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.

The Bounce
Kanye West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Uh, just point out the bounce
Uh-huh, show me the bounce, yeah
Just point out the bounce, yeah
Timbo the king, yeah
Young Hov' the king, yeah
Just point out the bounce
Yes, just point out the bounce nigga
Yo, listen

Rumor has it "The Blueprint" classic
Couldn't even be stopped by Bin Laden
So September 11th marks the era forever
Of a revolutionary Jay Guevera
Now it's a whole museum of, Hov' MCers
Everybody duping the flow, you see 'em
Everybody looping up soul
It's like you trying to make "The Blueprint 2" before Hov'
Shout out to Just Bleezy and, Kan-yeezy
See how we adjusted the game so easy
Chicks barely dancing, glancing every chance they get
Like, oh shit, he's so handsome
Still in demand in the longest run standing
Kidnap rap seven years, no ransom
Can't one nigga get it back no rap
Young Hov's goin' to Canton, I'm now eligible

Point out the bounce, and show you how to get this dough in
Large amounts 'til it's hard to count
Point out the bounce, I turn a 8 to an ounce
To a whole ki to the R.O.C
Point out the bounce, Timbo the king nigga (uh, yeah, uh)
Point out the bounce, yeah, Young Hov' the king nigga
Uh, I got why'all

For those that think Hov' fingers bling bling'n
Either haven't heard the album or they don't know English
They only know what the single is, and singled that out
To be the meaning of what he is about
And being I'm about my business, not mingling much
Running my mouth, that shit kept lingering
But no dummy, that's the shit I'm sprinkling
The album width to keep the registers ringing
In real life, I'm much more distinguished
I'm like a bloke from London, England
Yeah, you jingling baby
See I go right back and I bring 'em in baby
Business mind of a Ross Perot, but never lost my soul
Crossed the line, I bought pop across the row
Then I walk through the hood, where they up to no good
Slanging them O's like a real OG Should
Oh, he's good, no he would never sell out he's so hood

Point out the bounce, and show you how to get this dough in
Large amounts 'til it's hard to count
Point out the bounce, I turn a 8 to an ounce
To a whole ki to the R.O.C
Point out the bounce, Timbo the king nigga (uh, yeah, uh)
Point out the bounce, yeah, Young Hov' the king nigga

Magazines call me a rock star, girls call me cock star
Billboard, pop star, neighborhood block star
Chi-Town go-getting pimps, we mobsters
Gingerbread Man even said, "You're a monster!"
Yeah, that's how I feel
To be down, you must appeal
To the crew, we're rated R
O.C., OG, Bobby Johnson son
Ask me, "Ray-Ray, is that yo' car?"
I seen MTV, I know who you are
You did "Takeover," do you got beef with Nas?
I did take over the game, brought back the soul
Got tracks to go, got plaques that's gold
Platinum to go, yeah that's the flow
All I, know, I gots to blow
And I don't play pause I'm from Chicago

And show you how to get this dough in
Large amounts 'til it's hard to count
Point out the bounce, I turn a 8 to an ounce
To a whole ki to the R.O.C
Point out the bounce, Timbo the king nigga (uh)
Point out the bounce, yeah, Young Hov' the king nigga

Point out the bounce
Point out the bounce
Point out the bounce

Point out the bounce
Point out the bounce

Overall Meaning

In the song "The Bounce," Kanye West and Jay-Z address their domination of the hip-hop game and the ways in which they've changed it. The first verse references the success of Jay-Z's album "The Blueprint" and how it was so iconic that even Bin Laden couldn't stop it. The verse goes on to note that now every rapper is copying Jay-Z's flow, trying to replicate his success. The second verse references Jay-Z's business-mindedness and his ability to cross the line and change the game while still staying true to his roots. The chorus simply asks for someone to point out the bounce in order to show how to get money and achieve success.

The song references Kanye and Jay-Z's dominance in the music industry and their ability to adapt and change with the times, staying ahead of the game. It highlights their business savvy and creativity, as well as their confidence in their abilities. Additionally, the song references September 11th and how it forever changed the era and the world, making it a pivotal moment in history. Overall, "The Bounce" is about the power of persistence and hard work, and how success can be achieved through innovation and determination.

Line by Line Meaning

Uh, just point out the bounce
Identify the beat in the song.

Uh-huh, show me the bounce, yeah
I want to see how the beat of the song is carried out.

Just point out the bounce, yeah
Simply locate and highlight the rhythm of the song.

Timbo the king, yeah
Referring to Timbaland as one of the greatest music producers of all time.

Young Hov' the king, yeah
Jay-Z, also known as Young Hov, recognized as one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Yes, just point out the bounce nigga
Emphasizing the importance of locating the beat of the song to appreciate it better.

Yo, listen
Listen closely as I explain the significance of 'The Blueprint' album.

Rumor has it 'The Blueprint' classic
There is a saying that 'The Blueprint' album is classic.

Couldn't even be stopped by Bin Laden
The success of the album is so towering that it couldn't be affected even by the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.

So September 11th marks the era forever
The release of the album coincides with the attack date, marking it forever in memory.

Of a revolutionary Jay Guevera
Comparing Jay-Z's effect in the music industry to revolutionary Che Guevara.

Now it's a whole museum of, Hov' MCers
Jay-Z has paved the way for other rappers who have followed his style and tactics.

Everybody duping the flow, you see 'em
Many rappers copy Jay-Z's flow and style, and it's evident in their music.

Everybody looping up soul
Many rappers sample classic soul music in their songs, much like Jay-Z did in 'The Blueprint'.

It's like you trying to make 'The Blueprint 2' before Hov'
Rappers are trying to create a sequel to 'The Blueprint' before Jay-Z himself does.

Shout out to Just Bleezy and, Kan-yeezy
Showing appreciation for Just Blaze and Kanye West for contributing to the album.

See how we adjusted the game so easy
Jay-Z, Just Blaze, and Kanye West changed the rap game with 'The Blueprint'.

Chicks barely dancing, glancing every chance they get
Women are mesmerized by Jay-Z and can't help but stare at him.

Like, oh shit, he's so handsome
Women are in awe of Jay-Z's looks and star power.

Still in demand in the longest run standing
Jay-Z has been successful in the music industry for a long time and still has a huge following.

Kidnap rap seven years, no ransom
Referring to Jay-Z's seven-year hiatus from rapping due to issues with his record label.

Can't one nigga get it back no rap
Jay-Z is the only one who can revive the rap game.

Young Hov's goin' to Canton, I'm now eligible
Comparing Jay-Z to a football player making it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, now eligible because of his longevity and contributions to the game.

Point out the bounce, and show you how to get this dough in
Identify the beat and I'll show you how to make money off it.

Large amounts 'til it's hard to count
Make so much money that it becomes difficult to keep track of the amount.

Point out the bounce, I turn a 8 to an ounce
Identify the rhythm and I can turn eight ounces into a full kilogram of drugs to sell.

To a whole ki to the R.O.C
From eight ounces to a whole kilogram, which belongs to Jay-Z's record company, R.O.C.

Magazines call me a rock star, girls call me cock star
Jay-Z is revered like a rockstar and attracts women because of his fame and success.

Billboard, pop star, neighborhood block star
Jay-Z is successful and well-known in the music industry, but he still remembers his roots as a street smart kid from the neighborhood.

Chi-Town go-getting pimps, we mobsters
Jay-Z and fellow rappers from Chicago are hustlers and gangsters.

Gingerbread Man even said, 'You're a monster!'
Jay-Z is so successful that even Gingerbread Man from the fairytale recognizes him as a monster.

Yeah, that's how I feel
Jay-Z is confident and excited about what he's accomplishing.

To be down, you must appeal
In order to be part of Jay-Z's inner circle, you have to attract his attention and get him to notice you.

To the crew, we're rated R
Jay-Z's group is mature and real, rated R for the language and content of their songs.

O.C., OG, Bobby Johnson son
Name-dropping Original Concept, Original Gangster, and Bobby Johnson's son.

Ask me, 'Ray-Ray, is that yo' car?'
People ask Jay-Z about his wealth and expensive possessions.

I seen MTV, I know who you are
Jay-Z is recognizable from his appearances on MTV and other media outlets.

You did 'Takeover,' do you got beef with Nas?
Jay-Z was rumored to be in a feud with Nas after the release of his song, 'Takeover'.

I did take over the game, brought back the soul
Jay-Z's 'Takeover' helped him take over the rap game and brought soul back into rap music.

Got tracks to go, got plaques that's gold
Jay-Z has plenty of song tracks and golden plaques for his successful albums.

Platinum to go, yeah that's the flow
Jay-Z's music is selling at a platinum level and it's just flowing continuously.

All I, know, I gots to blow
Jay-Z has to make it big and blow up in order to be satisfied with his success.

And I don't play pause I'm from Chicago
Jay-Z doesn't stop or take breaks, he's from a city that promotes hard work and perseverance.

Point out the bounce
Reiterating the importance of recognizing the beat in the song.

Point out the bounce
One more reminder to point out the rhythm in the song.

Point out the bounce
Another reminder to identify the beat, so as not to miss its importance and enjoy the song better.

Point out the bounce
Final call to identify and appreciate the rhythm in the song.

Point out the bounce
Last reminder to locate and appreciate the beat in the song.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BILLEY PETTAWAY MUSIC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Shawn C. Carter, Timothy Z. Mosley, William Ed Pettaway

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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