Kanye West

Ye).}}}} ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. One of the most prominent figures in hip hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After dropping out of college to pursue 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) before signing with the label as a recording artist. West's debut studio album, ''The College Dropout'' (2004), was met with critical acclaim and yielded the ''Billboard'' Hot 100-number one single "Slow Jamz". He peaked the chart on four other occasions with the singles "Gold Digger" (2005), "Stronger" (2007), "E.T." (2011, as a featured artist), and "Carnival" (2024).

West's second and third studio albums, ''Late Registration'' (2006) 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 one debuts on the ''Billboard'' 200. West has also released the collaborative albums ''Watch the Throne'' (2011) with Jay-Z, ''Kids See Ghosts'' (2018) with Kid Cudi, and ''Vultures 1'' (2024) with Ty Dolla Sign. In fashion design, he has collaborated with Nike, Inc., Louis Vuitton, and Gap Inc. on clothing and footwear, and led the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas.

West's outspoken views have received significant media coverage. He has been a frequent source of controversy due to his conduct on social media, at award shows and public settings, as well as his comments on the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, race, and slavery. His Christian faith, high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian, and mental health have also been topics of media attention. In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that advocated for a consistent life ethic. In October 2022, he was widely condemned and lost many sponsors and partnershipsincluding his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciagaafter making a series of antisemitic statements, including praising Adolf Hitler and denying the Holocaust.

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. His other accolades include a ''Billboard'' Artist Achievement Award, a joint-record three Brit Awards for Best International Male Solo Artist, and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. West holds the joint record (with Bob Dylan) for most albums (4) topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll. ''Time'' named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015. 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 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. Provided by Wikipedia