Kanye West
Background information
Birth name	Kanye Omari West
Born	June 8, 1977
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genre(s)	Hip-Hop Underground Hip-Hop Rap
Occupation(s)	Rapper, Producer
Instrument(s)	Vocals, percussion, piano
Years active	2000 - present
Label(s)	GOOD Music, Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Associated acts	Jay-Z, Common, John Legend, Consequence, Child Rebel Soldier, Lupe Fiasco, Pharrell, Mos Def, Talib Kweli
Website	Kanye West Wiki
Lyrics	Kanye West's Page on Lyrics Wiki

Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977) is an American rap artist and hip hop producer. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, and his third album Graduation in 2007. His first three albums have received numerous awards (including nine Grammys), critical acclaim, and commercial success. West also runs his own record label GOOD Music. West's mascot and trademark is "Dropout Bear"," a teddy bear, which has appeared on the covers of his three albums as well as the singles cover for his songs "Stronger" and "Homecoming".

BiographyEdit

West's parents divorced when he was three years old, and he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. He enrolled at Chicago State University but later dropped out to continue pursuing his music career. He was soon discovered by Big Sean He later gained fame by producing hit singles for musical artists including Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson. West's style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments. Some controversy has also surrounded West, such as an incident during a live telecast of a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina relief, when he deviated from the script and told the audience, "George Bush doesn't care about black people."

DiscographyEdit

AlbumsEdit

• The College Dropout (2004)
• Late Registration (2005)
• Graduation (2007)
• 808's and Heartbreak (2008)
• G.O.O.D. Morning, G.O.O.D. Night - with Malik Yusef (2009)
• My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
• Watch The Throne - with Jay-Z (2011)
• G.O.O.D. Music - with G.O.O.D music artists (2012)

MixtapesEdit

• Mixtapes- name

EPsEdit

• EP-name

SinglesEdit

• Single-name

Appears OnEdit

CompilationsEdit

SoundtracksEdit

Mix CDsEdit

Radio ShowsEdit

GrammiesEdit

In 2011, Kanye West has been nominated for several Grammies: Song of the Year for All of the Lights, Rap Album for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Watch The Throne, Best Rap Performance for Otis with Jay-Z, and Best Rap Song for both All of the Lights and Otis.

Further ReadingEdit

(links to websites, label biographies, fansites, books, periodicals or any additional information on the artist)