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.
Late )
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you had a taste of that, you'd probably pay for that
I'm comin in when I feel like
So turn this motherfucker up only if it feels right
I'll be late for that, I can't wait for that
I think I was made for that
So I'm comin in when I feel like
So turn this muh'fucker up only if it feels right
Stop all your blood clot cryin, I was flyin'
Made it to school with barely 'nuff time to sign in
Yeah I hear the alarm, yeah I hear ya mom
Yeah yeah I don't wan' be broke when I'm 31
They said the best classes go to the fastest
Sorry Mr. West there's no good classes, and that's what yo' ass get
Not even electives? Not even pre-requits?
You mean I missed my major by a couple of seconds?
Now I'm in the shop class or the basket weavin
With all the rest of the muh'fuckers underachievin
Man, this is an insult
I went to junior high with all of them and they been slow
If I can catch the beat then slow down the tempo
Just throw this at the end if I'm too late for the intro
Will I make it from the student loans to a Benz-o?
Like old folks pissin, I guess it all depends, oh, oh
Stop your cryin baby
I'll be late for that, baby I'll wait for that
If you had a taste of that, you'd probably pay for that
I'm comin in when I feel like
So turn this motherfucker up only if it feels right
I'll be late for that, I can't wait for that
I think I was made for that
So I'm comin in when I feel like
So turn this muh'fucker up only if it feels right
You know when you be late you miss all the lights
That's right (that's right) that's right (that's right)
And when you get back she gon' start up a fight
That night (that night) that night
Baby it's too late for that, lately I've been takin it slow
Try and make it to the party 'fore the guest list close
With the freshest hoes, the professors know
We about to get real unprofessional
Like them eskimos, what would you do for a Klondike?
Or two dykes that look Christina Milian like
Hmmm, I'll be on time for that
I ain't thought of no line that could rhyme with that
Yo, I'll be there in five minutes, five hours later
I'll be there in five minutes, go 'head ride with it
I'm so live with it, look how I did it
Been bullshittin but I finally arrived with it
I know it's late and I took all year but
You can stop complainin cause I'm finally here, yeah
The song "Late" by Kanye West is a track from his album "Late Registration" released in 2005. The song is an interesting commentary on punctuality and the pressure to be on time. It features a catchy chorus that repeats the phrase "I'll be late for that" and verses that delve into West's personal experiences with being late.
The first verse opens with West saying he will be late for something but he will wait for it as he thinks he is made for it. He continues to say that he will only turn up the music if it feels right. The next verse delves into West's school life where he struggled to find classes that were suitable for him, and upon missing his major by seconds, he ends up in shop class, feeling insulted. The final verse is more upbeat and highlights the importance of getting to parties before the guest list closes, and features West's signature wordplay as he rhymes about being on time.
Through the lyrics of "Late," West explores the societal expectations of being on time, while also highlighting the personal struggles and pressures he's had in his own life. He also shines a light on the importance of attending events, and the social status that comes along with being punctual. Overall, the song is a hyperbolic but relatable take on the culture of punctuality.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be late for that, baby I'll wait for that
I will not be prompt for certain appointments, but I'll be patient enough to wait for them.
If you had a taste of that, you'd probably pay for that
If you have a sample of something, you'd definitely pay for the real deal.
I'm comin in when I feel like
I will arrive at a place when I feel like it.
So turn this motherfucker up only if it feels right
Only turn up this sound system if it feels appropriate.
Stop all your blood clot cryin, I was flyin'
Stop all of your irrational crying, I was traveling fast.
Made it to school with barely 'nuff time to sign in
Arrived at school just on time to sign in.
Yeah I hear the alarm, yeah I hear ya mom
I heard the alarm and my mother as she woke me up.
Sorry Mr. West there's no good classes, and that's what yo' ass get
Sorry, Mr. West, but there are no great classes and that is your fault.
Not even electives? Not even pre-requits?
You mean, there are no electives? or even pre-requisites?
You mean I missed my major by a couple of seconds?
I missed my major by just a few seconds.
Now I'm in the shop class or the basket weavin'
I'm taking the shop class or even sewing baskets with others who are failing or underachieving.
With all the rest of the muh'fuckers underachievin
I'm in the class with everyone else who is failing.
I went to junior high with all of them and they been slow
I worked with them all in junior high, and they've always been slow.
If I can catch the beat then slow down the tempo
If I can catch the rhythm, I might be able to slow it down a bit.
Just throw this at the end if I'm too late for the intro
Just throw this at the end of the intro if I'm a bit late.
Will I make it from the student loans to a Benz-o?
Will I be able to repay my loans till the time I can afford a Mercedes?
Like old folks pissin, I guess it all depends, oh, oh
Like old people needing to urinate, the timing depends on a lot of variables.
You know when you be late you miss all the lights
If you are late, you will miss all the traffic lights.
And when you get back she gon' start up a fight
When you get home, she'll start a fight.
Baby it's too late for that, lately I've been takin it slow
Honey, it's too late for that; lately, I've been taking things slowly.
Try and make it to the party 'fore the guest list close
Let's try to get to the party before the guest list closes.
With the freshest hoes, the professors know
With the newest individuals, the teachers know.
We about to get real unprofessional
We are about to act unprofessionally.
Like them eskimos, what would you do for a Klondike?
Like the Eskimos, what would you do for a Klondike bar?
Or two dykes that look Christina Milian like
Or two women who look like Christina Milian.
Hmmm, I'll be on time for that
Hmm, I'll arrive on time for that.
I ain't thought of no line that could rhyme with that
I haven't thought of a sentence that rhymes with that.
Yo, I'll be there in five minutes, five hours later
Yo, I'll be there in five minutes. Five hours later.
I'll be there in five minutes, go 'head ride with it
I'll be there in five minutes; go ahead and use that time effectively.
I'm so live with it, look how I did it
I feel so alive with this experience; look how I've accomplished it.
Been bullshittin but I finally arrived with it
I've been wasting time, but I've finally arrived now.
I know it's late and I took all year but
I understand that it's late and that it took me all year to get here.
You can stop complainin cause I'm finally here, yeah
You can stop complaining because I'm finally here now.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE KERR, SYLVIA ROBINSON, KANYE WEST, KANYE OMARI WEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
OhReally
Lyrics
Intro]
Little girl (A-ha-ha-ha-ha...)
Please stop your crying
[Chorus]
I'll be late for that, baby, I'll wait for that
If you had a taste of that, you'd probably pay for that
I'm comin' in when I feel like
So turn this motherfucker up only if it feels right
I'll be late for that, I can't wait for that
I think I was made for that
So I'm comin' in when I feel like
So turn this motherfucker up only if it feels right
[Refrain]
Little girl (A-ha-ha-ha-ha...)
Please stop your crying
[Verse 1]
Stop all your blood clot cryin', I was flyin'
Made it to school with barely enough time to sign in
Yeah, I hear the alarm, yeah, I hear you, Mom
Yeah, yeah, I don't wan' be broke when I'm thirty-one
They said the best classes go to the fastest, sorry, Mr. West
There's no good classes, and that's what yo' ass get
Not even electives? Not even prerequisites?
You mean I missed my major by a couple of seconds?
Now I'm in the shop class or the basket weavin'
With all the rest of the motherfuckers underachievin'
Man, this is an insult
I went to junior high with all of them and they been slow
If I can catch the beat then slow down the tempo
Just throw this at the end if I'm too late for the intro
Will I make it from the student loans to a Benzo?
Like old folks pissin', I guess it all depends, oh, oh
[Refrain]
Little girl (A-ha-ha-ha-ha...)
Please stop your crying (Stop your cryin', baby)
[Chorus]
I'll be late for that, baby, I'll wait for that
If you had a taste of that, you'd probably pay for that
I'm comin' in when I feel like
So turn this motherfucker up only if it feels right
I'll be late for that, I can't wait for that
I think I was made for that
So I'm comin' in when I feel like
So turn this motherfucker up only if it feels right
[Refrain]
Little girl (A-ha-ha-ha-ha...)
Please stop your crying
[Verse 2]
You know when you be late, you miss all the lights
That's right (That's right), that's right (That's right)
And when you get back she gon' start up a fight
That night (That night), that night
Baby, it's too late for that, lately, I've been takin it slow
Try and make it to the party 'fore the guest list close
With the freshest hoes, the professors know
We about to get real unprofessional
Like them Eskimos, what would you do for a Klondike?
Or two dykes that look Christina Milian-like?
Hmm, I'll be on time for that
I ain't thought of no line that could rhyme with that
Yo, I'll be there in five minutes, five hours later?
"I'll be there in five minutes," go 'head, ride with it
I'm so live with it, look how I did it
Been bullshittin' but I finally arrived with it
I know it's late and I took all year but
You can stop complainin' 'cause I'm finally here, yeah
[Outro]
'Cause I'll erase away
'Cause I'll erase away
'Cause I'll erase away
'Cause I'll erase away
(A-ha-ha-ha-ha...)
Callum MacDonald
Real talk guys YouTube is doing a terrible thing by disabling comments on all the licensed music they have. Tiny channels that randomly uploaded classics are the last place where we can all come together to comment and talk about the music we love. Just think about that....
head
This and disabling dislikes
Lord F.
Often times I wish Spotify had a comment section
3 headed snake
@Darryl Brooks It’s unexplained because you tube sucks so bad at actually connecting with their community.
They do the same thing on cartoons and stuff now claiming all of it is childrens content.
Gkxi Bl kh
And that the last operative only killed one of gods creatures for the translation of the silhouette
NIGHTMARE8877
Forreal that shit pisses me off sooooo fucking much
Darktings
probably one of his most underrated songs, love this track
Youtube
all of ye’s songs are underrated
Luvseatshawty
Favorite song on the album, hands down!
juicy wewe21
Yo Darktings do you still listen to this track 7 years after this comment