Kanye West Biography

NAME: Kanye West

OCCUPATION: Rapper

BIRTH DATE: June 08, 1977 (Age: 34)

EDUCATION: Polaris High School, Chicago State University

PLACE OF BIRTH: Atlanta, Georgia

Kanye (Swahili [African] for "only one") West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 8, 1977. His parents divorced when West was three. He was raised on Chicago's South Side by his mother, an English professor, and spent summers with his father, an award-winning photographer who became a church counselor.

In a typically savvy marketing move (like only those folks in hip-hop know how) serving to add only more fuel to the collective fire, a couple of Kanye West mix-tapes have been circulating around that not only showcase a collection of his finest chart-topping production moments from his previous work, but also preview a number of new selections from off of The College Dropout. Now, while in the surprisingly stringent circles of music criticism reviewing a mix-tape greets about the same level of enthusiasm as the release of a Backstreet Boy solo record, the two mix-tapes in question, Get Well Soon (released shortly after Kanye's much-publicized, near-fatal car accident), and I'm Good, prove to be among the best new hip-hop music released in 2003. However, in a level of irony seemingly only reserved for this delightful mess called the music business, since these releases are mix-tapes and not traditional albums (whatever that means these days), don't expect them to be making an appearance on many "best of" lists this year. In light of this fiasco, your trusty review has taken it upon himself to shine some much-deserved light on these enigmatic jewels, because given Roc-A-Fella's inconsistencies these tapes might be the closest we ever get to witnessing Kanye's abundant solo genius.

While both mixes serve as a well-represented document featuring a mish-mash of snippets from Kanye's earlier work, on both Get Well Soon and I'm Good Kanye's new material undoubtedly steals the show. The best of these new tracks is the unrelentingly rousing modern-day hip-hop epic, "2 Words", which features guest appearances from Mos Def, Freeway, and the Harlem Boys' Choir. Over the rolling thump of a thunderous drum kit, harpsichord lines tumble into butter-smooth electric guitar licks, while frenetic soulful wails provide the perfect canvas for Mos', Kanye's, and Freeway's relentless rhymes. However, this is all before Kanye breaks the song down for a stirring a cappela section from the Harlem Boys' Choir, which gives way to a frenzied stutter-step hip-hop hoe-down featuring a turbulent violin solo to close (that's right, I did say violin solo!).

In 2005, Kanye West released his second album Late Registration. The album, which sold over 860,000 copies in its first week, featured the singles 'Diamonds From Sierra Leone' and 'Gold Digger'. The former featured a sample of Shirley Bassey's 'Diamonds Are Forever' vocal and the latter featured Jamie Foxx, on a reinterpretation of a Ray Charles song. Late Registration earned West eight Grammy nominations and has been certified triple platinum. Around this time, Kanye produced 'Go' by Common and 'Dreams' by The Game.

In November 2006, Kanye West interrupted the presentation of the Best Video award at the MTV Europe award, arguing that his 'Touch The Sky' should have won the prize. The outburst saw him heavily criticised in many media outlets. West apologized for the outburst when he supported U2 in Brisbane, Australia. To further the controversy surrounding West, Robert 'Evel' Knievel is suing West, who impersonates Knievel in the video. Knievel claims that the video is vulgar and offensive and damages his reputation.

In 2007, Kanye West performed with John Mayer and The Police at the American leg of the Live Earth event. A month later, he also hosted the British entertainment program, The Friday Night Project.

The release date of Kanye's third album, Graduation, was moved to 11.9.2007, the same date as the release of 50 Cent's Curtis. 50 Cent reportedly stated that if his album sold less than Kanye's, he would quit making solo records. Graduation, which features guest appearances from T-Pain, Mos Def and Lil' Wayne, has been certified double platinum. It sampled a wide range of music, including Laura Nyro and Steely Dan.

West fared badly again, at the next MTV Music Awards, in 2007. He failed to win any of the five awards for which he had been nominated. Kanye was visibly upset at the loss and stated that he would not return to MTV again. On a more positive note, however, he won four of the eight Grammy awards for which he was nominated. During the televised ceremony, West performed 'Stronger' with Daft Punk and 'Hey Mama', as a dedication to his mother, who had recently passed away.