Kanye West

Kanye Omari West, born June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Chicago, Illinois, began his career producing for Roc-A-Fella Records—crafting beats for Jay-Z's "The Blueprint" (2001)—before launching one of music's most audacious solo careers. "The College Dropout" (2004) dismantled hip-hop's prevailing materialism with "Through the Wire" and "Jesus Walks," winning the Grammy for Best Rap Album. The follow-up trilogy—"Late Registration," "Graduation," and "808s & Heartbreak"—each reshaped rap's sonic and emotional vocabulary. "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" (2010) received unanimous critical acclaim and is frequently cited as one of the greatest albums ever made. He has won 24 Grammy Awards—the most of any rap artist in history—and sold over 140 million records. His Yeezy footwear collaborations revolutionized the sneaker industry. "Vultures 1" (2024, with Ty Dolla $ign) demonstrated his continued commercial power despite significant controversy, debuting at number one globally.