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.
Power feat. Dwele
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do it better then anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music
No one man should have all that power
The clocks tickin' I just count the hours
Stop trippin' I'm tripping off the power
The system broken, the school's closed, the prison's open
We ain't got nothing to lose motherfucker we rollin'
Huh? motherfucker we rollin'
With some light skinned girls and some Kelly Rowland's
In this white man's world we the ones chosen
So goodnight cruel world I'll see you in the mornin'
Huh? I see you in the mornin'
This is way too much, I need a moment
No one man should have all that power
The clocks tickin' I just count the hours
Stop trippin' I'm tripping off the power
Till then, fuck that the world's ours
(Twenty first century schizoid man)
Fuck SNL and the whole cast
Tell them Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass
More specifically they can kiss my ass hole
I'm an asshole? You niggas got jokes!
You short minded niggas thoughts is Napoleon
My furs is Mongolian, my ice brought the goalies in
I embody every characteristic of the egotistic
He knows, he's so fuckin' gifted
I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
Got treasures in my mind but couldn't open up my own vault
My child-like creativity, purity and honesty
Is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts
Reality is catching up with me, taking my
Inner child I'm fighting for custody
With these responsibilities that they entrust in me
As I look down at my diamond encrusted piece thinking
No one man should have all that power
The clocks tickin' I just count the hours
Stop trippin' I'm tripping off the powder
Till then, fuck that the world's ours
(Twenty first century schizoid man)
Colin Powell, Austin Powers
Lost in translation with a whole fuckin' nation
They say I was the abomination of Obama's nation
Well that's a pretty bad way to start a conversation
At the end of the day goddamn it I'm killin' this shit
I know damn well ya'll feelin' this shit
I don't need your pussy, bitch I'm on my own dick
I ain't got a power trip who you going home with?
How 'Ye doin'? I'm Surviving
I was drinkin' earlier now I'm driving
Where the bad bitches huh? Where ya hidin'?
I got the power make your life so excitin'
Oh hey oh hey oh hey hey hey
Now this'll be a beautiful death
I'm jumping out the window
I'm Letting everything go
I'm Letting everything go
You got the power to let power go flow
(Twenty first century schizoid man)
The first verse of Kanye West's song "Power" encapsulates his philosophy on life and his personal greatness. He announces that he is living in the twenty-first century, and he's doing something uniquely impressive. He proclaims that he does it better than anyone who's come before him. The haters screaming at his back only adds symphony to his theme music. To him, every superhero needs a theme song to remind the world of their greatness.
In the second verse, Kanye shows that although he has reached the pinnacle of success, all is not well with the world. The system is broken, and schools and prisons are closed. But instead of despair or submission, Kanye is motivated by the oppression that surrounds him. He's willing to roll with the punches and take on the world's established power structures. He has Kelly Rowlands for company, is convinced that he and his companions are the chosen ones, and says he'll see the world again in the morning. He knows better times will dawn.
With "Power," Kanye touches on his monumental ego and the responsibilities that come with it. He knows he's a gifted artist, and that his childlike purity of creativity is increasingly challenged by the "grown-up" responsibilities of being an artist. Through raw honesty and open vulnerability, he confesses to having a diamond-encrusted mask that sometimes doesn't allow his true self to shine through.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm living in the Twenty first century doin' something mean to it
I'm living in the current times, and I'm doing something rebellious to change it.
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
I'm not just doing something differently, I'm doing it better than anyone has ever done it before.
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
The negative feedback from my critics doesn't faze me; it's music to my ears.
I guess every superhero need his theme music
Just like every superhero has theme music, I need an anthem to accompany me on this journey.
No one man should have all that power
I recognize that too much power is dangerous for one individual to have.
The clocks tickin' I just count the hours
I'm aware of the time slipping away, and I'm trying to make the most of it.
Stop trippin' I'm tripping off the power
I'm not going crazy; I'm simply overwhelmed by the immense power I possess.
(Twenty first century schizoid man)
Just like the song '21st Century Schizoid Man' by King Crimson, I am struggling with the crazy reality of our modern world.
The system broken, the school's closed, the prison's open
The government, education, and justice systems are in shambles, and the lack of opportunities has pushed people towards criminal activity.
We ain't got nothing to lose motherfucker we rollin'
We've already lost so much, so we have no fear and are rolling with whatever comes our way.
Huh? motherfucker we rollin'
We don't need anyone to tell us what to do or where to go; we're confidently paving our own path.
With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowland's
We're surrounded by gorgeous women, including some who have lighter skin tones, just like Kelly Rowland.
In this white man's world we the ones chosen
We're living in a world where white people have more power, but we're the lucky ones who have been chosen to rise above it all.
So goodnight cruel world I'll see you in the mornin'
I'm ending this day on a confident note and will see the world anew tomorrow morning.
This is way too much, I need a moment
I'm feeling overwhelmed and need to take a step back to re-evaluate my current situation.
Fuck SNL and the whole cast
I don't care about popular TV shows and the people involved; they can all go to hell for all I care.
Tell them Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass
I don't have time for the BS that comes with fame and would rather people leave me alone.
More specifically they can kiss my ass hole
My disdain towards these people extends beyond just a simple kiss; they can go to the extreme of kissing my actual asshole.
I'm an asshole? You niggas got jokes!
People can call me an asshole, but I don't care because I know those comments are just jokes.
You short minded niggas thoughts is Napoleon
These people viewing me in a negative light have small minds and are delusional, like Napoleon.
My furs is Mongolian, my ice brought the goalies in
I flaunt my wealth with fur coats from Mongolia and diamonds so icy, they could bring a goalie onto the court.
I embody every characteristic of the egotistic
I possess all the qualities of an egotistical person, and I'm not afraid to embrace them.
He knows, he's so fuckin' gifted
I know I have extraordinary talents and abilities, and I'm not afraid to express it.
I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
Sometimes, I need time to think about my life and analyze my personal thoughts on everything.
Got treasures in my mind but couldn't open up my own vault
I have deeply valuable ideas and thoughts, but even I couldn't access them because of initial insecurities.
My child-like creativity, purity, and honesty
In my heart, I still have the innocence and purity of a child, which allows for creativity and authenticity.
Is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts
The more I grow up and mature, the more these innocent thoughts and behaviors are being clouded and pushed aside.
Reality is catching up with me, taking my inner child
The harshness and reality of the adult world is making me lose the pureness and creativity of my inner child.
I'm fighting for custody
I'm struggling to keep my inner child's creativity and honesty alive and present in my overall personality.
With these responsibilities that they entrust in me
I am grateful and honored with the responsibilities given to me by others.
As I look down at my diamond encrusted piece thinking
I'm reflecting on my success and wealth but also wondering if it's worth losing my inner child to maintain it.
Colin Powell, Austin Powers
I'm mentioning the name 'Colin Powell' (a prominent figure in politics) and 'Austin Powers' (a fictional movie character) to show the contrast between politics and entertainment.
Lost in translation with a whole fuckin' nation
I'm aware that my message could be misconstrued or not understood by the masses, and it may be a losing battle.
They say I was the abomination of Obama's nation
Some people perceive me as the disgrace to the nation that is represented by Obama.
Well that's a pretty bad way to start a conversation
If people start the conversation by viewing me negatively, then we're not off to a good start.
At the end of the day goddamn it I'm killin' this shit
Despite the negativity, I know I'm still succeeding in everything that I set out to do and surpassing expectations.
I know damn well ya'll feelin' this shit
I'm confident that my music is enjoyed and appreciated by many people out there.
I don't need your pussy, bitch I'm on my own dick
I don't need anybody's approval or support because I'm already self-sufficient and confident in myself.
I ain't got a power trip who you going home with?
I don't let my power get to my head, and it's up to others if they want to leave with me or not.
How 'Ye doin'? I'm Surviving
Even with all the negative opinions and judgments, I'm still surviving and pushing through to succeed.
I was drinkin' earlier now I'm driving
I was intoxicated earlier, but now, I'm sober and driving towards my success.
Where the bad bitches huh? Where ya hidin'?
I'm expressing my desire for connections and looking for people who can match up to what I'm striving for in life.
I got the power make your life so excitin'
My confidence and power can make others' lives exciting and allow for growth and experiences.
Oh hey oh hey oh hey hey hey
This chant represents the group of people following Kanye's lead and feeling empowered by his music.
Now this'll be a beautiful death
Kanye knows that his death, due to his controversial and popular image, would come unexpectedly but gloriously.
I'm jumping out the window
I'm stepping out of normalcy and reaching for success and the greatness that lies beyond the safety of the window frame.
I'm Letting everything go
I'm letting go of any negative thoughts, criticisms, or mishaps in order to reach the end goal.
You got the power to let power go flow
You have control over your power, and it's up to you to release it to others and cause a ripple effect for positive change.
(Twenty first century schizoid man)
Kanye is sticking to the fact that he is feeling crazed and overwhelmed by the modern culture of power and perfection.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEFF BHASKER, KANYE WEST, ROBERT FRIPP, IAN MCDONALD, GREG LAKE, NATHAN PEREZ, MICHAEL GILES, PETER SINFIELD, MALIK YUSEF JONES, LARRY GRIFFIN, FRANCOIS BERNHEIM, GERARD BERGMAN, MIKE DEAN, JEAN PIERRE LANG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@representation.
I'm living in that 21st century
Doing something mean to it
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music
No one man should have all that power
The clock's ticking, I just count the hours
Stop tripping, I'm tripping off the power
(21st-century schizoid man)
The system broken, and the school's closed, the prisons open
We ain't got nothin' to lose, ma'fucka, we rollin'
Huh? Ma'fucka, we rollin'
With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands
In this white man's world, we the ones chosen
So goodnight, cruel world, I'll see you in the mornin'
Huh? I'll see you in the mornin'
This is way too much, I need a moment
@representation.
I'm living in that 21st century
Doing something mean to it
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music
No one man should have all that power
The clock's ticking, I just count the hours
Stop tripping, I'm tripping off the power
(21st-century schizoid man)
The system broken, and the school's closed, the prisons open
We ain't got nothin' to lose, ma'fucka, we rollin'
Huh? Ma'fucka, we rollin'
With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands
In this white man's world, we the ones chosen
So goodnight, cruel world, I'll see you in the mornin'
Huh? I'll see you in the mornin'
This is way too much, I need a moment
@kabuki.2842
Nobody:
Men’s fragrance commercials:
@st4rmonii
Literally where I came from
@theLisRe4L
Invictus
@candaceanderson6251
😀
@candaceanderson6251
👊🏾
@Black_angel092
With David Beckham loool
@Ocato92
"The system broken, the school is closed, the prisons open."
Now that line aged well!
@rosaria6363
Ocato92 yeah. Fits perfectly now
@Eminenceofeternity
@Ben Orsak The plan was being made 11 years ago?
@jamesvick6070
Ocato92 wow