Kanye West, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, is an American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer, and one of the most influential and divisive figures in twenty first century popular culture. Born in 1977 in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, he rose from a sought after producer into a genre defining artist whose every move drew attention.
The son of a photojournalist father and a university English professor mother, West grew up steeped in books and music. His parents divorced when he was young, and he was raised largely by his mother, Donda, whose influence he often credited as the foundation of his confidence and creativity. He showed an early gift for drawing and for making beats, and he left college to chase music full time, a decision that later gave his debut album its title.
West first made his name in the early 2000s producing soulful, sample driven beats for artists on Roc-A-Fella Records. His signature technique of speeding up snippets of old soul records gave the label a fresh, warm sound. His work on Jay-Z's 2001 album *The Blueprint* established him as one of hip-hop's most in demand producers.
West struggled at first to be taken seriously as a rapper rather than a beatmaker, and a near fatal car accident in 2002 became the basis for his breakthrough single. His acclaimed 2004 debut *The College Dropout* paired humor, faith, and social commentary with lush production, and it became both a critical and commercial success.
Over the next ten years West released a string of records that repeatedly reshaped the sound of hip-hop, including *Late Registration*, the synth heavy *Graduation*, and the sprawling *My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy*, which many critics rank among the finest albums of its era.
After the sudden death of his mother in 2007 and a broken engagement, West recorded *808s & Heartbreak*, a stark, melancholic album built on drum machines and heavily processed singing. Commercially risky at the time, it proved enormously influential, helping shape a generation of emotionally open, melodic hip-hop.
West expanded into fashion with his Yeezy brand, whose sneaker partnership with Adidas became enormously profitable and made him, for a time, a billionaire. He has won more than twenty Grammy Awards, placing him among the most decorated artists in the history of the ceremony.
West is as well known for public controversy as for his art. He has drawn criticism for disruptive public outbursts, an unsuccessful 2020 presidential run, and, most damagingly, a series of antisemitic statements in 2022 that led major partners, including Adidas, to cut ties with him. His legacy is fiercely debated: admirers regard him as a generational creative force, while critics point to conduct they consider harmful. How his career will ultimately be judged remains an open and contested question.
