Kanye West: Difference between revisions
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#REDIRECT [[Kanye West is a Black Bastard who Fucks Grannies!!]] |
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[[Image:Kanye.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Kanye West]] |
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'''Kanye Omari West''' ([[IPA chart for English|pronounced]] /ˈkɑnjeɪ/ or "KAHN-yay") (born [[June 8]], [[1977]] in [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[record producer]] and [[rapper]] based in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. |
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==Biography== |
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[[Image:kanye west time cover.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Kanye West on the cover of [[TIME Magazine]], [[August 2005]]]] |
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After attending a local art school and then [[Chicago State University]], West dropped out and began working on his music career. Even while attending school, West produced for local acts. He gained some fame by producing hit singles for major Hip-Hop/R&B artists, including [[Alicia Keys]], [[Jay-Z]], and [[Ludacris]]. West himself worked on his solo album for a long period of time, having the release pushed back on multiple occasions. |
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Due to his appearance and overall style, West struggled to find a way to get his own voice on record. Multiple record companies put him aside due to the fact that West is not a former 'street hustler', and does not wear the orthodox [[hip-hop]] apparel and would therefore not be as marketable as an artist portraying the "typical image" of a rapper. |
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A car crash on [[October 23]], [[2002]] left his jaw fractured in three places. With his mouth still wired shut and only weeks after his accident, he recorded "Through The Wire". |
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"Through The Wire", which sampled [[Chaka Khan]]'s classic track "Through The Fire", would eventually become his lead single from ''[[The College Dropout]]'', which was released on [[Roc-a-Fella Records]] in February 2004. A later single from the album, "[[Jesus Walks]]", would become a major success, and later a staple of his benefit performances such as at the [[Live 8 concert, Philadelphia]] (with an all-Japanese-girls string section), and gather him still further mainstream exposure when it was aired frequently as the background music in trailers for the 2005 film ''[[Jarhead (film)|Jarhead]]''. |
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On [[August 30th]], [[2005]], Kanye West released his second album ''[[Late Registration]]''. The first two singles were "Diamonds (From [[Sierra Leone]])" (which contained samples from [[Shirley Bassey]]'s "Diamonds Are Forever") and "[[Gold Digger]]" featuring [[Jamie Foxx]]. The album went on to sell over 904,000 copies in its first week. West announced that his 3rd and 4th albums will be titled ''[[Graduation (album)|Graduation]]'' and ''A Good Ass Job'', respectively. |
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West has collaborated with numerous artists, most notably with rapper [[Twista]] on songs such as "Overnight Celebrity" and "[[Slow Jamz]]" (also featuring [[Jamie Foxx]]) - the latter would reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, becoming the first #1 hit for all artists involved. Kanye also features on [[Brandy Norwood|Brandy's]] single, "Talk About Our Love". Others whom West has collaborated with include [[Jay-Z]], [[Talib Kweli]], [[Dilated Peoples]], [[Mariah Carey]], [[Miri Ben-Ari]] (whose violin arrangements featured heavily on ''The College Dropout''), and [[John Legend]] (who also features on West's first album, providing soulful background vocals). Kanye West is also credited with revitalizing and bringing new life into the careers of such rappers as [[Common (rapper)|Common]] and [[Twista]]. |
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===Political views=== |
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On [[2 July]] [[2005]] West appeared on the [[Live 8 concert, Philadelphia|Philadelphia]] bill of [[Live 8]], using the global platform to refer to "man-made diseases placed in African communities", expressing his belief that [[AIDS]] was created by the [[United States government|U.S. government]] to exterminate Africans in Africa (see also [[OPV AIDS hypothesis]]). He made the parallel between the government using [[AIDS]] to exterminate Africans and using [[crack cocaine]] to destroy African-American communities and halt the [[American Civil Rights Movement|civil rights movement]]. He also criticized politicians for "riding home in their Benzs and Bentleys while poor Africans starve". |
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On West's "[[Heard 'Em Say]]", he raps the following lyrics - "Before you ask me to go get a job today/ Can I at least get a raise on the minimum wage/ And I know the government administered [[AIDS]]", and on "[[Crack Music]]", Kanye raps "How we stop the [[Black Panthers]]?/ [[Ronald Reagan]] cooked up an answer", and in the second verse - "Who gave [[Saddam Hussein|Saddam]] [[anthrax]]?/ [[George W. Bush|George Bush]] got the answers." |
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In an MTV interview in August of 2005, West criticized the hip-hop community over the discrimination and epithets directed toward [[homosexuals]], "Not just hip-hop, but America just discriminates. And I [wanted to just] come on TV and just tell my rappers, just tell my friends, 'Yo, stop it.'" The [[Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] recently recognized West for these comments, and for the tolerant views that he models. |
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[[Image:Kanyebush.jpg|250px|thumb|right|West criticizes President Bush during Hurricane Katrina benefit concert. [[Mike Myers]] is on the left.]] |
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On [[September 2]], [[2005]], during a [[benefit concert]] for [[Hurricane Katrina]] relief on [[NBC]], Kanye West was a featured speaker. When he was presenting, West deviated from the prepared script: |
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:''"I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, 'They're looting.' You see a white family, it says, 'They're looking for food.' And, you know, it's been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black. And even for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I've tried to turn away from the TV because it's too hard to watch. I've even been shopping before even giving a donation, so now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what is the biggest amount I can give, and just to imagine if I was down there, and those are my people down there. So anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help -- with the way America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible. I mean, the Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realize a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way -- and they've given them permission to go down and shoot us!"'' |
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[[Mike Myers (actor)|Mike Myers]], whom Kanye was paired with to present, spoke next and continued as normal by reading the script. Once it was Kanye's turn to speak again, he simply said, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people." |
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Although the camera quickly cut away, West's comments still reached the US East Coast in the live news-feed, but were removed by the network when the concert was re-broadcast on the West Coast three hours later. |
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==GOOD Music & Pastelle Clothing== |
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"[[GOOD Music]]" (an [[acronym]] for Getting |
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Out Our Dreams), the record label founded by Kanye West, has already released [[John Legend]]'s platinum selling debut album ''[[Get Lifted]]'', along with [[Common (rapper)|Common]]'s latest certified gold album - ''[[Be (album)|Be]]''. Other artists on the GOOD Music label include GLC, [[Consequence (rapper)|Consequence]], and [[Farnsworth Bentley]]. Kanye is in the process of working with Clint Saulsberry and [[Deuce Gang]] after his Fall tour. Chicago producer [[Mano]] produced the smash single "Haterville"" for Kanye and artist [[GLC]]. |
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In September 2005, Kanye announced that he will release his [[Pastelle Clothing]] line in spring 2006. He said of the decision, "Now that I have a Grammy under my belt and [West's second album] ''[[Late Registration]]'' is finished, I am ready to launch my clothing line next spring." [http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/story.asp?j=155299526&p=y553xxz3z] |
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==Discography== |
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''For a list of Kanye West's production credits, including sample attributions, see [[Kanye West production discography]].'' |
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===Studio albums=== |
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*[[2004]]: ''[[The College Dropout]]'' #2 US (2x Platinum), #12 UK, #49 MEX, '''#1''' CAN (5 million worldwide) |
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*[[2005]]: ''[[Late Registration]]'' '''#1''' US (2x Platinum), #2 UK |
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===Upcoming albums=== |
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*[[2006]]: ''[[Graduation (album)|Graduation]]'' |
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*[[TBD]]: ''[[A Good Ass Job]]'' |
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===Compilations=== |
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*[[2005]]: ''[[Freshmen Adjustment]]'' #105 US , #45 UK (50,000) |
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===Mixtapes=== |
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*''[[I'm Good]]'' |
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*''[[Get Well Soon]]'' |
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*[[2003]]: ''[[Kanye West presents: The Lost Tapes]]'' |
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*[[2005]]: ''[[The Late Mixtape]]'' |
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==Singles== |
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{| {{prettytable-center2}} |
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! width="28" rowspan="2"| Year |
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! width="214" rowspan="2"| Title |
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! colspan="4"| Chart Positions |
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! width="214" rowspan="2"| Album |
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|- |
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! width="83"| <small>[[Billboard Hot 100|US Hot 100]]</small> |
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! width="83"| <small>[[R&B/Hip-Hop Tracks chart|US R&B/Hip-Hop]]</small> |
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! width="83"| <small>[[Rap Tracks chart|US Rap]]</small> |
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! width="83"| <small>[[UK Singles Chart]]</small> |
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|- |
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| [[2003 in music|2003]] |
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| "[[Through the Wire]]" |
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! #15 |
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! #8 |
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! #4 |
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! #9 |
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| ''The College Dropout'' |
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|- |
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| [[2004 in music|2004]] |
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| "[[All Falls Down]]" (feat. [[Syleena Johnson]]) |
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! #7 |
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! #4 |
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! #2 |
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! #10 |
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| ''The College Dropout'' |
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|- |
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| [[2004 in music|2004]] |
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| "[[Jesus Walks]]" |
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! #11 |
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! #2 |
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! #3 |
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! #16 |
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| ''The College Dropout'' |
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|- |
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| [[2004 in music|2004]] |
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| "[[The New Workout Plan]]" |
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! #49 |
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! #60 |
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! - |
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! - |
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| ''The College Dropout'' |
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|- |
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| [[2005 in music|2005]] |
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| "[[Diamonds from Sierra Leone]]" |
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! #43 |
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! #21 |
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! - |
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! #8 |
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| ''Late Registration'' |
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|- |
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| [[2005 in music|2005]] |
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| "[[Gold Digger]]" (feat. [[Jamie Foxx]]) |
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! #1 (9 weeks) |
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! #1 (4 weeks) |
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! #1 (4 weeks) |
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! #2 |
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| ''Late Registration'' |
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|- |
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| [[2005 in music|2005]] |
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| "[[Heard 'Em Say]]" (feat. [[Adam Levine]]) |
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! #56 |
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! #30 |
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! #17 |
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! - |
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| ''Late Registration'' |
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|- |
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| [[2005 in music|2005]] |
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| "Touch the Sky" (feat. [[Lupe Fiasco]]) |
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! - |
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! #72 |
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! - |
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! - |
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| ''Late Registration'' |
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|} |
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==Awards== |
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In [[2005]], Kanye West received ten [[Grammy Award]] nominations, making him the most nominated artist of 2005. At the 47th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony held on February 13, 2005, Kanye won Best Rap Album for his album ''[[The College Dropout]]'', Best Rap Song for his single "Jesus Walks", and Best R&B Song for producing Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name". |
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His 2005 Grammy nominations were: |
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*Album of the Year for The Diary Of Alicia Keys (as a producer) |
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*Album of the Year for The College Dropout |
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*Song of the Year for "Jesus Walks" |
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*Best New Artist |
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*Best R&B Song for "You Don't Know My Name" (as a songwriter) |
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*Best Rap Solo Performance for "Through The Wire" |
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*Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "All Falls Down" |
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*Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Slow Jamz" |
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*Best Rap Song for "Jesus Walks" |
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*Best Rap Album for The College Dropout |
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His work with pop icon [[Janet Jackson]] also earned him a nomination for her single "I Want You", produced by West, which was nominated for [[Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance|Best Female R&B Vocal Performance]]. |
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After the awards ceremony, West criticized the music industry as he only won 3 of the 10 awards, and he felt he deserved all of them. |
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{{wikiquote}} |
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== See also == |
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* [[GOOD Music]] |
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* [[Kanye West production discography]] |
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* [[Roc-a-Fella Records]] |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.kanyewest.com/ KanyeWest.com] - Official Site |
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* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=11:3amsa9ugi23h Allmusic.com artist page] |
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* [http://www.twoop.com/people/archives/2005/11/kanye_west.html Kanye West] - A timeline |
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* [http://www.ohhla.com/YFA_kanye.html Kanye West lyrics] |
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*[http://konvuittondon.com/ KonVuittonDon]-fansite for Kanye West |
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*[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_8_59/ai_n6047908 Article in Ebony] |
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[[Category:1977 births|West, Kanye]] |
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[[Category:African American musicians|West, Kanye]] |
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[[Category:Chicagoans|West, Kayne]] |
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[[Category:Def Jam affiliated performers|West, Kanye]] |
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[[Category:Hip hop producers|West, Kanye]] |
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[[Category:People from Georgia (U.S. state)|West, Kanye]] |
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[[Category:American record producers|West, Kanye]] |
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[[Category:United States rappers|West, Kanye]] |
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[[Category:Rhythmic Top 40 acts|West, Kanye]] |
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