Ye (born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia), profession… Read Full Bio ↴Ye (born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia), professionally known as Kanye West, is a Grammy award-winning American rapper, producer, singer, author, director, performance artist and fashion designer.

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.

Dream Killers
kanye west Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Niggas gossiping, it runs the city, they don't know who watching them
When they coming to get me, so I hit the block and bend
Do about 60, and I put my glocks to them, like plow plow plow

I'm gonna to get on this TV and put shit down
I aint finna let these lights skinned niggaz come back in style
I'm finna turn to this class clown, should be crazy deep
They told my momma I was bipolar had A.D.D.

I told em, what-what I wanna do, I wanna be a baller
The dream spoilers are for ya
Hatin on you to they mans on the corners
Old folks said he'd never make it off the corner
They are the virus that corrupts the soul
They are the cubic zirconia inside the 10 karat gold
That get green on ya, when you get green on em
You gotta wash ya hands of em, get clean on em
Somebody told me success is the best revenge
So they gon be fucked up when you do ya thing on em
Now hold ya plaques high, like who woulda thought
And tell em, ahem, thank you for your no support

They are the dreamkillers, they the dreamkillers
Who know a dream, they are the dream (killer Norman Bates)
They the dreamkillers, they the dreamkillers, dream
They are the dream (killer Norman Bates)

Now how you gonna talk about the way I spend my money
Everybody say it with me now, it's my money
And they know they hatin, but what they don't know is
They are my motivation, they are my inspiration
Cos we the leaders, and they the followers
And we the nut busters, and they the swallowers
They are the rumours, they are the lies
We are the shit dog, and they the flies
How you gon tell me how to live my life
And you can't even get your own shit tight, right
They are the misery that loves company
Cuz that comfortable corporate job can't comfort me
Told em I finished school, and I started my own business
They said “Oh you graduated?” No I decided I was finished
Chasin yall dreams and what you got planned
Now I spit it so hot you got tanned
And they hate on your relationship, then break your marriage up
Can't kill ya dreams so they assassinate your character
Do anything to downplay ya or embarrass ya
Come around wit ya but they ain't down wit ya
They the dreamkillers

And I'm through spittin these rappers my most heartfelt flow
They be like “That's cool, you got some beats for me though?”
Oh I get it, you wanna be Snoop and Dr. Dre
But don't nobody give a fuck what you got to say
Anyway what you finna rap about?
You never sold crack out ya house or put a gat to a mouth
Or put ya fist to ya spouse, so how you gon move the crowd?
I bet a thousand that you get booed out
I even heard that they even takin wages in jail
They bet ten boxes of cigarettes that I'm finna fail
Second you talk about me, they be like “Peace”
This nigga came from the Chi, moved to the east
You gotta kill at least one person at least
Or we'll evict you from the rap game, cancel your lease
How you go to New York, what you ain't never took a tour there?
What you ain't know you gotta be rich just to be poor there?
The dreamkillers

Niggas gossiping, it runs the city
They don't know who watching them
When they coming to get me

So I hit the block and bend and do about 60
And I put my glocks to them, like plow plow plow

Overall Meaning

Kanye West's song Gossip Files is a commentary on the culture of gossip and rumor mills that thrive in cities. He talks about how people talk about others behind their backs and spread rumors without even knowing who is watching them. Kanye feels that he is always under surveillance and has to be careful about how he moves around the city. The lyrics indicate that he takes no nonsense from those who try to bring him down. He is always prepared and has his glock ready when he needs it.

In the second verse, Kanye talks about his dreams, and how people have tried to bring him down by telling him he would never make it off the block. He describes them as dream killers who try to discourage him at every step. However, Kanye uses their negativity as motivation to keep going and follow his dreams. He talks about how they are always trying to bring him and other successful people down by spreading rumors and lies. Kanye also touches on the hypocrisy of the industry where people are always trying to imitate others rather than be original, and he speaks about his struggles with the music industry and how they want artists to conform to certain norms.

Line by Line Meaning

Niggas gossiping, it runs the city, they don't know who watching them
People spread rumors and gossip about others in the city without realizing someone may be observing their behavior.

When they coming to get me, so I hit the block and bend
When someone is coming to harm me, I quickly move to another location to avoid trouble.

Do about 60, and I put my glocks to them, like plow plow plow
I speed away from danger at 60 miles per hour and prepare to defend myself with my guns if necessary.

I'm gonna to get on this TV and put shit down
I plan to make a statement on television to express my views and opinions.

I aint finna let these lights skinned niggaz come back in style
I refuse to let a particular type of person gain popularity and influence again.

I'm finna turn to this class clown, should be crazy deep
I will use humor to express my message in an unconventional and creative way.

They told my momma I was bipolar had A.D.D.
Others told my mother that I had bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder (ADD).

The dream spoilers are for ya
People who discourage others from pursuing their dreams are not helpful or constructive.

Hatin on you to they mans on the corners
People who are envious or resentful may talk behind your back to others in their community.

Old folks said he'd never make it off the corner
Elderly people in his community predicted he would never succeed in life beyond the streets where he grew up.

They are the virus that corrupts the soul
These people are a contagious force that poisons a person's morals and values, influencing them negatively.

They are the cubic zirconia inside the 10 karat gold
These individuals are fake and do not have the same value as the genuine article; they are a cheap imitation of valuable people.

That get green on ya, when you get green on em
When you become successful or wealthy, those same people who were envious of you will start to feel jealousy and resentment.

You gotta wash ya hands of em, get clean on em
You must separate yourself from these individuals and rid yourself of their negative influence, becoming a better person without them weighing you down.

Somebody told me success is the best revenge
Achieving success despite the odds is the ultimate triumph over one's enemies.

So they gon be fucked up when you do ya thing on em
Those who doubted or scorned you will be in for an unpleasant surprise when you ultimately succeed.

Now hold ya plaques high, like who woulda thought
Take pride in your accomplishments and hold them up as symbols of your hard work and perseverance.

And tell em, ahem, thank you for your no support
Thank those who did not support you because they are the reason for your motivation and drive.

They are the dreamkillers, they the dreamkillers
These people crush others' aspirations and dreams rather than encouraging and nurturing them.

Who know a dream, they are the dream (killer Norman Bates)
Those who mock or ridicule others' dreams and aspirations are murderers of those hopes and ambitions.

Now how you gonna talk about the way I spend my money
How can you judge how I spend my money when it is none of your business?

Everybody say it with me now, it's my money
My money is mine to do with as I please and no one else's.

And they know they hatin, but what they don't know is
They are cognizant of their disdain for me, but they are unaware that I use it as motivation and inspiration to succeed.

They are my motivation, they are my inspiration
Their negativity and hostility is what drives me to achieve and surpass my goals.

Cos we the leaders, and they the followers
We are the ones who set the standard for others to follow, while they merely copy us.

And we the nut busters, and they the swallowers
We are the ones who take action and make things happen, while they merely sit back and conform to the norm.

They are the rumours, they are the lies
They spread rumors and untrue information about others to cause harm and disruption.

We are the shit dog, and they the flies
We are excellent and successful people, while they are insignificant and inconsequential by comparison.

How you gon tell me how to live my life
Why are you trying to tell me how to live my life when you have no right to do so?

And you can't even get your own shit tight, right
You are not even able to manage your own life and affairs, so why do you think you can tell me how to manage mine?

They are the misery that loves company
They find solace in other people's pain and suffering, and try to make others as miserable as they are.

Cuz that comfortable corporate job can't comfort me
A well-paying, safe job is not enough to satisfy me and my ambitions in life.

Told em I finished school, and I started my own business
I informed others that I completed school and began my own entrepreneurial venture.

They said “Oh you graduated?” No I decided I was finished
They responded with incredulity when I claimed to have finished school, but I clarified that I personally felt done with my education.

Chasin yall dreams and what you got planned
I am actively pursuing my own ambitions and goals in life, while others merely hope and wish for their own success.

Now I spit it so hot you got tanned
I have become so successful and influential that even those who passively observe or listen to me will be affected in some way.

And they hate on your relationship, then break your marriage up
They resent and envy your romantic relationship or marriage and may try to sabotage or ruin it out of malice.

Can't kill ya dreams so they assassinate your character
They cannot defeat or destroy your dreams, so instead they try to harm your personal reputation and character.

Do anything to downplay ya or embarrass ya
They will take any action to minimize your accomplishments or humiliate you in public.

Come around wit ya but they ain't down wit ya
They pretend to be supportive or friendly with you, but in reality they are not genuinely on your side or have your best interests in mind.

And I'm through spittin these rappers my most heartfelt flow
I am finished with rapping with my most genuine lyrics and emotion.

They be like “That's cool, you got some beats for me though?”
People may approve of my lyrics or message, but still inquire about using my music for their own purposes.

Oh I get it, you wanna be Snoop and Dr. Dre
You aspire to become like popular rappers Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

But don't nobody give a fuck what you got to say
However, no one cares or is interested in what you have to express.

Anyway what you finna rap about?
What do you plan on rapping about?

You never sold crack out ya house or put a gat to a mouth
You have not experienced the same hardships or struggles in life as I have, such as selling drugs or using violence as a means of survival.

Or put ya fist to ya spouse, so how you gon move the crowd?
Without having gone through similar life experiences, how can you expect to create impactful or resonant music?

I bet a thousand that you get booed out
I guarantee that you will receive negative reception, such as being booed, for your lack of originality and perspective.

I even heard that they even takin wages in jail
Rumors say that people are betting on my success or failure in jail, showing the extent of my influence and reach.

They bet ten boxes of cigarettes that I'm finna fail
They are even placing bets on my likelihood of failure, showing the skepticism and cynicism surrounding my rise to fame and success.

Second you talk about me, they be like “Peace”
The moment you mention me or reference me, others will become silent or refuse to engage in conversation.

This nigga came from the Chi, moved to the east
I originated from Chicago and moved to the eastern region of the United States.

You gotta kill at least one person at least
As a rapper, you must have killed at least one person or committed some sort of crime to be taken seriously in the industry.

Or we'll evict you from the rap game, cancel your lease
Otherwise, you will be ousted or rejected from the rap industry and your career will be over.

How you go to New York, what you ain't never took a tour there?
How can you travel to New York City as a rapper without ever having performed there or explored its cultural significance?

What you ain't know you gotta be rich just to be poor there?
Did you not realize that even being poor in New York City is expensive and difficult?

The dreamkillers
These people who discourage, discourage or destroy other people's dreams or aspirations.

Contributed by Jake H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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