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.
Walkin' On The Moon
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hello
Hello
Hello
Hello
Hello
Hello
(Hello) Welcome 2085!
Twenty Eighty-five it is (just me up here I guess)
(Oh, oh!) The magic of the moment snuck up on me
And caught me by surprise (Oh!)
And caught me by surprise (Oh!)
And caught me by surprise (Oh!)
Roaming and I'm lonely man I'm longing
For that something in your eyes (Oh!)
For that something in your eyes (Oh!)
For that something in your eyes (Oh!)
And I know its not just the song
(And I know its not just the song)
And I know its not just the drink
(And I know its not the drink)
But whatever it might be (Whatever it might be)
Just keep holding on to me
(Oh!) cause Ill pull down a cloud for you
Ill circle the stars and bring you one back
Ill walk through the sun for you
Cause there's something you do
That got me walkin' on the moon
There's something you do
That got me walkin' on the moon
(Uhh)And I know that its true baby
You got me walkin' on the moon
Girl don't keep me waiting, I'm impatient
Hit my runway, and lets take off and fly
Now I'm where I wanna be, come co-pilot with me
Lets burn up the sky (Oh)
And I know its not just the song
(And I know its not just the song)
And I know its not just the drink
(And I know its not the drink)
But whatever it might be (Whatever it might be)
Just keep holding on to me
(Oh!) ause Ill pull down a cloud for you
(Pull a cloud for you)
Ill circle the stars and bring you one back
Ill walk through the sun for you
'Cause there's something you do
(There's something you do)
That got me walkin' on the moon
(Uh) There's something you do
That got me walkin' on the moon (Oh!)(Uh!)
That got me walkin' on the moon (Oh!)(Uh!)
And I know that its true
Baby, you got me walkin' on the moon
Everyone out there will know that you are my girl
And my love will circle around and round
(Hey, hey dream I'm too good at this)
No matter what I do
Uhh, uhh, uhh, I cant contain it
No, no, no I cant restrain it
There's a lot of stars in here ain't it
But you shine so much they don't seem famous
Where'd you come from on this lonely night?
I swear god must of made lightning strike
And I bottled it up, we hit the red carpet and modeled it up
We hopped in the rari and Pradaed it up
Now everybody clapping, they bravoed it up
All just because its more than a buzz
More than a drink, but I took a few sips
And let it do what it does, now drunk texting
Like its all about you, like I cant spend
Another minute without you
You know the drinks let you say things
You ain't allowed to, things interfere
But you're way to proud to say out loud
'Cause niggas gonna clown you, put your black baby down
People is around you, Ill put my mag baby down
I ain't trying to hound you, just trying to take you
Where the stars gonna surround you
And umm, maybe ice down you,
And umm, maybe wipe down you
And umm, maybe we should talk about all this
After I pound you, you know I'm just playing with you,
I know a lot of people mad cause they ain't with you
Wait is it because we on the moon,
Tell em say that hey well be home soon
(Uh were walkin' on the moon)
Uh, there's something you do,
That got me walkin' on the moon
Uhh, and I know that its true,
Baby, you got me walkin' on the moon
Everyone out there will know that you are my girl.
The song "Walkin On The Moon" is a collaboration between Kanye West and The-Dream. The track is futuristic and celestial in its sound, with lyrics that suggest the singer has achieved transcendence, having reached an elevated emotional state where he feels like he is walking on the moon. The opening lines feature a greeting to the future, setting the stage for the rest of the song, where the singer expresses his longing for connection and a sense of purpose, which he feels he has found through the mystery of his love interest.
The song explores the theme of cosmic love, emphasizing the celestial and otherworldly nature of the singer's feelings. He wants to fly away with his love interest and experience an almost out-of-body experience, transcending his earthly limitations. The lyrics are also infused with themes of fame and success, with references to "hitting the red carpet and modeling it up," suggesting the singer's desire for his love interest to be part of his success and fame.
Overall, the song is an expression of the human desire to transcend mundane experiences and feel the magic of the universe. It explores the themes of love, fame, and transcendence, using language that is both otherworldly and grounded in earthly reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello
Just an opening greeting
(Hello) Welcome 2085!
Greeting to the year 2085 since the song is set in the future
Twenty Eighty-five it is (just me up here I guess)
Confirmation of the year and acknowledgement of being alone
(Oh, oh!) The magic of the moment snuck up on me
Surprise realization of the wonderful moment the singer is experiencing
And caught me by surprise (Oh!)
Emphasis of the surprise realization of the moment
Roaming and I'm lonely man I'm longing
Feeling of wandering and loneliness
For that something in your eyes (Oh!)
Desire for the certain something that the singer sees in his lover's eyes
And I know its not just the song
Recognition that his emotions aren't solely based on the song he's heard
And I know its not just the drink
Acknowledgement that his feelings aren't solely caused by alcohol consumption
But whatever it might be (Whatever it might be)
Admission of not fully understanding what's causing his emotions
Just keep holding on to me
Request to the lover to keep holding on
(Oh!) cause Ill pull down a cloud for you
Promise to do anything for the lover, like pulling down a cloud
Ill circle the stars and bring you one back
Another promise to do anything for the lover, like bringing a star back
Ill walk through the sun for you
Another promise to do anything for the lover, like walking through the sun
Cause there's something you do
The singer recognizes that his lover has a certain effect on him that makes him feel special
That got me walkin' on the moon
Singer is on a 'high' emotional state which he relates to walking on the moon
Girl don't keep me waiting, I'm impatient
The singer is eager to be with his lover and can't wait for her to be with him
Hit my runway, and lets take off and fly
Metaphor for the singer's desire to embark on a romantic journey with his lover
Now I'm where I wanna be, come co-pilot with me
Confirms that the singer is happy and content now that he is with his lover
Lets burn up the sky (Oh)
The singer is passionate and wants to make the most of every moment with his lover
(Pull a cloud for you)
Reiteration of the promise to do anything for his lover
There's something you do
The lover still has the same effect on the singer as previously mentioned
That got me walkin' on the moon (Oh!)(Uh!)
Singer is still in a 'high' emotional state as previously described
Everyone out there will know that you are my girl
Public proclamation of the singer's love for his lover
And my love will circle around and round
The singer's love for his lover is never ending
(Hey, hey dream I'm too good at this)
The singer playfully boasts about his songwriting ability
No matter what I do Uhh, uhh
The singer can't stop himself from being in love
I cant contain it No, no, no I cant restrain it
Reiteration of the singer's inability to control his love and emotions
There's a lot of stars in here ain't it
Literal observation of the stars in the sky
But you shine so much they don't seem famous
Comparison of how his lover shines brighter than the stars in the sky
Where'd you come from on this lonely night?
Question of where the lover came from and how they came into the singer's life
I swear god must of made lightning strike
An assurance that the lover was meant to be in the singer's life
And I bottled it up
The singer has been suppressing his feelings
We hit the red carpet and modeled it up
We glamorized our love and put it on display
We hopped in the rari and Pradaed it up
The singer and his lover got into a luxurious car and are living their best life together
Now everybody clapping, they bravoed it up
Others are now acknowledging and applauding their love
All just because its more than a buzz
Their love is not just a temporary feeling, it is a true and meaningful connection
More than a drink, but I took a few sips
Their love is not just caused by alcohol, but alcohol has helped him express his love
Now drunk texting Like its all about you, like I cant spend Another minute without you
Admission of his feelings while under the influence of alcohol
You know the drinks let you say things You ain't allowed to
Alcohol can lower inhibitions and allow for true emotions to come out
Things interfere But you're way to proud to say out loud
Other things can get in the way of expressing feelings, but the lover is too proud to be vocal
'Cause niggas gonna clown you, put your black baby down, People is around you
Fear of other people's judgment and the consequences of expressing their love publicly
Ill put my mag baby down I aint trying to hound you
Assurance that he will protect and defend his lover from negative comments
Just trying to take you Where the stars gonna surround you
He wants to take his lover to a place of joy and beauty
And umm, maybe ice down you, And umm, maybe wipe down you
Suggestive intention towards his lover
And umm, maybe we should talk about all this After I pound you,
Further suggestive intention towards his lover
You know I'm just playing with you
Clarification that his suggestive comments are meant jokingly
I know a lot of people mad cause they ain't with you
Envy from others because they can't be with his lover
Wait is it because we on the moon,
The singer playfully wonders if people are envious because of the romantic 'high' they are experiencing
Tell em say that hey well be home soon (Uh were walkin' on the moon)
They will soon come back to Earth from the 'honeymoon phase'
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CARLOS MCKINNEY, KANYE WEST, TERIUS NASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tyronejon-quay-veusjuniort1592
Let’s be honest , The-Dream was and STILL UNDERRATED!!!
@TheFever77
..He writes a lot for Beyoncé so he’s doing just fine.
@dandreanthony5020
@In The Beginning Was The Word I was just about to say that he’s like one of the best writers and wrote one of some of the craziest hits
@cornbreadfedbabyy423
Agreed
@kurlissdismuke2052
This album alone is a GEM
@waficamasarani1920
i was 14 and obsessed with this song, now i am 27 its increidible how time flies.
@tyronejon-quay-veusjuniort1592
I wish I actually experienced the Dream area (2007-2010) I was born in 2006 but I didn’t really experience the Dream but good thing I got my mom cause if it weren’t for her I would’ve NEVER listen to the Dream cause I wouldn’t know him.
@ttg_babyjuice8235
Dam im old lol
@anthonydino94
Sameee 👌
@titustelesco2870
I was just getting into the clubs when this song was popular