Kanye West is a hip-hop producer and rapper (born June 8, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia). He first gained popularity producing tracks for popular artists such as Jay-Z, John Legend, Common, The Game, Twista, Talib Kweli and Alicia Keys. In 2004 he released his first solo album, The College Dropout, and has since released Late Registration (2005) and, most recently, Graduation (2007). He is noted for his politically-charged rhymes and controversial behavior both inside and outside the realms of music.

West was born in Atlanta,Georgia where he lived with both of his parents. When he was three years old (as mentioned in “Hey Mama”) his parents divorced, and he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. His father was Ray West, a former Black Panther who was 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, ... read more »