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.
So Soulful
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah. DC. Stand up for your boy ? Oh, I go by the name of Kanye To The. The Roc is in the building. And as far as I'm concerned, we're about to bring that real soul back to the game. John Legend on the backgrounds by the way. Let's go.
Verse One [Kanye West]:
From what I hear Kanye is killing that game very bad
My girl rockin' the little lamb that Mary had
Little bit of ghosta style mixed with Mosta style
I'm versatile, I'm the poster child
Get it?
We making hits like Sosa now
Hit it!
And I, hate when girls actin' boushie as hell
And I already seen 'em naked like Blu Cantrell
If I talk to people like they stupid as hell
Do that mean God gonna make my kids stupid as well?
Well
Our Father, please for give me
I am sinner, slash winner, slash soul inventor
C'mon
Chorus [Kanye West]
It's so soulful man [x3]
And when you hear, swear it feel like soul food man
[x2]
Verse Two [Uncredited]
Look, my mommy don't be playin' cause she know I got my game intact
I spit them lines that make a rapper have a brain attack
And chickens know I'm gonna do it like I wanna do it
And miscommunication, no we never run into it
I got chicks like Samone and Colla
Stay with lip gloss and Fendi bag beside her
And your girl said she ain't ready for me
I'm in love so mommy got me singin' Teena Marie
High above the Giovanni, she ain't Gucci or Prada
Climbin' in the Mirada, studin' like a scholar
So I don't even bother
I be poppin' my collar
I can get into your soul when I call you tomorrow
C'mon
Chorus
Verse Three [John Legend]:
I know you gotta lot of stress today
Let's hit the party like we just got paid
Now if you really want to get away
Say yeah, yeah
Got people on your back constantly
And you never get a second for free
You know you gotta get away with me
So say yeah, yeah
Verse Four [Consequence]:
Yo, I'ma worry bout the trades and ballin'
I'm gonna trade it all
I'd rather catch up on my paper and evade them all
You sore losers picked the wrong guy to take a fall
I probably train and fall
For what they made in the fall
Made it to a never-quite-was to an overnight buzz
Cause the way I flip a metaphor, nobody quite does
By the time I leave the club
I'm weighing the pros and cons
Cause she must have been a pro the way she approach the Cons
And Con man is an army
Money boss on
We so big be hoppin' out when I'm tryin' to do my laundry
But I ain't even sorry for the way I get my doe
Cause J, Kanye and Con got that food for your soul, go!
Chorus
Outro [John Legend]:
Say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The song "So Soulful" by Kanye West is a collaborative effort with John Legend and Consequence. In the introduction, Kanye sets the tone and delivers a message that he is here to bring "real soul" back to the game. He then raps about his versatile skills, making hits, and how he hates it when girls act "boushie" or snobby. Kanye ends the verse by addressing his sins and asking God for forgiveness.
The chorus is repeated throughout the song and emphasizes the soulfulness of the song. The second verse is performed by an uncredited rapper who boasts about his skills with women and his success. John Legend takes over in the third verse and sings about the stresses of life and the need to let go and have fun. Consequence finishes the song with a verse about his success and how he is unstoppable.
Overall, "So Soulful" is a song that delivers a message about the importance of soulfulness in music, the need for forgiveness, and the value of enjoying life and having fun.
Line by Line Meaning
From what I hear Kanye is killing that game very bad
People are saying that Kanye is dominating the music industry
My girl rockin' the little lamb that Mary had
My girlfriend is wearing a coat made of lamb wool, just like the one Mary had in the Bible story
Little bit of ghosta style mixed with Mosta style
My music has a combination of the rap styles of Ghostface Killah and Mos Def
I'm versatile, I'm the poster child
I have many different skills and can adapt to any situation. I am also the perfect example of talent and success
Gettin' cheese so I'm supposed to smile
I am making a lot of money, so I should be happy about it
We making hits like Sosa now
We are producing songs that are as popular and successful as those of the baseball player Sammy Sosa
And I, hate when girls actin' boushie as hell
I really dislike it when girls are being snobbish and pretentious
And I already seen 'em naked like Blu Cantrell
I have already seen these girls without their clothes on, just like the singer Blu Cantrell
If I talk to people like they stupid as hell
If I speak to people as if they are really dumb
Do that mean God gonna make my kids stupid as well?
Does that mean that God will make my future children stupid as a result of me talking down to others?
Our Father, please forgive me
I ask God to forgive me for my sins
I am sinner, slash winner, slash soul inventor
I recognize that I am not perfect and have made mistakes, but I have also achieved a lot and created a unique sound
It's so soulful man [x3]
This music is extremely emotional and powerful, it touches the soul deeply
And when you hear, swear it feel like soul food man [x2]
When you listen to it, you feel as satisfied as when you eat soul food
Look, my mommy don't be playin' cause she know I got my game intact
My mother takes me seriously because she knows that I am a skilled musician
I spit them lines that make a rapper have a brain attack
My lyrics are so clever and impressive that they can leave other rappers speechless
And miscommunication, no we never run into it
I never have misunderstandings with people because I communicate clearly
Got chicks like Samone and Colla
I have many attractive women who are interested in me, such as Samone and Colla
Stay with lip gloss and Fendi bag beside her
These girls always have stylish accessories with them, such as Fendi bags and lip gloss
And your girl said she ain't ready for me
Your girlfriend is telling me that she is not ready for a relationship with me
I'm in love so mommy got me singin' Teena Marie
I am so in love that I am singing songs by Teena Marie, a soul singer known for her romantic ballads
Now if you really want to get away / Say yeah, yeah
If you are feeling stressed and want to escape, just say 'yeah, yeah'
And you never get a second for free
You are always busy and never have any free time
You know you gotta get away with me
You need to come with me to take a break from your busy life
Yo, I'ma worry bout the trades and ballin'
I am focused on making smart investments and earning a lot of money
I'm gonna trade it all / I'd rather catch up on my paper and evade them all
I am willing to risk everything to make money and avoid people who might try to stop me
Made it to a never-quite-was to an overnight buzz
I went from being a relatively unknown artist to becoming extremely popular overnight
Cause she must have been a pro the way she approach the Cons
This girl was very skilled at approaching me and getting my attention, like a professional would be
Money boss on / We so big be hoppin' out when I'm tryin' to do my laundry
We are the top dogs in the music industry and are so busy with our success that we do not even have time to do our own laundry
Cause J, Kanye and Con got that food for your soul, go!
Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Consequence are producing music that is just like food for your soul. Listen to it and enjoy!
Say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Just say 'yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!' to indicate that you are enjoying the music and having a good time
Contributed by Daniel V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Amy
Dawg I forgot about this song for like 2 months and it hit me like a train 😭😭♥️
Anthony Truman
Its great
ChiTown Chef909
2022 and this shit still slapping. Timeless
GDogg Productions
facts!!
Anthony Truman
Soulful music is the best kind in any genre. When it is real and comes from the heart and soul then people feel that
Johnluke Campbell
This beat just makes me happy
Bryant
Kanye Is So Creative And This Song Is Nuts...I Let This Bump All The Time On My Computer...He Should Of Put This On Graduation
Dwayne Adams
Kanye and John Legend had so much soul back then
umiami85
While this may be true. The college dropout is one of the top 5 cds in hip hop ever. That cd was completely his style. The lyrics on that cd are also all his. He brought together people like Mos Def and Freeway, he made tracks like family business and combined it with the workout plan. The guy needs to go back to basic because his mixtapes (pre 2004) and college dropout are far superior to any of the shit he has dropped since.
Naoshad S
Hell yeah 04-05 freshman yr of college one of my best memories thank you kanye for shaping my perspectives on everything.