US hip-hop artist. A respected producer for the Roc-A-Fella camp known for his taste for sped-up soul samples. Has since come out from behind the boards to enjoy significant success as an MC. Before he even became a successful rapper, Roc-A-Fella had rejected Kanye's proposal to start making music too. It wasn't until 2002, when Roc-A-Fella decided to give him a chance.

Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a Grammy award winning rapper, producer, author, designer and singer.

He began making beats and rapping in the early 90s in Chicago, IL, United States when he formed the rap group GO GETTERS with Chicago natives GLC and Really Doe. He later gained nationwide popularity in New York when he began producing tracks for artists such as Jay-Z, Twista, Mase, Talib Kweli and Alicia Keys.

In 2004 (after being pushed aside by many record companies who felt he wasn't a marketable hip hop artist), he managed to release his debut solo album, The College Dropout on Roc-a-Fella Records. The album received critical acclaim, defining the style for which West would become known: "wordplay" and heavy sampling of 70s soul and rnb tracks. He is also known for his politically-charged rhymes and controversial behavior both inside and outside the realms of music.

He has since released three more albums, all of which (his fourth to a lesser extent) have received numerous awards, high commercial success and critical acclaim. Late Registration (2005); Graduation (2007); and his current album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008).

Personal life:

West was born in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was three years old (as mentioned in Hey Mama) his parents divorced, and he moved with his mother to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, was a former Black Panther; one of the first black photojournalists at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; and is now a Christian counselor. Kanye?s late mother, Dr. Donda West, worked as a Professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as Kanye?s manager. He was later raised in an upper middle class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago.

After attending The American Academy of Art, a Chicago art school, West attended Chicago State University but eventually dropped out due to poor grades and in order to continue working on his music career. While attending school, West produced for local artists, including on rapper Grav?s debut album ?Down to Earth?. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for major hip hop/R&B artists, including Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Cam?ron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and John Legend among others. He also ?ghost-produced? for his once mentor Deric Angelettie according to his song ?Last Call? and the credits of Nas? ?Poppa Was a Playa.?

West?s style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments. The first major label song he produced was "The Truth" by Beanie Sigel, and his first major release featuring his trademark vocal sampling style was ?This Can?t Be Life,? a track from Jay-Z?s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dre?s ?Xxplosive? to use as a replacement for his drums on ?This Can?t Be Life.?

West has said that Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA influenced him in his style, and has said on numerous occasions that Wu-Tang rappers Ghostface Killah and Ol? Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said by Kanye West: ?Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time? We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that.?

Kanye West recently won 4 Grammy Awards for his album Graduation. He performed his hit song ?Stronger? at the 2008 Grammys and a new lyrical version of ?Hey Mama? as a tribute to his mother?s death in 2007.

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Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Janet Jackson. His style of production originally used pitched-up vocal samples from soul songs incorporated with his own drums and instruments. However, subsequent productions saw him broadening his musical palette and expressing influences encompassing '70s R&B, baroque pop, trip hop, arena rock, folk, alternative, electronica, synth-pop, and classical music.

West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008, and his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010. West released a collaborative album, Watch the Throne, with Jay-Z on August 8, 2011, which is the duo's first collaborative album. His five solo albums, all of which have gone platinum, have received numerous awards and critical acclaim. As of 2011, West has won a total of fourteen Grammy awards. All albums have been very commercially successful, with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy becoming his fourth consecutive No.1 album in the U.S. upon release. West has had 5 songs exceed 3 million in digital sales as of July 2011, with "Gold Digger" selling 3,086,000, "Stronger" selling 4,402,000, "Heartless" selling 3,742,000, "E.T." selling over 4,000,000 and "Love Lockdown" selling over 3,000,000 placing him third in overall digital sales of the past decade . He has sold over 25 million digital songs in the United States placing him second for solo male artists on the list and sixth overall for best selling digital artists.