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.
Golddigger
kanye west Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, she's a triflin' friend indeed
Oh, she's a gold digger
Way over town, that digs on me
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head
Cutie the bomb, met her at a beauty salon
With a baby Louis Vuitton under her underarm
She said: "I can tell you rock, I can tell by your charm
Far as girls, you got a flock
I can tell by your charm and your arm."
But I'm lookin' for the one, have you seen her?
My psychic told me she'll have a ass like Serena
Trina, Jennifer Lopez, four kids
And I gotta take all they bad asses to ShowBiz?
Okay, get your kids, but then they got their friends
I pulled up in the Benz, they all got up in
We all went to din' and then I had to pay
If you fuckin' with this girl, then you better be paid
You know why? It take too much to touch her
From what I heard she got a baby by Busta
My best friend said she used to fuck with Usher
I don't care what none of y'all say, I still love her
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head
Eighteen years, eighteen years
She got one of your kids, got you for eighteen years
I know somebody payin' child support for one of his kids
His baby mama car and crib is bigger than his
You will see him on TV any given Sunday
Win the Super Bowl and drive off in a Hyundai
She was supposed to buy your shorty Tyco with your money
She went to the doctor, got lipo with your money
She walkin' around lookin' like Michael with your money
Shoulda got that insured, Geico for your money
If you ain't no punk
Holla, "We want prenup! We want prenup!" (Yeah!)
It's somethin' that you need to have
'Cause when she leave yo' ass, she gon' leave with half
Eighteen years, eighteen years
And on the 18th birthday he found out it wasn't his?!
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head
Now, I ain't sayin' you a gold digger, you got needs
You don't want a dude to smoke but he can't buy weed
You go out to eat, he can't pay, y'all can't leave
There's dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves
But while y'all washin', watch him
He gon' make it to a Benz out of that Datsun
He got that ambition, baby, look at his eyes
This week he moppin' floors, next week it's the fries
So stick by his side
I know there's dudes ballin', and yeah, that's nice
And they gonna keep callin' and tryin', but you stay right, girl
And when you get on, he'll leave yo' ass for a white girl
Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head
Let me hear that back
In Kanye West's song "Gold Digger," he talks about a woman who takes his money when he is in need, calling her a trifling friend. The woman he speaks of is a gold digger who is only interested in men with money. Kanye's lyrics include a conversation he has with this woman, where she tells him that she can tell he "rocks" and has "charm," but what she really wants is a man with financial stability. Kanye then lists several famous women as examples of who he is looking for but has not found yet. He even mentions his desire for a woman with a body like Serena Williams.
As the song continues, Kanye makes it clear that gold digging is not solely a female attribute. He speaks of men who cannot afford things, including weed, and women who support them. Kanye believes that these men are not ambitious and do not have any potential for financial success. He encourages women to stick by their man's side even if he is struggling financially, as he may have potential for future success.
Line by Line Meaning
She take my money when I'm in need
She takes my money when I am vulnerable
Yeah, she's a triflin' friend indeed
Yes, she is a disloyal friend
Oh, she's a gold digger
Oh, she is a person who only pursues relationships in order to obtain money
Way over town, that digs on me
She lives in a different, far-off area, yet still pursues me for my money
(She give me money) Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digger
Although she occasionally gives me financial gifts, I am not saying that she is only interested in me because of my wealth
(When I'm in need) But she ain't messin' with no broke niggas
However, she will not associate with anyone who is financially unstable
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head, get down
(I gotta leave) Go away and leave me alone
(I gotta leave) Get down girl, go 'head
(I gotta leave) Go away, I am not interested
Cutie the bomb, met her at a beauty salon
I met a beautiful girl at a beauty parlor
With a baby Louis Vuitton under her underarm
She carried a Louis Vuitton bag with a baby under her arm
She said: "I can tell you rock, I can tell by your charm
She expressed admiration for my style and personality
Far as girls, you got a flock
Among girls, you have a large group of admirers
I can tell by your charm and your arm."
She can tell by my fashion style and muscular arm
But I'm lookin' for the one, have you seen her?
However, I am still searching for the perfect girl
My psychic told me she'll have a ass like Serena
My fortune teller stated that she would have a figure like Serena Williams
Trina, Jennifer Lopez, four kids
I have dated Trina and Jennifer Lopez, who both have four kids
And I gotta take all they bad asses to ShowBiz?
Do I have to take all of them to ShowBiz?
Okay, get your kids, but then they got their friends
Okay, bring your kids but then they will bring their friends
I pulled up in the Benz, they all got up in
I arrived in a luxury car and they all got in
We all went to din' and then I had to pay
We all went to eat and then I had to pay the bill
If you fuckin' with this girl, then you better be paid
If you are dating this girl, you must be wealthy
You know why? It take too much to touch her
Do you know why? It takes a lot of money to impress her
From what I heard she got a baby by Busta
I heard that she has a child with Busta Rhymes
My best friend said she used to fuck with Usher
My best friend told me that she used to have a sexual relationship with Usher
I don't care what none of y'all say, I still love her
I do not care what you all say, I still love her
Eighteen years, eighteen years
I am obligated to support a child for eighteen years
She got one of your kids, got you for eighteen years
She has one of my children and I am legally required to support the child for eighteen years
I know somebody payin' child support for one of his kids
I know someone who pays child support for their child
His baby mama car and crib is bigger than his
His child's mother has a bigger car and a larger home than him
You will see him on TV any given Sunday
You can watch him on TV any given Sunday
Win the Super Bowl and drive off in a Hyundai
Despite winning the Super Bowl, he can only afford to drive off in a Hyundai
She was supposed to buy your shorty Tyco with your money
She was supposed to buy a Tyco toy for your child with your money
She went to the doctor, got lipo with your money
She used your money to get liposuction at the doctor's office
She walkin' around lookin' like Michael with your money
She is now walking around looking like Michael Jackson because she used your money to finance plastic surgery
Shoulda got that insured, Geico for your money
You should have insured your money with Geico to prevent her from taking it
If you ain't no punk
If you are not weak or cowardly
Holla, "We want prenup! We want prenup!" (Yeah!)
Declare that you want a prenuptial agreement to protect your assets
It's somethin' that you need to have
It is essential that you acquire this legal document
'Cause when she leave yo' ass, she gon' leave with half
Because when she leaves you, she will take half of your assets with her
And on the 18th birthday he found out it wasn't his?!
He found out on his child's 18th birthday that the child was not biologically his
Now, I ain't sayin' you a gold digger, you got needs
I am not implying that you are a person who only pursues relationships for money, but you have financial desires
You don't want a dude to smoke but he can't buy weed
You do not want a man who smokes, but you also do not want one who cannot afford to buy marijuana
You go out to eat, he can't pay, y'all can't leave
When you go out to eat, he cannot pay and therefore you cannot leave the restaurant
There's dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves
There are dishes in the back, and he must roll up his sleeves to wash them since he cannot afford to pay for the meal
But while y'all washin', watch him
While you are washing the dishes, watch him closely
He gon' make it to a Benz out of that Datsun
He will eventually obtain a Mercedes Benz even if he currently drives a Datsun
He got that ambition, baby, look at his eyes
He has strong determination and it shows in his eyes
This week he moppin' floors, next week it's the fries
This week he is mopping floors, and next week he will be cooking fries
So stick by his side
Stay loyal to him
I know there's dudes ballin', and yeah, that's nice
I know there are wealthy men, and that can be impressive
And they gonna keep callin' and tryin', but you stay right, girl
They will continue to pursue you, but you must remain faithful to me
And when you get on, he'll leave yo' ass for a white girl
When you become wealthy, he will abandon you for a girl of a different racial background
Get down girl, go 'head, get down
Go away and leave me alone
Let me hear that back
Play the song again from the beginning
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Kanye West, Renald J. Richard, Ray Charles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vivienballard391
I am not implying that she is only interested in the financial stability of men; however, it must be said that she avoids relations with impoverished men.
@kalceii9698
XD
@Heyguysitsme554
Lmaoooo
@malachite-6172
what the hell🤣
@ronkledonkanusmoncher564
Now I, being Kanye west, do not wish to create a false narrative that I have somehow hinted at the woman in question being solely interested in her own personal financial gain, but I do wish to elaborate that she does not affiliate with any persons that may be listed as below the poverty line.
@Shadowtopia69
So, thou art implying such a thing after all, sir?
@beast0nerd
“When she leave you ass she gonna leave with half”
Bill Gates: 😭
@reverse_meta9264
No prenup, ouch
@robertholguin7010
As my kids say...Fo Sho!!!
@beverlybalius9303
Lol