Chicago West

Ye ( YAY; born Kanye Omari West KAHN-yay, June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Described as one of the greatest rappers of all time as well as 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 music career, West began producing for regional artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, he co-produced albums such as Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001) before signing with the label as a recording artist. His debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), received widespread acclaim. With his sophomore album Late Registration (2005), West began a streak of 11 consecutive US Billboard 200 number-one albums. He has also scored five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles― "Slow Jamz" (2003), "Gold Digger" (2005), "Stronger" (2007), "E.T." (2011, as a featured artist), and "Carnival" (2024)―being the first rapper to top the chart in three decades. One of the world's best-selling music artists with 160 million records sold, West has won 24 Grammy Awards, making him the 12th-most awarded of all time. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015. Six of West's albums―The College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation (2007), 808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and Yeezus (2013)—were included on Rolling Stone's 2020 "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, with the same publication naming him one of the "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time". 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 in 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, feuds with Taylor Swift and with Drake, and mental health have also been topics of media attention. In 2020, West ran an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign. Starting in 2022, West has drawn widespread condemnation—and lost sponsors and partnerships—for his antisemitic views. He has self-identified as a Nazi, praised Adolf Hitler, used swastika imagery, and denied the Holocaust.

BOMB - 2024-08-03T00:00:00.000000Z

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