Ye (born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia), profession… Read Full Bio ↴Ye (born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia), professionally known as Kanye West, is a Grammy award-winning American rapper, producer, singer, author, director, performance artist and fashion designer.

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.

Still Dreaming
Kanye West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some people (Yeah)
Some people
Some people really are
Still dreaming (And as the sun sets
and the night falls)
They are still dreaming (and them hoes call)

[Kane West]

He pulled up at 6:30 in his 745
As he wavin' his shorty hi, you know he showin' his bling out
She got in the car, he drove, he pulled his thing out
His girl call, feelin' she mad, she threw the ring out

How she found out, she dreamt the whole thing out
Y'all be goin' through problems you gotta work the kinks out
When you go to sleep, what do you think 'bout?
If y'all get a divorce she gon' take everything except the kitchen sink out

Make it so cold that you gotta pull ya mink out
Or grab ya roller skates and, turn a roller rink out
You now back up in the club, in the club, tryna min-gle
Meanwhile, she out, doin' the same thing now
Nightmares from your dream gal make ya scream out

[Chorus]
Some people really (still dreamin')
Some people really (make ya scream out)
Some people really are (still)
Still dreaming (st-still dreamin')
(O-o-o-o-one two one two
Some dreams stay dreams some dreams come true)
They are still dreaming
(O-o-o-o-one two one two
Some dreams stay dreams some dreams come true)

Some people really
Some people really
Some people really are

[Verse 2: Nas]
How you a man waitin' for the next man to get rich?
Yo' plan is to stick out yo' hand real quick
So if he feed ya family and he serve you shit
Then he need that head you get and he deserve your bitch

Since you wishin' cash fall from the sky all ya life
Dwellin' on the past when you was alright
When you was gettin' cash but wasn't too bright
Now ya luck down you feel like, bustin' them shells

Nobody owe you, can't do nothin' for self
Want niggaz to show you, how to come up wit' green
I scheme since I'm fourteens, what the fuck was your dream?
Rental cars, little broads, sayin' you was seen

Wit' little niggaz wit' a chain you was doin' ya thing
How high was I? You the thousandth guy
That came around thinkin' we can see, eye to eye
We on a different echelon, coulda got bread together
Now you gets deaded on

[Chorus]

Some people really
Some people really
Some people really are

[Verse 3: Nas]
She had several cars, she had credit cards, a castle
Large master bathroom, gettin' a pedicure
Belaney by the glassful, said she been meanin' to ask who
Would need a cash rule, who could blast tools

And I'm eatin' cashews, knew she was bad news
But we mad cool, nothin' sexual 'cause I knew her since high school
Grew up wit' my dudes, like one of my crews
She worked for Fox News

One of her mans that she lent her drop to
Won't come back wit' it so she want him clapped in it
Says it's important that it looks like an accident
She was snortin' and her eyes had bags in it

Sheets was recordin had a wire, askin' shit
Four days before I came by she got bagged wit' bricks
Crossed the line from her world of news castin'
To a world of entrapment, a good girl gone backwards
Still dreamin'

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kanye West's "Still Dreaming" talk about the different dreams that people have and how they may still be holding onto them despite their circumstances. The song opens with the chorus repeating the phrase "some people are still dreaming" while the verses tell the stories of different characters who are playing out their dreams in different ways. Kanye's verse tells the story of a man who is trying to impress his girl by showing off his wealth, but his plan backfires when she finds out about his infidelity. Nas's verses, on the other hand, focus on people who are trying to make it in the world but are struggling to do so.

The lyrics of this song show that there are many different dreams that people have, and that sometimes those dreams can be misguided or even harmful. Kanye's verse shows how materialism and infidelity can be destructive to a person's relationships, while Nas's verse shows how the desire for money and power can lead a person down a dark path. Ultimately, the song seems to be cautioning against getting too caught up in one's dreams and losing sight of what really matters in life.

Line by Line Meaning

Some people (Yeah)
Some people, not all, are what the song is about.

Some people
Some people, not all, are what the song is about.

Some people really are
Some individuals out there still harbor unrealistic desires.

Still dreaming (And as the sun sets and the night falls)
Despite the dusk and nightfall, these people continued to hold on to their dreams.

They are still dreaming (and them hoes call)
These individuals are also entangled with certain establishments, such as prostitution.

He pulled up at 6:30 in his 745
A man arrives in his luxurious car at a particular time.

As he wavin' his shorty hi, you know he showin' his bling out
He actively exposes his wealth by waving and showcasing expensive jewelry.

She got in the car, he drove, he pulled his thing out
He has sex with her in the car while driving.

His girl call, feelin' she mad, she threw the ring out
His girlfriend finds out about the affair and angrily throws her engagement ring away.

How she found out, she dreamt the whole thing out
His girlfriend figured out the affair through her dreams, suggesting that she unconsciously knew something was wrong.

Y'all be goin' through problems you gotta work the kinks out
Problems in relationships need to be addressed and alterations should be made.

When you go to sleep, what do you think 'bout?
The artist questions what people think about before going to sleep, a possible allusion to the underlying thoughts of the dreaming individuals mentioned in the song.

If y'all get a divorce she gon' take everything except the kitchen sink out
In the event of a divorce, the wife will take everything except the kitchen sink, further emphasizing the potential ramifications of problems in relationships.

Make it so cold that you gotta pull ya mink out
The cold is intense enough that you have to put on your fur coat.

Or grab ya roller skates and, turn a roller rink out
Alternatively, you can put on your roller skates and have an amazing time at the roller rink.

You now back up in the club, in the club, tryna min-gle
The artist returns to the club to try to socialize and perhaps find a new lover.

Meanwhile, she out, doin' the same thing now
In the meantime, his girlfriend is out doing the same thing he is doing, wondering and looking for someone new.

Nightmares from your dream gal make ya scream out
Dreams become nightmares when you realize the harsh reality, and they can cause one to scream out.

How you a man waitin' for the next man to get rich?
Why rely on other people to get wealthy if you can do it independently?

Yo' plan is to stick out yo' hand real quick
Your plan is to be quick in asking for money from others.

So if he feed ya family and he serve you shit
If he provides for you and gives you the bare minimum, you cannot complain

Then he need that head you get and he deserve your bitch
If he is providing you with opportunities, he deserves to have sex with your woman.

Since you wishin' cash fall from the sky all ya life
Always wishing for easy money to come your way and never intending to work hard for it.

Dwellin' on the past when you was alright When you was gettin' cash but wasn't too bright
You're stuck in the past, reminiscing about the time you earned money, but also acknowledging that you weren't wise with it.

Now ya luck down you feel like, bustin' them shells
Now that you are down on your luck, you are considering turning to violence as a solution to your problems.

Nobody owe you, can't do nothin' for self
You have to rely on yourself because nobody owes you anything.

Want niggaz to show you, how to come up wit' green
You want people to show you how to make money miraculously.

I scheme since I'm fourteens, what the fuck was your dream?
What plans did you devise and achieve when you were younger? The artist believes in planning since a young age.

Rental cars, little broads, sayin' you was seen Wit' little niggaz wit' a chain you was doin' ya thing
You still brag about the times when you went around with flashy cars, young girls, and friends who also wore gold chains.

How high was I? You the thousandth guy That came around thinkin' we can see, eye to eye
There have already been many similar individuals who think likewise as you do and have approached him with the same mindset.

We on a different echelon, coulda got bread together Now you gets deaded on
We operate at different levels, and we could have worked together to make money, but now the other person would be killed.

She had several cars, she had credit cards, a castle Large master bathroom, gettin' a pedicure
A woman had a luxurious lifestyle and all the amenities that come with it.

Belaney by the glassful, said she been meanin' to ask who Would need a cash rule, who could blast tools
She drinks from a glass full of whiskey and discusses with the artist who would need money and who would be willing to use violence.

And I'm eatin' cashews, knew she was bad news
The artist is aware that the woman is dangerous, but he's still having a casual conversation with her while eating cashews.

But we mad cool, nothin' sexual 'cause I knew her since high school
They are not sexually involved because they were friends since high school.

Grew up wit' my dudes, like one of my crews She worked for Fox News
The artist and the woman have a similar background of growing up together, and she happens to work at Fox News.

One of her mans that she lent her drop to Won't come back wit' it so she want him clapped in it
One of the individuals she lent her car to stole it, so she wants him killed for it.

Says it's important that it looks like an accident She was snortin' and her eyes had bags in it
She wants the killing to appear accidental or natural, and she is high on drugs at this moment.

Sheets was recordin had a wire, askin' shit Four days before I came by she got bagged wit' bricks
Her sheets, possibly referring to bed sheets, were recording their conversation with a wiretap. Four days before, she was caught with drugs.

Crossed the line from her world of news castin' To a world of entrapment, a good girl gone backwards
The woman has gone from reporting and broadcasting news to becoming involved in a dangerous world of drugs and violence. The last line of the song sums up the concept well.

Still dreamin'
The chorus repeats this phrase, emphasizing the central theme of the song of people still holding onto unrealistic dreams despite the harsh reality.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JIMMY WEBB, KANYE WEST, KANYE OMARI WEST, NASIR JONES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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