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.
Wait for God
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know what I'm sayin'?
Y'all, I'm just waiting for God
I'ma wait for God i'ma wait for God
Been too long away from God
I'll wait for God
Go take the path of least resistance
Don't force nothin', it's the way
Power versus force i'ma wait for God
Been too long away from God
I'll wait for God, we'll wait
Yo, know I'm sayin'?
People try to rush things
Or manipulate, or strategize
Or think they're gon' set up plays
Man makes plans, God laughs
He got good ass sense of humor
Know what I'm sayin'?
I was just livin' my life
Spent all of my tour money on this
Big mansion 'n' shit
Biggest house in Hidden Hills
He funny though
He gon' move the number one rapper four
Blocks down the street from me
You funny, God heheheh
Mm, I'ma wait for God
Been too long away from God
Been too long away from God
Ooh, I will wait for God
Wait, wait, wait wait wait
Only with his blessings, only
In his time and God willing shall it happen
Ya know, people go through pain 'n' shit
You need some time to just walk it off
It's like a sprained ankle
You can't get right to it
Know what I'm sayin'?
It's like a basketball game, pain
The way we feel about things, mm, mm, mm
If someone say
We-we say, we hoopin' and stuff
You sprain your ankle
The whole team, can't come to
It and say, "I'm sorry
" and it's just gonna feel better
Or you can't scream at it and
It's just gon' feel better
You've gotta take time for that to heal
And maybe you need to stay of
Off it a little bit stay off the subject
Heh huh
I'ma wait for God eh na, when it happen
Oh, I'ma wait for God
It's so funny
I was goin' to Denny's the other day
Lenny's, Denny's
And, I was, ya know, in Westwood and I seen
A-A tall
Light-skinned dude with a beard and shit
I said, "That look like Drake, right there"
But he was like on a skateboard i said
"I know that ain't gon' be
Drake on a skateboard" heheheheh, heh
I was like, "Man, I'ma go talk to him
Right now!"
So II pulled to turn the car around
It's- I swear he looked just like-
He definitely brought beards
For light-skinned niggas
Back in style and shit, like, hehehe
I said on my first album, I'ma make sure
Light-skinned niggas never come
Back in style, heheheh
Oh, I'ma wait for God oh, I'ma wait for God
Oh, I'ma wait for God
Spent too long a summer away from God
Though I
I might blast off, off into the light, oh
I don't never, never a job though
I could not create for what, the Stylo
Bored a lot and I put that on Chicago
Yeah, I put that on Chicago
I put that on Chicago
North, Saint, and Chicago
In the song "Wait for God," Kanye West reflects on his spiritual journey and the importance of patience and surrendering to a higher power. The lyrics suggest that Kanye has been away from God for a while and is now acknowledging the need to wait for God's timing and guidance. He emphasizes the idea of taking the path of least resistance, not forcing anything, and allowing things to unfold naturally. Kanye also acknowledges the humorous nature of God and his ability to disrupt one's plans, as demonstrated by the anecdote about the number one rapper moving near him.
Throughout the song, Kanye uses metaphors to describe the healing process and the need for time. He compares emotional pain to a sprained ankle that needs time to heal and likens it to a basketball game where you can't rush the recovery. It's a reminder that some things require patience and cannot be rushed or forced. He also mentions the importance of self-reflection and taking time off to heal and grow.
Overall, "Wait for God" conveys Kanye's understanding that sometimes we need to let go of control and trust in a higher power's timing and plan. It serves as a reminder to be patient, surrender, and have faith in the journey.
Line by Line Meaning
That's that Cudi beat
This song has the same style as a beat produced by Kid Cudi.
You know what I'm sayin'?
Do you understand what I'm trying to express?
Y'all, I'm just waiting for God
Everyone, I am patiently waiting for God's guidance and blessings.
I'ma wait for God i'ma wait for God
I will remain patient and wait for God's intervention.
Been too long away from God
I have been disconnected from my spiritual connection with God for a significant period of time.
Like water be the path
Go with the flow and choose the path of least resistance.
Go take the path of least resistance
Select the easiest and most effortless route to achieve success.
Don't force nothin', it's the way
Avoid pushing or manipulating situations, as things will unfold naturally.
Power versus force i'ma wait for God
Instead of using force, I believe in the power of surrendering and waiting for God's plan.
Yo, know I'm sayin'?
Do you understand the perspective I'm sharing?
People try to rush things
Many individuals attempt to expedite processes.
Or manipulate, or strategize
They may resort to manipulation or careful planning.
Or think they're gon' set up plays
They believe they can orchestrate favorable outcomes.
Man makes plans, God laughs
Although humans make plans, God finds amusement in their attempts.
He got good ass sense of humor
God possesses a great sense of humor.
I was just livin' my life
I was simply going about my daily existence.
Spent all of my tour money on this
I used my entire earnings from touring to fund this project.
Big mansion 'n' shit
I invested in a large, luxurious house.
Biggest house in Hidden Hills
My new residence is the largest and most extravagant in Hidden Hills.
He funny though
God has a humorous side.
He gon' move the number one rapper four
God, in his ironic nature, will relocate the top rapper to a house just four blocks away.
Blocks down the street from me
The new location will be on the same street but a few blocks away from my house.
You funny, God heheheh
God, you have a funny sense of humor, making unexpected moves.
Mm, I'ma wait for God
Hmm, I will patiently wait for God's guidance.
Wait, wait, wait wait wait
I emphasize the importance of patience and waiting.
Only with his blessings, only
Only with God's blessings and approval.
In his time and God willing shall it happen
If it aligns with God's timing and His will, it will come to fruition.
Ya know, people go through pain 'n' shit
You know, individuals experience various hardships.
You need some time to just walk it off
Sometimes, you require time to heal and recover from pain.
It's like a sprained ankle
Healing from emotional pain is similar to recovering from a sprained ankle.
You can't get right to it
You cannot immediately fix or solve the pain.
It's like a basketball game, pain
Pain is akin to a basketball game.
The way we feel about things, mm, mm, mm
Our emotions and perceptions greatly impact our experiences.
If someone say
If someone claims or suggests
We-we say, we hoopin' and stuff
We respond by saying we are actively engaged in basketball, diverting attention from emotional pain.
You sprain your ankle
If you suffer from a sprained ankle
The whole team, can't come to
The entire team cannot participate
It and say, 'I'm sorry
And say, 'I apologize'
and it's just gonna feel better
It won't immediately improve the situation
Or you can't scream at it and
Similarly, you cannot shout at the pain
It's just gon' feel better
Expecting it to magically disappear
You've gotta take time for that to heal
You must allow time for healing
And maybe you need to stay of
Perhaps, you need to avoid
Off it a little bit stay off the subject
Giving it less attention and focusing elsewhere
Heh huh
Chuckling slightly
It's so funny
It's quite amusing
I was goin' to Denny's the other day
On another day, I was heading to Denny's restaurant
Lenny's, Denny's
Correcting the location from Lenny's to Denny's
And, I was, ya know, in Westwood and I seen
While I was in Westwood, I observed
A-A tall
An extremely tall
Light-skinned dude with a beard and shit
A fair-skinned man with a beard
I said, 'That look like Drake, right there'
I thought, 'That person looks like Drake.'
But he was like on a skateboard i said
However, he was riding a skateboard, so I thought
'I know that ain't gon' be
'I don't believe that could possibly be'
Drake on a skateboard' heheheheh, heh
Drake riding a skateboard is quite amusing and unexpected
I was like, 'Man, I'ma go talk to him
I thought, 'I should go have a conversation with him right now.'
Right now!'
Immediately!
So II pulled to turn the car around
I made a U-turn with my car
It's- I swear he looked just like-
I swear he strongly resembled
He definitely brought beards
He certainly popularized the trend of sporting beards
For light-skinned niggas
Particularly among fair-skinned individuals, including myself
Back in style and shit, like, hehehe
He reintroduced beards as a fashionable trend, causing amusement
I said on my first album, I'ma make sure
On my debut album, I promised myself
Light-skinned niggas never come
That fair-skinned individuals wouldn't be
Back in style
Fashionably relevant again
Oh, I'ma wait for God oh, I'ma wait for God
Oh, I will patiently wait for God's guidance
Spent too long a summer away from God
I have spent an extended period of time disconnected from God's presence
Though I
Despite the fact that I
I might blast off, off into the light, oh
There is a possibility that I might ascend towards enlightenment
I don't never, never a job though
However, I never want to have a conventional job
I could not create for what, the Stylo
I am unable to conform to a set structure, like the stylus
Bored a lot and I put that on Chicago
I often feel bored and I swear on the city of Chicago
Yeah, I put that on Chicago
I swear sincerely on Chicago
North, Saint, and Chicago
Naming my children and emphasizing my connection to Chicago
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@guilhermedutra7078
[Intro]
That's that Cudi beat, you know what I'm sayin'?
Y'all, I'm just waiting for God
[Chorus]
I'ma wait for God
I'ma wait for God
Been too long away from God
I'll wait for God
[Bridge]
Like water be the path, go take the path of least resistance
Don't force nothin', it's the way
Power versus force
I'ma wait for God
Been too long away from God
I'll wait for God, we'll wait
[Verse 1]
Yo, know I'm sayin'?
People try to rush things
Or manipulate, or strategize, or think they're gon' set up plays
Man makes plans, God laughs
He got good ass sense of humor, know what I'm sayin'?
I was just livin' my life
Spent all of my tour money on this, big mansion 'n' shit
Biggest house in Hidden Hills
He funny though
He gon' move the number one rapper four blocks down the street from me
You funny, God
Heheheh
[Chorus]
Mm, I'ma wait for God
Been too long away from God
Been too long away from God
Ooh, I will wait for God
[Verse 2]
Wait, wait, wait wait wait
Only with his blessings, only
In his time and God willing
Shall it happen
Ya know, people go through pain 'n' shit
You need some time to just walk it off, it's like a sprained ankle
You can't get right to it, know what I'm sayin'?
It's like a basketball game, pain
The way we feel about things, mm, mm, mm
If someone say
We-we say, we hoopin' and stuff, you sprain your ankle
The whole team, can't come to it and say, "I'm sorry," and it's just gonna feel better
Or you can't scream at it and it's just gon' feel better
You've gotta take time for that to heal
And maybe you need to stay of off it a little bit
Stay off the subject
Heh huh
[Chorus]
I'ma wait for God
Eh-na, when it happen
Oh, I'ma wait for God
[Verse 3]
It's so funny
I was goin' to Denny's the other day
Lenny's, Denny's
And, I was, ya know, in Westwood
And I seen
A-A tall, light-skinned dude with a beard and shit
I said, "That look like Drake, right there"
But he was like on a skateboard
I said, "I know that ain't gon' be Drake on a skateboard"
Heheheheh, heh
I was like, "Man, I'ma go talk to him, right now!"
So I-I pulled to turn the car around
It's- I swear he looked just like-
He definitely brought beards for light-skinned niggas back in style and shit, like, hehehe
I said on my first album, I'ma make sure light-skinned niggas never come back in style, heheheh
[Chorus]
Oh, I'ma wait for God
Oh, I'ma wait for God
Oh, I'ma wait for God
[Outro]
Spent too long a summer away from God, though I
I might blast off, off into the light, oh
I don't [?] never, never a job though
I could not create for what, the Stylo
Bored a lot
And I put that on Chicago
Yeah, I put that on Chicago
I put that on Chicago
North, Saint, and Chicago
@person9854
I honestly feel fine that this is not officially released . Many of the tracks that he works on or freestyles on tend to be snapshots of Kanye's life, like his artist's diary in a sense. This seems to me as a song that Kanye sang as he transitioned to his return to finding religion again, It is a transitional moment that really highlights the connection from Yandhi to Jesus is King.
@qualyn7156
well said
@therealLVCKIN
Drake on a skateboard, funniest shit I've ever seen
But for real though, hope this still drops someday
@notkanyewest
Still hopeful 😔
@melvineatsmangos
i think this one is better if it doesn't come out, each song is about him and his life in the moment and it wouldn't really match whats going on in his life currently
@sam22s60
Waking 4 in the morning and thinking about this
@MoyoWaSimba
Same
@vitoabruzzi8801
I have also… recently to boot!!
@SoccerNoob1000
The catalog that this man hasn’t released is amazing, and most of the tracks aren’t complete
@ban9880
if ye dropped this i’ll turn christian