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.
We Can Make It Better )
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Make it up) we can make it
Somebody told me that delta's brown skinned, akas' light skinned
And they supposed to be bougie, so they got white friends
First day of school, I'ma take you sight seein'
She said, "I know what you about to say, like your hype man"
She let a nigga hit it, and now she only date white men
And if a nigga even wave at her, it's frightnin' but
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can make it on up, we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it
The night fallin' over Brooklyn, where they murder for change
The converter remains faithful to the drug dealer priestess
He in search of the word of fame, you heard of the name
Kweli the truth, like I'm comin' out the mouth of bass
One for it, one for out the grave
Niggas want they reparations, how you calculate the amount to be paid
You try to imagine America without the slaves (the slaves)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can make it on up, we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it
Her tenement yo, is rat infested
Her heart is like a gold bouillon cause she wouldn't protest it
'Cause, her best friends man got popped
He was sixteen years old, the cop thought his phone was a glock
In the hood is a everyday happenin'
A friend of the priest say she chose out the captain
She yells out, why you do this to black men? Come on
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can make it on up, we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it
I think of eighty-seven ways to make better days
Whether crime or rhyme, I heard the rebel pays
On the scene, tryin' to get green like everglades
The music, ridin' it good like Escalades
In the ghetto infested by shade and drama
And niggas wit' thangs ain't afraid of karma
I'm thinkin' big like Lil Wayne and Tha Carters's that
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can make it on up, we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it
Come on, look
Tell people the truth, but never give 'em your true thoughts
Terrorism on blacks, they poison our Newports
Patriot Act in effect, make it hard to breathe now
Johnnie Cochran dead, who gonna get us "Us free" now?
Clinton ain't in office, who gon' give us shit free now?
Who gon' make it better for the thugs in the penal?
Who gon' make it good for old folks that's senile?
Oh, it's G.O.O.D. Music, yeah, dawg, I see now
We can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can make it on up, we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it
(Make it up)
(Make it up)
(Make it up)
(Make it up)
The lyrics of "We Can Make It Better" by Kanye West are a commentary on the various social and political issues plaguing the African American community. The song begins with Kanye challenging the stereotypes that exist within his own community, as well as the way light-skinned and dark-skinned people are perceived. He goes on to describe the everyday realities of life in the Brooklyn projects, where drug deals and killings are commonplace, and people struggle to make ends meet. Kanye comments on the protests against police brutality and questions why black men are targeted by the police. He also references the Patriot Act, which he suggests makes it harder for black people to take action against these injustices.
In the context of the song, Kanye emphasizes the idea that change is possible, and that by working together, the black community can make a difference in their own lives. The repetition of the phrase "we can make it better" emphasizes this point, and reinforces the idea of coming together for a common cause. Overall, the lyrics of "We Can Make It Better" convey a sense of urgency and a call to action, as Kanye challenges his listeners to work towards a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Make it up we can make it better
We have the power to improve the situation, let's take action and make it better
Somebody told me that delta's brownskinned, akas' lightskinned
And they supposed to be bougious, so they got white friends
There is a divide among black people based on skin color and social class, resulting in some having white friends
First day of school, I'mma take you sight seein'
Show you what we do on weekends for a sight, man
She said, "i know what you about to say, like your hypeman"
She let a nigga hit it, and now she only date white men
And if a nigga even wave at her, it's frightnin' but
The singer is taking someone around to show them what they do for fun, but the person knows what he will say and has already become disillusioned and only dates white men, so much so that even a black man waving at her frightens her
The night fallin' over brooklyn, where they murder for change
The converter remains faithful to the drug dealer priestess
He in search of the word of fame, you heard of the name
Kweli the truth, like I'm comin' out the mouth of bass
One for it, one for out the grave
Niggas want they reparations, how you calculate the amount to be paid
You try to imagine america without the slaves (the slaves)
The scene shifts to Brooklyn, where violence and drug dealing are rampant. The artist mentions an individual in search of fame, whose tactics involve drug dealing. A reference is made to Kweli, a respected rapper. There is also mention of reparations to be paid to black people, though calculating the amount is difficult. The artist also asks what America would be without slaves
Her tenament yo, is rat infested
Her heart is like a gold booya cause she wouldn't protest it
'Cause, her best friends man got popped
He was sixteen years old, the cop thought his phone was a glock
In the hood is a everyday happenin'
A friend of the priest say she chose out the captain
She yelled out "why you do this to black men? "
The artist brings attention to a woman whose living space is infested with rats, but she won't protest it. Her best friend's boyfriend was shot by the police who mistook his phone for a gun. This is an everyday occurrence in the hood. A friend of the artist who is a priest also speaks out about the treatment of black men by the police
I think of eighty seven ways, to make better days
Whether climb or rhyme, I heard of rebel pays
On the scene, tryin' to get green like everglades
Music, rhymin' good like escalates
In the ghetto infested by shade and drama
And niggas wit' things ain't afraid of karma
I'm thinking big like lil wayne in the problem set
The singer contemplates various ways to make life better, noting that even through music and creativity, people can rebel and make change. The singer wants to succeed like the everglades and aspires to be a great rapper. Despite the difficulties faced in the ghetto, some are not afraid of the consequences of their actions. The singer acknowledges the problems and the need to address them in a big way, like Lil Wayne
C'mon, tell people the truth, but never give 'em ya true thoughts
Terrorism on blacks, they poison our newports
Patriot act in effect, make it hard to breathe now
Johnny cochran dead, who gonna get us free now?
Clinton ain't in office, who gon' give us shit free now?
Who gon' make it better for the thugs and p's now?
Who gon' make it good for old folks that's senile?
Oh, it's good music, yeah dog I see now
The singer calls for truth-telling, while being guarded about their own thoughts. They mention how certain things such as poisoned cigarettes and the Patriot Act harm black people. The singer also poses questions about who can help now that certain people are no longer in power. Despite this, the singer is optimistic about the power of good music
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, Burt F. Bacharach, Hal David, Talib Kweli, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Che Smith, Kanye West, Ibn John Fareed Kamaal, Burt Bacharach, Lonnie Rashid(common Lynn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bewaretrivela5687
We can make it better
("Make It Up") We can make it better
("Make It Up") We can make it better
("Make It Up") We can make it
Somebody told me that Delta's brownskinned, AKAs' lightskinned
And they supposed to be bougious, so they got white friends
First day of school, I'mma take you sight seein'
Show you what we do on weekends for excitement
She said, "I know what you about to say, like your hypeman"
Last year a nigga hit her, and now she only date white men
And if a nigga even wave at her, it's frightnin' but
We can make it better
(Better we can)
("Make It Up") We can make it better
(Better we can make it on up, we can)
("Make It Up") We can make it better
(Better we can)
("Make It Up") We can make it
The night fallin' over Brooklyn, where they murder for change
The converter remains faithful to the drugdealer priestess
He in search of the word of fame, you heard of the name
Kweli the truth, like I'm comin' out the mouths of babes
One foot in, one foot out the grave
Niggas want they reperations, How you calculate the amount to be paid
You try to imagine America without the slaves (the slaves)
Her tenament yo, is rat infested
Her heart is like a gold bullion cause she went and protested
Cause, her bestfriend's man got popped
He was sixteen years old, the cop thought his phone was a Glock
In the hood is a everday happenin'
In front of the precinct she chews out the captain
She yelled out "Why you do this to black men?"
I think of eighty seven ways, to make better days
Whether crime or rhyme, I heard the rebel pays
On the scene, tryin' to get green like everglades
The music, ridin' it good like the Escalades
In the ghetto infested by shade and drama
And niggas wit' thangs ain't afraid of karma
I'm thinkin' big like Lil Wayne in The Carter
C'mon; Tell people the truth, but never give 'em ya true thoughts
Terrorism on blacks, they poison our Newports
Partiot Act in effect, make it hard to breathe now
Johnnie Cochran dead, who gonna get us us free now?
Clinton ain't in office, who gon' give us shit free now?
Who gon' make it better for the thugs in the penal?
Who gon' make it good for old folks that's senile?
Oh, it's good music, yeah dog I see now
We can make it better
("Make It Up") We can make it better
("Make It Up") We can make it better
("Make It Up") We can make it
@Insertnameher3
we can make it better
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Make it up) we can make it
Somebody told me that delta's brownskinned, akas' lightskinned
And they supposed to be bougious, so they got white friends
First day of school, I'mma take you sight seein'
Show you what we do on weekends for a sight, man
She said, "i know what you about to say, like your hypeman"
She let a nigga hit it, and now she only date white men
And if a nigga even wave at her, it's frightnin' but
we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can make it on up, we can)
(Make it up) we can make it better
(Better we can)
(Make it up) we can make it
The night fallin' over brooklyn, where they murder for change
The converter remains faithful to the drug dealer priestess
He in search of the word of fame, you heard of the name
Kweli the truth, like I'm comin' out the mouth of bass
One for it, one for out the grave
Niggas want they reparations, how you calculate the amount to be paid
You try to imagine america without the slaves (the slaves)
'Cause you make me feel
You make me feel
You make me feel like a natural woman (woman)
Her tenament yo, is rat infested
Her heart is like a gold booya cause she wouldn't protest it
'Cause, her best friends man got popped
He was sixteen years old, the cop thought his phone was a glock
In the hood is a everyday happenin'
A friend of the priest say she chose out the captain
She yelled out "why you do this to black men? "
'Cause you make me feel
You make me feel
You make me feel like a natural woman (woman)
I think of eighty seven ways, to make better days
Whether climb or rhyme, I heard of rebel pays
On the scene, tryin' to get green like everglades
Music, rhymin' good like escalates
In the ghetto infested by shade and drama
And niggas wit' things ain't afraid of karma
I'm thinking big like lil wayne in the problem set
'Cause you make me feel
You make me feel
You make me feel like a natural woman (woman)
C'mon, tell people the truth, but never give 'em ya true thoughts
Terrorism on blacks, they poison our newports
Patriot act in effect, make it hard to breathe now
Johnny cochran dead, who gonna get us free now?
Clinton ain't in office, who gon' give us shit free now?
Who gon' make it better for the thugs and p's now?
Who gon' make it good for old folks that's senile?
Oh, it's good music, yeah dog I see now
'Cause you make me feel
You make me feel
You make me feel like a natural woman (woman)
@thomasnelson5758
One of very few artists where you can hear a bonus track for a TWENTY-ONE TRACK album and go 'this needed to be on the original album'. Love this
@armandomartinez4152
No lie
@kazamere7
Yes bittersweet should have been on gradution
@brooke52
@lowercase god thank u I been saying this( we finally got goodnight so theres a chance)
@cube5884
thank god i downloaded this amazing song im boutto listen to it after almost a year lol
@kanyeismygod3935
Is this a bonus track? I have this on Spotify
@kawaiiafangirl
For those who were wondering why this was a bonus track, it's probably bc the sound was too similar to songs from The College Dropout and Kanye most likely wanted to set The Late Registration (which incorporates instruments frequently used in an orchestra) apart from that.
He's gone back to that sound in a way in other albums ("Good Life" in Graduation, "Devil in a New Dress" in MBDTF, "Bound 2" in Yeezus) but with LR being released only a year and a half from The College Dropout, he most likely wanted some distance from the usual sped up soul sample sound that he was associated with.
@tensazangetsu7062
His soul samples are goated and that common verse is awesome
@Andrew-gk6bn
I always assumed it was sample clearance
@Ghostfacekillah1
Idk I hear orchestral elements in here but it does sound somewhere in between TCD and LR