There’s not much about Kanye West that doesn’t put him in
the spotlight. Whether it’s through this Chicago native’s infectious beats,
cleverly simple rhymes, or his willingness to say what others will not, West
has made it known that he is a man who is here to break down barriers. Born
June 8, 1977, West grew up listening to hip-hop. After graduating from high
school, he briefly attended Columbia College in Chicago but soon dropped out
and focused his attention on making music. Although he originally made his
mark by producing albums for such heavy hitters as Ludacris, Alicia Keys, and
Jay-Z, West claims he has been rapping for nearly his whole life, practicing
his craft as a child by listening and singing along with one of his first
influences, Run DMC.
After creating a name for himself as a producer, West set
his sights on releasing his own album. West’s first album, The College
Dropout, was delayed several times while he produced works for other
artists and recovered from a near fatal car crash. But, when it finally came
out in 2004, West had struck gold. The album featured the single “Through the
Wire,” which helped the record and West become one of the hottest artist of the
year—if not the millennium.
Suddenly every direction was West. In 2005 he was nominated
for ten Grammys, the most any artist received that year. He went home with
three, including Best Rap Album and Best Rap Song. 2005 continued to prove to
be seminal year for the relatively young star. He graced the cover of Time
magazine as one of the year’s most influential people and performed at Live 8
in Philadelphia. But it was during the devastating aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina that he defined himself as one who would speak his mind no matter the
controversy when he told the world on live television that “George Bush does
not like black people.” 2006 looks to be another year made for West. He so
far has been nominated for eight Grammys, including Album of the Year for his
second album, Late Registration.