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 Canโt Be Life, a track from Jay-Zโs The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dreโs Xxplosive to use as a replacement for his drums on This Canโt 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 Olโ Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said Kanye West: โWu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the timeโฆ 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.โ
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 Beyoncรฉ 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 Beyoncรฉ 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. Kanyeโs 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 Kanyeโs 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 Gravโs 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, Camโron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and John Legend among others. He also โghost-producedโ for his once mentor Deric Angelettie according to his song Last Call and the credits of Nasโ 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 partnershipsโincluding his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciagaโafter making antisemitic statements.
Roses
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But can I please give her these flowers?
The doctor don't wanna take procedures
He claim her heart can't take the anesthesia
It'll send her body into a seizure
That lil' thing by the hospital bed, it'll stop beepin'
Hey, chick, I'm at a loss for words
What do you say at this time? Remember when I was nine?
Her family cryin', they want her to live, and she tryin'
I'm arguin', like, "What kind of doctor can we fly in?"
You know the best medicine go to people that's paid
If Magic Johnson got a cure for AIDS
And all the broke motherfuckers passed away
You telling me if my grandma's in the NBA
Right now, she'd be okay?
But since she was just a secretary
Working for the church for thirty five years
Things supposed to stop right here?
My grandfather tryin' to pull it together, he strong
That's where I get my confidence from
I asked the nurse, "Did you do the research?"
She asked me, "Can you sign some t-shirts?"
"Bitch, is you smokin' reefer?
You don't see that we hurt?" But still
I smile when Rosie comes to see me
And I can't wait for a sunny day (seeing it through your eyes)
Can't wait for the clouds to break
They outside of the emergency room, room
You can feel my heartbeat, beat, beat
If she gon' pull through, we gon' find out soon
But right now, she 'sleep, sleep, sleep
My momma say they say she could pass away any day
Hey chick, what these doctors know anyway?
Let me see the X-rays, I ain't no expert, I'm just hurt
Cousin Kim took off of work
Plus, my Aunt Shirley, Aunt Beverly, Aunt Klaye and Aunt Jean
So many aunties we could have an Auntie Team
Feel like Amerie, it's just "1 Thing"
When they said that she made it, you see they eyes gleam
I think we at a all-time high
To get there, we run, we fly, we drive
'Cause with my family, we know where home is
So instead of sending flowers, we the roses
I smile when Rosie comes to see me
And I can't wait for a sunny day (seeing it through your eyes)
Can't wait for the clouds to break
'Cause Rosie brings the sunshine, oh
I smile when Rosie comes to see me
And I, can't wait for a sunny day (seeing it through your eyes)
Can't wait for the clouds to break
I smile when Rosie comes to see me
And I'm sad, when Rosie goes away
'Cause Rosie brings the sunshine (say)
Can't wait, I can't wait, no
Can't wait, I can't wait, no
Can't wait, I, can't wait
No, can't wait, for, for a sunny day
Momma can't wait, for the clouds to break
Mm mm mm mm-mm mm-mm
Oh oh oh oh no no, say
Tellin' you the truth now
Said I can't wait, uh uh
I won't wait, no
Kanye West's song "Roses" is an emotional and personal story about his experience at the hospital while his grandmother was on her deathbed. The opening lines of the song reveal that it is past visiting hours, and the doctors do not want to perform any procedures on his grandmother due to the risk of anesthesia sending her body into a seizure. Kanye feels helpless and lost for words, trying to comfort his grandmother and her family. Kanye starts arguing with the medical staff, questioning their ability to save his grandmother's life. He also speaks about the inequality in healthcare, where the rich receive better medical attention while the poor suffer. Despite the grim situation, Kanye still manages to hold on to hope, smiling when the roses come to see him.
In "Roses," Kanye expresses his feelings of helplessness and frustration in the face of his grandmother's impending death. He shows the powerlessness a person can feel in such a scenario and the inequalities that exist in healthcare. The song highlights the importance of family and love when times are tough.
Line by Line Meaning
I know it's past visiting hours
Even though it's past visiting hours, can I please bring these flowers to her?
But can I please give her these flowers?
But can I please give her these flowers?
The doctor don't wanna take procedures
The doctor doesn't want to perform a medical procedure on her.
He claim my heart can't take the anesthesia
The doctor says that anesthesia could cause my heart to fail.
It'll send her body into a seizure
He thinks anesthesia could trigger a seizure in her body.
That lil' thing by the hospital bed, it'll stop beepin'
That small thing near the hospital bed will stop beeping.
Hey chick, I'm at a loss for words
I don't know what to say in this situation.
What do you say at this time? Remember when I was 9?
What do you say in a moment like this? Do you remember when I was 9?
Tell her everything gon' be fine, but I be lyin'
I could tell her that everything is going to be fine, but I would be lying.
Her family cryin', they want her to live, and she tryin'
Her family is crying, they want her to live, and she is trying.
I'm arguin' like what kind of doctor can we fly in?
I'm arguing about what kind of doctor we can fly in to help her.
You know the best medicine go to people that's paid
The best medicine is only available for those who can pay.
If Magic Johnson got a cure for AIDS
If Magic Johnson discovered an AIDS cure.
And all the broke motherfuckers passed away
And all the poor people died from AIDS.
You telling me if my grandma was in the NBA
Are you telling me that if my grandma was a basketball player.
Right now she'd be okay? But since she
She would be okay right now? But because she.
Was just a secretary, worked for the church for 35 years
She was only a secretary who worked for the church for 35 years.
Things 'sposed to stop right here
Things are supposed to stop right here.
My grandfather tryin' to pull it together, he's strong
My grandfather is trying to stay strong and hold it together.
That's where I get my confidence from
That's where I get my confidence from.
I asked the nurse 'Did you do the research?'
I asked the nurse if she did the research.
She asked me, 'Can you sign some t-shirts?'
She asked me if I could sign some t-shirts.
Bitch, is you smokin' reefer?
Are you smoking marijuana?
You don't see that we hurt? But still
Can't you see that we are hurting? But still.
If she gon' pull through, we gon' find out soon
We will know soon whether she will recover or not.
But right now she asleep, sleep, sleep
But right now she is asleep, asleep, asleep.
My momma say they say she could pass away any day
My mom says that they say she could die at any moment.
Hey chick, what these doctors know anyway?
What do these doctors know anyway?
Let me see the X-rays, I ain't no expert, I'm just hurt
Let me see the X-rays, I'm not a professional, I'm just upset.
Cousin Kim took off of work
My cousin Kim took time off from work.
Plus my Aunt Shirley, Aunt Beverly, Aunt Clay and Aunt Jean
And also my Aunt Shirley, Aunt Beverly, Aunt Clay, and Aunt Jean.
So many Aunties we could have an Auntie Team
We have so many aunts that we could form an Auntie Team.
Feel like Amerie, it's just 'One Thing'
I feel like Amerie, it's just 'One Thing'.
When they said that she made it you see they eyes gleam
When they said that she recovered, you could see their eyes light up.
I think we at a all-time high
I think we are celebrating an all-time high.
To get there, we run, we fly, we drive
To get here, we had to run, fly, and drive.
Cause with my family we know we know where home is
Because with my family, we know where home is.
And so instead of sendin' flowers, we the roses
So, instead of sending flowers, we are the roses.
It brings the sunshine, oh
It brings us happiness, oh
Can't wait, I can't wait, no
I can't wait, I cannot wait, no.
Momma can't wait, for the clouds to break
Mom cannot wait for the clouds to clear.
I smile when Rosie come to see me
I smile when Rosie comes to see me.
And I'm sad, when Rosie goes away
And I feel sad when Rosie has to leave.
'Cause Rosie brings the sunshine (say)
Because Rosie brings the happiness (say).
Tellin' you the truth now
I'm telling you the truth now.
Said I can't wait, uh uh
I said I can't wait, no.
I won't wait, no
I will not wait, no.
Lyrics ยฉ Ultra Tunes, GOLDEN WITHERS MUSIC, O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Kanye Omari West, Antony Williams, T Williams, William Withers, Kanye West, William Harrison Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Betty Terrell
Kanye West
Animated Album Cover
College Dropout
Late Registration
Graduation
808โs & Heartbreak
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Watch The Throne
Cruel Summer
Yeezus
Jesus In King
The Life of Pablo
Ye
The College Dropout: Video Anthology
Glow in the Dark Tour
Late Orchestration
1:09
Sampled In
Betty Terrell
1:13 Additional Vocals: Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers, Tony Williams, Lisa Kudrow, Jimmy Kimmel, Peter Linz, Steve Whitmire, David Rudman, Bill Barretta, Eric Jacobson, Matt Vogel, Dave Goelz, Sherri Shepherd, Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, Miles Bakshi, Steve Buscemi, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Blake Clark, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, Annie Potts, John Raterzberger, Tony Hale, Kesley Grammer, Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, Private, North Wind & Hayley Williams
Track 9: Roses
Late Registration (2005)
Sampled In: Rosie by Bill Withers
Live: Far Far Away & Kingdom
0:15
ฮmmanuel Montiel
I know it's past visiting hours
But can I please give her these flowers?
The doctor don't wanna take procedures
He claim her heart can't take the anaesthesia
It'll send her body into a seizure
That lil' thing by the hospital bed, it'll stop beepin
Hey chick, I'm at a loss for words
What do you say at this time? Remember when I was 9?
Tell her everything gon' be fine, but I be lyin'
Her family cryin', they want her to live, and she tryin'
I'm arguin like what kind of doctor can we fly in
You know the best medicine go to people that's paid
If Magic Johnson got a cure for AIDS
And all the broke motherfuckers passed away
You telling me if my grandma's in the NBA
Right now she'd be okay? But since she
Was just a secretary, worked for the church for 35 years
Things 'sposed to stop right here
My grandfather tryin to pull it together, he's strong
That's where I get my confidence from
I asked the nurse "Did you do the research?"
She asked me, "Can you sign some t-shirts?"
Bitch, is you smokin reefer?
You don't see that we hurt? But still
I smile, when Rosie comes to see me
And I can't wait for a sunny day (seeing it through your eyes)
Can't wait for the clouds to break
They outside of the emergency room, room
You can feel my heartbeat, beat, beat
If she gon' pull through, we gon' find out soon
But right now she asleep, sleep, sleep
My momma say they say she could pass away any day
Hey chick, what these doctors know anyway?
Let me see the X-rays, I ain't no expert, I'm just hurt
Cousin Kim took off of work
Plus my Aunt Shirley, Aunt Beverly, Aunt Clay and Aunt Jean
So many Aunties we could have an Auntie Team
Feel like Amerie, it's just "One Thing"
When they said that she made it you see they eyes gleam
I think we at a all-time high
To get there, we run, we fly, we drive
Cause with my family we know where home is
And so instead of sending flowers, we're the roses
I smile, when Rosie comes to see me
And I can't wait for a sunny day (seeing it through your eyes)
Can't wait for the clouds to break
Oh, Rosie brings the sunshine, oh
I smile, when Rosie comes to see me
And I can't wait for a sunny day (seeing it through your eyes)
Can't wait for the clouds to break
I, smile, when Rosie come to see me
And I'm sad, when Rosie goes away
Oh Rosie brings the sunshine (say)
Can't wait, I can't wait, no
Can't wait, I can't wait, no
Can't wait, I, can't wait
No, can't wait, for, for a sunny day
Momma can't wait, for the clouds to break
Mm mmm mm mm-mm mm-mm
Oh oh oh oh no no, say
Tellin' you the truth now
Said I can't wait, uh-uh
I won't wait, no
Anthea calhoun-bey
I can relate to this song,a year ago my grandma had a heart attack and she made threw,but I couldn't see her for a week,and when I finally did I cried so hard.I'm just glad she's still in my life.
Kerem Tรผrkmen
hope she's okay
Jervone Wells
๐๐
Mr. BiggieLarge
๐๐๐๐
Star
i was only a year old when this song came out but here i am 15 years later appreciating it. crazy
Betty Terrell
1:57
trunestor
@Brandon Fullenkamp Godspeed
trunestor
@Brandon Fullenkamp I'm 14 right now!
Star
@Brandon Fullenkamp wishing you a speedy recovery ๐
Brandon Fullenkamp
Now I'm 28 with a brain injury in a rehab after fighting for my life in the intensive care unit.