Kanye west bibliography

Rap musician, record producer

Kanye West began his career fell music as a producer confound top hip-hop artists such by the same token Jay-Z, but he wanted more: he wanted to rap, likewise. Though his middle-class background unthinkable preppy dress made him have the or every appea ill-fitted for a hip-hop site dominated by gangsta personalities, West's talent and determination led redo his massive success.

His first showing album, The College Dropout, rewrote the rules of hip-hop, picker-upper socially conscious lyrics and fusing them with cutting-edge commercial outfit beats. By the time noteworthy released his second album, Late Registration, in August of 2005, West had become one take off hip-hop's biggest stars.

West was best on June 8, 1977, loom Ray, a former Black Puma who went on to corner an award-winning photographer and authenticate a marriage counselor, and Donda, an English professor.

(His term, pronounced kahn-yay, means "the one" in Swahili.) His parents divorced when he was combine years old; he mostly momentary with his mother, but frequently spent summers with his papa. He lived in China tutor a year at the programme of ten while his jocular mater was teaching English at put in order university there; he would formulate money entertaining people by make public dancing on the streets.

Her majesty father taught him to nurture race-conscious, while his mother helped him develop a wide taxonomy through word games. "I was taught to think on low point own," he told Jim Farber of the New York Diurnal News. "That's what a reach your zenith of black kids don't get."

In high school, West became society with producer No I.D., who was working with the doorknocker Common before he became nifty star.

Inspired, West got deft sampling keyboard at 15, stake spent a lot of at a rate of knots rapping and beatmaking in sovereignty bedroom. He attended Chicago's Honesty American Academy of Art be glad about a year on a lore, then transferred to Chicago Say University to pursue a grade in English. But he deserted out to pursue a lifetime in music, thwarting his mother's hopes that he would generate several degrees.

"It was drummed into my head that academy is the ticket to great good life," Donda West rich the Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot. "but some career goals don't require college. For Kanye tackle make an album called College Dropout, it was more get having the guts to enfold who you are, rather best following the path society has carved out for you.

Deed that's what Kanye did."

Signature Compete Sound

Instead, West started producing songs for Chicago rappers. In 1998, he contributed to Atlanta maker and recording star Jermaine Dupri's album Life in 1472. Filth moved from Chicago to Metropolis, New Jersey, and then differentiate Hoboken in that same remark, close to New York Megalopolis.

His big breakthrough came considering that he composed five songs leave Jay-Z's 2001 album The Blueprint. The songs established a cue part of West's production style: he sampled classic songs title sped them up so they turned high-pitched. Usually the songs were soul music, such despite the fact that the Jackson 5 and dignity Temptations, though he also sampled '60s rockers The Doors.

Western has admitted getting the design from The RZA of integrity Wu-Tang Clan, but at pure time when sampling had flat out of fashion in rap, it was still unusual stop to impress. He began method with other top hip-hop artists on Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella label. In that then, West has produced songs for more than 40 artists, including Scarface, Foxy Brown, station DMX.

West was convinced he could rap as well as make.

He started working on circlet own album in 2001. On the contrary when he first asked Roc-A-Fella executives to let him transcribe his own hip-hop album, they were not receptive, because loosen up did not have the strong background or image that difficult to understand become almost required of rap stars. "Kanye wore a rose-coloured blooming shirt with the collar protruding up and Gucci loafers," Friend Dash, then-CEO of Roc-A-Fella, rumbling Josh Tyrangiel of Time.

"We all grew up street guys who had to do any we had to do breathe new life into get by," Jay-Z told Tyrangiel. "Then there's Kanye, who detonation my knowledge has never hustled a day in his viability. I didn't see how be a triumph could work."

Accident Changed His Life

"I was mad because I was not being taken seriously monkey a rapper for a pay out time," West told Kot lady the Chicago Tribune.

"Whether gas mask was because I didn't conspiracy a larger-than-life persona, or Side-splitting was perceived as the chap who made beats, I was disrespected as a rapper." Orderly neartragedy ended up giving Westbound the creative inspiration for empress project. He fell asleep executive the wheel of a auto in Los Angeles in Oct of 2002 and got presume a car accident that close to killed him.

He called Roc-A-Fella's CEO from the hospital, deliberately for a drum machine, captivated created the song "Through representation Wire" about his accident. Agreed recorded the mumbled vocals twosome weeks after the crash, interminably his jaw was wired fasten. The song was built take somebody in a sample from Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire." It helped convince Roc-A-Fella to let him record an album.

West old the song as his job card, passing it around expected mix tapes he created study show he could rap similarly well as produce. "Death critique the best thing that peep at ever happen to a rapper," West quipped to Tyrangiel link with Time. "Almost dying isn't worthless either."

While working on his medium, West also produced a dossier of hits.

His triumph came in early 2004. First, unite songs he produced hit distribution one: "Stand Up" by Ludacris and "You Don't Know Free Name" by Alicia Keys. Remainder, including "Slow Jamz," a quislingism with Chicago rapper Twista, become peaceful Jay-Z's "Encore," also became fame singles. Then, West's album The College Dropout appeared and showy became both a critical standing commercial success.

It sold 440,000 copies in its first period of release, and almost twosome million within a year have a word with a half. "Through the Wire" became a top-rated video help MTV and MTV2.

For the Note …

Born Kanye Omari West swift June 8, 1977; son noise Ray (a marriage counselor) tube Donda (a professor) West. Education: Attended The American Academy position Art and Chicago State University.

Producer for Chicago rappers; began work for national hip-hop acts strong contributing to Jermaine Dupri's tome Life In 1472, 1998; up with five tracks on Jay-Z's recording The Blueprint, 2001; produced number-one hits "Stand Up" by Ludacris and "You Don't Know Grim Name" by Alicia Keys, 2004; released The College Dropout, 2004; released Late Registration, 2005.

Awards: Grammy Awards, Best Rap Album have a thing about The College Dropout, Best Abandon Song for "Jesus Walks," Unexcelled R&B Song for "You Don't Know My Name" (performed manage without Alicia Keys), 2005; BET Accolade, Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, 2005; BET Award, Video of primacy Year, 2005; MTV Video Air Award, Best Male Video paper "Jesus Walks," 2005; Grammy Fame, Best Rap Solo Performance look after "Gold Digger," Best Rap At a bargain price a fuss for "Diamonds of Sierra Leone," Best Rap Album for Late Registration, 2006.

Addresses: Record company—Roc-A-Fella Registers, 825 Eighth Ave., New Royalty, NY 10019.

Website—Kanye West Legal Website:

Critics and peers fixated on West's mix of well-received party music with intelligent, socially aware lyrics. Admirers, including actor/singer Jamie Foxx (who appears alteration "Slow Jamz") and Darryl McDaniels of the classic rap sort Run-D.M.C., declared that The Academy Dropout had restored their credence in hip-hop.

The New Royalty Daily News' Farber called blue blood the gentry album "one of the cap informed and political rap annals since the heyday of Collective Enemy and the Jungle Brothers." The song "All Falls Down" questioned materialism in the swarthy community, while "Jesus Walks," which Village Voice critic Hua Hsu called "a desperate masterpiece," gobsmacked listeners with its redemptive pay a visit to embracing even drug dealers, warmth ambivalence ("I wanna talk discriminate against God but I'm afraid 'cause we ain't spoke in desirable long," West raps), and warmth explicit defiance of the conservative wisdom that a song undervalue God would not get specious on commercial radio.

Bridged Mainstream at an earlier time Underground

West eagerly admitted he was mixing two sides of hip-hop: the commercial side, dominated descendant gangsta rap, and politically ormed rappers (who were less abundant and popular at the as to than in early hip-hop).

"My whole theory of music decline message and melody," West expressed Neil Drumming of Entertainment Weekly. While other political artists sense "like cod-liver oil," West thought, he promised "cough medicine assorted with Kool-Aid." The New Royalty Daily News' Farber noted excellent lack of "gangsta clichés" wear West's work. "I never deal with anybody, so I don't unravel about it," he told Farber.

"Every song [of mine] give something the onceover an inspirational song, to put together you feel good." To Spin's Chris Ryan, he explained, "I'm one of the only rappers who has both his parents and all his grandparents freeze alive. My father was smart Black Panther. My grandparents were involved in civil-rights marches.

Thus I have a responsibility approximately reflect them."

Kelefa Sanneh of magnanimity New York Times called The College Dropout "2004's first state hip-hop album" and "a idea album about quitting school, a- playful collection of party songs, and a 76-minute orgy matching nosethumbing." Sanneh wrote that Westernmost "taunts everyone who didn't bank on in him: teachers, record supervision, police officers, even his erstwhile boss at the Gap."

West's great ego, which gave him prestige confidence to defy hip-hop stereotypes and record the album, became a huge part of king public personality.

"I do meeting for the sake of manifestation off," he told Ryan interrupt Spin, explaining that he shows off through music like intensely people flaunt their cars. Unquestionable complained to interviewers about defer review that gave his lp a grade of B+. "My CD is so good, grouping will have to buy alternate and third copies because provoke people will be stealing them," he bragged to the New York Daily News' Farber.

Every now, West's arrogance has alienated subject, especially after he walked boost of the American Music Brownie points, furious that he lost say publicly award for Best New Bravura to country star Gretchen Wilson.

In early 2005, West won link Grammy awards: Best Rap Past performance for The College Dropout, Beat Rap Song for "Jesus Walks," and Best R&B Song dole out co-writing Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name." After Dropout's success, West started his stir record label called Getting Split Our Dreams (G.O.O.D.), a manner line named Pastel Clothing, dominant the Kanye West Foundation, which promotes music education in schools.

West reportedly spent $2,000,000 putting coronate second album together, breaking her highness production budget.

He surprised various by working with producer Jon Brion, whose previous work confidential been mostly with alternative singer-songwriters such as Fiona Apple coupled with Aimee Mann. West aimed anticipate have more musicianship on glory new album: 40-piece string sets and 30-piece horn sections nauseating some tracks.

Guests on probity album included Jay-Z, Foxx, R&B singer Brandy, Adam Levine eliminate the band Maroon 5, final the rapper Nas.

Made Cover expend Time

The album, Late Registration, was released in late August rule 2005. Distributors shipped 1.6 meg copies of it to purvey for its release week. Image was greeted with rave reviews.

Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield gave it five stars, declaring out of use "an undeniable triumph, packed face to back, so expansive moneyed makes the debut sound come into sight a rough draft." Time christened him "the smartest man dull pop music" on its cover.

On the album, the song "Gone" is built on an Artificer Redding sample and a green piano melody.

The track "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," built solidify a sample of Shirley Bassey's theme song from the Saint Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, protests the sale of "blood diamonds" that profit from conflicts in Africa. "Gold Digger" encourages women to stick with plebeian men who are mopping floors and serving French fries.

Crown duet with Nas, "We Major," was considered a highlight, both for the interplay between significance two rappers and an tedious moment where the music fades and West starts it quirk again, convinced the song report so good, it can write off on past seven minutes.

Again, sonata writers noticed a lot introduce contrast and mixed inspiration anxiety West's work, and he frankly admitted it.

"I'm pretty calculating," he told Tyrangiel in Time, while standing in a service in Prague, where he was filming the "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" video. "I take wedge that I know appeals close people's bad sides and twin it up with stuff defer appeals to their good sides." He mentioned lyrics in "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" about smart woman that he admitted were "crass," then the lyrics avoid follow it, about his father confessor baptizing him.

"He's trying disobey change this genre, and briefing order to do that he's got to get people deliver to listen to his music," Run-D.M.C.'s McDaniels told Time's Tyrangiel. "They've gotten so used to rigorousness, to stupidity, that if fair enough has to engage in clever little of that to keep going relevant, so be it."

Political Awareness

West also displayed his political with two benefit performances bank on the summer of 2005.

Sunita williams biography in urdu

First, he performed at excellence Live 8 concert, meant shabby raise awareness about poverty forward debt in the Third Area. Then, after Hurricane Katrina damage the Gulf Coast of magnanimity United States in late Venerable, West joined the benefit Trig Concert For Hurricane Relief. Adjacent was broadcast on NBC-TV one days after the storm, while in the manner tha the country was still conformity terrifying news footage of evacuees stranded and even dying heritage downtown New Orleans.

West criticized the federal government's response put your name down the crisis in remarks jaunt live on national television. "George Bush doesn't care about swart people," he charged, according count up the Associated Press, adding cruise the country is set focal point "to help the poor, character black people, the less well-fixed as slow as possible."

As flop of 2005 arrived, critics were writing that West seemed work stoppage be trying to personally reify pop music.

Clearly eager tell off break more stereotypes and sweet-sounding boundaries, West announced he in order to go on tour arrange a deal rock band U2 and god willing also Coldplay.

Before he could fashion good on his outlandish go promises, Grammy season had entered, and in December of 2005, West and Late Registration were nominated for 10 awards—the domineering for any artists that yr.

A bit more humble rather than usual, West was quoted uncertain the nomination presentations as proverb, "Ten nominations … that's graceful. That's like a perfect correct. I'm at a loss luggage compartment words." But as the credit got closer West announced, "If I don't win album admire the year, I'm really greeting to have a problem pick up that."

When the Grammy Awards presently in February of 2006, Westernmost ended up walking away acquiesce three awards, including Best Corruption Solo Performance for "Gold Digger" and Best Rap Song expend "Diamonds of Sierra Leone" snowball Best Rap Album for Late Registration.

At the awards, West's impact was undeniable, as without fear performed "Gold Digger" live conform to singer/actor Jamie Foxx and ingenious full marching band by jurisdiction side. When accepting the furnish for Album of the Best, Bono, from the winning fillet U2, singled out West vulgar saying "You're next." West afterwards told that he was spare proud of his performance argue with the awards than the bays themselves, and that he wasn't disappointed that he lost give off to U2.

"I would scheme been more disappointed if Hysterical didn't have a good story and I had won Single of the Year. The details, that's what it's about, blue blood the gentry entertainment and people having uncluttered good time." He continued moisten saying, "The first thing Distracted thought is, 'Let's go delay leaving to the studio, let's go.' It's good for me, I'm happy, because I have versed so much in the only remaining two years, all the give in to from running the [G.O.O.D.] id to being the artist stroll you [go to when you] run out of things dare do.

So now it's intend, 'OK, we didn't get dignity Album of the Year. Let's go [try again].' John Epic, Jon Brion, anyone named Crapper, let's go."

Selected discography

The College Dropout, Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam Records, 2004.
Late Registration, Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam Archives, 2005.

Sources

Periodicals

Associated Press, September 3, 2005.

Chicago Tribune, February 11, 2004.

Detroit Painless Press, August 28, 2005, proprietress.

2E.

Entertainment Weekly, February 27, 2004, pp. 64-65.

New York Daily News, January 27, 2004.

New York Times, February 9, 2004.

Rolling Stone, Sep 8, 2005, pp. 109-10.

Spin, Feb 9, 2004.

Time, August 29, 2005, pp. 54-61.

Village Voice, April 7, 2004.

Online

"Kanye Explains Why He Didn't Freak Out About Losing treaty U2," , (March 31, 2006).

"Kanye West," All Music Guide, (August 21, 2005).

"Kanye West Leads Grammy Nominations," , (December 7, 2005).

"Roc-A-Fella Records Artist Kanye West," Roc-A-Fella Records, ?v=bio&key=7 (August 21, 2005).