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.
Down and Out
kanye west Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kanye this that 1970s Heron flow huh?
Yeah let's speed it up
Ayo street mergers I legislated
The nerve I never hated
On murders pre-meditated
Absurd! I hesitated
Hit you from a block away
Drinking sake on a Suzuki we in Osaka Bay
Playing soccer, stupid, stay in a sucker's place
Pluck ya ace, take ya girl, fuck her face
She dealing with Killa so you love her taste
She swallowing Killa cause she love the taste
I got brought up with crooking
Kitchen orders that I'm cooking
But got caught up with the jooks you woulda thought I was from Brooklyn
It gets boring just looking
Did like Bill Cosby, pouring in the pudding
Now the dashboard is wooden from a hard-tangled grammar
Interior, inferior, star-spangled banner
Car game bananas
My man Santana
Guns everywhere, like the car came with hammers
They trying to say he (down, down)
I hear niggas saying he (down, but not out)
But our flow is the truest
The games in the nooses
Our girls is the models
They coochies the juiciest
Yeah, they say he (down, down)
Yeah, they say he (down, but not out)
'Cause I'm back on my grind
Money back on my mind
Ye' and Killa Cam', the world is mine
I treat bitches straight up, like Simon Says
Open vagina: put ya legs behind ya head
Cop me Air Ones, hon, lime and red
You got pets? Me too: mine are dead
Fox, minks, gators that's necessary
Accessories, my closet's a "Pet Sematary"
I get approached by animal activists
I live in a zoo
I run scandals with savages
All my niggas get together to gather loot
Bodyguard for what? Dog, I'd rather shoot
I go to war, old Timbs, battered boots
Hand grenade, goggles and a parachute
Ya'll don't even know the name of my flip
It was "Touch Me, Tease Me" when Case was the shit
You don't know bout the cases I get:
Court case, briefcase, suitcase, cases of Cris
They trying to say he (down, down)
I hear niggas saying he (down, but not out)
But our flow is the truest
The games in the nooses
Our girls is the models
They coochies the juiciest
Yeah, they say he (down, down)
Yeah, they say he (down, but not out)
'Cause I'm back on my grind
Money back on my mind
Ye' and Killa Cam', the world is mine
Ayo you dealing with some sure shit
My bitches pure thick
Play razor tag, slice ya face, you're it!
It's I who come by drive-thru
Gator-toed Mauri, three quarters, sky blue
Look at mami: eyes blue, 5'2"
I approached her "Hi boo, how you?
Pony skin Louis? Oh, you fly too
You a stewardess? Good ma, I fly too"
Now a nigga got baking to bake
Harlem Shake? Nah, I'm in Harlem shaking awake
Shaking to bake, shaking the Jakes
Kill you, shoot the funeral up and Harlem Shake at your wake
Just ya picture though, you still taped in a lake
I'm laughing; you couldn't wait to escape
For anyone who owed the dough, I had to load the fo
I hoped a nigga heard when I said "I told you so"
They trying to say he (down, down)
I hear niggas saying he (down, but not out)
But our flow is the truest
The games in the nooses
Our girls is the models
They coochies the juiciest
Yeah, they say he (down, down)
Yeah, they say he (down, but not out)
'Cause I'm back on my grind
Money back on my mind
Ye' and Killa Cam', the world is mine
The lyrics to Kanye West's song "Down and Out" are filled with vivid imagery and gritty storytelling. The first verse begins with the line "Ayo street mergers I legislated," immediately setting the tone for the street-level perspective of the song. Kanye raps about murders, pre-meditation, and hesitation, painting a picture of a world where violence is both inevitable and something to be avoided. He describes "cock and spray/Hit you from a block away," suggesting that danger can come from any direction.
The song's chorus repeats the phrase "They trying to say he's (down, down)/I hear niggas saying he's (down, but not out)," suggesting that the singer is facing difficulties but is not defeated. Kanye and Cam'ron both assert their dominance in the rap game, with Cam'ron describing himself as "Killa" and bragging about his sexual conquests. The second verse is filled with even more vivid imagery, including references to dead pets and a closet that's like a "Pet Sematary." Throughout the song, Kanye and Cam'ron emphasize their toughness and resilience, insisting that they won't be taken down by their enemies.
Line by Line Meaning
Killa! Baby!
Introducing himself with a moniker.
Kanye this that 1970s Heron flow huh?
Acknowledging the inspiration for his flow is from the 70s jazz musician Gil Scott-Heron.
Yeah let's speed it up
Deciding to increase the pace of the song.
Ayo street mergers I legislated
Referring to his declaring the corners of a block he grew up in as a new city-state.
The nerve I never hated
Proud of his success and never allowing himself to hate on others.
On murders pre-meditated
Reminiscing on his previous involvement in planned violent acts.
Absurd! I hesitated
Feels remorse over his past actions and his failure to speak up against them.
Observe: cock and spray
Warning others to be cautious of weapons being brandished and used.
Hit you from a block away
Showing off his skill with a gun and ability to shoot from a distance.
Drinking sake on a Suzuki we in Osaka Bay
Taking a trip to Japan and enjoying local drinks while relaxing by the bay.
Playing soccer, stupid, stay in a sucker's place
Taunting others for not being skilled enough to play a more challenging sport like soccer.
Pluck ya ace, take ya girl, fuck her face
Threatening to seduce and have sex with someone’s partner or significant other.
She dealing with Killa so you love her taste
Knowing that his reputation precedes him and that he's irresistible to some women.
She swallowing Killa cause she love the taste
Continuing to reference his sexual prowess and appealing nature to women.
I got brought up with crooking
Explaining that he was raised in a corrupt environment.
Kitchen orders that I'm cooking
Describing his involvement in drug dealing and cooking drugs in the kitchen.
But got caught up with the jooks you woulda thought I was from Brooklyn
Being associated with criminal activity to the extent that he's assumed to be from Brooklyn, known for its rougher neighborhoods.
It gets boring just looking
Expressing the monotony of simply observing the world around him.
Did like Bill Cosby, pouring in the pudding
Making a reference to the disgraced comedian, Bill Cosby, who admitted to drugging women's drinks with Quaaludes.
Now the dashboard is wooden from a hard-tangled grammar
Referring to the diamond-hard consistency of his raps and the luxury interior of his car which is made of wood.
Interior, inferior, star-spangled banner
Using wordplay to express that his car's interior is luxurious, while the competition’s interiors are inferior.
Car game bananas
Stating that his car game, specifically the type of car he owns or drives, is crazy or over-the-top.
My man Santana
Referring to his partner in crime, Santana.
Guns everywhere, like the car came with hammers
Carrying guns wherever he goes, to the extent that it seems like they come with his car like a standard feature.
They trying to say he (down, down)
Facing criticism and setbacks.
I hear niggas saying he (down, but not out)
Acknowledging that although he's facing difficulties, he's not knocked out yet and will rise again.
But our flow is the truest
Maintaining that his and his partner’s rapping style is the purest and most authentic form of expression.
The games in the nooses
Reiterating that the music industry is a dangerous, unforgiving place.
Our girls is the models
Boasting about the women in their lives being models or high-profile figures.
They coochies the juiciest
Continuing to objectify and glorify the women in their lives.
Yeah, they say he (down, down)
Repeating the previously stated criticism of facing difficulties.
Yeah, they say he (down, but not out)
Repeating the phrase, signaling a determination to survive and thrive despite the challenges.
'Cause I'm back on my grind
Asserting that he is working hard to regain success and momentum.
Money back on my mind
Putting an emphasis on his money and success-oriented mindset.
Ye' and Killa Cam', the world is mine
Exhibiting confidence and a belief that their collaboration will bring them great success and power.
I treat bitches straight up, like Simon Says
Boasting about his dominant treatment of women.
Open vagina: put ya legs behind ya head
Referencing sexual positions and prowess.
Cop me Air Ones, hon, lime and red
Expressing his taste in fashion and the type of sneakers he likes to wear.
You got pets? Me too: mine are dead
Mentioning his dead pets and showing that he's not afraid to express his violent tendencies.
Fox, minks, gators that's necessary
Justifying owning and wearing expensive furs and skins as necessary for his lifestyle.
Accessories, my closet's a "Pet Sematary"
Making reference to Stephen King's horror novel Pet Sematary and indicating the wealth and quantity of accessories he has.
I get approached by animal activists
Acknowledging that he attracts criticism and opposition from animal rights activists for wearing fur and skins.
I live in a zoo
Proudly displaying his status and wealth by creating a personal zoo around him.
I run scandals with savages
Admitting to being involved in illegal and scandalous activities with equally dangerous friends.
All my niggas get together to gather loot
Glorifying his friends who are also involved in illegal activities to make money.
Bodyguard for what? Dog, I'd rather shoot
Stating that he prefers to protect himself with a gun rather than hire a bodyguard.
I go to war, old Timbs, battered boots
Affirming his toughness and willingness to fight by specifically mentioning the type of shoes he wears to war.
Hand grenade, goggles and a parachute
Further illustrating his toughness and preparedness for war by listing the weapons and gear he brings with him.
Ya'll don't even know the name of my flip
Challenging others to figure out the name of his latest business or music venture.
It was "Touch Me, Tease Me" when Case was the shit
Referring to a popular song from the past when Case, an R&B singer, was popular.
You don't know bout the cases I get:
Reminding others that he has been involved in multiple legal cases both as a plaintiff and defendant.
Court case, briefcase, suitcase, cases of Cris
Listing the different types of cases he's dealt with including court, business, personal luggage and champagne brand Cristal.
It gets boring just looking
Reiterating the monotony of observing the world from his position of wealth and power.
I'm laughing; you couldn't wait to escape
Laughing at the thought of others being jealous of his wealth and success.
For anyone who owed the dough, I had to load the fo
Admitting to using violence, specifically guns (fo or four) to collect debts.
I hoped a nigga heard when I said "I told you so"
Boasting about his ability to predict outcomes and being right all the time.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: FREDDY BRIGGS, CAMERON GILES, BRIAN MILLER, KANYE WEST, Fred Briggs
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hitemup994
Kindly ask you to support me here.
https://youtu.be/hibsjegZDaU?si=pOJrlpz700F2kawL 🙏❤️
@ramonnelson7007
Music that will never die and the sample is amazing Kanye at his best
@matthewvines4186
I agree this beat cranks
@daddystewart
Kanye didnt make it@@matthewvines4186
@ministermichaeldarrelleman7023
Cam'ron is a real MC!!! A true wordsmith. His flow is the truest. Old school hip hop head speaking straight FACTS!!!
@Harlo86
He's the east coast version of Mac Dre to me. Wit a lil less game.
@bannerk123
The song that gravitated me to being a Cam’ron fan . I’m still here 16 years later . It’s crazy people don’t realize how dope cam is as an mc especially when he was in his prime.
@cliffdewind1389
Specially with wack ass rapp3rs nowadays..spitting shit.
@knova
Slickity slick ass word play indeed
@gailw2339
Rocking to this in the gym right now 2022…..still relevant