• • • • • • • • • • • • Kanye Omari West (; born June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, fashion designer, and entrepreneur. Born in and raised in Chicago, West briefly attended before becoming known as a producer for in the early 2000s, producing for artists such as and. Intent on pursuing a solo career as a, West released his debut album in 2004 to widespread critical and commercial success, and founded the record label.

Watch it, then download the mixtape I have also provided all the audio from the show (which isn't in original broadcast order). Filter through this, then tell me this guy isn't trying and succeeding. Download Kanye West: Live From VH1 Storytellers Mixtape here. “See You In My Nightmares'.

He went on to pursue a variety of styles on subsequent albums (2005), (2007), and (2008). In 2010, he released his fifth album to rave reviews from critics, and the following year he released the collaborative album with Jay-Z. West released his abrasive sixth album,, to further critical praise in 2013.

His seventh album,, was released in 2016. West's outspoken views and life outside of music have received significant mainstream attention. He has been a frequent source of controversy for his conduct at, on, and in other public settings. His more scrutinized comments include of President during a live 2005 television broadcast for relief and his of singer at the.

West's ventures as a fashion designer include collaborations with,, and on both clothing and footwear, and have most prominently resulted in the collaboration with beginning in 2013. He is the founder and head of the creative content company. His 2014 marriage to television personality has also been subject to widespread media coverage. West is among the most acclaimed musicians of the 21st century, and is one of the, having sold more than 32 million albums and 100 million digital downloads worldwide. He has won a total of 21 Grammy Awards, making him one of the and the most Grammy-awarded artist to have debuted in the 21st century. Three of his albums have been included and ranked on Rolling Stone's 2012 update of the ' list. He has also been included in a number of annual lists.

Named him one of the in 2005 and 2015. West received early acclaim for his production work on 's; the two are pictured here in 2011. West got his big break in the year 2000, when he began to produce for artists on. West came to achieve recognition and is often credited with revitalizing Jay-Z's career with his contributions to the rap mogul's influential 2001 album. The Blueprint is consistently ranked among the greatest hip-hop albums, and the critical and financial success of the album generated substantial interest in West as a producer. Serving as an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, West produced records for other artists from the label, including,, and.

He also crafted hit songs for,, and. Despite his success as a producer, West's true aspiration was to be a rapper. Though he had developed his rapping long before he began producing, it was often a challenge for West to be accepted as a rapper, and he struggled to attain a record deal. Multiple record companies ignored him because he did not portray the 'gangsta image' prominent in mainstream hip hop at the time.: 556 After a series of meetings with, West was ultimately denied an artist deal. According to Capitol Record's A&R, Joe Weinberger, he was approached by West and almost signed a deal with him, but another person in the company convinced Capitol's president not to. Desperate to keep West from defecting to another label, then-label head reluctantly signed West to Roc-A-Fella Records. Jay-Z later admitted that Roc-A-Fella was initially reluctant to support West as a rapper, claiming that many saw him as a producer first and foremost, and that his background contrasted with that of his labelmates.: 556 West's breakthrough came a year later on October 23, 2002, when, while driving home from a California recording studio after working late, he fell asleep at the wheel and was involved in a near-fatal car crash.

The crash left him with a shattered jaw, which had to be wired shut in reconstructive surgery. The accident inspired West; two weeks after being admitted to the hospital, he recorded a song at the with his jaw still wired shut. The composition, ', expressed West's experience after the accident, and helped lay the foundation for his debut album, as according to West 'all the better artists have expressed what they were going through'.

West added that 'the album was my medicine', as working on the record distracted him from the pain. 'Through The Wire' was first available on West's Get Well Soon., released December 2002. At the same time, West announced that he was working on an album called The College Dropout, whose overall theme was to 'make your own decisions. Don't let society tell you, 'This is what you have to do.' ' 2003–06: The College Dropout and Late Registration. ” — review of, February 2004.

Carrying a backpack filled with old disks and demos to the studio and back, West crafted much of his production for his debut album in less than fifteen minutes at a time. He recorded the remainder of the album in Los Angeles while recovering from the car accident. Once he had completed the album, it was leaked months before its release date. However, West decided to use the opportunity to review the album, and The College Dropout was significantly remixed, remastered, and revised before being released. As a result, certain tracks originally destined for the album were subsequently retracted, among them 'Keep the Receipt' with and 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' with Consequence. West meticulously refined the production, adding,, improved drum and new verses. West's perfectionism led The College Dropout to have its release postponed three times from its initial date in August 2003.

The College Dropout was eventually issued by Roc-A-Fella in February 2004, shooting to number two on the as his debut single, ' peaked at number fifteen on the chart for five weeks. ', his second single featuring and, became an even bigger success: it became the three musicians' first number one hit. The College Dropout received near-universal critical acclaim from contemporary music critics, was voted the top album of the year by two major music publications, and has consistently been ranked among the great hip-hop works and debut albums by artists. ', the album's fourth single, perhaps exposed West to a wider audience; the song's subject matter concerns faith and Christianity. The song nevertheless reached the top 20 of the Billboard pop charts, despite industry executives' predictions that a song containing such blatant declarations of faith would never make it to radio. The College Dropout would eventually be certified in the US, and garnered West 10 Grammy nominations, including, and (which it received). During this period, West also founded, a record label and management company that would go on to house affiliate artists and producers, such as and.

At the time, the focal point of West's production style was the use of sped-up vocal samples from records. However, partly because of the acclaim of The College Dropout, such sampling had been much copied by others; with that overuse, and also because West felt he had become too dependent on the technique, he decided to find a new sound. During this time, he also produced singles for,,, and.

West performing in 2008. Beginning his second effort that fall, West would invest two million dollars and take over a year to craft his second album.

West was significantly inspired by, a 1998 live album by English group, produced with the. Early in his career, the live album had inspired him to incorporate into his hip-hop production. Though West had not been able to afford many live instruments around the time of his debut album, the money from his commercial success enabled him to hire a for his second album. West collaborated with American composer, who served as the album's co-executive producer for several tracks. Although Brion had no prior experience in creating hip-hop records, he and West found that they could productively work together after their first afternoon in the studio where they discovered that neither confined his musical knowledge and vision to one specific genre. Late Registration sold over 2.3 million units in the United States alone by the end of 2005 and was considered by industry observers as the only successful major album release of the fall season, which had been plagued by steadily declining CD sales. While West had encountered controversy a year prior when he stormed out of the after losing Best New Artist, the rapper's first large-scale controversy came just days following Late Registration 's release, during a benefit concert for victims.

In September 2005, broadcast, and West was a featured speaker. When West was presenting alongside actor, he deviated from the prepared script.

Myers spoke next and continued to read the script. Once it was West's turn to speak again, he said, ' doesn't care about black people.' West's comment reached much of the United States, leading to mixed reactions; President Bush would later call it one of the most 'disgusting moments' of his presidency. West raised further controversy in January 2006 when he posed on the cover of wearing a crown of thorns. 2007–09: Graduation, 808s & Heartbreak, and VMAs controversy.

Main articles: and Fresh off spending the previous year touring the world with on their, West felt inspired to compose anthemic rap songs that could operate more efficiently in large arenas. To this end, West incorporated the synthesizer into his, utilized slower, and experimented with and influenced. In addition to U2, West drew musical inspiration from bands such as and in terms of and. To make his next effort, the third in a planned of education-themed studio albums, more introspective and personal in lyricism, West listened to and singer-songwriters and in hopes of developing methods to augment his wordplay and storytelling ability. West performing in August 2008 on the.

808s & Heartbreak, which features extensive use of the eponymous drum machine and contains themes of love, loneliness, and heartache, was released by to capitalize on weekend in November 2008. Reviews were positive, though slightly more mixed than his previous efforts. Despite this, the record's singles demonstrated outstanding chart performances. Upon its release, the lead single ' debuted at number three on the and became a 'Hot Shot Debut', while follow-up single ' performed similarly and became his second consecutive 'Hot Shot Debut' by debuting at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. While it was criticized prior to release, 808s & Heartbreak had a significant effect on hip-hop music, encouraging other rappers to take more creative risks with their productions. West's the following year at the was arguably his biggest controversy, and led to widespread outrage throughout the music industry.

During the ceremony, West crashed the stage and grabbed the microphone from winner in order to proclaim that, instead, 's video for ', nominated for the same award, was 'one of the best videos of all time'. He was subsequently withdrawn from the remainder of the show for his actions. West's tour with was cancelled in response to the controversy. Main articles: and Following the highly publicized incident, West took a brief break from music and threw himself into fashion, only to hole up in Hawaii for the next few months writing and recording his next album.

Importing his favorite producers and artists to work on and inspire his recording, West kept engineers behind the boards 24 hours a day and slept only in increments. Noah Callahan-Bever, a writer for, was present during the sessions and described the 'communal' atmosphere as thus: 'With the right songs and the right album, he can overcome any and all controversy, and we are here to contribute, challenge, and inspire.'

A variety of artists contributed to the project, including close friends Jay-Z, and, as well as off-the-wall collaborations, such as with of. West performing at in 2011., West's fifth studio album, was released in November 2010 to widespread acclaim from critics, many of whom considered it his best work and said it 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 ', and Billboard hits ', ', and ', the latter of which accompanied a. During this time, West initiated the free music program through his website, offering a free download of previously unreleased songs each Friday, a portion of which were included on the album.

This promotion ran from August 20 – December 17, 2010. Dark Fantasy went on to go platinum in the United States, but its omission as a contender for at the was viewed as a 'snub' by several media outlets.

2011 saw West embark on a festival tour to commemorate the release of ″My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy″ performing and headlining numerous festivals including;,,,,,,, and which was described by as 'one of greatest hip-hop sets of all time', West released the collaborative album with. 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 to avoid a. ' became the record's highest charting single, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The kicked off on October 28, 2011.

In 2012, West released the, a collection of tracks by artists from West's record label. Cruel Summer produced four singles, two of which charted within the top twenty of the Hot 100: ' and '. West also directed a film of the same name that premiered at the in custom pyramid-shaped screening pavilion featuring seven screens. 2013–15: Yeezus and Adidas collaboration. Main articles:,, and 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,,, and.

Primarily inspired by architecture, West's perfectionist tendencies led him to contact producer 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., West's sixth album, was released June 18, 2013 to rave reviews from critics. It became the rapper's sixth consecutive number one debut, but also marked his lowest solo opening week sales. Def Jam issued ' to radio in July 2013 as the album's. On September 6, 2013, Kanye West announced he would be headlining, to support Yeezus, with fellow American rapper accompanying him as supporting act. The tour was met with rave reviews from critics.

Described it as 'crazily entertaining, hugely ambitious, emotionally affecting (really!) and, most importantly, totally bonkers.' Writing for, Zack O'Malley Greenburg praised West for 'taking risks that few pop stars, if any, are willing to take in today's hyper-exposed world of pop,' describing the show as 'overwrought and uncomfortable at times, but [it] excels at challenging norms and provoking thought in a way that just isn't common for mainstream musical acts of late.' West performing on the in 2013.

In June 2013, West and television personality announced the birth of their first child, North. In October 2013, West and Kardashian announced their engagement to widespread media attention. November 2013, West stated that he was beginning work on his next studio album, hoping to release it by mid-2014, with production by Rick Rubin and. In December 2013, announced the beginning of with West, to be premiered the following year. In May 2014, West and Kardashian were married in a private ceremony in, with a variety of artists and celebrities in attendance. West released a single, ', featuring, on December 31, 2014. ', a single jointly produced with and McCartney, was released in January 2015.

West also appeared on the, where he premiered a new song entitled 'Wolves', featuring and fellow Chicago rapper,. In February 2015, West premiered his clothing collaboration with, entitled, to generally positive reviews. This would include West's sneakers. In March 2015, West released the single ' featuring, Allan Kingdom and Paul McCartney.

West performed the song at the with a number of US rappers and UK MC's including:,,, Fekky,,, Allan Kingdom, Theophilus London and Vic Mensa. He would premiere the second iteration of his clothing line, Yeezy Season 2, in September 2015. Having initially announced a new album entitled So Help Me God slated for a 2014 release, in March 2015 West announced that the album would instead be tentatively called SWISH. Later that month, West was awarded an honorary doctorate by the for his contributions to music, fashion, and popular culture, officially making him an honorary.

The next month, West headlined at the in the UK, despite a petition signed by almost 135,000 people against his appearance. Toward the end of the set, West proclaimed himself: 'the greatest living rock star on the planet.' Media outlets, including social media sites such as Twitter, were divided on his performance.

Stated, 'The decision to book West for the slot has proved controversial since its announcement, and the show itself appeared to polarise both Glastonbury goers and those who tuned in to watch on their TVs.' The publication added that 'he's letting his music speak for and prove itself.'

Said that 'his set has a potent ferocity – but there are gaps and stutters, and he cuts a strangely lone figure in front of the vast crowd.' In September 2015, West performed 808s & Heartbreak in its entirety two nights in a row to rave reviews. The performance featured a 60-person orchestra, a live band, guests from the album and 70 plus dancers. In December 2015, West released a song titled '. 2016–present: The Life of Pablo and Turbo Grafx 16.

Main article: West announced in January 2016 that SWISH would be released on February 11, and that month released new songs 'Real Friends' and a snippet of 'No More Parties in L.A.' This also revived the initiative in which Kanye releases new singles every Friday. On January 26, 2016, West revealed he had renamed the album from SWISH to Waves, and also announced the premier of his Yeezy Season 3 clothing line at Madison Square Garden. In the weeks leading up to the album's release, West became embroiled in several Twitter controversies and released several changing iterations of the track list for the new album. Several days ahead of its release, West again changed the title, this time to. On February 11, West premiered the album at as part of the presentation of his Yeezy Season 3 clothing line.

Following the preview, West announced that he would be modifying the track list once more before its release to the public, and further delayed its release to finalize the recording of the track 'Waves' at the behest of co-writer. He released the album exclusively on on February 14, 2016 following a performance on. Following its official streaming release, West continued to tinker with mixes of several tracks, describing the work as 'a living breathing changing creative expression' and proclaiming the end of the as a dominant release form. Although a statement by West around Life of Pablo's initial release indicated that the album would be a permanent exclusive to Tidal, the album was released through several other competing services starting in April. West performing during the in 2016. On February 24, 2016, West stated on Twitter that he was planning to release another album in the summer of 2016, tentatively called Turbo Grafx 16 (album) in reference to the 1990s.

On June 3, 2016, West premiered the first single ' off the album Cruel Winter, which was six minutes and featured,,,,,, and. He told the radio host,, that the beat had been in works for a year and a half.

In June, West released a controversial video for ', which depicted wax figures of several celebrities (including West, Kardashian, Taylor Swift, businessman and then-future president, comedian, and former president George W. Bush) sleeping nude in a shared bed. In August 2016, West embarked on the in support of The Life of Pablo. The performances featured a mobile stage suspended from the ceiling.

West postponed several dates in October following the Paris robbery of several of his wife's affects. On November 21, 2016, West cancelled the remaining 21 dates on the Saint Pablo Tour, following a week of no-shows, curtailed concerts and rants about politics.

He was later admitted for psychiatric observation. He stayed hospitalized over the Thanksgiving weekend because of a temporary psychosis stemming from sleep deprivation and extreme dehydration. Musical style West's musical career has been defined by frequent stylistic shifts and different musical approaches. Asked about his early musical inspirations in 2008, he named artists such as,,,,, and. Other music figures West has invoked as general inspirations include,, and. West was formatively mentored by Chicago producer, who introduced him to in the early 1990s, allowing a teenage West to sit in on recording sessions.

Early in his career, West pioneered a style of production dubbed 'chipmunk soul' which utilized vocal, usually from and songs, along with his own drums and instrumentation. His first major release featuring his trademark soulful vocal sampling style was 'This Can't Be Life', a track from Jay-Z's. West has noted producer as an influence on his style. West performing backed by an orchestral section in 2007. West further developed his style on his 2004 debut album,. After a rough version was leaked, West meticulously refined the production, adding,, and improved drum programming.

The album saw West diverge from the then-dominant in hip hop in favor of more diverse, topical lyrical subjects including higher education, materialism,, labor,, family, sexuality, and his personal struggles in the music industry. For his second album, (2005), he collaborated with film score composer and drew influence from non-rap influences such as English group. Blending West's primary soulful production with Brion's elaborate orchestration, the album experimentally incorporated a wide array of different genres and prominent elements, including, piano chords, brass flecks, and horn riffs, amid a myriad of foreign and vintage instruments. Critic wrote that 'there's never been hip-hop so complex and subtle musically.' With his third album, (2007), West moved toward a more atmospheric, rock-tinged, -influenced style, drawing on European and, American and, and his native.

West retracted much of the that characterized his previous album and replaced it with distorted, synthesizers, beats, - rhythms, and a wide array of electronic and digital. In addition, West drew musical inspiration from bands such as,, and.

In comparison to previous albums, Graduation is more introspective, exploring West's own fame and personal issues. The, the titular which served as a primary instrument on. West's fourth studio album, (2008), marked a radical departure from his previous releases, largely abandoning rap and stylings in favor of an emotive, stark sound that juxtaposed sung vocals and the distorted drum machine with droning synthesizers, lengthy, somber piano, and tribal rhythms. The album drew comparisons to the work of 1980s and groups; West would confess an affinity with artists such as,, and and later described 808s as 'the first black new wave album.' Discussing the album's influence on subsequent hip hop and R&B music, journalist Matthew Trammell described 808s as 'Kanye's most vulnerable work, and perhaps his most brilliant.' West recorded his fifth album, (2010), with a wide range of collaborators. The album engages with themes of excess, celebrity, and decadence, has been noted by writers for its aesthetic and its incorporation of elements from West's previous four albums.

's Simon Vozick-Levinson noted that such elements 'all recur at various points', namely 'the luxurious of 2004's The College Dropout, the symphonic pomp of Late Registration, the gloss of 2007's Graduation, and the emotionally exhausted of 2008's 808s & Heartbreak.' In a positive review, Andy Gill of called it 'one of pop's gaudiest, most grandiose efforts of recent years, a no-holds-barred musical extravaganza in which any notion of good taste is abandoned at the door'. Describing his sixth studio album (2013) as 'a protest to music,' West embraced an abrasive style that incorporated a variety of unconventional influences. Music critic described it as 'a hostile, abrasive and intentionally off-putting' album that combines 'the worlds of' 1980s and contemporary, 1990s, and the ' of, and. The album also incorporates elements of, as well as,, and.

Inspired by the of and primarily in nature, and continues West's practice of eclectic and unusual samples. Called the album a 'brilliant, obsessive-compulsive career auto-correct'. West's seventh album was noted for its 'raw, occasionally even intentionally messy, composition' in distinction to West's previous album.

Rolling Stone wrote that 'It's designed to sound like a work in progress.' Carl Wilson of characterized the album as creating 'strange links between Kanye's many iterations—-sample enthusiast, heartbroken crooner, hedonistic composer, shit-talker.' West initially characterized the release as 'a gospel album.' Of the wrote in his review of The Life of Pablo, 'West's version of gospel touches on some of those sonic cues — heavy organ, soaring choirs — but seems more preoccupied with gospel text and the notion of redemption.' Other ventures Fashion. West's wife, pictured in September 2012 West began an with designer Alexis Phifer in 2002, and they became engaged in August 2006.

The pair ended their 18-month engagement in 2008. West subsequently dated model from 2008 until the summer of 2010.

In April 2012, West began dating reality star and longtime friend. West and Kardashian became engaged in October 2013, and married on May 24, 2014 at in. Their private ceremony was subject to widespread mainstream coverage, with West taking issue with the couple's portrayal in the media.

They have two children: daughter North 'Nori' West (born June 2013) and son Saint West (born December 2015). In April 2015, West and Kardashian traveled to Jerusalem to have North baptized in the at the. The couple's high-profile status and respective careers have resulted in their relationship becoming subject to heavy media coverage; referred to their marriage as 'a historic blizzard of celebrity.'

Mother's death On November 10, 2007 West's mother, Donda West died. The coroner's office said in January 2008 that West had died of and multiple post-operative factors due to or as a consequence of liposuction and '. Donda West in August 2007 West played his first concert following the funeral at in London on November 22. He dedicated a performance of ', as well as a cover of ', to his mother, and did so on all other dates of his Glow in the Dark tour. California governor subsequently signed the 'Donda West Law', legislation which makes it mandatory for patients to provide medical clearance for elective cosmetic surgery.

Legal issues In December 2006, sued West for trademark infringement in West's video for '. Knievel took issue with a 'sexually charged video' in which West takes on the persona of 'Evel Kanyevel' and attempts flying a rocket over a canyon. The suit claimed infringement on Knievel's trademarked name and likeness. Knievel also claimed that the 'vulgar and offensive' images depicted in the video damaged his reputation. The suit sought monetary damages and an injunction to stop distribution of the video.

West's attorneys argued that the music video amounted to satire and therefore was covered under the. Just days before his death in November 2007, Knievel amicably settled the suit after being paid a visit from West, saying, 'I thought he was a wonderful guy and quite a gentleman.' In 2014, after an altercation with a at Los Angeles Airport, West was sentenced to serve two years' probation for a misdemeanor battery conviction, and was required to attend 24 anger management sessions, perform 250 hours of community service, and pay restitution to the photographer. Religious beliefs After the success of his song ' from the album, West was questioned on his beliefs and said, 'I will say that I'm spiritual. I have accepted Jesus as my Savior. And I will say that I fall short every day.' In a 2008 interview with, West stated that 'I'm like a vessel, and God has chosen me to be the voice and the connector.'

In a 2009 interview with online magazine, West clarified that he believed in God, but 'would never go into a religion,' explaining that 'I feel like religion is more about separation and judgment than bringing people together and understanding. That's all I'm about.'

However, in 2014, West referred to himself as a during one of his concerts. Mental health In 2010, for a screening for his movie, West told the audience he once considered suicide. In his song 'FML' and his featured verse on 's song 'U Mad', he references using the antidepressant medication and in his song 'I Feel Like That' which has not been officially released, he mentions many common symptoms of depression and anxiety that he feels. These songs had all been recorded during West's recording sessions for The Life of Pablo. On November 20, 2016, soon before abruptly ending a concert prematurely he said, 'Jay Z—call me, bruh. You still ain't called me. Jay-Z, I know you got killers.

Please don't send them at my head. Please call me. Talk to me like a man.'

The following day, he was committed to the with hallucinations and paranoia. Contrary to what early reports said, however, West was not actually taken to the hospital involuntarily; he was persuaded to do so by authorities.

While the episode was first described as one of 'temporary psychosis' caused by and, West's mental state was abnormal enough for his 21 cancelled concerts to be covered by his insurance policy; he was reportedly paranoid and depressed throughout the hospitalization, but remains formally undiagnosed. The Paris robbery of his wife may have triggered the paranoia. On November 30, West was released from the hospital. West has had the most hip-hop career of the last decade.

No rapper has embodied hip-hop's often contradictory impulses of narcissism and social good quite as he has, and no producer has celebrated the lush and the ornate quite as he has. He has spent most of his career in additive mode, figuring out how to make music that's majestic and thought-provoking and grand-scaled. House Season 5 Episode 22 Torrent. And he's also widened the genre's gates, whether for middle-class values or high-fashion and high-art dreams. —, West is among the most critically acclaimed artists of the twenty-first century, receiving praise from music critics, fans, fellow musicians, artists, and wider cultural figures for his work. Editor Jason Birchmeier writes of his impact, 'As his career progressed throughout the early 21st century, West shattered certain stereotypes about rappers, becoming a superstar on his own terms without adapting his appearance, his rhetoric, or his music to fit any one musical mold.' Of said that West has been 'a frequent lightning rod for controversy, a bombastic figure who can count rankling two presidents among his achievements.'

Senior editor Ben Westhoff dubbed him the greatest hip hop artist of all time, writing that 'he's made the best albums and changed the game the most, and his music is the most likely to endure,' while called him the 21st century's 'most important artist of any art form, of any genre.' In 2016, compared West to the late within the 'modern mainstream', arguing that 'there is nobody else who can sell as many records as West does [.] while remaining so resolutely experimental and capable of stirring things up culturally and politically.' Rolling Stone credited West with transforming hip hop's mainstream, 'establishing a style of introspective yet glossy rap [.]', and called him 'as interesting and complicated a pop star as the 2000s produced—a rapper who mastered, upped and moved beyond the hip-hop game, a producer who created a signature sound and then abandoned it to his imitators, a flashy, free-spending sybarite with insightful things to say about college, culture and economics, an egomaniac with more than enough artistic firepower to back it up.'

West's middle-class background, flamboyant fashion sense and outspokenness have set him apart from other rappers. Early in his career, he was among the first rappers to publicly criticize the preponderance of in.

The between rapper 50 Cent's Curtis and West's Graduation altered the direction of hip hop and helped pave the way for new rappers who did not follow the - mold. Rosie Swash of The Guardian viewed the sales competition as a historical moment in hip-hop, because it 'highlighted the diverging facets of hip-hop in the last decade; the former was gangsta rap for the noughties, while West was the thinking man's alternative.'

West's 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak polarized listeners upon its release, but was commercially successful and impacted hip hop and pop stylistically, as it laid the groundwork for a new wave of artists who generally eschewed typical rap braggadocio for intimate subject matter and introspection, including,,,,,,,, and. According to Ben Detrick of magazine, West effectively led a new wave of artists, including Kid Cudi,,,, and Drake, who lacked the interest or ability to rap about gunplay. In 2013, Julianne Escobedo Shepherd of described West as fronting a 'new era' in contemporary music, in which musicians draw widely on the visual arts as a signifier of both creative exploration and extravagant wealth. A substantial number of artists and other figures have professed admiration for West's work, including hip hop artists, of, of, and of. Pioneer and founder said of West that 'the guy really, really, really is talented. He's really trying to raise the bar. No one's near doing what he's doing, it's not even on the same planet.'

Musicians such as and have also commended West's work. Famed CEO and inventor complimented West in a piece for 's list, writing that: Kanye West would be the first person to tell you he belongs on this list. The dude doesn't believe in false modesty, and he shouldn't [.] He fought for his place in the cultural pantheon with a purpose. In his debut album, over a decade ago, Kanye issued what amounted to a social critique and a call to arms (with a beat): 'We rappers is role models: we rap, we don't think.' But Kanye does think. About everything.

Mobb Deep Shook Ones Part Ii Free Mp3 Download. And he wants everybody else to do the same: to engage, question, push boundaries. Now that he's a pop-culture juggernaut, he has the platform to achieve just that. He's not afraid of being judged or ridiculed in the process. Kanye's been playing the long game all along, and we're only just beginning to see why.

Drake,, and have acknowledged being influenced directly by West. Non-rap artists such as English singer-songwriters and, artist, American electropop singer, English rock band, of English rock band and the American indie rock bands and have cited West as an influence. And artists such as, and have also cited West's work as an inspiration. Main article: All of West's studio albums have gone, and he holds the record for having the most consecutive studio albums to debut at number one on the.

His albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim. Additionally West holds the record for most appearances on list as well as the most wins. West has had six songs exceed 3 million in digital sales as of December 2012 placing him third in overall digital sales of the past decade. West has the fourth most singles certificates in history with 68 and is the highest selling rapper in the Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum list's.

On top of that he has sold over 50 million singles in the United States making him the second highest male and sixth highest selling artist of all time in singles sales. West speaks after receiving an honorary doctorate from As of 2017, West has won a total of 21 making him eleventh in the list of and sixth for most grammy nominations with 68. West is one of five artists to receive three consecutive Grammy nominations for along with,, and. Additionally West and Gaga are the only solo artists to receive this nomination for their first three albums. In 2015 West became only the second rapper after to be presented the Video Vanguard Award for his lifetime contributions to MTV culture through performing arts.

Ranked West eighth on their 'Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers' list. Ranked him third on their list of Top 10 Producers of the Decade. West is tenth on the list of most top 40 hits.

Furthermore, he is tied with for having topped the annual critic poll the most number of times ever, with four number-one albums each. West has also been included twice in the annual lists of the most influential people in the world as well as being listed in a number of annual lists. In 2014, named him the third most influential artist in music, and was only rapper to make the top 30. In its 2012 list of ', included three of West's albums at number 298, at number 118, and at number 353. Ranked as the world's best album of the decade 'so far'—between 2010 and 2014—on August 19, 2014, while was ranked in the eighth position of a list of 100 albums.

During the same week, the song ' was ranked in the third position in the publication's list of the 200 'best tracks' released since 2010. According to, a site which aggregates critics' reception, West is the 15th most celebrated artist in popular music history and its seventh most celebrated solo artist. In 2017, West became the first artist to have an album go platinum from streaming only with The Life of Pablo.

• I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, 'They're looting.' You see a white family, it says, 'They're looking for food.' And, you know, it's been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black.

And even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I've tried to turn away from the TV because it's too hard to watch. I've even been shopping before even giving a donation, so now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what is the biggest amount I can give, and just to imagine if I was down there, and those are my people down there. So anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help—with the way America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible. I mean, the Red Cross is doing everything they can.

We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way—and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us!

Kanye West dissed Radiohead and said the public should give Chris Brown 'a break' during a recent VH1 Storytellers. But don't expect to see these segments - they've been edited out. A Storytellers spokesperson who requested anonymity told MusicRadar, 'A lot of thought went into what to leave in and what to take out. Between Kanye's song performances and anecdotes, the taping went on for over three hours. 'As it is, we're expanding the running time for the Storytellers to 90 minutes instead of the standard one hour. Lots of bits had to go - those were just two of them.'

'When [Thom Yorke] performed at the Grammys, I sat the fuck down' Kanye West, on his hurt feelings at being snubbed by Radiohead's frontman According to Reuters, during the taping, which took place 13 February at the Sony Studios in Los Angeles, West was still smarting over Radiohead singer Thom Yorke's alleged snubbing of him backstage at the Grammys five days earlier. That stung, West told the audience, because he worships the British band and considers them one of his few creative rivals. 'So when [Yorke] performed at the Grammys, I sat the fuck down,' West said.

West backs Brown West then moved on to the matter of singer Chris Brown, who is accused of assaulting his girlfriend, singer Rihanna. 'Can't we give Chris a break?'

West told the crowd. 'I know I make mistakes in life.'

(It should be pointed out that the taping occurred before the photo of a battered Rihanna leaked out.) 'Amazing.amazing.amazing.' Wasn't the only celebrity to receive West's big-time props. He earned loud applause when he said, 'Michael Jackson, amazing. Michael Phelps, amazing.

He's a real fuckin' person; he makes mistakes.' (The last comment was inreference to the champion swimmer's recent bong pipe brouhaha.) Drawing less applause were West's comments on convicted felon and ex-football star OJ Simpson: 'O.J. Simpson, amazing.

What he did, when he did, what he did. Was he not amazing though?' In-between his commentary, West somehow found time to perform 14 songs, some of which - Go Hard and Street Lights - won't make the final episode. But expect older tunes like Touch The Sky and Stronger, along with newer cuts such as Amazing and See You In My Nightmares.