at the same time
I also faced eviction around the same time
So I went down and tracked the beats from him
I went down to his studio and recorded the beats he wanted
And I took that money, came back, packed all my shit up in a U-Haul
I used the payment for the beats to rent a U-Haul and pack up my belongings
Maybe about ten days before I had to actually get out
Just about ten days before I had to move out of my place
So I ain't have to deal with the landlord, 'cause he's a jerk
I avoided dealing with the unpleasant landlord by leaving ahead of time
Me and my mother drove to Newark, New Jersey, I hadn't even seen my apartment
Me and my mother drove to Newark, New Jersey, and I hadn't even seen my new apartment
I remember I pulled up, I unpacked all my shit
I arrived, unpacked all my belongings
You know, we went to IKEA, I bought a bed, I put the bed together myself
We went to IKEA, bought a bed, and I assembled it on my own
I loaded up all my equipment, and the first beat I made was, uh, "Heart of the City"
I set up all my equipment, and the first beat I created in my new place was "Heart of the City"
And Beans was still working on his album at that time
Beanie Sigel was still in the process of working on his album
So I came up there to Baseline, it was Beans' birthday, matter of fact
I went to Baseline Studios where Beanie was recording, and it happened to be his birthday
And I played like seven beats
I played around seven beats for them
And, you know I guess he was in the zone, he already had the beats that he wanted
Beanie was focused and already had the beats he wanted for his album
I had did "Nothing Like It" already at that time
I had already produced the beat for the song "Nothing Like It"
But then Jay walked in
But then Jay-Z walked into the studio
I remember he had a Gucci bucket hat on
I vividly remember him wearing a Gucci bucket hat
I remember it like, like it was yesterday
I remember it very clearly, as if it happened yesterday
And Hip Hop said, "Yo, play that one beat for him"
Hip Hop requested that I play that specific beat for Jay-Z
So I played "Heart of the City"
I played "Heart of the City" for him
And really I made "Heart of the City," I really wanted to give that beat to DMX
I originally made "Heart of the City" with the intention of giving it to DMX
Then I played another beat, then I played another beat
After that, I played another beat, and then another one
And I remember that Gucci bucket, he took it and like put it over his face
I remember Jay-Z taking the Gucci bucket hat and covering his face with it
And made one of them faces like, ooh
He made an impressed or surprised expression
Two days later I'm in Baseline and I seen Dame
Two days later, I was at Baseline Studios and I saw Dame Dash
Dame didn't know who I was and I was like, "Yo, what's up I'm Kanye"
Dame didn't recognize me, so I introduced myself as Kanye
"You that kid that gave all them beats to Jay? Yo, this nigga got classics to your beats, B"
"You're the kid who gave all those beats to Jay? This guy has made classics with your beats, man"
You know how he talk his shit
You know how he boasts and talks confidently
I'm like "oh, shit"
I was surprised and impressed
And all this time I'm starstruck, man
Throughout all of this, I'm still in awe of these famous individuals
I'm still thinking 'bout, you know I'm picturing these niggas on the show
I'm still thinking about them, picturing them on TV shows and in the industry
The Streets is Watching or whatever
Shows or events like The Streets is Watching
I'm lookin', these were superstars in my eyes
I viewed them as superstars
And they still are, you know
And they still are, even now
So, Jay came in and he spit all these songs like in one day, and in two days
Jay-Z came in and recorded multiple songs in just one or two days
I gotta bring up one thing, you know, go back to in story
I need to mention one thing that happened earlier in the story
The day I did the 'Can't be Life' beat I tracked
The day I produced the beat for 'Can't Be Life'
I remember Lenny S, he had some Louis Vuitton sneakers on, he think he fly
I recall Lenny S wearing Louis Vuitton sneakers, thinking he was stylish
And Hip Hop was there, I think Ty-Ty, John Meneilly, a bunch of people
Hip Hop, Ty-Ty, John Meneilly, and others were present
I didn't know all these people at the time, they was in the room
At that time, I wasn't familiar with all these people who were in the room
And I said, "Yo, Jay I could rap"
I confidently told Jay-Z that I could rap
And I spit this rap that said, uh "I'm killin' y'all niggas on that lyrical shit
I rapped a verse that said, "I'm outshining all of you with my lyrical skills"
Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push miracle whips"
"I drive a white Benz and make miracles happen"
And I saw his eyes light up when I said that line
I noticed his eyes brighten up when I delivered that specific line
But you know the rest, the rap was like real wack and shit, so that's all the response
But the rest of my rap was mediocre, so that's all the response I received
He said, "Man, that was tight"
"Man, that was good"
And that was it, you know, I ain't get no deal or nothin'
That was the end of it, I didn't get a deal or anything
Okay, fast forward
Now let's jump ahead
So, Blueprint, "H to the Izzo," my first hit single
So, with the album Blueprint and the hit single "H to the Izzo", I achieved success
And I just took that proudly, built relationships with people
I embraced that success and formed connections with others
My relationship with Kweli I think was one of the best ones to ever happen to my career as a rapper
My friendship with Kweli was one of the most beneficial things for my rap career
Because, you know, of course later he allowed me to go on tour with him
Because, later on, he invited me to join him on tour
Man, I appre-, I love him for that
I truly appreciate and love him for that
And at this time, you know I didn't have a deal
At this time, I didn't have a record deal
I had songs, and I had relationships with all these A&R's
I had songs and connections with many A&R executives
'Cause they wanted beats from me, so they'd call me up, I'd play them some beats
They wanted beats from me, so they would call me, and I would play them some of my beats
"Gimme a beat that sound like Jay-Z"
"Give me a beat that sounds like Jay-Z"
You know, they dick riders, whatever
They were simply trying to imitate or please others
So I'll play them these post-Blueprint beats or whatever and then I'll play my shit
I would play them beats similar to those on Jaz-Z's Blueprint album, and then I would play my own beats
I'll be like, "Yo, but I rap too"
I would say, "I also rap"
Ayy, I guess they was lookin' at me crazy 'cause you know
They probably looked at me weird because
'Cause I ain't have a jersey on or whatever
I wasn't dressed or representing a specific basketball team
Everybody out there listen here
Everyone listening to this
I played them 'Jesus Walks' and they didn't sign me
I played them 'Jesus Walks', but they didn't sign me
You know what happened, it was some A&R's that fucked with me though
Some A&R executives did appreciate my work
But then like the heads, it'd be somebody at the company that'll say "nah"
But the executives in charge would ultimately reject me
Like Dave Lighty fucked with me, my nigga Mel brought me to a bunch of labels
Dave Lighty showed interest in me, and my friend Mel introduced me to various record labels
Jessica Rivera, man
Jessica Rivera, she played a role
I'm not gonna say nothin' to mess my promotion up
I won't say anything negative to ruin my chances of success
Let's just say I ain't get my deal
Let's just say I didn't get a record deal
The nigga that was behind me, I mean, he wasn't even a nigga
The person who supported me, although not Black himself
The person that actually kicked everything off was Joe 3H from Capitol Records
The person who initiated everything was Joe 3H from Capitol Records
He wanted to sign me really bad
He had a strong desire to sign me
Dame was like, "Yo, you got a deal with Capitol? Okay, man, just make sure it's not wack"
Dame responded, "Oh, you have a deal with Capitol? Just make sure it's a good one"
Then one day I just went ahead and played it
One day, I decided to take a risk and play my music
I wanted to play some songs, cause you know Cam was in the room, Young Guru, and Dame was in the room
I wanted to share some of my songs with Cam, Young Guru, and Dame who were present
So I played, actually it's a song you'll never hear
So I played a song that will never be released
Well maybe I might use it so, it's called 'Wow'
Well, I might actually use it in the future, it's called 'Wow'
I go to Jacob with 25 thou', you go with 25 hundred, wow
I go to Jacob the Jeweler with $25,000, while you only have $2,500, a big difference
I got eleven plaques on my walls right now
I have eleven platinum records displayed on my walls
You got your first gold single, damn, nigga, wow"
You just achieved your first gold single, impressive
Like the chorus went like
The chorus went something like
Don't bite that chorus, I might still use it
Don't copy that chorus, I might still use it in the future
So I play that song for him and he's like "oh, shit"
I played that song for Jay-Z, and he responds with surprise and excitement
"I ain't gonna front, it's kinda hot"
"I won't lie, it's quite impressive"
Like they still weren't looking at me like a rapper
They still didn't view me primarily as a rapper
And I'm sure Dame figured
And I'm sure Dame assumed
Like, man, if he do a whole album, if his raps is wack
Like, if he were to release a whole album and his raps were bad
At least we can throw Cam on every song and save the album, you know
At least we can feature Cam on every song to salvage the album
So, uh, Dame took me into the hallway
So, Dame took me to the hallway for a conversation
He's like "Yo, man, B, B, you don't want a brick, you don't want a brick"
He advised, "You don't want your album to be a failure"
"You gotta be under an umbrella or you'll get rained on"
"You need to be part of a bigger company to succeed"
I told Hip Hop and Hip Hop was like, "oh, word?"
I shared the advice with Hip Hop, and he responded with surprise and interest
Actually, even with that I was still about to take the deal with Capitol
Despite the advice, I was still considering signing with Capitol
'Cause it was already on the table and 'cause of my relationship with 3H
Because the deal was already presented and I had a good relationship with 3H
That, you know, 'cause I told him I was gonna do it, and I'm a man of my word
I had previously expressed my intention to sign with Capitol and I believe in keeping my word
I was gonna roll with what I said I was gonna do
I intended to follow through with my previous plan
Then, you know, I'm not gonna name no names
Then, you know, I won't mention any names
But people told me, "Oh, he's just a producer rapper"
But others told me, "Oh, he's just a producer who raps"
And told 3H that told the heads of the Capitol
And they informed 3H, who in turn relayed the message to the higher-ups at Capitol Records
And right, the day I'm talking about, I planned out everything I was gonna do, man
On that specific day that I'm referring to, I had everything planned out
I had picked out clothes, I already started booking studio sessions
I had chosen my outfits and scheduled studio sessions
I started arranging my album, thinking of marketing schemes, man, I was ready to go
I began organizing my album and brainstorming marketing strategies, I was fully prepared
And, and they had Mel call me, they said, "Yo, Capitol pulled on the deal"
Then, they had Mel contact me and inform me that Capitol had backed out of the deal
And, you know I told them that Roc-A-Fella was interested and
I had informed them that Roc-A-Fella was interested in signing me
I don't know if they thought that was just something I was saying to gas them up
They may have thought I was just trying to impress them with false information
To try to push the price up or whatever
To potentially negotiate for better terms or a higher fee
I went up,I called G, I said, "Man, you think we could still get that deal with Roc-A-Fella?"
I went up, I called G, and asked, "Do you think we can still secure a deal with Roc-A-Fella?"
So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you celebrate and raise your glass?
So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you join in and raise your glass?
So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you celebrate and raise your glass?
So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you join in and raise your glass?
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: Antony Williams, Kanye West, Kenneth Lewis, Michael Perretta
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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