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 Your Mind
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're the one who started it
I got a girl at home but she don't cook
I have my condoms in the stove 'cause she won't look
And she never ever go to the grocery store
So I figure its safe to pull a grocery hoe
She was buyin alize out the liquor isle
Rocked all gold force back in style
I kept her number on file for my girl be actin wild
Like last week I told her take me to the mall
But she don't drive
My other girl picked me up at 3:05
She got a brand new car, 16
Now the car only 1 years old, oh
Man but the body look grown, whoa
Before I catch a case I better take my ass home
Where the problems is, arguments be +daly+ like carson is
But the problem is
We can't even sit and talk no more, without you arguing
Girl you must be out of your mind, no no no
You're the one who started it
Hold up, wait a second man
That's that thrift store info, that's all second hand
Why don't you talk to the mouth of the horses 'bout my porches
Condos in front of the golf courses
Instead you stay up, countin every second like a fake rollie
I'm real, so you know I move real slowly
The way the censorship'll go off, you know me
I ain't call you, you wanna know why?
I'm in noha, hon aloha, pushin jet skis so I
Couldn't return the pages on my motorola
Nextel, my cell, it don't work down there
What happened in cancun? Stays down there
What's happenin here? Made me wish I stayed down there
Take a seat, why you always makin a beef?
You know these walls too thin in this apart-a-ment
Now everybody hearin our arguments
But the problem is. .
We can't even sit and talk no more, without you arguing
Girl you must be out of your mind, no no no
You're the one who started it
Man, boo you know what I do
So don't trip when I come home after 2 or 3 or 4
I ain't messin with them girls no more
It's weak, the benz coupe is so sweet
When I roll down the street, tears roll down her cheek
She said, â? ?You must love that car more than me
And nigga I was with you before the cheese
So you need to work on your pri-or-ities
If she went with fabolous I bet that she would be
A-are-g-you-i-n-g and please
I'm not actin like this 'cause I'm getting spins on
W-k-are-p in cincinnati
You think I'd get my voice so deep like
W-k-are-p in cincinnati
That's how much of a fuck I give
You seen cribs? That's how the fuck I live
As far as this?
We can't even sit and talk no more, without you arguing
Girl you must be out of your mind, no no no
You're the one who started it
We can't even sit and talk no more, without you arguing
Girl you must be out of your mind, no no no
You're the one who started it
In Kanye West's song Out of Your Mind, he expresses his frustration with his girlfriend who constantly argues with him. He begins by stating that they cannot even have a conversation without her starting an argument. Kanye then reveals that he has a girlfriend at home who does not cook or go grocery shopping, leading him to seek the company of other women. He explains how he met a girl in the liquor aisle who he kept on file for emergencies, like when his girlfriend gets upset with him.
In the second verse, Kanye dismisses his girlfriend's accusations and digs at her materialistic priorities. He explains how he was unreachable due to his trip to Cancun and emphasizes that his girlfriend should prioritize her relationship with him over material possessions. He dismisses her complaints about his lifestyle, stating that he will continue to live as he pleases. The song overall highlights the strained relationship between Kanye and his girlfriend and how their differences and arguments affect their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
We can't even sit and talk, without you arguing
We can't seem to have a conversation without you starting an argument
You're the one who started it
You're the one who initiated the argument
I got a girl at home but she don't cook
The girl I live with doesn't cook
I have my condoms in the stove 'cause she won't look
I keep my condoms hidden in the stove because my girlfriend won't look there
And she never ever go to the grocery store
She never goes to buy groceries
So I figure its safe to pull a grocery hoe
I think it's fine to cheat with someone from the grocery store
She was buyin alize out the liquor isle
The girl I cheated with was buying alize in the liquor aisle
She said â??I hope its not too ghettoâ??
The girl I cheated with remarked that she hopes the drink isn't too ghetto
Rocked all gold force back in style
I wore gold force sneakers, which have come back in style
I kept her number on file for my girl be actin wild
I kept the girl's number in case my girlfriend acts up
Like last week I told her take me to the mall
Just last week I asked my girlfriend to take me to the mall
But she don't drive
My girlfriend doesn't have a driver's license
My other girl picked me up at 3:05
Another girl picked me up at 3:05
She got a brand new car, 16
The other girl has a new car that's just a year old
Now the car only 1 years old, oh
The car is just one-year-old now
Man but the body look grown, whoa
The car looks mature for its young age
Before I catch a case I better take my ass home
Before I get myself into trouble, I better go home
Where the problems is, arguments be +daly+ like carson is
I have to go home where the problems are because our arguments happen on the daily, like the show hosted by Carson Daly
Hold up, wait a second man
Wait a moment
That's that thrift store info, that's all second hand
That information is unreliable, like something you would find at a thrift store
Why don't you talk to the mouth of the horses 'bout my porches
Why don't you ask someone who actually knows about my possessions?
Condos in front of the golf courses
I own condominiums near golf courses
Instead you stay up, countin every second like a fake rollie
Instead of trusting me, you're paranoid and counting every second like someone checking if their fake Rolex is accurate
I'm real, so you know I move real slowly
I move slowly because I'm being genuine
The way the censorship'll go off, you know me
You know that I'm not going to censor myself
I ain't call you, you wanna know why?
I haven't called you, and I'm going to tell you why
I'm in noha, hon aloha, pushin jet skis
I'm in Honolulu, Hawaii, riding jet skis
so I Couldn't return the pages on my motorola
I couldn't call you back because my Motorola phone wasn't working properly
Nextel, my cell, it don't work down there
Neither my Nextel phone nor my cell phone work in Hawaii
What happened in Cancun? Stays down there
Whatever happened in Cancun, stays there and isn't relevant to our current conversation
What's happenin here? Made me wish I stayed down there
What's happening here is causing me to regret leaving Cancun
Take a seat, why you always makin a beef?
Sit down and stop starting arguments all the time
You know these walls too thin in this apart-a-ment
We can't argue loudly in this apartment because the walls are too thin
Now everybody hearin our arguments
Now everyone can hear us arguing
Man, boo you know what I do
You know what I do, so don't be upset when I come home late
So don't trip when I come home after 2 or 3 or 4
Don't be angry when I come home at 2 or 3 or 4 in the morning
I ain't messin with them girls no more
I'm not going to cheat with other girls anymore
It's weak, the benz coupe is so sweet
It's ridiculous to cheat because my Mercedes-Benz coupe is awesome
When I roll down the street, tears roll down her cheek
When I drive my Mercedes down the street, my girlfriend cries
She said, â??You must love that car more than me
My girlfriend thinks I care more about my car than her
And nigga I was with you before the cheese
I was with you before you became successful
So you need to work on your pri-or-ities
You need to focus on what really matters
If she went with fabolous I bet that she would be
If she was with the rapper Fabolous, she would probably be living a more luxurious life
A-are-g-you-i-n-g and please
She would be living like a queen, and you need to understand that
I'm not actin like this 'cause I'm getting spins on
I'm not behaving badly because I'm getting a lot of attention on the radio
W-k-are-p in cincinnati
A reference to the radio station WKRP in Cincinnati
You think I'd get my voice so deep like
You think my voice would get so deep like a radio announcer's
That's how much of a fuck I give
I don't care even a little bit
You seen cribs? That's how the fuck I live
You've seen my MTV Cribs episode - that's how I live
As far as this?
As far as our argument is concerned
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
molly
this song is how i feel every time i have to talk to my mom about anything
Brigette Broughton
This shit BANGS in the car!!!
Spring Mountain
from freshmen adjustment. just downloaded this album. some of his best shite!
Yungsondagod
The presquite
akt50
ONE OF MY FAVORITES
Papa Stoppa
DOPE!!!
benfica1rox552
This is from the Freshmen Adjustment mixtape. Replying to your description
Edward Harvin
album is called "Freshmen adjustment".
FakinPoserz
laughin at what martin be sayin on the background.XD saw the show today didnt knew it was martin talkin before i used to listen to this track
Dave Edmond
freshmen adjustment i aint g ot it kos i dont liek mixtapes but this so good is album material