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 Canβt Be Life, a track from Jay-Zβs The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dreβs Xxplosive to use as a replacement for his drums on This Canβt 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 Olβ Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said Kanye West: βWu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the timeβ¦ 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.β
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 BeyoncΓ© 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 BeyoncΓ© 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. Kanyeβs 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 Kanyeβs 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 Gravβs 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, Camβron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and John Legend among others. He also βghost-producedβ for his once mentor Deric Angelettie according to his song Last Call and the credits of Nasβ 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 partnershipsβincluding his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciagaβafter making antisemitic statements.
Breathe In
kanye west Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If ya iced up, pull ya sleeves out
Push a big truck, pull ya keys out
Girls go wild and pull ya D's out
Breathe in, breathe out
Let them hoes fight, pull her weave out
If a nigga act up, pull a Desert E's out
When I pull the piece out, niggas like, "Peace out!"
Golly, more of that bullshit ice rap
I got to apologize to Mos and Kweli (Kweli)
But is it cool to rap about gold
If I told the world I copped it from Ghana and Mali? (Mali)
First nigga with a Benz and a backpack
Ice chain, Carti lens, and a knapsack
Always said if I rapped I'd say somethin' significant
But now I'm rappin', 'bout money, hoes, and rims again
And it's still about the Benjamins
Big faced hundreds and whatever other synonyms
Strippers named Cinnamon
More chips than Pentium
"What ya gon' buy next?" Whatever new trend it is
I'm tryin' to spend my stacks
And I'm so broke, I look back like "Damn, was I on crack?"
I mean twelve platinum chains, was I on that?
What the hell was wrong with me, dawg?
Sing along with me, y'all
Yeah, breathe in, breathe out (uh)
If ya iced up, pull ya sleeves out
Push a big truck, pull ya keys out
Girls go wild and pull ya D's out
Breathe in, breathe out
Let them hoes fight, pull her weave out
If a nigga act up, pull a Desert E's out
When I pull the piece out, niggas like, "Peace out!"
Now, even thouh I went to college and dropped out of school quick
I always had a Ph.D., a pretty huge dick
Ladies tired of gettin' ripped off by guys like this
And givin' head is like a whale thats usin' a toothpick
Well, I'm in the club for a limited time
Act now and get some action for free-ninety-nine
Later on I might charge for mΓ©nage
Heard her man was the boss of the floss
But she still wanna toss me the drawers
And it ain't goin' cost me because she my caddy
'Cause she grabbed my golf balls in the club
And I'm still actin' calm than a mug
She asked, "Can you drive me and the hundreds where my Altima was?"
While we drive she tellin' me 'bout problems with her man
Baby, I fully understand
Let me help you with a plan
While he trickin' off, don't get no rich nigga
Give me some head, that'll really piss him off
Yeah, breathe in, breathe out
If ya iced up, pull ya sleeves out
Push a big truck, pull ya keys out
Girls go wild and pull ya D's out
Breathe in, breathe out
Let them hoes fight, pull her weave out
If a nigga act up, pull a Desert E's out
When I pull the piece out, niggas like, "Peace out!"
I blow past low class niggas with no cash
In the fo' dash six, bitch, you can go ask
So when I go fast popo just lauh
Right until I run out of gas or 'til I go crash
Whatever comes first, I'm prepared for the worst
Whatever comes second, I'll be there with my weapon
Pullin' up in the Lexus's one on both hand
So I guess them GS's was ambidextrous
Could of sworn her breasteses was sendin' me messages
"K, I need a free hand-mammogram
I got weed, drink, and a Handicam
All of which is legal in Amsterdam"
So say my name like Candyman
And I'ma come and fix you up like the handyman
But if you don't need a fix, girl, you gotta leave
You can't take that all at one time, ya gotta breathe
Yeah, breathe in, breathe out
If ya iced up, pull ya sleeves out
Push a big truck, pull ya keys out
Girls go wild and pull ya D's out
Breathe in, breathe out
Let them hoes fight, pull her weave out
If a nigga act up, pull a Desert E's out
When I pull the piece out, niggas like, "Peace out!"
Yeah, uh-uh-uh, uh
And you say, "Chi-City" (Chi-City)
Y-Yeah, and you say, "Chi-City" (Chi-City)
Y-Yeah, and you say, "Chi-City" (Chi-City)
Uh-huh (uh-huh), and you say, "Chi-City" (Chi-City)
Y-Yeah, you say "Chi-City" (Chi-City)
Uh-huh (uh-huh), you say, "Chi-"
Y-You say, "Ch-", Y-You say, "Chi-City" (Chi-City)
Chi-city (Chi-City), Chi-City (Chi-City)
(Chi-city, Chi-City, Chi-City)
The song "Breathe In" by Kanye West (feat. Ludacris) is about the issue of materialism in hip-hop culture. Kanye West appears to criticize the trend of rapping about flashy material possessions, instead of more valuable and meaningful things. He mentions that he'd once promised that if he were to become a rapper, he'd make a significant statement. Still, after making it, he used hip-hop to talk about the same things that everyone else was rapping about - money, women, and rims, instead of being a trendsetter by changing the culture's messages.
West also raps about his academic abilities, revealing that despite dropping out of college, he still views himself as smart or having a "Pretty Huge Dick, Ph.D.". His lyrics on the chorus urge people to "breathe in" and "breathe out"; it's like telling everyone to take a step back and remember what's essential. Ludacris provides a guest verse, which samples one of his earlier songs "Southern Hospitality. "
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, breathe in, breathe out
Take a deep breath and let it out
If ya iced up, pull ya sleeves out
If you're wearing bling, roll up your sleeves to show it off
Push a big truck, pull ya keys out
Drive a big truck and show off the keys
Girls go wild and pull ya d's out
Women are excited and showing their assets
Let them hoes fight, pull her weave out
Let women who are arguing fight and pull out hair extensions
If a nigga act up, pull a Desert E's out
If someone is misbehaving, take out a Desert Eagle gun
When I pull the piece out niggas like 'Peace out!'
When I show the gun, people back off
Golly, more of that bullshit ice rap
Express frustration with the prevalence of flashy, superficial rap lyrics
I got to apologize to Mos and Kweli (probably)
Feel guilty for contributing to the negative stereotypes of rap music
But is it cool to rap about gold
Question whether it's acceptable to glorify wealth and material possessions in lyrics
If I told the world I copped it from Ghana and Mali? (Mali!)
Wonder if it would be more acceptable to rap about the origins of the gold
First nigga with a Benz and a backpack
Was one of the first to combine hip-hop style with luxury cars
Ice chain, Cardi lens, and a knapsack
Wore expensive jewelry, designer shades, and a backpack
Always said if I rapped I'd say somethin' significant
Used to believe that rap lyrics should have deeper meaning or social commentary
But now I'm rappin', 'bout money, hoes, and rims again
Admit to focusing on materialism and objectifying women in current lyrics
And it's still about the Benjamins
Money is still the main focus
Big faced hundreds and whatever other synonyms
Referring to large bills and other slang terms for money
Strippers named Cinnamon
Frequent strip clubs and interact with women there
More chips than Pentium
Have more money than a popular computer chip brand
What'cha gon' buy next? Whatever new trend it is
Thinking about spending money on the latest popular items
I'm tryin' to spend my stacks
Focused on spending money
And I'm so broke I look back like 'Damn, was I on crack?'
Regret spending so much money and being broke now
I mean twelve platinum chains, was I on that?
Questioning why he needed to buy so many expensive chains
What the hell was wrong with me dog?
Reflecting on past behavior and regrets
Sing along with my y'all
Encouraging listeners to join in and relate to the lyrics
Now even though I went to college and dropped out of school quick
Went to college but didn't finish
I always had a Ph.D... a Pretty Huge Dick
Boasting about sexual prowess
Ladies tired of gettin' ripped off by guys like this
Acknowledging that women have had enough of men who mistreat them
And givin' head is like a whale thats usin' a toothpick
Women getting taken advantage of by men with small penises
Well, I'm in the club for a limited time
Spending time in clubs while he still can
Act now and get some action for $3.99
Attracting women with the suggestion of cheap sex
Later on I might charge for mΓ©nage
Threatening to charge women for threesome sex later
Heard her man was the boss of the floss
Knowing that a woman's boyfriend is wealthy
But she still want to toss me the drawers
She still wants to have sex with me
And it ain't goin' cost me because she my caddy
I don't have to pay her because she's my 'caddy,' or sexual servant
'Cause she grabbed my golf balls in the club
Because she touched my testicles in the club
And I'm still actin' calm than a mug
Acting cool and composed
She asked 'Can you drive me and the hunnies to where my Altima was?'
Asking for a ride to her car with her friends
While we drive she tellin' me 'bout problems with her man
While driving, she confides in me about issues with her boyfriend
Baby I fully understand
Offering empathy and understanding
Let me help you with a plan
Offering assistance and advice
While he trickin' off, don't get no rich nigga
While her boyfriend is wasting money, don't go for another rich man
Give me some head, that'll really piss him off
Performing oral sex on me in secret would anger her boyfriend
I blow past low class niggas with no cash
Driving past poor people who don't have money
In the fo' dash six, bitch you can go ask
Driving a high-end Mercedes-Benz model
So when I go fast popo just laugh
Police laugh when I speed
Right until I run out of gas or 'til I go crash
Keep driving fast until I can't anymore, or I crash
Whatever comes first I'm prepared for the worst
Ready for anything that may happen
Whatever comes second I'll be there with my weapon
Armed and ready to protect himself if necessary
Pullin' up in the Lexus's one on both hand
Driving up in two Lexus cars at the same time
So I guess them GS's was ambidextrous
The cars were versatile and adaptable to various situations
Could of sworn her breasteses was sendin' me messages
Thought the woman's breasts were signaling interest in him
'K I need a free hand mammagram
The woman wants him to touch her breasts
I got weed, drink, and a Handicam
Offering marijuana, alcohol, and a camera
All of which is legal in Amsterdam
Referencing the legality of these things in Amsterdam, Holland
So say my name like Candyman
Asking her to repeat his name like a horror film character
And I'm a come and fix you up like the handyman
Offering to have sex with her and satisfy her needs
But if you don't need a fix, girl you gotta leave
If she doesn't want sex, she has to go
You can't take that all at one time ya gotta breathe
Can't handle everything at once, must take it easy
Yeah, breathe in, breathe out
Take a deep breath and let it out
If ya iced up, pull ya sleeves out
If you're wearing bling, roll up your sleeves to show it off
Push a big truck, pull ya keys out
Drive a big truck and show off the keys
Girls go wild and pull ya d's out
Women are excited and showing their assets
Breathe in, breathe out
Take a deep breath and let it out
Let them hoes fight, pull her weave out
Let women who are arguing fight and pull out hair extensions
If a nigga act up, pull a Desert E's out
If someone is misbehaving, take out a Desert Eagle gun
When I pull the piece out niggas like 'Peace out!'
When I show the gun, people back off
Can you say Chi city
Asking if people can say Chicago, his hometown
Lyrics Β© THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: Brian Miller, Kanye Omari West
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mitnguyen7603
[Chorus: Kanye West]
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed onβ this
Iβ know God breathedβ on this
[Verse 1: Kanye West &Β ]
I know He got Hisβ
I know we got aΒ
No,βIβneverβ
Iβmight need aβband on this
This might get banned off rip
Gon' say somethin' for y'all quick
Let me know something, who y'all with?
Don't know nothing, I know this
[Chorus: Kanye West]
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
[Break: Vory]
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Breathed on this, breathed, breathed, oh, oh
[Verse 2: Kanye West]
More than I can say for you
Before the sons and the daughters
Before the sun and the water
More than I can say for you
But the truth still for you
Once I saw what the Lord do
God, the Son, all the glory
God, the Father, like Maury
Don't care what you say, nothin' on me
I don't care 'bout the lawyer feesI don't care 'bout your loyalties
God will solve it all for me
Trust man, he a failure
Trust, and God'll heal ya'
Dustin, he a Hoffman
Don't fall what they offerin', uh
Fall far too often, yeah, call God but don't call enough
Fall down but don't fall in love, I know God is all in us
[Chorus: Kanye West]
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
I know God breathed on this
[Verse 3: Vory]
Devil on my shoulders, I can't let 'em breathe
Brush 'em off my sleeve, I'm filled with memories
Pray they remember me, oh, oh-oh
And I know there's an angel watchin' over me
(All times), I inhaled and breathed
They hearts are filled with greed
Okay, now they want the old me
Not too big on peoples talkin'
Okay, now they gotta show me
Okay, okay, Devil's talkin' to me, angel's talkin' to me
But Angels start to tell me, "It's okay to not feel okay"
I know that you'd be proud if you was here today
But it's okay 'cause I'm okay
[Chorus: Vory]
I know God breathed on me
I know God breathed on me
I know God breathed on me
I know God breathed on me
@LilBoom
Trust Man, He'll Fail You
Trust and God'll Heal You
@mrwackymanjk9914
Oh shit it's Lil Boom
@randomacc77777
Ay itβs boom baby.
@thearachnid7779
Amenπ
@ICEBLUNTS
Amen
@lilrosebush
Amen
@goh0207
This probably the most expressive album cover Iβve seen in awhile
@MegaCPfan101
It is black so you can see your own reflection. Self reflection. God inside you spirit inside you. Ye.
@kandricklamest1263
@@MegaCPfan101 Just like he said it, "if you are a fan of kanye, you are a fan of yourself" π
@elivandrisse
@@MegaCPfan101 nah I'm listening at night I can't see shit