One of the most influential, critically-lauded, and controversial artists of the early 21st century, American rapper and producer Kanye West has gone from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker with a wildly successful solo career that counted an unbroken string of chart-topping, multi-platinum albums and nearly two-dozen Grammy Awards. His early 2000s production work quickly led to a major-label recording contract, yielding a classic trilogy comprised of 2004's The College Dropout, 2005's Late Registration, and 2007's Graduation. With each successive album, he pushed the boundaries of hip-hop and soon entered a new phase of artistry with game changers such as 2008's 808s & Heartbreak, 2010's widely-regarded magnum opus My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and 2013's industrial-leaning foray Yeezus. Celebrity, tabloid headlines, and a changing artistic vision informed much of his next era, as the trappings of fame and inner turmoil became the focus of chart-toppers such as The Life of Pablo and Ye. He even released a gospel album, Jesus Is King, in 2019. As his outspoken personality and political statements began to eclipse his music into the 2020s, he still managed to top the charts and garner accolades with 2020's exploratory Donda. In 2023, West joined forces with Ty Dollar $ign to form new project ¥$, the duo working towards the release of their debut album Vultures.
 

A proud and vocal Chicagoan, West was actually born in Atlanta, moving to the Windy City with his English professor mother after his parents split when he was three years old. One of his major inspirations, Donda West helped shape young Kanye, taking him to China in the late '80s on education exchange and establishing a strong base that made him a top pupil in high school. However, his music dreams would eventually eclipse academics and he dropped out of college, setting the stage for his best-selling school trilogy. With guidance from local producer No I.D., West went on to learn the finer points of studio production, programming, and sampling, the latter technique becoming a hallmark of his early work.