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 Joy
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A great big expression of happiness
Boy, you couldn't miss with a dozen roses
Such would astound you
The joy of children laughing around you
These are the makings of you
I do it for the fore-fathers and the street authors
Rappers that never got signed but they keep offers
Girls that's way too fine for us to keep off us
Gave her a handshake only for my man's sake
She in her birthday suit cause of the damn cake
Now there's crumbs all over the damn place
And she want me to cum all over her damn face
I never understood planned parenthood
'Cause I never met nobody planned to be a parent in the hood
Taking refills of that plan B pill
Another shorty that won't make it to the family will
If I don't make it, can't take it, hope the family will
They ain't crazy they don't know how insanity feel
Don C just had a shorty so it's not that bad
But I still hear the ghosts of the kids I never had
Add a little sugar, honeysuckle and
A great big expression of happiness
Boy, you couldn't miss with a dozen roses
Such would astound you
The joy of children laughing around you
These are the makings of you
No Electro, no metro, a little retro, ahh perfecto
You know the demo, ya boy act wild
You ain't get the memo? Yeezy's back in style
Now one room got Gidget, the other got Bridget
What's more tripped out dawg is they sisters
Nah, you ain't listen, they black, they sisters
They momma, named them after white bitches
So next time you see me on your fallopian
Though the jewelry's Egyptian, know the hunger's Ethiopian
Stupid questions like, "Is he gon' be dope again?
Have you seen him? Has anybody spoke to him?"
This beat deserves Hennessy, a bad bitch and a bag of weed, the Holy Trinity
In the mirror where I see my only enemy
Your life's cursed, well mine's an obscenity
Add a little sugar, honeysuckle and
A great big expression of happiness
Boy, you couldn't miss with a dozen roses
Such would astound you
The joy of children laughing around you
These are the makings of you
This is my momma shit
I used to hear this through the walls in the hood
When I was back in my pajama shit
Afro's and marijuana sticks, seeds and the ganja had
It popping like the sample that I'm rhyming with
Pete Rock, let the needle drop
I seen so much as a kid they surprised I don't needle pop
Taking sips of pop's six-pack of Miller nips
Pink Champale, Ballantine Ale
Ballys on my feet help me balance out well
That and the shit I used to balance on the scale
I got it honest from the parties from my momma's
Virgin Mary's try to judge her, I'm like, "Where the Madonna's now?"
Give all glory to Gloria, they said, "You raised that boy too fast"
But you was raising a warrior
We victorious, they'll never take the joy from us, uh
Keep you hands up, get 'em high now
Don't let them take your fire
Keep you hands up, get 'em high now
Don't let them take your fire
Keep you hands up, get 'em high now
Don't let them take your fire
Keep you hands up, get 'em high now
It's Pete Rock, Kanye, one, two, okay
It's Pete Rock, Kanye, one, two, okay
It's Pete Rock, Kanye, one, two, okay
It's Pete Rock, Kanye, one, two, okay
The lyrics to Kanye West/Jay-Z/Curtis Mayfield's song The Joy are an interesting blend of seemingly unrelated themes. The opening verse talks about happiness and joy being found in simple things like children laughing and a dozen roses. In contrast, the second verse talks about street life and unplanned pregnancies. The third verse is a nostalgic look back at the artist's childhood experiences growing up in the hood, with references to drug use and partying. Despite the different themes, there is a common thread of joy running through all the verses.
The song also features an interesting use of samples - the beat is based on Curtis Mayfield's "The Makings of You" and there are samples from hip hop producer Pete Rock's track "When I Need It" as well. The song was produced by Kanye West and Pete Rock, and originally leaked online in 2010 as "The Joy" before being officially released on Kanye West and Jay-Z's collaborative album Watch the Throne in 2011.
Overall, the lyrics to The Joy offer a unique perspective on finding joy in everyday experiences and dealing with the challenges of life in the inner city. The song is a testament to the resilience of those who grow up in difficult circumstances, and the power of music to bring people together.
Line by Line Meaning
Add a little sugar, honey suckle lamb
A great expression of happiness
Boy, you could not miss with a dozen roses
Such would astound you
The joy of children laughing around you
These are the makings of you
I do it for the fore-fathers and the street authors
Paying respect to rap artists who never made it
That are not A&R's in the cheap office
Who didn't get signed by a record label
Rappers that never got signed but they keep offers
Independent artists who continue to receive offers
Girls that's way too fine for us to keep off us
Girls that are too attractive to resist
Gave her a handshake only for my man's sake
Showing respect to a friend by refusing a woman's advances
She in her birthday suit cause of the damn cake
She's naked because of a celebratory cake
Now there's crumbs all over the damn place
Messy aftermath of their celebration
And she want me to cum all over her damn face
Graphic sexual reference
I never understood planned parenthood
Lack of understanding regarding family planning
Cause I never met nobody plan to be a parent in the hood
No one in his community plans to have children
Taking refills of that plan B pill
Repeating the emergency contraceptive
Another shorty that won't make it to the family will
Another unplanned pregnancy that will not become part of a family legacy
If I don't make it, can't take it, hope the family will
If he doesn't succeed, hopes his family will be able to cope
They ain't crazy they don't know how insanity feel
His family doesn't understand his struggles
Don C just had a shorty so it's not that bad
Don C recently had a child, making parenthood seem less daunting
But I still hear the ghosts of the kids I never had
Regret for not having children
No Electro, no metro, a little retro, I perfecto
No electronic beats, just a touch of nostalgia
You know the demo, ya boy act wild
Kanye's style and persona is familiar
You ain't get the memo, Yeezy's back in style
Kanye is back in the music scene with a new project
Now when Rome go Gidget the other got Bridget
Two different experiences
What's more tripped out though is they sisters
The fact that they're siblings is more surprising
Nah, you ain't listen, they black, they sisters
Their race is black
They momma, named them after white bitches
Reference to naming trends, in contrast with their own race
No next time you see me on your fallopian
He won't be fathering anyone's child
Though the Jewerly's Egyptian, know the hunger's Ethiopian
Despite being wealthy, he still has struggles and strives for betterment
Stupid questions like "Is he gon' be dope again?"
Doubting his ability to create good music
Have you seen him? Has anybody spoke to him?
People questioning his whereabouts and state of mind
This beat deserves Hennessy, a bad bitch and a bag of weed, the Holy Trinity
The perfect combination for the perfect song
In the mirror where I see my only enemy
His biggest critic is himself
Your life's cursed, well mine's an obscenity
Contrasting differences between their lives
This is my momma shit
Song is a tribute to music his mom used to listen to
I used to hear this through the walls in the hood
Recalling memories of hearing music throughout the neighborhood
When I was back in my pajama shit
During his youth
Afro's and marijuana sticks, seeds and the ganja hat
The culture and vibe of his upbringing
Will be popping like the sample that I'm rhyming with
Nostalgic reference to music samples used in the song
Pete Rock, let the needle drop
Acknowledging Pete Rock's contribution as a producer
I seen so much as a kid they surprised I don't needle pop
Despite his childhood experiences, he's managed to avoid drug addiction
Taking sips of pop, six packs of millanips
Relaxing by drinking soda and wine coolers
Pink champel, Valentine L
More indulgence, finer drinks
Bally's on my feet help me balance out well
Higher quality fashion, symbolizes success
That and the shit I used to balance on the scale
Referring to drug dealing as a means of financial balance
I got it honest from the parties from my momma's
Inherited his love of music and partying from his mother
Virgin Mary's try to judge her, I'm like "where the Madonna's now?"
Judgemental people are silent now
Give all glory to Gloria, they said "you raised that boy too fast,
Appreciation for his mother and her parenting decisions
But you was raising a warrior"
Raising him to be strong and resilient
We victorious, they'll never take the joy from us
Despite all their struggles, they remain happy and successful
Keep you hands up, get mine up
Keeping spirits high and hands joined in unity
Don't let them take your fire
Don't let negativity extinguish optimism
It's Pete Rock, Kanye, one, two, okay
Final acknowledgement of the artists and producers involved
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Talib Kweli, Kanye West, Curtis Mayfield, Jeffrey Bhasker, Peter O. Phillips, Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, Shawn Carter, Jeff Bhasker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lphotwunteel5250
Damn I miss this album. Still waiting for watch the throne 2.
This beat deserves Hennessey, a bad bitch
And a bag of weed; the Holy Trinity
In the mirror where I see my only enemy
Your life’s cursed, well mine’s an obscenity
@jackxavier3915
THE VIBE ON THIS IS SUPREME.
@amrey3628
This is such a timeless vibe. My favorite off of the album.
@Thesmashconnoisseur
There’s a song called Otis you should check out
@LessGo7921
@@Thesmashconnoisseurfr. By far the best song on the album imo
@amrey3628
@@Thesmashconnoisseurtrust that otis is a timeless song off this album. I love it too. This Curtis Mayfield sample just takes me back to listening to my mom's records as a kid like Jay said in his verse...can't really describe it but yeah both of them are still heavy on my playlists.
@carltonf1389
I never understood planned Parenthood cause I never met nobody planned to be a parent in tha hood
@allarnnamanager2728
❤️
@exxxorcist7698
Lame......
@kingbeast6792
@@exxxorcist7698 bruh that bar was straight fire 🔥
@situmbamfunda176
The moment get some with no rubber. It's planned. You started the date .that's planned