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.
Self Conscious
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'mon now let's go, uh
[Hook]
Let me hear say "Yeaaah"
"Yeaaah"
I know you're wondering
'Cause I listen to the ROC
And I listen and watch
And the first thing I copped was a glistening watch
Off that Blueprint money
Yeah I know I'm a dummy
But what I am supposed to tell a girl in the club, why that ass is getting feeled on
What, I bought a couple build-ons?
Seems like I got more brain off my fake chain than my real one
'Cause on the real son
If a girl think you broke, she just wanna fuck and smoke
If you paid then she's thinking 'bout her children
Feel him?
Prolly not though unless you got dough
You know what I mean
You would think the grass green when you finally get green
Let me hear say "Yeaaah"
"Yeaaah"
Man I promise, she's so self conscious
She has no idea what she's doing in college
That major that she majored in don't make no money
But she won't drop out, her parents will look at her funny
Now, tell me that ain't insecure
The concept of school seems so secure
Sophomore three years ain't picked a career
She like fuck it, I'll just stay down here and do hair
'Cause that's enough money to buy her a few pairs of new Airs
'Cause her baby daddy don't really care
She's so precious with the peer pressure
Couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis
She had hair so long that it looked like weave
Then she cut it all off now she look like Eve
And she be dealing with some issues that you can't believe
Single black female addicted to retail and
Let me hear say "Yeah"
"Yeah"
Man I promise, I'm so self conscious
That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches
Rollies and Pasha's done drove me crazy
I can't even pronounce nothing, pass that Versace!
Then I spent four hundred bucks on this
Just to be like, "Nigga you ain't up on this!"
And I refuse go to the grocery store
Without some ones that's clean and a shirt with a team
It seems we living the american dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings
We shine because they hate us, floss cause they degrade us
We trying to buy back our 40 acres
And for that paper, look how low we a'stoop
Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coupe
Let me hear say "Yeah"
"Yeah"
And uh
I decided to stop fuckin' with y'all
Uh
Wack ass niggas
And uh hating-ass dream killin'-ass niggas
And since I quit
Everyone that supported me
Thank you very much
And everyone that doubted me
Thank you very little
In Kanye West's song "Self Conscious," the rapper reflects on the insecurities and self-doubts that he and the people around him face. He begins by boasting about his success, which he attributes to his love for and connection with Roc-A-Fella Records. However, he confesses that his financial status is a crucial factor in how he's perceived by women. According to Kanye, the women in clubs are only interested in him if he's rich, and if he's not, then they merely want to have sex with him. Kanye argues that their desire for him stems only from the impression that his wealth makes. Next, he talks about a girl who is attending college, majoring in a subject that won't make much money. Despite knowing this, she doesn't drop out of college, fearing ridicule from her parents. Kanye believes that she is insecure and doesn't have confidence in herself. She struggles with financial challenges, and the only thing she can afford is a pair of new sneakers for herself. Additionally, she is a single mom to a child named Alexis, and she is addicted to shopping.
In the next section, Kanye raps about his issues of self-consciousness. He explains that he's always seen wearing one of his watches as a way to boost his confidence. Kanye explains how high-end fashion brands like Versace have gravely impacted his spending habits, and he has spent a lot of money on clothes, just to look upscale. He argues that society's need to show off their uniqueness and glamour stems from a craving for acceptance and validation. Finally, Kanye severs all connections with anyone who doesn't believe in him and expresses his gratitude to those who have supported him.
Line by Line Meaning
Now ya know ya gotta turn this super loud
You should turn up the volume on this song to fully appreciate it.
Let me hear say "Yeaaah" "Yeaaah"
This chorus is meant to be shouted out and repeated.
I know you're wondering How is Kanye spittin so hot?
You might be curious about how I'm able to rap so well.
'Cause I listen to the ROC And I listen and watch And the first thing I copped was a glistening watch
I owe my success in part to my association with the Roc-A-Fella music label and my love of flashy watches.
Off that Blueprint money Yeah I know I'm a dummy
I foolishly spent some of the money I made from Jay-Z's album, The Blueprint.
But what I am supposed to tell a girl in the club, why that ass is getting feeled on What, I bought a couple build-ons?
When a woman at the club asks me what I do for a living, I can't just say 'I bought some watches.'
Seems like I got more brain off my fake chain than my real one 'Cause on the real son
My fake jewelry has attracted more positive attention than my real jewelry.
If a girl think you broke, she just wanna fuck and smoke If you paid then she's thinking 'bout her children Feel him?
Women are more interested in you if they think you have money, as they want a wealthy partner to care for their children.
Prolly not though unless you got dough You know what I mean
You probably can't relate to this unless you have money.
You would think the grass green when you finally get green
When you become rich, it seems like everything else in life becomes easier and more enjoyable.
Man I promise, she's so self conscious She has no idea what she's doing in college That major that she majored in don't make no money But she won't drop out, her parents will look at her funny
There are many people who are insecure about themselves and their choices, like a college student who is pursuing a major that won't lead to a lucrative career but feels pressure to continue from her family.
Now, tell me that ain't insecure The concept of school seems so secure Sophomore three years ain't picked a career She like fuck it, I'll just stay down here and do hair
Choosing a career path is difficult and some students feel uncertain about their future, so they might drop out of college and settle for a job like hairdressing because it feels more stable.
'Cause that's enough money to buy her a few pairs of new Airs 'Cause her baby daddy don't really care She's so precious with the peer pressure Couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis She had hair so long that it looked like weave Then she cut it all off now she look like Eve And she be dealing with some issues that you can't believe Single black female addicted to retail and
This woman has a baby with an absent father and succumbs to peer pressure to look a certain way, but she still shops excessively even though she can't afford it and cut off her long hair.
Man I promise, I'm so self conscious That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches Rollies and Pasha's done drove me crazy I can't even pronounce nothing, pass that Versace!
As a successful artist, I am insecure about my status and use material objects like watches to boost my confidence.
Then I spent four hundred bucks on this Just to be like, "Nigga you ain't up on this!" And I refuse go to the grocery store Without some ones that's clean and a shirt with a team
I buy expensive clothing to look better than others and will only go to the grocery store looking presentable.
It seems we living the american dream But the people highest up got the lowest self esteem The prettiest people do the ugliest things For the road to riches and diamond rings We shine because they hate us, floss cause they degrade us We trying to buy back our 40 acres And for that paper, look how low we a'stoop Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coupe
People in America are chasing material success but still dealing with low self-esteem, racism, and negative stereotypes, leading them to resort to shallow and unpleasant behavior in the pursuit of wealth and status.
And uh I decided to stop fuckin' with y'all Uh Wack ass niggas And uh hating-ass dream killin'-ass niggas And since I quit Everyone that supported me Thank you very much And everyone that doubted me Thank you very little
I've made the decision to stop associating with people who bring negativity into my life and to thank my supporters and doubters alike for shaping my character.
Let me hear say "Yeah" "Yeah"
This chorus is meant to be shouted out and repeated.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kanye West
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@saqib7965
Being creative and not being scared on taking risks making hit records that also have that classic feel to them and on top of that..having a real message is what makes kanye west a genius. Not many artist in music history have 10 classic albums 7 of his own and 3 as a producer for the rappers albums below..
Jay z - the blueprint
Common - Be
Pusha T - Daytona
kanye has 84 platinum songs out of 184 songs
75 Grammy nominations.. the 4th most ever kanye won 24 Grammy's in total.
Classics 🎖
Mainstream success 🎖
Critically acclaimed 🎖
All huge achievements it's super rare and kanye has influenced pretty much everyone we listen to. You can hate the man but you can't deny his one of a kind legendary career.
@YahwehYireh
Watching his documentary really is a eye opener, seeing him believe so much in himself when others doubted him is truly inspiring.
@EasyWayMel
YURRRRR SHIT crazy shit makes me feel like fighting for something. Kanye West is a fucking genius.
@courtneyhartwell3461
Just finished it myself. What a great documentary. I cannot wait for the next two episodes.
@hsgny2305
Exactly
@rdupiton9592
He gave us everything he had in him and it’s like we shunned him almost, look what he turned to and he gets ALL the attention. Who’s really to blame?
@rafaelorozco7427
@Courtney Hartwell it’s not over there 2 more episodes coming up
@RylanForever
Can we appreciate how when he goes into the bathroom the acoustics change to give him an echo
@FKiMusic
best part
@oldahhha2127
You said it
@bejentle7774
The little details matters. Kanye the genuis