November 23 is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 38 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events[link]

• 534 BC – Thespis of Icaria becomes the first recorded actor to portray a character onstage.
• 1248 – Conquest of Seville by the Christian troops under King Ferdinand III of Castile.
• 1499 – Pretender to the throne Perkin Warbeck is hanged for reportedly attempting to escape from the Tower of London. He had invaded England in 1497, claiming to be the lost son of King Edward IV of England.
• 1510 – First campaign of Ottoman Empire against Kingdom of Imereti (modern western Georgia). Ottoman armies sack its capital Kutaisi and burn Gelati Monastery.
• 1531 – The Second war of Kappel results in the dissolution of the Protestant alliance in Switzerland.
• 1644 – John Milton publishes Areopagitica, a pamphlet decrying censorship.
• 1808 – French and Poles defeat the Spanish at battle of Tudela
• 1863 – American Civil War: Battle of Chattanooga begins – Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant reinforce troops at Chattanooga, Tennessee and counter-attack Confederate troops.
• 1867 – The Manchester Martyrs are hanged in Manchester, England for killing a police officer while freeing two Irish nationalists from custody.
• 1876 – Corrupt Tammany Hall leader William Magear Tweed (better known as Boss Tweed) is delivered to authorities in New York City after being captured in Spain.
• 1889 – The first jukebox goes into operation at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco.
• 1890 – King William III of the Netherlands dies without a male heir and a special law is passed to allow his daughter Princess Wilhelmina to become his heir.
• 1910 – Johan Alfred Ander becomes the last person to be executed in Sweden.
• 1914 – Mexican Revolution: The last of U.S. forces withdraw from Veracruz, occupied seven months earlier in response to the Tampico Affair.
• 1918 – Heber J. Grant succeeds Joseph F. Smith as the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• 1934 – An Anglo-Ethiopian boundary commission in the Ogaden discovers an Italian garrison at Walwal, well within Ethiopian territory. This leads to the Abyssinia Crisis.
• 1936 – Life magazine is reborn as a photo magazine and enjoys instant success.
• 1940 – World War II: Romania becomes a signatory of the Tripartite Pact, officially joining the Axis Powers.
• 1943 – World War II: The Deutsche Opernhaus on Bismarckstraße in the Berlin neighborhood of Charlottenburg is destroyed. It will eventually be rebuilt in 1961 and be called the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
• 1943 – World War II: Tarawa and Makin atolls fall to American forces.
• 1946 – French Navy fire in Hai Phong, Viet Nam, kills 6,000 civilians.
• 1955 – The Cocos Islands are transferred from the control of the United Kingdom to Australia.
• 1959 – General Charles de Gaulle, President of France, declares in a speech in Strasbourg his vision for a "Europe, "from the Atlantic to the Urals."
• 1963 – The BBC broadcasts the first ever episode of Doctor Who (starring William Hartnell) which is the world's longest running science fiction drama.
• 1971 – Representatives of the People's Republic of China attend the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council, for the first time.
• 1972 – The Soviet Union makes its final attempt at successfully launching N-1 Rocket. The launch is a failure and the rocket is destroyed.
• 1976 – Apneist Jacques Mayol is the first man to reach a depth of 100 m undersea without breathing equipment.
• 1979 – In Dublin, Ireland, Provisional Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten.
• 1980 – A series of earthquakes in southern Italy kills approximately 3,000 people.
• 1981 – Iran-Contra Affair: Ronald Reagan signs the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), giving the Central Intelligence Agency the authority to recruit and support Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
• 1985 – Gunmen hijack EgyptAir Flight 648 while en route from Athens to Cairo. When the plane lands in Malta, Egyptian commandos storm the aircraft, but 60 people die in the raid.
• 1990 – The first all woman expedition to the South Pole (3 Americans, 1 Japanese and 12 Russians) sets off from Antarctica on the 1st leg of a 70 day, 1287 kilometre ski trek.
• 1993 – Rachel Whiteread wins both the £20,000 Turner Prize award for best British modern artist and the £40,000 K Foundation art award for the worst artist of the year.
• 1996 – Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 is hijacked, then crashes into the Indian Ocean off the coast of Comoros after running out of fuel, killing 125.
• 2001 – The Convention on Cybercrime is signed in Budapest, Hungary.
• 2003 – Rose Revolution: the Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze resigns following weeks of mass protests over flawed elections.
• 2004 – The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, the largest religious building in Georgia, is consecrated.
• 2005 – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is elected president of Liberia and becomes the first woman to lead an African country.
• 2006 – A series of bombing kills at least 215 people and injures 257 others in Sadr City, making it the second deadliest sectarian attack since the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003.
• 2007 – MS Explorer, a cruise liner carrying 154 people, sinks in the Antarctic Ocean south of Argentina after hitting an iceberg near the South Shetland Islands. There are no fatalities.
• 2009 – The Maguindanao massacre occurs in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, Mindanao, Philippines
• 2010 – The Bombardment of Yeonpyeong occurs on Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea. The North Korean artillery attack kills 2 civilians and 2 South Korean marines.
• 2011 – Arab Spring: After 11 months of protests in Yemen, The Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh signs a deal to transfer power to the vice president, in exchange for legal immunity.

Births[link]

• 912 – Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 973)
• 1221 – King Alfonso X of Castile (d. 1284)
• 1402 – Jean de Dunois, French soldier (d. 1468)
• 1417 – William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel, English politician (d. 1487)
• 1553 – Prospero Alpini, Italian physician and botanist (d. 1617)
• 1616 – John Wallis, English mathematician (d. 1703)
• 1632 – Jean Mabillon, French palaeographer and diplomat (d. 1707)
• 1641 – Anthonie Heinsius, Dutch statesman (d. 1720)
• 1687 – Jean Baptiste Senaillé, French born Baroque composer and violin virtuoso (d. 1730)
• 1705 – Thomas Birch, English historian (d. 1766)
• 1715 – Pierre Charles Le Monnier, French astronomer (d. 1799)
• 1719 – Spranger Barry, Irish actor (d. 1777)
• 1749 – Edward Rutledge, American statesman (d. 1800)
• 1760 – François-Noël Babeuf, French revolutionary figure (d. 1797)
• 1781 – Theodor Valentin Volkmar, German politician (d. 1847)
• 1785 – Jan Roothaan, Dutch priest (d. 1853)
• 1803 – Theodore Dwight Weld, American abolitionist (d. 1895)
• 1804 – Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States (d. 1869)
• 1820 – Isaac Todhunter, British mathematician (d. 1884)
• 1837 – Johannes Diderik van der Waals, Dutch physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1923)
• 1838 – Stephanos Skouloudis, Greek banker and diplomat (d. 1928)
• 1855 – Stevan Sremac, Serbian writer
• 1859 – Billy the Kid, American outlaw (d. 1881)
• 1860 – Hjalmar Branting, Swedish diplomat; Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1925)
• 1861 – Konstantin Korovin, Russian painter (d. 1939)
• 1864 – Henry Bourne Joy, American automobile executive (d. 1936)
• 1869 – Valdemar Poulsen, Danish engineer (d. 1942)
• 1871 – William Watt, Premier of Victoria, Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives (d. 1946)
• 1875 – Anatoly Lunacharsky, Russian literary critic and politician (d. 1933)
• 1876 – Manuel de Falla, Spanish composer (d. 1946)
• 1883 – José Clemente Orozco, Mexican painter (d. 1949)
• 1887 – Eduardo Corrochio, Spanish dancer (d. 1943)
• 1887 – Boris Karloff, British actor (d. 1969)
• 1887 – Henry Moseley, English physicist (d. 1915)
• 1888 – Harpo Marx, American comedian (d. 1964)
• 1889 – Nelly's, Greek photographer (d. 1998)
• 1889 – Harry Sunderland, Australian rugby league administrator and journalist (d. 1964)
• 1890 – El Lissitzky, Russian artist and architect (d. 1941)
• 1892 – Erté, French artist (d. 1990)
• 1896 – Venere Pizzinato, Italian supercentenarian (d. 2011)
• 1896 – Tsunenohana Kan'ichi, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 31st Yokozuna (d. 1960)
• 1897 – Nirad C. Chaudhuri, Indian writer (d. 1999)
• 1897 – Karl Gebhardt, German Nazi figure (d. 1948)
• 1899 – Manuel dos Reis Machado, Brazilian martial artist (d. 1974)
• 1902 – Aaron Bank, American Office of Strategic Services figure (d. 2004)
• 1902 – Victor Jory, Canadian actor (d. 1982)
• 1907 – Lars Leksell, Swedish physician (d. 1986)
• 1908 – Nelson S. Bond, American writer (d. 2006)
• 1909 – Nigel Tranter, British historian and writer (d. 2000)
• 1912 – George O'Hanlon, American actor (d. 1989)
• 1914 – Roger Avon, English actor (d. 1998)
• 1915 – John Dehner, American actor (d. 1992)
• 1916 – Michael Gough, English actor (d. 2011)
• 1916 – P. K. Page, Canadian poet (d. 2010)
• 1920 – Paul Celan, Romanian-born German poet (d. 1970)
• 1920 – Wayne Thiebaud, American painter
• 1921 – Fred Buscaglione, Italian singer and actor (d. 1960)
• 1922 – Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Spanish Galicia politician (d. 2012)
• 1923 – Daniel Brewster, American politician (d. 2007)
• 1923 – R. L. Burnside, American musician (d. 2005)
• 1923 – Billy Haughton, American harness driver and trainer (d. 1986)
• 1924 – Paula Raymond, American actress (d. 2003)
• 1924 – Colin Turnbull, British anthropologist (d. 1994)
• 1924 – Anita Linda, Filipino actress
• 1925 – Johnny Mandel, American songwriter
• 1925 – José Napoleón Duarte, Salvadoran politician (d. 1990)
• 1926 – Sathya Sai Baba, Indian guru and philosopher (d. 2011)
• 1927 – Guy Davenport, American author and scholar (d. 2005)
• 1927 – Angelo Sodano, Italian prelate and Cardinal
• 1928 – Jerry Bock, American musical theatre composer (d. 2010)
• 1929 – Hal Lindsey, American evangelist
• 1930 – Jack McKeon, American baseball manager
• 1931 – Gloria Lynne, American singer
• 1932 – Michel David-Weill, French investment banker
• 1933 – Ali Shariati, Iranian sociologist and revolutionary
• 1933 – Krzysztof Penderecki, Polish composer
• 1934 – Lew Hoad, Australian tennis player (d. 1994)
• 1934 – Robert Towne, American screenwriter and director
• 1935 – Vladislav Volkov, Soviet cosmonaut (d. 1971)
• 1936 – Robert Barnard, British mystery writer
• 1938 – Esko Nikkari, Finnish actor
• 1939 – Betty Everett, American singer (d. 2001)
• 1940 – Luis Tiant, Cuban baseball player
• 1941 – Franco Nero, Italian actor
• 1942 – Susan Anspach, American actress
• 1943 – Andrew Goodman, American civil rights activist (d. 1964)
• 1943 – Sue Nicholls, British actress
• 1943 – David Nolan, American political activist (d. 2010)
• 1944 – Joe Eszterhas, Hungarian-born American producer and screenwriter
• 1944 – James Toback, American writer and director
• 1945 – Jim Doyle, American politician
• 1945 – Keith Hampshire, English singer-songwriter
• 1945 – Jerry Harris, American sculptor
• 1945 – Steve Landesberg, American actor and comedian (d. 2010)
• 1945 – Dennis Nilsen, Scottish serial killer
• 1946 – Giorgos Koudas, Greek footballer
• 1946 – Diana Quick, English actress
• 1946 – Bobby Rush, American politician
• 1947 – Jean-Pierre Foucault, French television host
• 1948 – Bruce Vilanch, American comedy writer
• 1948 – Frank Worthington, English footballer
• 1949 – Tom Joyner, American radio personality
• 1949 – Alan Paul, one of the founding members of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer
• 1949 – Sandra Stevens, British singer (Brotherhood of Man)
• 1949 – Jerry verDorn, American actor
• 1950 – Maik Galakos, Greek footballer
• 1950 – Chuck Schumer, American politician
• 1951 – David Rappaport, English actor (d. 1990)
• 1952 – Bill Troiano, American musician
• 1953 – Rick Bayless, American chef and restaurateur
• 1953 – Francis Cabrel, French singer
• 1953 – Johan de Meij, Dutch conductor and composer
• 1954 – Ross Brawn, English motorsport engineer and F1 team owner
• 1954 – Glenn Brummer, American baseball player
• 1954 – Bruce Hornsby, American musician
• 1955 – Steven Brust, American author
• 1955 – Ludovico Einaudi, Italian composer and pianist
• 1955 – Dinos Kouis, Greek footballer
• 1955 – Mary Landrieu, American politician
• 1959 – Maxwell Caulfield, British actor
• 1959 – Dominique Dunne, American actress (d. 1982)
• 1960 – Robin Roberts, American television reporter
• 1961 – Merv Hughes, Australian cricketer
• 1961 – Keith Ablow, American psychiatrist and author
• 1963 – Mamoru Takuma, Japanese convicted mass murderer and rapist (d. 2004)
• 1964 – Frank Rutherford, Bahamian athlete
• 1965 – Jennifer Michael Hecht, American poet and historian
• 1965 – J. T. the Brick, American sports talk radio host
• 1966 – Vincent Cassel, French actor
• 1966 – Jerry Kelly, American professional golfer
• 1967 – Gary Kirsten, South African cricketer
• 1967 – Salli Richardson, American actress
• 1968 – Hamid Hassani, Iranian scholar and lexicographer
• 1968 – Kirsty Young, Scottish television journalist
• 1969 – Mike Lünsmann, German footballer
• 1969 – Jonathan Seet, Canadian singer
• 1970 – Zoë Ball, British television and radio presenter
• 1970 – Oded Fehr, Israeli actor
• 1970 – Danny Hoch, American actor
• 1970 – Karsten Mueller, German chess grandmaster and author
• 1971 – Lisa Arch, American actress
• 1971 – Vin Baker, American basketball player
• 1971 – Khalid Al-Muwallid, Saudi footballer
• 1971 – Chris Hardwick, American comedian
• 1972 – Chris Adler, American drummer (Lamb of God)
• 1972 – Alf-Inge Haaland, Norwegian footballer
• 1974 – Juventud Guerrera, Mexican professional wrestler
• 1974 – Jamie Sharper, American football player
• 1974 – Saku Koivu, Finnish ice hockey player
• 1974 – Malik Rose, American basketball player
• 1976 – Page Kennedy, American actor
• 1976 – Murat Salar, Turkish footballer
• 1976 – Kohei Suwama, Japanese professional wrestler
• 1977 – Myriam Boileau, Canadian diver
• 1977 – Adam Eaton, American baseball player
• 1978 – Ali Güneş, Turkish footballer
• 1978 – Alison Mosshart, American musician
• 1978 – Kayvan Novak, English actor
• 1979 – Kelly Brook, English actress and model
• 1979 – Nihat Kahveci, Turkish footballer
• 1980 – Ishmael Beah, Sierra-Leone born American author
• 1980 – David Britz, American nano-technologist
• 1980 – Jonathan Papelbon, American baseball player
• 1982 – Colby Armstrong, Canadian ice-hockey player
• 1982 – Asafa Powell, Jamaican sprinter
• 1983 – Thomas Pridgen, American musician
• 1983 – Nasser Al-Shamrani, Saudi Arabian footballer
• 1983 – Fatih Yiğituşağı, Turkish footballer
• 1984 – Lucas Grabeel, American actor and singer
• 1984 – Amruta Khanvilkar, Indian actress
• 1985 – Ahn Hyun-Soo, South Korean short track skater
• 1986 – Gia Johnson, British fashion model
• 1986 – Maxene Magalona, Filipina actress
• 1986 – Luigi Scaglia, Italian footballer
• 1987 – Nicklas Bäckström, Swedish ice hockey player
• 1987 – Nicole Polizzi, Chilean-born American reality television personality
• 1988 – Saab Magalona, Filipina actress
• 1988 – Sebastian Nachreiner, German footballer
• 1991 – Andik Vermansyah, Indonesian footballer
• 1992 – Miley Cyrus, American actress and singer
• 1994 – Arvin Cortez
• 1998 – Bradley Steven Perry, American child actor

Deaths[link]

• 947 – Berthold, Duke of Bavaria
• 955 – King Edred of England (b. c. 923)
• 1407 – Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans, brother of Charles VI of France (b. 1372)
• 1457 – King Ladislaus Posthumus of Bohemia and Hungary (b. 1440)
• 1499 – Perkin Warbeck, Flemish imposter (b. 1474)
• 1503 – Margaret of York, wife of Charles I, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1446)
• 1503 – Bona of Savoy, Italian noblewoman (b. 1449)
• 1572 – Agnolo di Cosimo, Italian artist and poet (b. 1503)
• 1585 – Thomas Tallis, English composer (b. 1505)
• 1616 – Richard Hakluyt, English writer (b. 1552)
• 1682 – Claude Lorrain, French painter (b. 1604)
• 1763 – Friedrich Graf von Seckendorf, German soldier (b. 1673)
• 1769 – Greek prince Constantine Mavrocordatos of Wallachia and Moldavia (b. 1711)
• 1783 – Yoriyuki Arima, Japanese mathematician (b. 1714)
• 1803 – Roger Newdigate, British politician (b. 1719)
• 1804 – Richard Graves, British writer (b. 1715)
• 1807 – Jean-François Rewbell, French politician (b. 1747)
• 1814 – Elbridge Gerry, 5th Vice President of the United States of America (b. 1744)
• 1833 – Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, French marshal (b. 1762)
• 1890 – King William III of the Netherlands (b. 1817)
• 1899 – Thomas Henry Ismay, British shipping company owner (b. 1837)
• 1902 – Walter Reed, American bacteriologist (b. 1851)
• 1905 – Sir John Scott Burdon-Sanderson, English physiologist (b. 1828)
• 1910 – Dr H.H. Crippen, American murderer executed in England (b. 1862)
• 1923 – Urmuz, Romanian writer (b. 1883)
• 1934 – Giovanni Brunero, Italian cyclist (b. 1895)
• 1937 – Jagdish Chandra Bose, Indian physicist (b. 1858)
• 1937 – George Albert Boulenger, Belgian naturalist (b. 1858)
• 1948 – Hack Wilson, American baseball player (b. 1900)
• 1958 – Nikolaos Georgantas, Greek athlete (b. 1880)
• 1958 – Johnston McCulley, American writer (b. 1883)
• 1966 – Seán T. O'Kelly, Irish politician (b. 1882)
• 1970 – Yusof bin Ishak, Singaporean politician (b. 1910)
• 1972 – Marie Wilson, American actress (b. 1916)
• 1973 – Sessue Hayakawa, Japanese actor (b. 1889)
• 1974 – Cornelius Ryan, Irish-born author (b. 1920)
• 1976 – André Malraux, French author (b. 1901)
• 1979 – Merle Oberon, British actress (b. 1911)
• 1979 – Judee Sill, American musician and songwriter (b. 1944)
• 1982 – Grady Nutt, American humorist (b. 1934)
• 1983 – Juhan Muks, Estonian artist (b. 1899)
• 1983 – Waheed Murad, Pakistani actor (b. 1938)
• 1990 – Roald Dahl, British author (b. 1916)
• 1990 – Bo Díaz, Venezuelan baseball player (b. 1953)
• 1991 – Klaus Kinski, German actor (b. 1926)
• 1992 – Roy Acuff, American country musician (b. 1903)
• 1992 – Jean-François Thiriart, Belgian politician (b. 1922)
• 1994 – Art Barr, American professional wrestler (b. 1966)
• 1994 – Tommy Boyce, American songwriter (b. 1939)
• 1995 – Louis Malle, French film director (b. 1932)
• 1995 – Junior Walker, American musician (b. 1931)
• 1996 – Mohamed Amin, Kenyan photojournalist (b. 1943)
• 1996 – Art Porter, Jr., American jazz musician (b. 1961)
• 1998 – Dan Osman, American rock climber (b. 1963)
• 1997 – Jorge Mas Canosa, Cuban anti-Fidel Castro activist (b. 1939)
• 2000 – Rayner Unwin, British book publisher (b. 1925)
• 2001 – Bo Belinsky, American baseball player (b. 1936)
• 2001 – O.C. Smith, American singer (b. 1932)
• 2001 – Mary Whitehouse, British social activist (b. 1910)
• 2002 – Roberto Matta, Chilean painter (b. 1911)
• 2004 – Pete Franklin, American talk radio host (b. 1928)
• 2005 – Constance Cummings, American-born British actress (b. 1910)
• 2005 – Frank Gatski, American football player (b. 1919)
• 2006 – Jesus Blancornelas, Mexican journalist (b. 1936)
• 2006 – Nick Clarke, English radio presenter (b. 1948)
• 2006 – Betty Comden, American lyricist (b. 1917)
• 2006 – Alexander Litvinenko, Russian spy (b. 1962)
• 2006 – Philippe Noiret, French actor (b. 1930)
• 2006 – Anita O'Day, American singer (b. 1919)
• 2006 – Willie Pep, American boxer (b. 1922)
• 2007 – Joe Kennedy, American baseball player (b. 1979)
• 2007 – Óscar Carmelo Sánchez, Bolivian footballer (b. 1971)
• 2007 – Pat Walsh, New Zealand rugby union footballer (b. 1936)
• 2009 – Juzefas Jurgelevičius, Lithuanian footballer (b. 1947)
• 2009 – José Arraño Acevedo, Chilean writer and historian (b. 1921)
• 2010 – Joyce Howard, British film actress (b. 1922)
• 2010 – Ingrid Pitt, Polish-born British actress (b. 1937)
• 2010 – James Tyler, American musicologist and author (b. 1940)

Holidays and observances[link]

• Christian Feast Day:
  • Alexander Nevsky (Repose, Russian Orthodox Church)
  • Columbanus
  • Felicitas of Rome
  • Pope Clement I (Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, and the Lutheran Church)
  • November 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

• Earliest day on which Black Friday can fall, while November 29 is the latest; observed on the day after Thanksgiving. (United States), and its related observances:
• Feast of Qawl (Speech) – The first day of the 14th month of the Bahá'í calendar. (Bahá'í Faith)
• Labour Thanksgiving Day (Japan)
• Rudolf Maister Day (Slovenia)
• St George's Day or Giorgoba (Georgia)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: November 23

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

Kanye West
West at the SWU Music & Arts Festival, 2011
Background information
Birth name	Kanye Omari West
Born	(1977-06-08) June 8, 1977 (age 35) Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, film director, fashion designer
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, sampler, percussion, synthesizer
Years active	1996–present
Labels	GOOD Music, Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Associated acts	Go Getters, Child Rebel Soldier, Jay-Z, The Throne, Common, John Legend, Kid Cudi, Rihanna, Jeff Bhasker, Pusha T, Mos Def, Mr Hudson, Talib Kweli, Big Sean, A-Trak, Pharrell, Lupe Fiasco, RZA
Website	kanyewest.com

Kanye Omari West ( /ˈkɑːnjeɪ/; born June 8, 1977)^[1] is an American musician, film director and fashion designer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Janet Jackson. His style of production originally used pitched-up vocal samples from soul songs incorporated with his own drums and instruments. However, subsequent productions saw him broadening his musical palette and expressing influences encompassing '70s R&B, baroque pop, trip hop, arena rock, folk, alternative, electronica, synthpop, and classical music.^[2]

West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008, and his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010. West released a collaborative album, Watch the Throne with Jay-Z in 2011, which is the duo's first collaborative album. His five solo albums, all of which have gone platinum, have received numerous awards and critical acclaim.^[3] As of 2012, West has won a total of eighteen Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all-time.^[4] All albums have been very commercially successful, with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy becoming his fourth consecutive No. 1 album in the U.S. upon release.^[5] West has had 5 songs exceed 3 million in digital sales as of July 2011, with "Gold Digger" selling 3,086,000, "Stronger" selling 4,402,000, "Heartless" selling 3,742,000, "E.T." selling over 4,000,000 and "Love Lockdown" selling over 3,000,000^[6][7] placing him third in overall digital sales of the past decade.^[8][9] He has sold over 30 million digital songs in the United States making him one of the best-selling digital artists of all-time.^[10]

West also runs his own record label GOOD Music, home to artists such as John Legend, Common and Kid Cudi.^[11] West's mascot and trademark is "Dropout Bear," a teddy bear which has appeared on the covers of three of his five solo albums as well as various single covers and in his music videos.^[12] About.com ranked Kanye West No. 8 on their "Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers" list.^[13] On May 16, 2008, Kanye West was crowned by MTV as the year's No. 1 "Hottest MC in the Game."^[14] On December 17, 2010, Kanye West was voted as the MTV Man of the Year by MTV.^[15] Billboard ranked Kanye West No. 3 on their list of Top 10 Producers of the Decade.^[16] West has also been included in the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world as well as being listed in a number of Forbes' annual lists.^[17]

Kanye will release the full-length album entitled Cruel Summer with GOOD Music signed artists sometime in 2012.

Early life[link]

Kanye West was born in Atlanta, Georgia,^[18] where he lived with his parents. When he was three years old, his parents divorced, and he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois.^[19] 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.^[19] West's mother, Dr. Donda West, was a Professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as West's manager. He was raised in a middle-class background, attending Polaris High School^[20] in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago.^[21] When asked about his grades in high school, West replied, "I got A's and B's. And I'm not even frontin'".^[22]

West attended art classes at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, and also enrolled at Chicago State University, but dropped out to focus on his music career.^[23] While attending school, West produced for local artists. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for major hip hop/R&B artists, including Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Cam'ron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, John Legend among others. He also "ghost-produced" for his mentor Deric Angelettie, according to his song "Last Call" and the credits of Nas' "Poppa Was a Playa".^[23]

Music career[link]

1996–2003: Career beginnings[link]

Kanye West's first career productions came on Chicago rapper Grav's 1996 debut album Down to Earth. West produced eight tracks on the album. While the album did not attract much attention and would be the only album released by Grav, West would soon be producing for higher profile artists. In 1998–1999 he produced for well-known artists such as Jermaine Dupri, Foxy Brown, Goodie Mob, and the group Harlem World.

West got his big break in the year 2000, when he began to produce for artists on Roc-a-Fella Records. He produced the well-received Jay-Z song "This Can't Be Life" off of the album The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West would later state that to create the beat for "This Can't Be Life", he sped up the drum beat from Dr. Dre's song "Xxplosive".^[24]

After producing for Jay-Z earlier, West’s sound was featured heavily on Jay-Z's critically acclaimed album The Blueprint, released September 11, 2001.^[25] His work was featured on the lead single "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)", "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" and a diss track against Nas and Mobb Deep named "Takeover"; West has worked with Mobb Deep and Nas since the track's release.^[25]

After meeting great commercial success and critical acclaim for his productions on The Blueprint, West became a sought after producer in the hip-hop industry, even before he became known as a rapper and solo artist. In the years 2002–2003 he would produce for artists such as Nas, Scarface, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, T.I., Ludacris, DMX, and Monica. He also continued producing for Roc-a-Fella Records artists and contribued four tracks to Jay-Z's follow up album to The Blueprint, The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse.

After great successes as a producer, West now looked to pursue a career as a rapper and solo artist, but struggled to get a record deal. Chris Anokute, then A&R at Def Jam, said that when West regularly dropped by the office to pick up his producer checks he would play demos of solo material to Anokute in his cubicle and bemoan the fact that no one was taking him seriously as a rapper.^[26] Jay-Z admitted that Roc-A-Fella was initially reluctant to support West as a rapper, claiming that he saw him as a producer first and foremost.^[27] Multiple record companies felt he was not as marketable as rappers who portray the "street image" prominent in hip hop culture.^[24] Beginning his career as a rapper, Kanye West recorded the third verse on the song "The Bounce" off of Jay-Z's The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse, an album he produced for, from the same label he was signed to as a rapper.

[edit] 2004–05: The College Dropout and Late Registration

On October 23, 2002, West was involved in a near fatal car crash while driving home from the recording studio.^[28] The crash provided inspiration for West's first single, "Through the Wire".^[29] West's faith is apparent in many of his songs, such as "Jesus Walks", which became a staple at his benefit performances, such as the Live 8 concert. These songs were featured on West's debut album, The College Dropout, which was released on Roc-A-Fella Records in February 2004, and went on to receive critical acclaim. The album also defined the style for which West would become known, including wordplay and sampling.^[29] The album was eventually certified triple platinum. Guest appearances included Jay-Z, Ludacris, GLC, Consequence, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Common, and Syleena Johnson. The album also featured the singles, "All Falls Down" and "The New Workout Plan", as well as Twista's number one single, "Slow Jamz".^[30] During 2003 West also co-produced songs for British singer Javine Hylton, even appearing in the music video to Real Things playing the love interest of Javine.

West was involved in a financial dispute over Royce Da 5'9"'s song "Heartbeat", produced by West and released on Build & Destroy: The Lost Sessions. West maintains that Royce never paid for the beat, but recorded to it and released it; hearing him on the beat, the original customers decided not to buy it from West. After the disagreement, West vowed to never work with Royce again.^[31] Other Kanye West-produced hit singles during the period The College Dropout was released included "I Changed My Mind" by Keyshia Cole, "Overnight Celebrity" by Twista and "Talk About Our Love" by Brandy.^[29]

West and Jamie Foxx performing "Gold Digger" at the Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado

Taking a more eclectic route, West collaborated with American film score composer Jon Brion to construct his second album, Late Registration, which was released on August 30, 2005.^[32] Like its predecessor, the sophomore effort garnered universal acclaim from music critics.^[33] Late Registration topped countless critic polls and was revered as the best album of the year by numerous publications, including USA Today, Spin, and Time.^[34][35] Rolling Stone awarded the album the highest position on their end of the year record list and hailed it as a "sweepingly generous, absurdly virtuosic hip-hop classic."^[36] The record earned the number one spot on the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll of 2005 for the second consecutive year.^[37] Late Registration was also a commercial success, selling over 860,000 copies in its first week alone and topping the Billboard 200.^[38] Grossing over 2.3 million units sold in the United States alone by year's end, Late Registration was considered by industry observers as the sole majorly successful album release of the fall of 2005, a season that was plagued by steadily declining CD sales.^[39] The second album earned eight Grammy Award nominations including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for the song "Gold Digger".^[40] The album is certified triple platinum.^[41]

On August 22, 2005, the MTV special All Eyes On Kanye West aired, in which West spoke out against homophobia in hip-hop. He claimed that hip-hop has always been about "speaking your mind and about breaking down barriers, but everyone in hip-hop discriminates against gay people."^[42] He then reflected on a personal experience. He said that he had a "turning point" when he realized one of his cousins was gay. He said regarding this experience: "This is my cousin. I love him and I've been discriminating against gays." He drew comparison between African Americans' struggle for civil rights and today's gay rights movement. The following year, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, West further expounded his experiences with and views on the relationship between the black and gay communities.^[43]

In September 2005, West announced that he would release his Pastelle Clothing line in spring 2006:^[44] "Now that I have a Grammy under my belt and Late Registration is finished, I am ready to launch my clothing line next spring." In that year, West produced the hit singles "Go" by Common and "Dreams" by The Game.^[45]

[edit] 2007–09: Graduation and 808s & Heartbreak

West performing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 2007.

In 2007, it was announced that West would be starring in a series directed by Larry Charles. He has been working on the pilot episode for the past two years with Larry Charles and Rick Rubin. He also had this to say on January 14: "I wouldn't do something as cliché as a reality show. At least give me the credit for being more creative than that. It's a situational half-hour comedy. It's fictional, and loosely based on my life.^[46] " West also collaborated with Japanese hip-hop group Teriyaki Boyz to produce the single "I Still Love H.E.R.", a reference to Common's 1994 single "I Used to Love H.E.R.". Further to this, during a radio appearance in early 2007, West, like many of his peers, recorded an impromptu freestyle to the popular song "Throw Some D's." The song that to all other rappers was about automobile rims, was used by West to comically refer to D-cup breasts. Because of the unexpected success of the song, West went on to make a video for the freestyle, in which he is seen playing his 'Old Ass Cousin'.^[47]

West was also featured in a new song called "Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been)". It was believed to be a single for, Graduation, because he is featured on the track, but Nike quickly explained that it was for the Nike Air Force 1's anniversary. It was meant only to be an exclusive track for the company.^[48]

On March 25, 2007, he and his father Ray West supported World Water Day by having a "Walk for Water" rally.^[49] After a two-year break, West has returned to being a fashion columnist in lifestyle magazine Complex.^[50] On July 7, 2007, West performed with The Police and John Mayer at the American leg of Live Earth.^[51] West hosted the August 17 edition of British comedy- variety show The Friday Night Project.^[52]

In July 2007, West changed the release date of Graduation, his third album, from September 18, 2007, to the same release date as 50 Cent's album Curtis, September 11, 2007.^[53] 50 Cent later claimed that if Graduation were to sell more records than Curtis, he would stop releasing solo albums. However, 50 Cent would later dispel his comments.^[54] The album has been certified double platinum. Guest appearances included T-Pain, Mos Def, and Lil Wayne.^[55]

On August 26, 2007, West appeared as himself on the HBO television show Entourage which he used as a platform to premier his new single "Good Life" during the end credits. On September 9, 2007, West performed at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, losing in every category he was nominated for; he gave an angry speech immediately afterward. (see "Controversies" section)

Following the MTV stint, West was nominated in eight Grammy Award categories for the 50th annual Grammy Awards.^[57] He won four of them,^[58] including Best Rap Album for Graduation and Best Rap Solo Performance for "Stronger" from Graduation. During the four-hour televised Grammy Awards ceremony, West also performed two songs: "Stronger" (with Daft Punk) and "Hey Mama" (in honor of his recently deceased mother).^[59]

West kicked off the Glow in the Dark Tour in Seattle at the Key Arena on April 16. The tour was originally scheduled to end in June in Cincinnati but was extended into August. Over the course of the tour West was joined by a varying group of opening acts, including Lupe Fiasco, Rihanna, N.E.R.D., DJ Craze, and Gnarls Barkley. On June 15, West was scheduled to perform a late night set at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. His performance started almost two hours late and ran for half of its alloted time, angering many fans in the audience. West later wrote an outraged entry on his blog, blaming the festival organizers as well as Pearl Jam's preceding set, which ran longer than expected.

On September 7, West debuted a new song "Love Lockdown" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. "Love Lockdown" features no rapping and only singing using an auto-tune device. This song appears on West's fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak. The new album was expected to be released on December 16, but West announced on his blog on September 24, 2008, that he had finished the album and would be releasing it sometime in November, earlier than previously scheduled. In early October, West made a surprise appearance at a T.I. concert in Los Angeles, where he stated that 808s & Heartbreak was scheduled to be released on November 25, though it was actually released on the 24th, and that the second single is "Heartless". The album was another number one album for West, even though the first week numbers fell well short of Graduation with 450,145 sold.^[60]

West performing in 2008

West performed at the American Music Awards ceremony on November 23.^[61] That same night he won two AMA awards, including Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for Graduation and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist. West performed at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August 2008, along with Wyclef Jean and N.E.R.D. in support of Barack Obama. On January 20, 2009, Kanye West performed at the Youth Inaugural Ball hosted by MTV for Obama's inauguration.

On February 17, 2009, West was named one of Top 10 Most Stylish Men in America by GQ.^[62] The next day, February 18, 2009, West won International Male Solo Artist at The Brit Awards 2009. West was not in attendance but accepted his award with a video speech, saying "Barack is the 'Best Interracial Male' but I'm proud to be the Best International Male in the world.^[63]

In April 2009, Kanye West recorded a song called "Hurricane" with 30 Seconds to Mars to appear on their album This Is War, but was not released due to legal issues with both record companies. The song was eventually released on the deluxe version of This Is War, titled "Hurricane 2.0".^[64][65][66]

[edit] 2010–present: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Watch the Throne

West performing at The Big Chill

In May 2010, West made an animated television guest appearance on Fox's animated television series The Cleveland Show (a spin-off of Family Guy) as the voice behind "Kenny West", a rival of Cleveland Brown's son.^[67] In his first episode he performed in a rap battle with Cleveland's son. The producers stated working with West was a very good experience and a reason they chose him was because they knew he was a fan of Family Guy.^[68] Kenny West re-appeared in the season 2 premiere of The Cleveland Show.

West spent the first half of 2010 in Honolulu, Hawaii, working on his new album with the working title "Good Ass Job", later named My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, released on November 22, 2010.^[69] West has cited Maya Angelou, Gil Scott-Heron and Nina Simone as his musical inspirations for this album. Outside production is said to come from RZA, Q-Tip, Pete Rock, and DJ Premier.^[70][71] West also had Justin Vernon flown into his studio on Oahu after seemingly expressing interest in sampling one of Bon Iver's songs; Vernon proceeded to feature on a number of new tracks, including "Lost In The World," which features Vernon's vocal line from Woods.^[72]

On May 28, the Dwele-assisted first single from the album, entitled "Power", leaked to the Internet. On June 30, the track was officially released via iTunes. The upcoming music video was quoted as being "apocalyptic, in a very personal way" by the director Marco Brambilla.^[73]

On September 12, 2010, West performed a new song, "Runaway" featuring Pusha T, at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.^[74] Shortly after the performance, Kanye revealed he was working on a 35 minute short film based around the song. The movie is said to be influenced by film noir and concerns a fallen phoenix whom Kanye falls in love with.^[75] On October 15, 2010, Kanye West was ranked 3rd in BET's "Top Ten Rappers of the 21st Century" list.^[76]

West performing at a benefit at the Museum of Modern Art in 2011

Watch the Throne, a collaborative studio album by West and Jay-Z,^[77] was released by Def Jam Recordings on August 8, 2011.^[78] It has been under production since August 2010 as part of West's GOOD Friday initiative of releasing new songs every Friday between August 20 and Christmas 2010.^[79] West said through a recent interview with MTV that the album is "going to be very dark and sexy, like couture hip hop."^[79][80][81] He appeared at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, performing the track "Lost in the World" from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.^[82] On January 6, 2011, Kanye announced via Twitter that the first official single from Watch the Throne would be a song called "H•A•M" produced by Lex Luger. The song was released on January 11, 2011.^[83]

On April 17, 2011, West closed the Coachella Festival with a headlining set that received glowing praise from fans and critics alike.^[84][85] On July 20, a track titled "Otis" from the album was released in the iTunes Store. It samples "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding.^[86] On October 19, 2011, via his Twitter, West announced plans for a Spring 2012 GOOD Music album release.^[87] On April 6, 2012, "Mercy", the lead single from the GOOD Music compilation album, Cruel Summer, was released.^[88] The song, produced by newly signed in-house producer Lifted, features West along with Big Sean, Pusha T and southern rapper 2 Chainz.^[89]

Other ventures[link]

Business ventures[link]

In August 2008, West revealed plans to open 10 Fatburger restaurants in the Chicago area; the first was set to open in September 2008 in Orland Park. The second followed in January 2009, while a third location is yet to be revealed, although the process is being finalized. His company, KW Foods LLC, bought the rights to the chain in Chicago.^[90] Additionally, West planned to launch his fashion career, and applied for internships with major European fashion houses.^[91] He was due to release his own clothing line called Past Tell in 2009. He also collaborated with Nike to release his own shoe, Air Yeezys.

On January 22, 2009, during Paris Fashion Week, West introduced his first shoe line designed for Louis Vuitton. The line was released in summer 2009.

On October 1, 2011, Kanye West premiered his women's fashion label, DW Kanye West^[92] at Paris Fashion Week. He received support from DSquared2 duo Dean and Dan Caten, Olivier Theyskens, Jeremy Scott, Azzedine Alaïa, and the Olsen twins, who were also in attendance during his show. His debut fashion show received mixed-to-negative reviews,^[93][94] ranging from reserved observations by Style.com^[95] to excoriating commentary by The Wall Street Journal,^[96] the New York Times,^[97] the International Herald Tribune, Elleuk.com, The Daily Telegraph, Harper's Bazaar and many others.^{[98][99][100]}

Philanthropy[link]

West started the "Kanye West Foundation" in Chicago in 2003. On August 24, 2007, West hosted the inaugural benefit concert to launch the foundation's partnership with Strong American Schools. It is focused on helping Latino and African American children stay in school and continue education through grade school, high school, and college. The foundation also helps children pursue music in school. West has contributed over $500,000 to his foundation. The foundation has also been called the "Donda West Foundation".

Kanye West has appeared and participated in many fundraisers, benefit concerts, and has done community work for Hurricane Katrina relief, the Kanye West Foundation, the Millions More Movement, 100 Black Men of America, a Live Earth concert benefit, World Water Day rally and march, Nike runs, and a MTV special helping young Iraq War veterans who struggle through debt and PTSD a second chance after returning home.^[101]

Musical style and influences[link]

West working in the studio with his mentor No I.D. (left)

At the start of his career, Kanye West's production style often used pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments.^[25] His first major release featuring his trademark vocal sampling style was "This Can't Be Life", a track from Jay-Z’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dre's "Xxplosive" to use as a replacement for his drums on "This Can't Be Life".^[24]

West has said that Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA influenced him in his style,^[21][102] and has said on numerous occasions that Wu-Tang rappers Ghostface Killah and Ol' Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites, "Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time... We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that."^[103] RZA himself has spoken quite positively of the comparisons, stating in an interview for Rolling Stone, "All good. I got super respect for Kanye. He came up to me about a year or two ago. He gave me mad praising and blessings... For people to say Wu-Tang inspire Kanye, Kanye is one of the biggest artists in the world. That goes back to what we say: 'Wu-Tang is forever.' Kanye is going to inspire people to be like him."^[104] After hearing his work on The Blueprint, RZA claimed that a torch-passing had occurred between him and West, saying, "The shoes gotta be filled. If you ain't gonna do it, somebody else is gonna do it. That's how I feel about rap today."^[104]

West accompanied by an eleven-piece chamber orchestra

While his use of sampling has lessened over time, West's production continues to feature distinctive and intricate string arrangements. This characteristic arose from him listening to the English trip hop group Portishead, whose 1998 live album Roseland NYC Live, with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra inspired him to incorporate string sections into his hip hop production.^[2] Though he was unable to afford live instruments beyond violin riffs provided by Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari around the time of his debut album, its subsequent commercial success allowed him to hire his very own eleven-piece string orchestra. For a time, West stood as the sole current pop star to tour with a string section.^[2]

West has stated on several occasions that outside of work, he favors listening to rock music over hip-hop. He cites Franz Ferdinand, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Killers as some of his favorite musical groups. Additionally, on Graduation, West drew inspiration from arena rock bands such as U2, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin for melody and chord progression.^[105] Both a fan and supporter of indie culture, West uses his official website to promote obscure indie rock bands, posting up music videos and mp3s on a daily basis.^[106] This musical affinity is mutual, as West has collaborated with indie artists such as Santigold, Peter Bjorn and John, and Lykke Li while his songs have gone on to be covered countless times by myriad rock bands.^[107]

Personal life[link]

Relationships[link]

Kanye West and designer Alexis Phifer ended their 18-month engagement in 2008. The couple had been dating on and off since 2002, with West eventually proposing in August 2006. According to a friend, the couple's relationship had become increasingly strained, burdened by the sheer amount of time and attention West was dedicating to his current concert tour. "It's always sad when things like this end, and we remain friends," Phifer told People.^[108]

West was also in a high profile on/off relationship with Amber Rose from 2008 until the summer of 2010. He is now reportedly dating reality star Kim Kardashian.^[109]

Mother's death[link]

Donda West in August 2007

On November 10, 2007, West's mother, Donda West, died of complications from cosmetic surgery involving abdominoplasty and breast reduction.^[110] TMZ reported that Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Andre Aboolian refused to do the surgery because Donda West had a health condition that placed her at risk for a heart attack.^[110] Aboolian referred her to an internist to investigate her cardiac issue.^[110] Donda never met with the doctor recommended by Aboolian and had the procedures performed by a third doctor, Jan Adams.^[110] She was 58 years old (1949–2007).

Adams sent condolences to Donda West's family but declined to publicly discuss the procedure because of confidentiality.^[111] He had previously been under scrutiny by the medical board.^{[112][113][114]} Adams appeared on Larry King Live on November 20, 2007 but left before speaking. Two days later, he appeared again, with his attorney, stating he was there to "defend himself." He said that the recently released autopsy results "spoke for themselves".^[115] The final coroner's report January 10, 2008 concluded that Donda West died of "coronary artery disease and multiple post-operative factors due to or as a consequence of liposuction and mammoplasty."^[116]

The funeral and burial for Donda West was held in Oklahoma City on November 20, 2007.^[117] West held his first concert following the funeral at The O2 in London on November 22. He dedicated a performance of "Hey Mama", as well as a cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", to his mother, and did so on all other dates of his Glow in the Dark tour.^[118]

At a December 2008 press conference in New Zealand, West spoke about his mother's death for the first time. "It was like losing an arm and a leg and trying to walk through that," he told reporters.^[119]

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger passed the "Donda West Law," a legislation which makes it mandatory for patients to provide medical clearance for elective cosmetic surgery.^[120]

Legal issues[link]

In December 2006, Robert "Evel" Knievel sued West for trademark infringement in West's video for "Touch the Sky." Knievel took issue with a "sexually charged video" in which West takes on the persona of "Evel Kanyevel" and attempts flying a rocket over a canyon. The suit filed in federal court claims infringement on his trademarked name and likeness. Knievel also claims the "vulgar and offensive" images depicted in the video damage his reputation. The suit seeks damages and to stop distribution of the video.^[121] West's attorneys argued that the music video amounted to satire and therefore was covered under the First Amendment. Just days before his death in November 2007, Knievel amicably settled the suit after being paid a visit from West, saying, "I thought he was a wonderful guy and quite a gentleman."^[122]

On September 11, 2008, West and his road manager/bodyguard Don "Don C." Crowley were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport and booked on charges of felony vandalism after an altercation with the paparazzi in which West and Crowley broke the photographers' cameras.^[123][124] West was later released from the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division station in Culver City on $20,000 bail bond. On September 26, 2008 the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said it would not file felony counts against West over the incident. Instead the case file was forwarded to the city attorney's office, which charged West with one count of misdemeanor vandalism, one count of grand theft and one count of battery and his manager with three counts of each on March 18, 2009.^[125] West's and Crowley's arraignment was delayed from an original date of April 14, 2009.^[126]

West was arrested again on November 14, 2008 at the Hilton hotel near Gateshead after another scuffle involving a photographer outside the famous Tup Tup Palace nightclub in Newcastle Upon Tyne. He was later released "with no further action", according to a police spokesperson.^[127]

Controversies[link]

General media[link]

West has had several controversies throughout his career. On September 2, 2005, during a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina relief on NBC, A Concert for Hurricane Relief, West was a featured speaker. When West was presenting alongside actor Mike Myers, he deviated from the prepared script. Myers spoke next and continued to read the script. Once it was West's turn to speak again, he said "George Bush doesn't care about black people." At this point, telethon producer Rick Kaplan cut off the microphone and then cut away to Chris Tucker, who was unaware of the cut for a few seconds. Still, West's comment reached much of the United States.^[128][129] Bush stated in an interview that the comment was "one of the most disgusting moments” of his presidency.^[130]

In January 2006, West again sparked controversy when he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in the image of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns.^[131]

In November, 2010, in a taped interview with Matt Lauer for the Today Show, West expressed regret for his criticism of Bush. "I would tell George Bush in my moment of frustration, I didn't have the grounds to call him a racist," he told Lauer. "I believe that in a situation of high emotion like that we as human beings don't always choose the right words." The following day, Bush reacted to the apology in a live interview with Lauer saying he appreciated the rapper's remorse. "I'm not a hater," Bush said. "I don't hate Kanye West. I was talking about an environment in which people were willing to say things that hurt. Nobody wants to be called a racist if in your heart you believe in equality of races."

Reactions were mixed, but some felt that West had no need to apologize. "It was not the particulars of your words that mattered, it was the essence of a feeling of the insensitivity towards our communities that many of us have felt for far too long," noted Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons.^[132] Dr. Boyce Watkins said that West was, "now part of the establishment, where waffling on your principles is fully expected. Bush deserved no apology, for you don’t apologize to a criminal after repudiating him for an egregious crime.^[133] " Bush himself was receptive to the apology, saying, "I appreciate that. It wasn't just Kanye West who was talking like that during Katrina, I cited him as an example, I cited others as an example as well. You know, I appreciate that."^[134]

Award shows[link]

In 2004, West had his first of a number of incidents involving music award events. At the American Music Awards of 2004, West stormed out of the auditorium after losing Best New Artist to country singer Gretchen Wilson. He later commented, "I felt like I was definitely robbed [...] I was the best new artist this year."^[135] After the 2006 Grammy nominations were released, West said he would "really have a problem" if he did not win the Album of the Year, saying, "I don't care what I do, I don't care how much I stunt – you can never take away from the amount of work I put into it. I don't want to hear all of that politically correct stuff."^[136] On November 2, 2006, when his "Touch the Sky" failed to win Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards, West went onto the stage as the award was being presented to Justice and Simian for "We Are Your Friends" and argued that he should have won the award instead.^[137][138] Hundreds of news outlets worldwide criticized the outburst. On November 7, 2006, West apologized for this outburst publicly during his performance as support act for U2 for their Vertigo concert in Brisbane.^[139] He later spoofed the incident in the season premiere of Saturday Night Live.

On September 9, 2007, West suggested that his race had to do with his being overlooked for opening the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in favor of Britney Spears; he claimed, "Maybe my skin’s not right."^[140] West was performing at the event; that night, he lost all 5 awards that he was nominated for, including Best Male Artist and Video of the Year. After the show, he was visibly upset that he had lost at the VMAs two years in a row, stating that he would not come back to MTV ever again. He also appeared on several radio stations saying that when he made the song "Stronger" that it was his dream to open the VMAs with it. He has also stated that Spears has not had a hit in a long period of time and that MTV exploited her for ratings.^[141]

On September 13, 2009, during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards while Taylor Swift was accepting her award for Best Female Video for "You Belong with Me", West went on stage and grabbed the microphone to proclaim that Beyoncé's video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", nominated for the same award, was "one of the best videos of all time". He was subsequently removed from the remainder of the show for his actions.^{[142][143][144]} When Beyoncé later won the award for Best Video of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", she called Swift up on stage so that she could finish her acceptance speech.^[142] West was criticized by various celebrities for the outburst,^{[143][145][146][147][148]} and by President Barack Obama, who called West a "jackass".^{[149][150][151][152][153]} In addition, West's VMA disruption sparked a large influx of Internet photo memes with blogs, forums and "tweets" with the "Let you finish" photo-jokes.^[154] Subsequently, West posted two apologies for the outburst on his personal blog; one on the night of the incident and the other the same day he appeared on The Jay Leno Show, on September 14, 2009, where he apologized again.^[146][155] After Swift appeared on The View two days after the outburst, partly to discuss the matter, West called her to apologize personally. Swift said she accepted his apology.^{[156][157][158]} In September 2010, West wrote a series of apologetic tweets addressed to Swift including "Beyonce didn't need that. MTV didn't need that and Taylor and her family friends and fans definitely didn't want or need that" and concluding with "I'm sorry Taylor." West also revealed he had written a song for Swift and if she did not accept the song, he would perform it himself.^[159] However, on November 8, 2010, in an interview with a Minnesota radio station, West seemed to recant a bit of his past apologies by attempting to describe the act at the 2009 awards show as "selfless" and downgrade the perception of disrespect it created.^[160][161]

Discography[link]

Solo Albums

• The College Dropout (2004)
• Late Registration (2005)
• Graduation (2007)
• 808s & Heartbreak (2008)
• My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

Collaborations

• Watch the Throne (2011) – with Jay-Z
• Cruel Summer (2012) – with GOOD Music artists^[87]

Filmography[link]

• We Were Once a Fairytale (2009)
• Runaway (2010)
• Cruel Summer (2012)

Awards and nominations[link]

Kanye West portal

References[link]