Kanye West

"Kanye" redirects here. For other uses, see Kanye (disambiguation) and Kanye West (disambiguation).

Kanye West
West in 2009
Born
Kanye Omari West

(1977-06-08) June 8, 1977 (age 47)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Other names
  • Ye[a]
  • Yeezy
  • Yeezus
  • Saint Pablo
  • Louis Vuitton Don
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • fashion designer
Years active1996–present
Organizations
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2014; div. 2022)​
PartnerBianca Censori (2022–present)[b]
Children4, including North
MotherDonda West
Relatives
AwardsFull list
Musical career
OriginChicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres
Discography
Labels
Member of
Formerly of
Signature

Ye[a] (/jeɪ/ YAY; born Kanye Omari West /ˈkɑːnjeɪ/ KAHN-yay; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip hop,[3] he is known for his varying musical style[4] and polarizing cultural and political commentary.[5] 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 (2005) 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 and Vultures 2 (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.

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.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8][9] 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.[10]

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.[11][12][13] 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 partnerships—including his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga—after making a series of antisemitic statements, including denying the Holocaust.


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  1. ^ Ocho, Alex (February 12, 2024). "Kanye West Responds to Fans Commenting About Posting His Wife Three Times: 'Leave the King the F*ck Alone'". Complex. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024. 'I just wanted to tell everybody I posted my wife three times on purpose,' said Ye in a new video also shared on Monday from an airport.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference amg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Coscarelli, Joe; Sisario, Ben (October 26, 2022). "Can Kanye West Find Refuge, or Money, in Music?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  4. ^ Andrews, Travis M. (October 26, 2022). "Kanye West may have finally reached the point of no return". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  5. ^ Hsu, Tiffany; Gross, Jenny (October 17, 2022). "Kanye West to Buy Parler, Joining the Right-Wing Social Media Crowd". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  6. ^ Ellie Abraham, Ellie (July 19, 2021). "Kanye West is rumoured to be dropping a new album this week – but not everyone's convinced". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (April 18, 2005). "The 2005 TIME 100 – Kanye West". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Selby, Jenn (April 17, 2015). "Emma Watson and Kanye West named in TIME 100 most influential people of 2015". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  10. ^ "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  11. ^ "Instagram Restricts Kanye West's Account and Deletes Content for Violating Policies". The Hollywood Reporter. October 8, 2022. Archived from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  12. ^ Graham, Ruth (October 28, 2019). "Evangelicals Are Extremely Excited About Kanye's Jesus Is King". Slate. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  13. ^ Schaffstall, Katherine (October 25, 2019). "Kanye West Unveils New 'Jesus Is King' Album; Talks "Cancel Culture" and "Christian Innovation"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 29, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2019.