Today is the rapper and fashion mogul 46ᵗʰ birthday.
Happy 46 Birthday, Ye!
Chicago producer, MC and musical visionary Kanye West, who now turns 46.
Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977, and turns 45 years old today. He was born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Yeezy was a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records before releasing his debut album, 'The College Dropout,' in 2004. West also founded the record label, GOOD Music.
The Chicago native is one of the most distinguished hip-hop artists in history, having 24 Grammys. ‘Ye’ may not be considered the best rapper in the world, but he is for sure one of the most famous polarizing figures in the rap industry.
From interning at Fendi to founding Yeezy, Kanye West has done it all. On the rapper-turned-designer's.
Kanye West has shown since the start of his music career that he is very interested in fashion design. West forced his way into the industry in 2004 and again in 2011, but it was his proposition in 2015 for Yeezy Season 1 with Adidas that shifted the conversation and left a mark on the industry.
Regardless of how you may feel about him as a person—political endorsements and bromance breakups aside—Kanye has one of the most impressive rap catalogs ever, spanning nine solo records and three collaborative efforts. He has undeniably secured a place at the bow of American culture. In the words of the artist himself, “I am so credible and so influential and so relevant that I will change things.”
Ye began his music career as a producer in the mid-1990s for small time Chicago artists and, later, bigger names. 'Ye worked with Foxy Brown, Jermaine Dupri, Nas and more. There was a time when producing Jay-Z’s smash single “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” from The Blueprint was his biggest claim to fame. In addition to producing, West was shopping his demo CD around in an effort to convince labels that his musical ability was not just behind the boards.
West finally got a chance to show his stuff when Dame Dash signed him to Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s. He recorded his debut album, The College Dropout, while recovering from a near-fatal car accident, a moment in his life that marked a turning point for the budding MC. The College Dropout was released in February 2004.