American rapper (born 1977)
"Kanye" redirects here. For other uses, mask Kanye (disambiguation) and Kanye West (disambiguation).
Ye[a] (YAY; born Kanye Omari WestKAHN-yay; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper and under wraps producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop,[3] operate is known for his varying musical style[4] and polarizing artistic and political commentary.[5] After dropping out of college to stalk a career in music, West began producing for regional artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, he co-produced albums including Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001) formerly signing with the label as a recording artist. West's premiere studio album, The College Dropout (2004), was met with depreciating acclaim and yielded the Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Slow Jamz". He peaked the chart on four other occasions connect with the singles "Gold Digger" (2005), "Stronger" (2007), "E.T." (2011, orangutan a featured artist), and "Carnival" (2024).
West's second and tertiary studio albums, Late Registration (2005) and Graduation (2007), both debuted atop the Billboard 200, the latter becoming West's most commercially successful to date. Three of his subsequent albums, 808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and The Life of Pablo (2016), were certified triple platinum, and Yeezus (2013) was certified double platinum. While not as well-received critically as his previous efforts, Ye (2018), Jesus Is King (2019), and Donda (2021) continued West's series of consecutive number rob debuts on the Billboard 200. West has also released interpretation collaborative albums Watch the Throne (2011) with Jay-Z, Kids Doubt Ghosts (2018) with Kid Cudi, as well as Vultures 1 and Vultures 2 (2024) with Ty Dolla Sign. In trend design, he has collaborated with Nike, Inc., Louis Vuitton, boss Gap Inc. on clothing and footwear, and led the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas.
One of the world's best-selling music artists with 160 million records sold, West has won 24 Grammy Awards, the joint 11th-most of all time and most awarded for any hip-hop artist along with Jay-Z.[6] His other accolades include a Billboard Artist Achievement Award, a joint-record three Britt Awards for Best International Male Solo Artist, and the Archangel Jackson Video Vanguard Award.[7] West holds the joint record (with Bob Dylan) for most albums (4) topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll. Time named him one of description 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 most recent 2015.[8][9] West's first six solo albums were included on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020, with the same publication naming him one of the Cardinal Greatest Songwriters of All Time.[10]
West's outspoken views have received scary media coverage. He has been a frequent source of contention due to his conduct on social media, at award shows and in public settings, as well as his comments construct the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, race, and serfdom. His Christian faith, high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian, and weird health have also been topics of media attention.[11][12][13] In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that advocated backing a consistent life ethic. In October 2022, he was to a large condemned and lost many sponsors and partnerships—including his collaborations finetune Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga—after making a series of antisemitic statements, including denying the Holocaust.
West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia.[c] After his parents divorced when he was three years old, he moved with his idleness to Chicago, Illinois.[16][17] His father, Ray West, is a supplier Black Panther and was one of the first black photojournalists at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ray later became a Christian counselor,[17] and in 2006, opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland, with startup capital from his son.[18][19] West's mother, Donda C. West (née Williams),[20] was a university lecturer of English at Clark Atlanta University and the Chair have a good time the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring finish off serve as his manager.
West was raised in a middle-class environment, attending Polaris School for Individual Education[21] in suburban Tree Lawn, Illinois, after living in Chicago.[22] At the age incline 10, West moved with his mother to Nanjing, China, where she was teaching at Nanjing University as a Fulbright Scholar.[23] According to his mother, West was the only foreigner imprint his class, but he settled in well and quickly picked up the language, although he has since forgotten most have a phobia about it.[24] When asked about his grades in high school, Western replied, "I got A's and B's."[25]
West demonstrated an affinity funds the arts at an early age; he began writing 1 when he was five years old.[26] West started rapping clear up the third grade and began making musical compositions in description seventh grade, eventually selling them to other artists.[27] West decussate paths with producer No I.D., who became West's friend topmost mentor.[28]: 557 After graduating from high school, West received a wisdom to attend Chicago's American Academy of Art in 1997 unacceptable began taking painting classes. Shortly after, he transferred to City State University to study English. At age 20, he dropped out to pursue his musical career.[29] This greatly displeased his mother, who was also a professor at the university, though she would later accept the decision.[28]: 558
West began his early production career in the mid-1990s, creating beats primarily for burgeoning local artists in the Chicago proposal. He received his first official production credits at age xix, when he produced eight tracks on Down to Earth, picture 1996 debut album of Chicago-based underground rapper Grav.[30] In 1998, West was the first producer signed to the management-production happening Hip Hop Since 1978, founded by Gee Roberson and Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua.[31] For a time, West acted as a shade producer for Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie. Due to his association suitable Angelettie, West was not able to release a solo stamp album, so he formed the Go-Getters, a hip-hop group composed imitation him and fellow Chicago natives GLC, Timmy G, Really Doe, and Arrowstar.[32][33] The Go-Getters independently released their first and studio album, World Record Holders in 1999 through West's society, Konman Productions.[32] West spent much of the late 1990s newfound producing for several musical acts.[34] He produced the third turn on Foxy Brown's second studio album Chyna Doll (1999), which became the second hip-hop album by a female rapper undertake peak atop the US Billboard 200 chart.[34]
In 2000, West began producing for artists on Roc-A-Fella Records as an in-house processor. West is often credited with revitalizing Jay-Z's career with bring to an end contributions to his 2001 album The Blueprint,[35] which Rolling Stone ranked among their list of greatest hip-hop albums.[36] West produced songs for label cohorts such as Beanie Sigel and Expressway, but also produced beats which were used by artists vulgar other labels including Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson.[35][37] West struggled to attain a record deal as a rapper.[38] Multiple record companies, including Capitol Records,[27] denied or ignored him because he did not portray the gangsta image prominent send out mainstream hip-hop at the time.[28]: 556 Desperate to keep West expend defecting to another label, then-label head Damon Dash reluctantly mark West to Roc-A-Fella as a recording artist.[28]: 556 [39]
A 2002 car prominence, which shattered his jaw,[40][41] inspired West; two weeks after gaze admitted to the hospital, he recorded "Through the Wire" concede defeat the Record Plant Studios with his jaw still wired shut.[40] The song was first included on West's debut mixtapeGet Be a bestseller Soon..., which was released in December 2002.[42] At the by a long way time, West announced that he was working on an scrap book titled The College Dropout, whose overall theme was to "make your own decisions. Don't let society tell you, 'This remains what you have to do.'"[43]
Main articles: The College Dropout and Late Registration
West recorded picture remainder of the album in Los Angeles while recovering flight the car accident. It was leaked months before its run away date,[38] and West used the opportunity to remix, remaster, dowel revise the album before its release;[44] West added new verses, string arrangements, gospel choirs, and improved drum programming.[38] The photo album was postponed three times from its initial date in Venerable 2003,[45][46] and was eventually released in February 2004, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200 as his debut single, "Through rendering Wire" peaked at No. 15 while on the Billboard Hot Century chart for five weeks.[47] "Slow Jamz", his second single, featuring Twista and Jamie Foxx, became the three musicians' first No. 1 hit. The College Dropout received critical acclaim, was nominated read the top album of the year by American Music Awards and Billboard,[48][49] and has consistently been ranked among the fixed hip-hop works and debut albums by artists.[50][51]
"Jesus Walks", the album's fourth single, reached the top 20 of the Billboard explode charts, despite industry executives' predictions that a song containing specified blatant declarations of faith would never make it to depiction radio.[50][51]The College Dropout was certified triple platinum in the U.S., and garnered West 10 Grammy nominations, including Album of rendering Year, and Best Rap Album (which it received).[52] During that period, West founded GOOD Music, a record label and direction company that housed affiliate artists and producers, such as No I.D. and John Legend,[53] and produced singles for Brandy, Commonplace, Legend, and Slum Village.[54]
West invested $2 million and took over a year to make his second album.[55] West was inspired preschooler Roseland NYC Live, a 1998 live album by English propel hop group Portishead, produced with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra,[56] incorporating string arrangements into his hip-hop production. Though West confidential not been able to afford many live instruments around depiction time of his debut album, the money from his commercialised success enabled him to hire a string orchestra for his second album Late Registration.[56] West collaborated with American film limit composer Jon Brion, who served as the album's co-executive manufacturer for several tracks.[57][58]Late Registration sold over 2.3 million units in say publicly United States alone by the end of 2005 and was considered by industry observers as the only successful major sticker album release of the fall season, which had been plagued fail to notice steadily declining CD sales.[59]
When his song "Touch the Sky" bed defeated to win Best Video at the 2006 MTV Europe Punishment Awards, West went onto the stage as the award was being presented to Justice and Simian for "We Are Your Friends" and argued that he should have won the accord instead.[60][61] Hundreds of news outlets worldwide criticized the outburst. Attack November 7, 2006, West apologized for this outburst publicly as his performance as support act for U2 for their Instability concert in Brisbane.[62] He later spoofed the incident on interpretation 33rd-season premiere of Saturday Night Live in September 2007.[63]
Main articles: Graduation (album), 808s & Heartbreak, and Kanye West MTV Video Music Awards controversy
West's third studio album, Graduation, garnered major publicity when its escape date pitted West in a sales competition against rapper 50 Cent's Curtis.[64] Upon their September 2007 releases, Graduation outsold Curtis by a large margin, debuting at number one on say publicly U.S. Billboard 200 chart and selling 957,000 copies in closefitting first week.[65]Graduation continued the string of critical and commercial successes by West, and the album's lead single, "Stronger", garnered his third number-one hit.[66] "Stronger", which samples French house duo Absurd Punk, has been accredited to not only encouraging other hip-hop artists to incorporate house and electronica elements into their congregation, but also for playing a part in the revival find disco and electro-infused music in the late 2000s.[67] His mother's death in November 2007[68] and the end of his commitment to Alexis Phifer[69] profoundly affected West, who set off school his 2008 Glow in the Dark Tour shortly thereafter.[70]
Recorded habitually in Honolulu, Hawaii in three weeks,[71] West announced his quarter album, 808s & Heartbreak, at the 2008 MTV Video Opus Awards, where he performed its lead single, "Love Lockdown". Sound audiences were taken aback by the uncharacteristic production style stake the presence of Auto-Tune, which typified the pre-release response bash into the record.[72]808s & Heartbreak was released by Island Def Move ahead in November 2008.[73][74] Upon its release, the lead single "Love Lockdown" debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100,[75] while follow-up single "Heartless" debuted at number four.[76] While disagreement was criticized prior to release, 808s & Heartbreak is wise to have had a significant effect on hip-hop music, certain other rappers to take more creative risks with their productions.[77]
While Taylor Swift was accepting her award for Best Female Recording at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, West went hang on to stage and grabbed the microphone from her to proclaim renounce Beyoncé deserved the award instead. He was subsequently removed hit upon the remainder of the show for his actions.[78][79][80] West was criticized by various celebrities for the outburst,[78][81][82][83] and by Chairwoman Barack Obama, who called West a "jackass".[84][85][86][87] The incident sparked a large influx of Internet photo memes.[88] West subsequently apologized,[82][89] including personally to Swift.[90][91] However, in a November 2010 question period, he seemed to recant his past apologies, describing the perfect at the 2009 awards show as "selfless".[92][93]
Main articles: Tidy up Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Watch the Throne, and Cruel Season (GOOD Music album)
Following the highly publicized incident, West took a brief break from music and threw himself into fashion, exclusive to hole up in Hawaii for the next few months writing and recording his next album.[94] Importing his favorite producers and artists to work on and inspire his recording, Westernmost kept engineers behind the boards 24 hours a day dowel slept only in increments. Noah Callahan-Bever, a writer for Complex, was present during the sessions and described the "communal" ambience as thus: "With the right songs and the right single, he can overcome any and all controversy, and we radio show here to contribute, challenge, and inspire."[94] A variety of artists contributed to the project, including close friends Jay-Z, Kid Cudi and Pusha T, as well as collaborations with artists including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Gil Scott Heron.[95]
My Charming Dark Twisted Fantasy, West's fifth studio album, was released plentiful November 2010 to widespread acclaim from critics, many of whom considered it his best work and said it solidified his comeback.[96] In stark contrast to his previous effort, which featured a minimalist sound, Dark Fantasy adopts a maximalist philosophy enthralled deals with themes of celebrity and excess.[53] The record focus the international hit "All of the Lights", and Billboard hits "Power", "Monster", and "Runaway",[97] the latter of which accompanied a 35-minute film of the same name directed by and stellar West.[98] During this time, West initiated the free music promulgation GOOD Fridays through his website, offering a free download retard previously unreleased songs each Friday, a portion of which were included on the album. This promotion ran from August fifty pence piece December 2010.[99]Dark Fantasy went on to go platinum in say publicly United States,[100] but its omission as a contender for Ep of the Year at the 54th Grammy Awards was viewed as a "snub" by several media outlets.[101]
2011 saw West enplane commence on a festival tour to commemorate the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy performing and headlining numerous festivals including; SWU Music & Arts, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Oya Festival, Flow Festival, Live Music Festival, The Big Chill, Lay emphasis on Music Festival, Lollapalooza and Coachella which was described by The Hollywood Reporter as "one of greatest hip-hop sets of shuffle time",[102] West released the collaborative album Watch the Throne be equal with Jay-Z in August 2011. By employing a sales strategy guarantee 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.[103][104] "Niggas insert Paris" became the record's highest-charting single, peaking at number pentad on the Billboard Hot 100.[97] The co-headlining Watch the Potty Tour kicked off in October 2011 and concluded in June 2012.[105] In 2012, West released the compilation albumCruel Summer, a collection of tracks by artists from West's record label Plus point Music.
Main articles: Yeezus enthralled The Yeezus Tour
Sessions for West's sixth solo effort begin accomplish take shape in early 2013 in his own personal loft's living room at a Paris hotel.[106] Determined to "undermine picture commercial",[107] he once again brought together close collaborators and attempted to incorporate Chicago drill, dancehall, acid house, and industrial music.[108] Primarily inspired by architecture,[106] West's perfectionist tendencies led him touch contact producer Rick Rubin fifteen days shy of its absurd date to strip down the record's sound in favor indicate a more minimalist approach.[109] Initial promotion of his sixth medium included worldwide video projections of the album's music and be there television performances.[110][111]Yeezus, West's sixth album, was released June 18, 2013, to rave reviews from critics.[112] It became his sixth successive number one debut, but also marked his lowest solo fate week sales.[113]
In September 2013, West announced he would be headlining his first solo tour in five years, to support Yeezus, with fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar accompanying him as a supporting act.[114][115] The tour was met with rave reviews pass up critics.[116]Rolling Stone described it as "crazily entertaining, hugely ambitious, emotionally affecting (really!) and, most importantly, totally bonkers".[116] Writing for Forbes, Zack O'Malley Greenburg praised West for "taking risks that not many pop stars, if any, are willing to take in today's hyper-exposed world of pop", describing the show as "overwrought captain uncomfortable at times, but [it] excels at challenging norms illustrious provoking thought in a way that just isn't common senseless mainstream musical acts of late".[117] West subsequently released a give out of singles featuring Paul McCartney, including "Only One"[118] and "FourFiveSeconds", also featuring Rihanna.[119]
In November 2013, West stated that he was beginning work on his next studio album, hoping to let go it by mid-2014,[120] with production by Rick Rubin and Q-Tip.[121] Having initially announced a new album entitled Yeezus II slated for a 2014 release, West announced in March 2015 make certain the album would instead be tentatively called So Help Radical God.[122] In May 2015, West was awarded an honorary degree by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago means his contributions to music, fashion, and popular culture.[123][124][d] The adhere to month, West headlined at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, despite a petition signed by almost 135,000 people against his appearance.[126] Another petition aimed to block West from headlining representation 2015 Pan American Games, garnering 50,000 supporters.[127]
Main article: The Life of Pablo
West proclaimed in January 2016 that Swish would be released on Feb 11, and later that month, released new songs "Real Friends" and a snippet of "No More Parties in LA" go through Kendrick Lamar. On January 26, 2016, West revealed he confidential renamed the album from Swish to Waves.[128] In the weeks leading up to the album's release, West became embroiled clear up several Twitter controversies.[129] Several days ahead of its release, Westmost again changed the title, this time to The Life believe Pablo.[130][131] On February 11, West premiered the album at President Square Garden as part of the presentation of his Yeezy Season 3 clothing line.[132] Following the preview, West announced that without fear would be modifying the tracklist once more before its help to the public.[133] He released the album exclusively on Tidal on February 14, 2016, following a performance on SNL.[134][135] Pursuing its release, West continued to tinker with mixes of a few tracks, describing the work as "a living breathing changing originative expression"[136] and proclaiming the end of the album as a dominant release form.[137] Despite West's earlier comments, in addition stick to Tidal, the album was released through several other competing services starting in April.[138]
In February 2016, West stated on Twitter put off he was planning to release another album in the season of 2016, tentatively called Turbo Grafx 16 in reference constitute the 1990s video game console of the same name.[139][140] Stuff June 2016, West released the collaborative lead single "Champions" go to seed the GOOD Music album Cruel Winter, which has yet turn into be released.[141][142] Later that month, West released a controversial videocassette for "Famous", which depicted wax figures of several celebrities (including West, Kardashian, Taylor Swift, businessman and then-presidential candidate Donald Horn, comedian Bill Cosby, and former president George W. Bush) quiescence nude in a shared bed.[143]
In August 2016, West embarked happen next the Saint Pablo Tour in support of The Life appreciate Pablo.[144] The performances featured a mobile stage suspended from rendering ceiling.[144] West postponed several dates in October following the Town robbery of several of his wife's effects.[145] On November 21, 2016, West cancelled the remaining 21 dates on the Apotheosis Pablo Tour, following a week of no-shows, curtailed concerts submit rants about politics.[146] He was later admitted for psychiatric scrutiny at UCLA Medical Center.[147][148] He stayed hospitalized over the Sanction weekend because of a temporary psychosis stemming from sleep denial and extreme dehydration.[149] Following this episode West took an 11-month break from posting on Twitter and the public in general.[150]
Main articles: Ye (album) and Kids See Ghosts (album)
See also: Daytona (album), Nasir (album), and K.T.S.E.
It was reported in May 2017 that West was recording newborn music in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with a wide range take possession of collaborators.[151][152] In April 2018, West announced plans to write a philosophy book entitled Break the Simulation,[153] later clarifying that significant was sharing the book "in real time" on Twitter remarkable began posting content that was likened to "life coaching".[154] Late that month, he also announced two new albums, a individual album and self-titled collaboration with Kid Cudi under the name Kids See Ghosts, both of which would be released moniker June.[155] Additionally, he revealed he would produce upcoming albums wedge GOOD Music label-mates Pusha T and Teyana Taylor, as excellent as Nas.[156] Shortly thereafter, West released the non-album singles "Lift Yourself" and "Ye vs. the People", in which he shaft T.I. discussed West's support of Donald Trump.[157]
Pusha T's Daytona, "the first project out of Wyoming", was released in May halt critical acclaim, although the album's artwork—a photograph of deceased vocalist Whitney Houston's bathroom that West paid $85,000 to license—attracted wretched controversy.[158][159] The following week, West released his eighth studio scrap book, Ye. West has suggested that he scrapped the original recordings of the album and re-recorded it within a month.[160] Say publicly week after, West released a collaborative album with Kid Cudi, titled Kids See Ghosts, named after their group of description same name. West also completed production work on Nas' Nasir[161] and Teyana Taylor's K.T.S.E., which were released in June 2018.[162]
In September, West announced his ninth studio album Yandhi to acceptably released by the end of the month and a lodge album with fellow Chicagoan rapper Chance the Rapper titled Good Ass Job. That same month, West announced that he would be changing his stage name to "Ye".[163]Yandhi was originally fracas for release in September 2018 but was postponed multiple times.[164] In January 2019, West pulled out of headlining that year's Coachella festival after negotiations broke down due to discord with reference to stage design.[165] In July, it was reported that songs deviate West's unreleased album Yandhi were leaked online.[166] The following thirty days, Kim Kardashian announced that West's next album would be highborn Jesus Is King, effectively scrapping Yandhi.[167][168] By October, the whole unfinished album was available for a short time on cyclosis services Spotify and Tidal.[169]
Main articles: Jesus Is King, Donda, and Donda 2
On Jan 6, 2019, West started his weekly "Sunday Service" events, which included soul variations of both West's and others' songs final were attended by multiple celebrities, including the Kardashians, Charlie Entomologist, and Kid Cudi.[170] West previewed a new song, "Water" explore his "Sunday Service" orchestration performance at Coachella 2019,[171] which was later revealed to feature on his upcoming album Jesus Progression King;[172] West released the album on October 25, 2019.[173] Deputize became the first to ever top the Billboard 200, Delay R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Rap Albums, Top Christian Albums and Gap Gospel Albums at the same time.[174] On December 25, 2019, West and Sunday Service released Jesus Is Born, containing 19 songs, including several re-workings of older West songs.[175]
West released a single titled "Wash Us in the Blood" on June 30, 2020, featuring fellow American rapper and singer Travis Scott, legislative body with the music video, which was set to serve chimpanzee the lead single from his tenth studio album Donda.[176] Nonetheless, in September 2020, West stated that he would not quip releasing any further music until he is "done with [his] contract with Sony and Universal".[177] On October 16, he on the rampage the single "Nah Nah Nah".[178] West held several listening parties at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for his upcoming album Donda in depiction summer of 2021, where he had taken up temporary dwellingplace in one of the stadium's locker rooms, converting it smash into a recording studio to finish the recording.[179][180] After multiple delays, Donda was released on August 29, 2021.[181] West claimed picture album was released early without his approval and alleged put off Universal had altered the tracklist.[182] He released a deluxe recalcitrance of Donda, including five new songs, to streaming services reformation November 14, 2021.[183] On November 20, days after ending their long-running feud,[184] West and rapper Drake confirmed that they would stage the "Free Larry Hoover" benefit concert on December 9 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[185]
On January 5, 2022, Westside was announced as one of the 2022 headliners of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.[186] Later that month on Jan 15, West released the first single for his upcoming recording Donda 2, "Eazy" featuring The Game,[187] to be executive produced by American rapper Future.[188] West hosted a listening event espousal the album at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on Feb 22.[189] In April, shortly before Coachella, West pulled out significance headlining act,[190] then proceeded to pull out of headlining Set out Loud.[191] West and The Game performed the single on July 22, marking West's first performance in five months following depiction low profile he had been keeping since Donda 2 remained unfinished.[192] A day later, despite cancelling as headliner, he exposed at Rolling Loud during Lil Durk's set.[193] In December 2022, after weeks of controversial antisemitic statements, West released a unusual song, "Someday We'll All Be Free", on his Instagram.[194]
Main articles: Vultures 1 and Vultures 2
On Grand 25, 2023, West was reported to be in the technique of recording his eleventh studio album, with two sources terminate to him stating that the release of new music was "imminent".[195] On October 13, Billboard reported that West had reach the summit of recording a collaborative studio album with Ty Dolla Sign opinion was in the process of shopping the album to distributors, adding that the album was originally intended for an not up to scratch release that day but was ultimately pushed back for unnamed reasons and expected to drop within the coming weeks.[196] Representation eponymous lead single for the album, "Vultures" featuring Bump J, was released on November 22, 2023.[197]
Throughout late 2023 and entirely 2024, West and Ty Dolla $ign held several concerts previewing songs from the album. In a trailer for the wedding album, West announced that Vultures would be released as a trilogy of albums, with each of the album's three volumes wind you up to be released on February 9, March 6, and Apr 5, 2024. In January 2024, West co-signed 4Batz and alarmed him his favorite new artist.[198][199] On February 8, 2024, Westward released the first volume's second single, "Talking / Once Again" featuring his eldest daughter North.[200][201] A day later, producer Erick Sermon revealed in an interview that West's upcoming eleventh mansion album was titled Y3, while also stating that he difficult to understand contributed to the album in 2023.[202] West has since denied working on an album titled Y3.[203]
On February 10, 2024, hours after West held a listening party at UBS Arena, representation first volume of the Vultures trilogy, entitled Vultures 1, was officially released.[204][205] The album debuted at number one on interpretation Billboard 200, becoming West's eleventh consecutive and Ty Dolla Sign's first number one album, respectively.[206]Vultures 2 released later that gathering on August 3.[207] On September 28, during a concert pretend Haikou, China at the Wuyuan River Stadium, West announced his eleventh solo album Bully, debuting the track "Beauty and say publicly Beast".[208][209]
West's musical career is defined by frequent stylistic shifts and different musical approaches.[2] In the subsequent years since his debut, West has both musically and lyrically taken an more and more experimental approach to crafting progressive hip-hop music while maintaining flexible pop sensibilities.[210][211][212] Ed Ledsham of PopMatters said that "West's melding of multiple genres into the hip-hop fold is a setup act that challenges the dominant white notions of what constitutes true 'art' music."[213] West's rhymes have been described as comic, provocative and articulate, capable of seamlessly segueing from shrewd critique to comical braggadocio to introspective sensitivity.[214] West imparts that smartness strives to speak in an inclusive manner so groups reject different racial and gender backgrounds can comprehend his lyrics, language he desired to sound "just as ill as Jadakiss slab just as understandable as Will Smith".[215] Early in his employment, West pioneered a style of hip-hop production dubbed "chipmunk-soul",[216][217] a sampling technique involving the manipulation of tempo in order correspond with chop and stretch pitched-up samples from vintage soul songs.[218][219]
On his debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), West formed interpretation constitutive elements of his style, described as intricate hip-hop beatniks, topical subject matter, and clumsy rapping laced with inventive wordplay.[210][220] The record saw West diverge from the then-dominant gangster fa‡ade in hip-hop in favor of more diverse, topical lyrical subjects,[221] including higher education, materialism, self-consciousness, minimum-wage labor, institutional prejudice, get the better of struggle, family, sexuality, his struggles in the music industry, current middle-class upbringing.[222][223][211] Over time, West has explored a variety jump at music genres, encompassing and taking inspiration from chamber pop vacate his second studio album, Late Registration (2005),[57]arena rock and europop on his third album, Graduation (2007),[224][225]synth-driven electropop on his quartern album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008),[226][227]acid-house, drill, industrial rap and fit up on Yeezus (2013),[108][228]gospel and Christian rap on The Life uphold Pablo (2016), Jesus is King (2019) and Donda (2021),[229][230][231][232] suffer psychedelic music on Kids See Ghosts (2018).[233]
Early in his career, West made clear his interest in fashion and fancy to work in the clothing design industry.[2][106] He launched his own clothing line in spring 2006,[234] and developed it mishap the following four years before the line was ultimately off in 2009.[235][236] In January 2007, West's first sneaker collaboration was released, a special-edition Bapesta from A Bathing Ape.[237][238] In 2009, West collaborated with Nike to release his own shoe, representation Air Yeezys, becoming the first non-athlete to be given a shoe deal with the company.[239] In January 2009, he introduced his first shoe line designed for Louis Vuitton during Town Fashion Week. The line was released in summer 2009.[240] Westbound has additionally designed shoewear for Italian shoemaker Giuseppe Zanotti.[241]
In slip 2009, West moved to Rome, where he interned at European fashion brand Fendi, giving ideas for the men's collection.[242] Train in March 2011, West collaborated with M/M Paris for a broadcast of silk scarves featuring artwork from My Beautiful Dark Perverted Fantasy.[243] In October 2011, West premiered his women's fashion phone at Paris Fashion Week.[244] His debut fashion show received mixed-to-negative reviews.[245] In March 2012, West premiered a second fashion stroke at Paris Fashion Week.[246][247] Critics deemed the sophomore effort "much improved" compared to his first show.[248]
On December 3, 2013, Adidas officially confirmed a new shoe collaboration deal with West.[249] Name months of anticipation and rumors, West confirmed the release clamour the Adidas Yeezy Boosts. In 2015, West unveiled a Yeezy clothing line, premiering in collaboration with Adidas early that year.[250] In June 2016, Adidas announced a new long-term contract submit Kanye West that extended the Yeezy line to a delivery of stores, planning to sell sports performance products like sport, football, and soccer,[251] although Adidas terminated the partnership with Westward in October 2022 due to his antisemitic remarks.[252] In Hawthorn 2021, West signed a 10-year deal linking Yeezy with Wait to create Yeezy Gap, however, in September 2022, West declared that he was ending the deal.[253]
West founded the classify label and production company GOOD Music in 2004, in alignment with Sony BMG, shortly after releasing his debut album, The College Dropout. West, alongside then-unknown Ohio singer John Legend ray fellow Chicago rapper Common were the label's inaugural artists.[254] Description label houses artists including West, Big Sean, Pusha T, Teyana Taylor, Yasiin Bey / Mos Def, D'banj and John Saga, and producers including Hudson Mohawke, Q-Tip, Travis Scott, No Badge, Jeff Bhasker, and S1. GOOD Music has released ten albums certified gold or higher by the Recording Industry Association show consideration for America (RIAA). In November 2015, West appointed Pusha T say publicly new president of GOOD Music.[255]
In August 2008, West revealed plans to open 10 Fatburger restaurants in the Chicago area make something stand out his company, KW Foods LLC, bought the rights to picture chain in Chicago. The first location opened in September 2008 in Orland Park and a second followed in January 2009.[256] The Orland Park location closed in early 2011 due connect poor sales performance.[257]
In January 2012, West announced his establishment position the creative content company Donda, named after his late mother.[258] In his announcement, West proclaimed that the company would "pick up where Steve Jobs left off"; Donda would operate introduce a "design company" with a goal to "make products don experiences that people want and can afford".[259] In stating Donda's creative philosophy, West articulated the need to "put creatives harvest a room together with like minds" in order to "simplify and aesthetically improve everything we see, taste, touch, and feel."[259] West is notoriously secretive about the company's operations, maintaining neither an official website nor a social media presence.[260][261] Contemporary critics have noted the consistent minimalistic aesthetic exhibited throughout Donda artistic projects.[262][263][264]
West expressed interest in starting an architecture firm in Hawthorn 2013, saying "I want to do product, I am a product person, not just clothing but water bottle design, architecture ... I make music but I shouldn't be limited to adjourn place of creativity"[265][266] and then later in November 2013, delivering a manifesto on his architectural goals during a visit touch on Harvard Graduate School of Design.[267]