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.
Out Of The Game
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's only one girl on my agenda
(You talking bout Brenda?)
Naw I'm talking bout Linda, from last September
Now Linda love lace like Linda love lace
LaFace says she like +Mase+ but she love +Face+
And I know that Linda was a hip-hop-head
And I know that Linda gave Hip-Hop head
Cuz I ain't here to hurt her mayn
And she was messin wit me when I was still at Burger King
She ain't hop in my bed cuz of the whips and cream
Cuz when I had her in bed I had whip cream
Shakespearian midsummer night dream
I unzip things and pull out big things
They was flashin gr-green, she was like "ch-ching"
Got em, but she know a rreeal nigga when she, spot him
So now she's pickin dresses from Veroraiyn
Scratchin out her maiden and here's my name
Now I'm sittin at the bar wit all my guys
They sayin "Cheers to you for your future years of pain"
Like "Dog you ready to give all this shit up?
The summer's on its way and these hoes doin sit-ups
And when they see the way the G-5 lights lit up
Your gonna wanna have two like John Ritter"
But naww, I bought her a brand new BM
He said "Dog, slow down like Brand Nubian now"
[Consequence]
I just feel the need to purge my soul from the work load
Couldn't watch another nigga get burnt slow
She said her man was busy, always bored her with work load
Never takes her out and falls asleep in his work clothes
She needs some excitement, which leads to this indictment
Believe what you like kid, according to her
When we recorded with her, Linda changed her name to Nicky
Sang along to Darlin Nicky, co-star of my quickies
That foot is so pretty, but I'm sure you recognize
That bra holds titties, those are her titties
Solar's so pretty, but not to rub it in
But that white Russian did make her lonely like the wind
So the over right that's in, on the over night depends
If you take heed the game, and please keep ya name, word
[Kanye West]
Cuz she's just a playa playa
That's playin games wit me
[John Legend]
I can't see myself getting out the game, no time soon
Ooooh, as I continue as I, Ooooh, as I continue as I
Oooh, Oooh
Can't see myself getting out the game, no time soon
Ooooh, as I continue as I, Ooooh, as I continue as I
Oooh, Oooh
The lyrics to Kanye West's song "Out Of The Game" are centered around a narrative of Kanye's interactions with a girl named Linda. Kanye mentions that Linda is different from his previous love interest, Brenda, and he seems infatuated with her. Kanye portrays Linda as a hip-hop enthusiast and someone who engages in sexual activities with him. He believes he can potentially change Linda and is not here to harm her. Kanye also mentions their past encounters, implying that Linda showed interest in him even when he had a lower social standing (referencing his time working at Burger King). He also highlights their intimate moments, mentioning using whip cream and making a reference to Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
The second verse, performed by Consequence, shifts the perspective to Linda/Nicky. Consequence describes Linda as someone who is dissatisfied with her current relationship. Her partner fails to provide her with excitement, neglecting her and constantly working. Linda seeks thrills, which results in her changing her name to Nicky (implying a persona shift). She finds temporary happiness and joins in singing along to "Darlin Nicky." The verse then discusses physical attributes like feet and breasts, mentioning her lingerie. The White Russian drink is mentioned as a symbol of her loneliness. The verse ends with a cryptic line about "the over right that's in," which suggests that the outcome of their relationship depends on how they handle the game.
Overall, the song explores the dynamics of Kanye's relationship with Linda, showcasing his infatuation and desire for change while also acknowledging Linda's dissatisfaction with her current partner and her search for excitement.
Line by Line Meaning
There's only one girl on my agenda
I am focused on one particular girl
Naw I'm talking bout Linda, from last September
I'm referring to a girl named Linda whom I met in September
Now Linda love lace like Linda love lace
Linda enjoys wearing lace clothing
LaFace says she like +Mase+ but she love +Face+
LaFace music label prefers Mase, but Linda prefers Face (possibly referring to another artist)
And I know that Linda was a hip-hop-head
I know that Linda is a big fan of hip-hop music
And I know that Linda gave Hip-Hop head
And I know that Linda performed oral sex on me (using wordplay related to hip-hop)
But I feel I could convert her
But I believe I can change her preferences or beliefs
Cuz I ain't here to hurt her mayn
Because I have no intention of causing her pain, man
And she was messin wit me when I was still at Burger King
She was interested in me even when I had a low-status job at Burger King
She ain't hop in my bed cuz of the whips and cream
She didn't sleep with me just because I had luxurious cars and material possessions
Cuz when I had her in bed I had whip cream
Because when we were intimate, I introduced whipped cream into our sexual activities
Shakespearian midsummer night dream
Our romantic encounters were reminiscent of a dream from Shakespeare's play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
I unzip things and pull out big things
I reveal my impressive genitalia when undressing
They was flashin gr-green, she was like 'ch-ching'
My expensive jewelry was attracting attention, and she was impressed by the display of wealth
Got em, but she know a rreeal nigga when she, spot him
She recognizes and is attracted to a genuinely authentic person when she sees one
So now she's pickin dresses from Veroraiyn
Now she's choosing expensive dresses from the designer brand Versace
Scratchin out her maiden and here's my name
She's removing her old identity and replacing it with my name
Now I'm sittin at the bar wit all my guys
Now I'm sitting at the bar with my friends
They sayin 'Cheers to you for your future years of pain'
They are toasting to my future experiences of suffering and heartache
Like 'Dog you ready to give all this shit up?
They are questioning if I am willing to abandon my current lifestyle or relationships
The summer's on its way and these hoes doin sit-ups
As the summer approaches, women are getting in shape and becoming more attractive
And when they see the way the G-5 lights lit up
And when they see the impressive lighting on my private jet (G-5)
Your gonna wanna have two like John Ritter'
You will desire to have multiple women in your life, similar to the late actor John Ritter
But naww, I bought her a brand new BM
But no, I bought her a new BMW car
He said 'Dog, slow down like Brand Nubian now'
He advised me to take things slower, similar to the musical group Brand Nubian
I just feel the need to purge my soul from the work load
I have a strong desire to cleanse my soul from the burdens of my job
Couldn't watch another nigga get burnt slow
I couldn't bear to witness another person being taken advantage of or mistreated
She said her man was busy, always bored her with work load
She stated that her partner was always busy and neglected her needs due to work responsibilities
Never takes her out and falls asleep in his work clothes
He never takes her on dates and often falls asleep without changing out of his work attire
She needs some excitement, which leads to this indictment
She desires excitement in her life, which brings about this accusation or criticism
Believe what you like kid, according to her
You can choose to believe whatever you want, as per her statement
When we recorded with her, Linda changed her name to Nicky
When we were together in the recording studio, Linda decided to use the name Nicky
Sang along to Darlin Nicky, co-star of my quickies
She sang along to the song 'Darlin Nicky' and became a frequent participant in my casual sexual encounters
That foot is so pretty, but I'm sure you recognize
Her foot is visually appealing, but I'm certain you are aware of that fact
That bra holds titties, those are her titties
The bra provides support for her breasts, which are indeed her breasts
Solar's so pretty, but not to rub it in
She has a beautiful complexion, but I don't want to boast about it
But that white Russian did make her lonely like the wind
However, drinking a white Russian cocktail made her feel lonely, just like the wind
So the over right that's in, on the over night depends
The climax or resolution of our relationship depends on various factors throughout the night
If you take heed the game, and please keep ya name, word
If you pay attention to the lessons of this situation and maintain your reputation, listen to my advice
Cuz she's just a playa playa
Because she is the type of woman who likes to play games and manipulate others
That's playin games wit me
She is specifically playing games with me
I can't see myself getting out the game, no time soon
I cannot imagine leaving this lifestyle or situation in the near future
Ooooh, as I continue as I, Ooooh, as I continue as I
As I progress and move forward
Oooh, Oooh
Expressing satisfaction or pleasure
Can't see myself getting out the game, no time soon
I cannot envision leaving this lifestyle or situation in the near future
Ooooh, as I continue as I, Ooooh, as I continue as I
As I progress and move forward
Oooh, Oooh
Expressing satisfaction or pleasure
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Raw House LLC
There's only one girl on my agenda
(You talking bout Brenda?)
Naw I'm talking bout Linda, from last September
Now Linda love lace like Linda Lovelace
LaFace says she like +Mase+ but she love +Face+
And I know that Linda was a hip-hop-head
And I know that Linda gave Hip-Hop head
But I feel I could convert her
Cuz I ain't here to hurt her mayn
And she was messin wit me when I was still at Burger King
She ain't hop in my bed cuz of the whips and cream
Cuz when I had her in bed I had whip cream
Shakespearian midsummer night dream
I unzip things and pull out big things
They was flashin gr-green, she was like "ch-ching"
Got em, but she know a rreeal nigga when she, spot him
So now she's pickin dresses from Vera Wang
Scratchin out her maiden and here's my name
Now I'm sittin at the bar wit all my guys
They sayin "Cheers to you for your future years of pain"
Like "Dog you ready to give all this shit up?
The summer's on its way and these hoes doin sit-ups
And when they see the way the G5 lights lit up
You're gonna wanna have two like John Ritter"
But naww, I bought her a brand new BM
He said "Dog, slow down like Brand Nubian now"
Adrian X
2004, Walking to school every morning my sophomore year I had this on repeat. Calling this track soulful would be an understatement.
Theo jull
2004, I didn't even know how to crawl yet
J RICE
al green main reason shit soulful jamar
Kazamere
I wasn’t even born yet
sonicsentry
As for 808's, i thought it was genius. It seemed like kanYe was going through alot of shit when he recorded that album and he just put himself on the album, the person he was at that time. I love everything that he's done because he's done it consistently with an attitude like, "You will like it regardless of what it is because I did it." That is kanYe at his greatest. This song has got to be one of my favorite unreleased tracks by him. The way he uses the Al Green sample is so crazy.
Thomas Stasiak
Going through alot??? His mom just died
richardson.
@Thomas Stasiak I'm sure that I was thinking of that 10 years ago when I made this comment on top of the other things he was going through at the time...
George Faux
@richardson. Haha the comment is so old you replied with a new account 😂
No Name
One my fav kanye tracks, watching him rapping that verse in his doc on netflix was special.
AndyAndyAndy
You got the time stamp for that part? Was it in part 1?