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.
One Minute
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you find out the opps ain't the only snakes
And your spouse only know what you don't erase
The world only know you by your worst mistakes
So spaz on they ass, that's the only way
Smash on the gas down Stony, ayy
Crash and come back with a swollen face
And when I'm on my way, X hold the gate
If you bitch-made, we don't associate
Show up at your birthday if you owe me cake
With a black mask, that's how we exfoliate
So pardon my way, my heart's in the way
I follow my thoughts, ain't no logic in Ye
Said that's all I'ma say, if he caught him a case
Then send him to jail, like a dog in a cage
I ain't feeling the age, no rottin' away
You're dark as the days, you caught in the way
'Cause coffins is laid under a tombstone
'Cause even when you die, they still throwin' rocks at your graves
So follow the wave, can't swallow the hate
My mind trumps anything that a scholar could say
Don't know how to behave, we rage out of the raves
Dislocate an arm, just pop it in place
'Cause the damned, they ain't it, all the pain and anguish
Turned me into a man, so I ain't complainin'
Now these things is changin', no more lames is hanging
No more fame in famous, ain't no shame in shamin'
She wanna give you the cookie, you Famous Amos
She gave you the pussy, but you ain't pay for the anus
Now your name is tainted, by the claims they paintin'
The defendant is guilty, no one blames the plaintiff
Gotta say it in Layman's terms, while you wait on arraignments
'Cause if the jury say you did it, the payment is heinous
Give me one minute, my lady just fainted
My babies is crying, you understand what I'm sayin'?
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's mine!
Ahaha, ooh
Faith, I want more
Faith, I want more
Faith, I want more
Faith, I want more
Faith, I want more
Faith, I want more!
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and then the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's
In "One Minute," Kanye West addresses the loneliness of success and the treachery of those who surround him in the industry who may not have his best interests at heart. He raps about the world only knowing him for his mistakes, and how his spouse only knows what he doesn't erase. He encourages those who are being taken advantage of to "spaz on they ass," and to terrorize those who won't negotiate. He also speaks about how all the pain and anguish he's experienced has turned him into a man and he's no longer complaining about anything.
The chorus, which repeats the line "One minute, and the next one's mine" suggests the fleeting nature of success and the need to seize opportunities when they arise. The song features a verse from controversial rapper XXXTentacion, who was murdered before the song's release.
Line by Line Meaning
So much hate at the top, it's a lonely place
Being successful can breed enmity, and success may lead to a feeling of loneliness.
When you find out the opps ain't the only snakes
You may realize that even your closest associates can be deceptive.
And your spouse only know what you don't erase
Your spouse may only perceive the version of you that you project externally and may not know the parts of you that you choose not to reveal.
The world only know you by your worst mistakes
People often judge you based on your failures and shortcomings rather than your achievements and strengths.
So spaz on they ass, that's the only way
Sometimes the only way to confront your detractors is to be aggressive towards them.
Smash on the gas down Stony, ayy
Drive recklessly and dangerously in a specific area called Stony.
Crash and come back with a swollen face
Sometimes you might get hurt while acting recklessly.
And when I'm on my way, X hold the gate
A person named X will open the gate for Kanye when he's arriving at a specific location.
Terrorize shit, we don't negotiate
Kanye does not negotiate with anyone who puts him or his loved ones in danger.
If you bitch-made, we don't associate
Kanye is not interested in associating with people who are weak and cowardly.
Show up at your birthday if you owe me cake
Kanye expects people to pay back debts, and if they don't, he will show up at their birthday party to remind them.
With a black mask, that's how we exfoliate
Wearing a black mask while doing something dangerous is a way of exfoliating or cleansing oneself of negative energy.
So pardon my way, my heart's in the way
Kanye asks forgiveness for his behavior but acknowledges his emotions as the driving force behind his actions.
I follow my thoughts, ain't no logic in Ye
Kanye acts impulsively, following his instincts rather than thinking things through logically.
Said that's all I'ma say, if he caught him a case
Kanye has said everything he wants to say regarding a specific situation and will not comment further.
Then send him to jail, like a dog in a cage
If someone commits a crime, Kanye believes they should go to jail and be treated as if in captivity.
I ain't feeling the age, no rottin' away
Kanye does not want to waste his time or talent and is restless in his endeavors.
You're dark as the days, you caught in the way
If someone appears gloomy and negative, they may feel trapped and unable to change their condition.
'Cause coffins is laid under a tombstone
Death is a common occurrence, and graves only mark the spot of burial but do not erase the memory of a person.
'Cause even when you die, they still throwin' rocks at your graves
People may still talk negatively about you even after death.
So follow the wave, can't swallow the hate
Don't ignore negativity but redirect it towards something productive or positive.
My mind trumps anything that a scholar could say
Kanye values his own mind and intuition over the intelligence of others.
Don't know how to behave, we rage out of the raves
If pushed too far, Kanye may act impulsively and destructively, like someone raging.
Dislocate an arm, just pop it in place
Kanye is tough and can fix injuries without showing signs of pain.
'Cause the damned, they ain't it, all the pain and anguish
People who are struggling or suffering are not necessarily inferior in character, strength, or worth.
Turned me into a man, so I ain't complainin'
Kanye endured hardship and emerged stronger and more mature as a result.
Now these things is changin', no more lames is hanging
Kanye is becoming more successful and attracting more likeminded people. As a result, weak people are no longer around him.
No more fame in famous, ain't no shame in shamin'
Kanye no longer values fame for its own sake and will call out people who behave poorly without feeling guilty about it.
She wanna give you the cookie, you Famous Amos
A woman wants to have sex with Kanye because he is famous and desirable.
She gave you the pussy, but you ain't pay for the anus
Kanye had sex with the woman but did not pay for anal sex.
Now your name is tainted, by the claims they paintin'
Kanye's reputation is being tarnished by what others are saying about him.
The defendant is guilty, no one blames the plaintiff
Everyone is quick to blame the person accused of doing something wrong rather than considering the accuser's motives or involvement.
Gotta say it in Layman's terms, while you wait on arraignments
Things need to be explained in a simple and straightforward way for everyone to understand, especially while waiting for legal proceedings to take place.
'Cause if the jury say you did it, the payment is heinous
If convicted of a crime, the punishment or payment will be severe.
Give me one minute, my lady just fainted
Kanye needs a moment to address a situation with his partner, who has just fainted.
My babies is crying, you understand what I'm sayin'?
Kanye's children are upset and crying, and he is asking if others can empathize with his situation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jahseh Onfroy, Johnathan Carter Cunningham, Kanye Omari West, Travis L. Barker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kennyrosales4687
LYRICS: So much hate at the top, it's a lonely place
When you find out the opps ain't the only snakes
And your spouse only know what you don't erase
The world only know you by your worst mistakes
So spaz on they ass, that's the only way
Smash on the gas down, Stoney, aye
Crash and come back with a swollen face
And when I'm on my way, X hold the gate
Terrorize, sipping on that Koshi, 'Ye, ay
If you bitch-made, we don't associate
Show up at your birthday if you owe me cake
With a black mask, that's how we exfoliate
So pardon my way, my heart's in the way
I follow my thoughts, ain't no logic in 'Ye
Said that's all I'ma say, if he caught him a case
Then send him to jail, like a dog in a cage
I ain't feeling the age, no rottin' away
Your dolphins are dazed, you calling away
'Cause coffins is laid, under a tombstone
'Cause even when you die, they still throwing rocks at your grave
So follow the wave, can't swallow the hate
My mind trumps anything that a scholar could say
Don't know how to behave, we rage out of the raves
Dislocate an arm, just pop it in place
'Cause the damned, they ain't it
All the pain and anguish
Turned me into a man
So I ain't complainin'
Now these things is changin'
No more lames is hanging
No more fame in famous
Ain't no shame in shaming
She wanna give you the cookie, you Famous Amos
She gave you the pussy, but you ain't pay for the anus
Now your name is tainted, by the claims they paintin'
The defendant is guilty, no one blames the plaintiff
Gotta say it in Layman's terms, while you wait on arraignments
Cause if the jury say you did it, the payment is heinous
Give me one minute, my lady just fainted
My babies is crying, you understand what I'm sayin'?
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's, m-i-i-ine!
Ahaha
Black man, black man
Fake eyes, black man
Fake eyes, black man
Fake eyes, black man
Fake, I want more!
Fake eyes, fuck man
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's—
@vlad.4787
[Verse: Kanye West]
So much hate at the top, it's a lonely place
When you find out the opps ain't the only snakes
And your spouse only know what you don't erase
The world only know you by your worst mistakes
So spaz on they ass, that's the only way
Smash on the gas down Stony, ayy
Crash and come back with a swollen face
And when I'm on my way, X hold the gate
Terrorize shit, we don't negotiate
If you bitch-made, we don't associate
Show up at your birthday if you owe me cake
With a black mask, that's how we exfoliate
So pardon my way, my heart's in the way
I follow my thoughts, ain't no logic in Ye
Said that's all I'ma say, if he caught him a case
Then send him to jail, like a dog in a cage
I ain't feeling the age, no rottin' away
You're dark as the days, you caught in the way
'Cause coffins is laid under a tombstone
'Cause even when you die, they still throwin' rocks at your graves
So follow the wave, can't swallow the hate
My mind trumps anything that a scholar could say
Don't know how to behave, we rage out of the raves
Dislocate an arm, just pop it in place
'Cause the damned, they ain't it, all the pain and anguish
Turned me into a man, so I ain't complainin'
Now these things is changin', no more lames is hanging
No more fame in famous, ain't no shame in shamin'
She wanna give you the cookie, you Famous Amos
She gave you the pussy, but you ain't pay for the anus
Now your name is tainted, by the claims they paintin'
The defendant is guilty, no one blames the plaintiff
Gotta say it in Layman's terms, while you wait on arraignments
'Cause if the jury say you did it, the payment is heinous
Give me one minute, my lady just fainted
My babies is crying, you understand what I'm sayin'?
[Chorus: XXXTENTACION]
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's... mine!
[Bridge: XXXTENTACION]
Ahaha
Faith, I want more
Faith, I want more
Faith, I want more
Faith, I want more
Faith, I want more
Faith, I want more!
[Chorus: XXXTENTACION]
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute, and then the next one's mine
One minute, one minute, gone
One minute and the next one's—
@trash-gang
Long live X.
@deadheart7045
ＴＲＡＳＨ 新 ドラゴン ❤
@arkanos4537
Trash gxng🤘
@ANOYMUSMEMBER4534554uyi
🤘
@ndykzbtw
Trash gxng
@tadashi7565
BRAZILLL
@jasxking375
Imagine X performing this at a concert 😭😭😭 Gone too soon...
@alwaysrookie583
Jasdeep Games on god
@tong8907
This would've been insane to see live. X would've rocked it
@tong8907
@yours truly, chloe meza yea bro, heaven is gonna be dope! Imagine X performing this and bringing out 2pac to do a verse 💥