“Name one genius that ain’t crazy” (West). Though despised by many, Kanye West sits atop a media driven hip-hop industry that is focused on the future. Whether Kanye is in the news for marrying a Kardashian or writing a new, lyrically controversial song, Kanye’s name ceases to leave news headlines. From his humble beginnings as a teen in the suburbs of Chicago to the bipolar celebrity known for crude media rants, Kanye West made his name and continues to stay relevant in pop culture after nearly 15 years of self-promotion.
On June 8, 1977, Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta to middle-class parents, Ray and Donda West. After his parents divorced at age three, Kanye moved to South Shore, a blue-collar neighborhood outside of Chicago where he would spend the rest of his early life. In the early 2000s, West began producing music for Jay-Z, Ludacris, and more. But, knowing Kanye, “He wanted to be the headline act” (“Kanye West”). Kanye’s debut album, The College Dropout, dropped in February 2004, which reached No. 2 on Billboard Hot 200 and created a prominent ‘yeezy’ fan base. After two more albums throughout the mid-2000s, West released 808s & Heartbreak, a generational album that paved the way for modern day auto-tune rap. Many of today’s top acts such as Lil Uzi Vert and Travis Scott regard it to be one of the most influential to their music. Later, in 2010, Yeezy dropped arguably the top hip-hop album of the 2000s, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. This album is a highly acclaimed, creative masterpiece that is truly some of the best West has to offer. Kanye is incredibly gifted with wordplay and knows how to pen quality song lyrics. In 2011, following what many claim to be the peak in his rap career, West entered the fashion industry with the launch of his first collection in Paris. West’s fashion career is succeeded by the legacy of his ‘Yeezy’ shoe today. Then, in 2013, West married Kim Kardashian, once again stirring up controversy. After a few more years of producing music for his record label, G.O.O.D. Music, West released The Life of Pablo in 2016, another instantaneous-classic album. When he was on the TLOP tour in the following months, Kanye suffered a mental breakdown while performing on stage in Sacramento, which stunted his publically known bipolarity. He laid low for a few months until he began speaking out in support of President Donald Trump. Kanye made a huge impact in the 2016 presidential election by throwing his support behind Trump, acting as a recognizable black, Republican figure (“Kanye West”). Since Kanye’s rise to stardom, he’s drifted into a powerful role in popular culture, whether it relates to hip-hop or not.
Most recently in 2018, Kanye has released albums Ye, Kids See Ghosts and has produced three more. On Ye, the cover art reads, “I hate being bipolar it’s awesome.” After his breakdown in Sacramento and numerous instances where Kanye exhibited mental health issues, Kanye came out to the public that he did in fact have bipolar disorder. The news of Kanye’s mental disability to the public only helped Kanye in the long run through an abundance of media coverage. On the track “Yikes” from Ye, West rhymes, “[I] turn TMZ smack to DVD” (West). This year Kanye’s name has been engraved in TMZ headlines. He’s been working with younger artists such as Lil Pump and 6ix9ine, releasing singles “I Love It” and “KANGA”. These artists are known as ‘SoundCloud rappers’ and represent the unhinged party culture of younger generation hip-hop. Undoubtedly, these collaborations sparked controversy and eventually landed him on SNL this fall with Lil Pump to perform “I Love It.” Additionally, Kanye has been teasing another album this spring, Yahndi, that is yet to be released. Originally, Kanye announced the surprise release of the album in October, but then pushed it back to November. Then in November when scheduled to release, he said he needed more time to produce the album and moved it again, still managing to hold the public’s attention. This uncharacteristic behavior for an older rapper has kept Kanye under the spotlight. He has vast influence on pop culture in America today and “it's a likely bet that he will be reinventing hip hop again in the near future” (“Kanye West”).
Since his rise to fame throughout the 2000s as a producer, West made his name as the pioneer auto-tune rapper. He sealed his name in hip-hop greatness after My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and used his recognition to dominate hip-hop media. Kanye West has managed, since the beginning of his musical career, to remain immeasurably relevant to pop culture in America. “Kanye’s been playing the long game all along, and we’re only just beginning to see why” (Musk).
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