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.
Poppin' Tags
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we gone stay hustling on the block until we caught
And we gone stay showing off that jewelry that we bought
And we gone stay heated in case it's in and out of court
'Cause we some gangstas, I don't know what the fuck you thought
[Verse One: Ludacris]
Sometimes I think that I gotta see a little bit of brighter days
And you could look to the left and the right, but I'm trapped on center stage
And I could rap to the beat, but I don't know how to change my wage
I still hear a pull and I track 'em, and strack 'em, and whack 'em
Jack a nigga for the day to days and I yak 'em, attack 'em, and sack 'em
Get a weapon and I crack his brain 'cause I'm hustler, baller, pro
And it wouldn't be right for me to be around busters, and crawlers, and hoes
But I'm a pimp at night so talk shit and I'm gonna lift 'em up off of their toes
With a street sweeper regulating quarters, and ki's, and o's
In the two seater, Ludacris and Twista with bags of 'dro
Smoking and choking, get 'em up and croaking
It's so potent, I'm hoping to keep on floating
Soaking wet and you can bet, people I'm high
I'm seeing lions, and tigers and bears - oh my!
And I can't hide it and keep it hidden, good riddance of feeling good
I'm weapon-concealing, stealing my neighborhood
Would, could, and should break a nigga off
They'll see you later, go to the doctor, hold my balls and (cough)
Because the vapors and I caught the drawn, brain blown, honey I'm home
Give me the microphone, and fools is like, "leave me alone!"
[Chorus]
[Verse Two: Twista]
Throw it up if you get high, get blowed, get drunk
If you on what I'm on come on and kick it, let's ride, smoke 'dro, beat the trunk
All the bad ass bitches that want to party, just shake it, great players get pumped
Me and my thugs and hustlers in the party, get money, fuck hoes, get crunk
(Look out) Put a little bit of hash and some motherfucking purple haze
I feel it all over my body, adrenaline with the Bacardi
got me up and then ripping shit in a rage
In the netti confetti with a belly, gucci
Timberland stepping on the pedal up in the 'lac truck
Want to get me for the wood
Better get the whole motherfucking 'hood to come and give you some back up
We can get into it and if you want to do it
I'm leaking the fluids out of the bodies that want to come at this
If they ever got some blood for fucking with thugs that I bury
My adversaries better not want none of Twis'
Represent for the city, anybody that different with me
got into thinking its a game
And whether you in my city and I talk shit
I'm going to kill him, especially if he say my name
I've been known to handle my business
Or I'm gonna stick him up for the scrilla, from K-Tilla, smoking on a fat pilla
Murder haters that I'm full of
Niggaz claiming they wanna bring a baretta they'll be killas
Balling out so hard the size of my rims grows to a hellafied sight-scene
When the dough become no bigger, I'm gonna still drop that 2003
(Throw it up if you...)
[Chorus] - 2X
The lyrics of Kanye West's "Poppin' Tags" are about the flashy lifestyle of gangsters and hustlers. In the chorus, Twista proclaims that they will continue to hustle and show off their jewelry, while also maintaining their readiness for the legal consequences. Ludacris begins his verse by expressing his desire to break free from his mundane life and earn more money. However, he recognizes that he is currently confined to his city and cannot change his wage. He then boasts about his skills in robbing and attacking people, asserting that it is his way of life as a professional hustler. He also describes how he and Twista drive around in their car smoking weed and engaging in criminal activities. Twista's verse is about partying, getting high, and getting into trouble. He talks about getting drunk and smoking weed with his buddies, while also threatening his enemies with violence. He is proud of his city and warns anyone who disrespects him or his hometown.
The song's message is one of defiance and rebellion against the law and authority. It glorifies criminal activities and material possessions while disregarding moral values. The lyrics paint a picture of a dangerous and violent lifestyle that is driven by money and power. The artists seem to revel in their image as outlaws and take pride in the fact that they are not like everyone else. However, the song also suggests a sense of fatalism about the consequences of their actions, as they allude to the possibility of being caught by the law.
Line by Line Meaning
And we gone stay hustling on the block until we caught
We'll keep selling drugs on the street until we get caught by the police.
And we gone stay showing off that jewelry that we bought
We'll keep flaunting our expensive jewelry that we bought with drug money.
And we gone stay heated in case it's in and out of court
We'll always be prepared to use violence in case we end up in court.
'Cause we some gangstas, I don't know what the fuck you thought
We're gangsters and we don't care what others think of us.
Sometimes I think that I gotta see a little bit of brighter days
Sometimes I feel like I want a better life.
'Cause I confine myself to a city near you in a solid cage
But I'm stuck in this city like a prisoner.
And you could look to the left and the right, but I'm trapped on center stage
I'm surrounded by the same people and can't escape.
And I could rap to the beat, but I don't know how to change my wage
I'm good at rapping, but don't know how to make more money.
I still hear a pull and I track 'em, and strack 'em, and whack 'em
I still hear the call of the streets and I rob, attack, and kill my victims.
Jack a nigga for the day to days and I yak 'em, attack 'em, and sack 'em
I steal from people every day and harm them in the process.
I kill people with weapons because I'm a skilled criminal.
And it wouldn't be right for me to be around busters, and crawlers, and hoes
It's not acceptable for me to associate with weak, submissive people.
But I'm a pimp at night so talk shit and I'm gonna lift 'em up off of their toes
But at night I become a pimp and I'll beat up anyone who disrespects me.
With a street sweeper regulating quarters, and ki's, and o's
I use a shotgun to protect my drug territory.
In the two seater, Ludacris and Twista with bags of 'dro
Ludacris and Twista are riding in a car together with bags of marijuana.
Smoking and choking, get 'em up and croaking
They're smoking weed and enjoying its effects.
It's so potent, I'm hoping to keep on floating
The weed is so strong that they feel like they're floating.
Soaking wet and you can bet, people I'm high
They're so high that they're completely soaked.
I'm seeing lions, and tigers and bears - oh my!
They're so high they're seeing imaginary animals like lions, tigers, and bears.
And I can't hide it and keep it hidden, good riddance of feeling good
They can't hide their drug use anymore and feel good about it.
I'm weapon-concealing, stealing my neighborhood
They're carrying weapons and stealing from their own community.
They'll see you later, go to the doctor, hold my balls and (cough)
If someone tries to mess with them, they'll beat them up so badly that they'll need to go to the doctor and cough.
Throw it up if you get high, get blowed, get drunk
If you're high, drunk, or smoking weed, throw your hands up.
All the bad ass bitches that want to party, just shake it, great players get pumped
All the attractive women who want to party should dance and get the party going.
Me and my thugs and hustlers in the party, get money, fuck hoes, get crunk
Me and my crew are at the party to make money, have sex, and get drunk.
Put a little bit of hash and some motherfucking purple haze
They're smoking hash and a strong strain of marijuana called 'purple haze.'
I feel it all over my body, adrenaline with the Bacardi
They're feeling the effects of the marijuana and alcohol throughout their body.
In the netti confetti with a belly, gucci
They're wearing expensive clothes and jewelry at the party.
Timberland stepping on the pedal up in the 'lac truck
They're driving a Cadillac truck while wearing Timberland boots.
Better get the whole motherfucking 'hood to come and give you some back up
If someone wants to mess with them, they better bring their entire crew.
If they ever got some blood for fucking with thugs that I bury
If anyone messes with them, they'll end up dead and buried.
I've been known to handle my business
They're experienced in handling their criminal business.
Or I'm gonna stick him up for the scrilla, from K-Tilla, smoking on a fat pilla
They'll rob someone for money and then smoke marijuana.
Murder haters that I'm full of
They're full of anger and hatred towards their enemies.
Niggaz claiming they wanna bring a baretta they'll be killas
Anyone who threatens them will suffer the consequences.
Balling out so hard the size of my rims grows to a hellafied sight-scene
They're so successful that they're buying big rims for their car.
When the dough become no bigger, I'm gonna still drop that 2003
Even if they're not making as much money, they'll still release music like it's 2003.
Contributed by Brayden D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RedoranGuard's-SkyrimBattles 2.3
I have this song since my younger days in mp3 format sitting on my pc all these years and it finally came to my head today :)
KDoeBeatz
as a kid when my brother played this, I was playing Zelda, so now I'm used to playing this with Zelda 😂😂😂😂
Cohan Scott
KDoeBeatz yoooooo that's crazy me too! Water temple is the level I was on
raditz 10
Epic lol
Jam Sam
@Cohan Scott all facts bro , 64 days lmao
Jam Sam
Facts bro 64 days lmao and on Gameboy
The Connected
this was my background music while sailing the ocean in Wind Waker
Robert Stevens
There has to be a better quality version of this somewhere.
T Reyes
This wayy better than the original. Been looking for this for 14+ years
NIKE CARLOS
Help me find the original original, had a different beat 🙏🏽🙏🏽