Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo (popularly known as D'banj, born June 9, 1980), is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and harmonica player. He has won several music awards including the awards for Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007,^[1] Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009.^[2] and BET Awards of 2011 for Best International Act; Africa. He adopted the stage name D'banj, a combination of his first name Dapo and his surname Oyebanjo.^[1]. D'banj is currently best known internationally for his 2012 summer hit Oliver Twist, an uptempo dance fusion of Afro-Beats, R&B and electronic dance music that topped the African charts 2011 and was a top 10 hit in the UK singles chart in 2012 reaching #2 on the UK R&B chart.

Childhood[link]

D'banj was born in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria to a military officer who commanded an artillery regiment and a church dignitary mother who hailed from Shagamu in Ogun State. Due to his father's profession he moved several times within Nigeria and later moved to England. D'banj was expected to follow his father's military career and was enrolled to the Nigerian Military School at age eleven. However, D'banj resisted the system and disenrolled from the school after three years. While at the Military school he was a member of the elite drum corp of the Nigerian Army. From the Nigerian Military School he proceeded to another military owned institution Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ibara, Abeokuta where he completed his secondary school education.^[3]

Musical beginning[link]

D'banj was introduced to the harmonica by his late older brother, Femi Oyebanjo, who died in a plane crash at age seventeen.^[3] With D'banj's love for music being greater than his parents' military aspirations, he struggled for his parents' approval; this can be best heard through an album track, All Da Way from his debut album.^[1]

BET Interview[link]

In April, 2011, D'banj was interviewed by BET's April Woodard. The interview titled 'Welcome to America'^[4] was a platform for D'banj to introduce himself to the American Music Industry and audience which he stated he was going to get into. In the interview, D'banj spoke on a wide range of topics including his music, artists he'd like to work with, his parents, Mo'Hits Records, his love life, and his role models: Kanye West, Usher, Jay-Z, R. Kelly, and others. The interview lasted 125 minutes.

Music career[link]

As a tribute to his mentor Fela, D'banj brings Afrobeat to life and into the 21st century with breathless enthusiasm as well as a good dose of humour. His songs are based on his life, often hilarious but with a deeper meaning which documents the struggle of a young African trying to achieve his dreams. He performs in Yoruba, English and Pidgin English. All his albums are solely produced by Don Jazzy and himself.

[edit] 2005: No Long Thing

D'banj's debut album, No Long Thing, was released in 2005, yielding several singles, with Tongolo as the lead single. This proved to be his breakthrough single and a hit. It also provided his Koko Master persona, with the term, koko, taking on a variety of meanings. D'banj's debut success led to collaborations with other artists, this includes Dare Art-Alade's album track, Escalade Part 2 and Ikechukwu's album

[edit] 2006: Rundown Funk U Up

D'banj's second album, Rundown Funk U Up, which was released in 2006, yielded several singles including the club single, Tongolo (Remix) and the lead single, Why Me?. This proved to be another hit.

[edit] 2007-2008: Curriculum Vitae & The Entertainer

D'banj, as an artist of Mo' Hits Records, is also a member of its collective group, Mo' Hits Allstars (includes artists Dr SID, Wande Coal, k-Switch and D'prince). He has once been spotted with one of Nigeria's most talented singers, "Smile Lasisi". The collective's debut album, Curriculum Vitae, was released in December 2007. It included hit singles, "Be Close To You", "Booty Call" and "Move Your Body", which was the lead single. D'banj was featured in Ikechukwu's 2008 hit, "Wind Am Well".

July 2008 saw the release of D'banj's third album, The Entertainer,^[5] with the singles "Gbono Feli Feli", "Kimon", "Olorun Maje" and "Entertainer".

Mo'Hits/ G.O.O.D. Music[link]

In June 2011, D'banj along with his producer Don Jazzy of the Nigerian record label, MoHits Records, were both signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D Music record label as artiste and producer respectively. On June 9, 2011, D'banj wrote on his twitter account, @iamdbanj, "Just like yesterday, myself and my brother did Tongolo. 7 years later, Mo'Hits signs with GOOD Music. Best Birthday gift ever. God thank you."^[6]

Live performances[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2010)

D'banj is an energetic,cool.brave hardworking charismatic and infectious live performer. He is a regular performer for the annual ThisDay Africa Rising Music Festival. He has performed at Femi Kuti’s new Afrikan Shrine in Lagos as well as the Shrine Synchro System’s regular London Night at Cargo. He performed at the Black President Concert in memory of Fela’s art and legacy at the Barbican in London, and also alongside many international artists in Nigeria like Kelly Rowland at the 1st Edition of the MTV Africa Music Awards 2008 in Abuja, Nigeria. He was involved in one of the most anticipated events of the season ‘Koko Concert‘. This concert consisted of D’Banj, Don Jazzy, Dr. SID, Wande Coal, D’Prince, new Mo Hits recruit Ikechukwu plus a few guest appearances including May7ven and comedian Tunde Ednut. The stage was set for a thrilling night – the Koko effect is definitely LIVE in London as fans of D’Banj and Mo’ Hits filled the O2 arena to capacity. As expected, the hits just kept coming and the momentum was sustained with on-stage antics from all the artists. In December, 2010, the Mo' Hits All Stars brought Koko Concert to Lagos^[7] and D'banj kept belting out energetic performances that kept the audience screaming till they were hoarse. Colleagues like M.I, eLDee, Jesse Jags, Wizkid also joined up on stage. There was also a global premiere of the highly anticipated Mr Endowed remix ft Snoop Dogg.

Humanitarian work[link]

D'banj is a founder of Koko Foundation for Youth and Peace Development. He is also Nigeria's first United Nations Youth Ambassador for Peace.^[8]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

Featured singles[link]

Awards[link]

Won

• Most Promising Male Artist (KORA All African Awards 2005)^[10]
• Hip Hop World Revelation (HIP HOP WORLD AWARDS 2006 hosted by Hip Hop World Magazine)^[11]
• Artist of the year (Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) 2006)^[12]
• Best Newcomer - Tongolo (fizz Awards 2006)^[13]
• Best African Act (MTV Europe Music Awards 2007)
• Hottest Single of the year "Why me" (NEA Awards 2007)^[14]
• 2007 Channel O Music Video Awards - Best Special Effects (“Why Me”)^[15]
• Artist of the Year (MTV Africa Music Awards 2008)^[16]
• Best Male (MTV Africa Music Awards 2008)^[16]
• Listeners Choice (MTV Africa Music Awards 2008)
• Artist of the Year (MTV Africa Music Awards 2009)^[17]
• Best International Act:Africa (BET Awards 2011)^[18]

Nominated

• Best Newcomer - Tongolo (Channel O African Music Video Awards 2006)^[19]
• Best West African - Tongolo (Channel O African Music Video Awards 2006)^[19]
• Best African Act - MOBO Awards 2007
• Best African Act - MOBO Awards 2008
• Best Live Performer - MTV Africa Music Awards 2009^[20]
• Best Male (MTV Africa Music Awards 2009)^[21]
• Best Performer (MTV Africa Music Awards 2009)^[21]

See also[link]

• African hip hop
• Nigerian hip hop
• BET Awards of 2011

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Official Myspace Profile
• Bio

Naetochukwu Chikwe (born 17 December 1982), stage name Naeto C, is a Nigerian rapper, Afrobeat artist and record producer. He was born in Houston, Texas and is of Nigerian origin.^{[citation needed]}

Early life[link]

Naeto C's parents are [of the Igbo ethnic group in Owerri, Nigeria], Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland, Doctor Mrs. Kema Chikwe and Chief Herbert Chikwe. He spent his early years in that city, in a household very influenced by music. His fondness for music grew fast and was articulated into other creative art forms, most specifically poetry, which took him to various competitions and earned him accolades as a young poet. He attended the prestigious Atlantic Hall secondary school in Epe, Lagos.

University education[link]

After finishing his secondary education in Nigeria at Atlantic Hall, Lagos, he moved to the United States for higher education both in SUNY Old Westbury and a year later, George Washington University. It was at this time that he met Uzikwendu and his brother, Ikechukwu, who was then an aspiring hip-hop artist out of Washington Heights, New York. The trio went on to form the World Famous Akademy, a brotherhood of musicians. They planned to grow into an independent record label but could not get their hands on the proper funds. Naeto C graduated in 2004 from the George Washington University with a B Sc. in Biology, intending to go study further and become a medical doctor. After some deep self-searching he changed his mind and decided to pursue his dream and develop his talent as a musician. He graduated from the University of Dundee with a masters degree in Energy Studies, specializing in Energy Economics. ref>Dundee student's double life as international rap star revealed STV News, 7 June 2010</ref>

Music career[link]

Storm Records, (a record company based in Lagos, Nigeria) had been trying to sign the World Famous Akademy for some time, and since Naeto had decided to pursue his career as a musician he agreed along with the rest of the WFA. But they did not return to Nigeria until early 2006, when Ikechukwu released his debut album, Son Of the Soil. That album laid the grounds for Naeto C and the WFA. Working as an in-house producer with his newly discovered production team “ET-Quake” (consisting of TY Mix and VC Perez), Naeto was able to display his production skills working with Storm artists like Sasha, Dare Art-Alade, GT the Guitarman, Disconnect, Saro-Wiwa and Nkiru. Within a year of working with the aforementioned artists, Naeto had successfully recorded over 60 songs including his most recent album material (a bulk of which he co-produced with ET-Quake).

A notable production achievement is the "I Believe" song Naeto wrote and co-produced with VC Perez (member of ET-Quake), which features himself, an up and coming R&B/Gospel artist, Sheun and Hugh Masekela from South Africa. Within the same year Naeto garnered a lot of experience performing, from Ikechukwu’s album launch to Chanel O awards to the I Believe Tour to Always promo tour with Sasha and many more gigs, in preparation for the phenomenal MTN Homecoming Concert, headlined by a popular friend, Nigerian pop sensation, D’banj.

"Naeto C" has recorded over 50 songs for his debut with production that transcends today’s hip hop sound MO HIT RECORD, May 2008 From the Fela inspired “Lagos City Hustla” the most articulate reflection of Hip-Hop/Afro-beat till date to the down-south-melody-stricken first single “Sitting on Top”, Naeto C has broken all boundaries and surpassed more limits than any up and coming artist, lyrically and production wise according to MO HIT RECORD. His debut album You Know My "P" was released in May 2008.

CONTROVERSY

Nigerian rapper Naeto C went hard at a fan for criticising his performance on the 2011 BET Cypher of the BET Hip Hop Awards held at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, USA, on October 1st 2011

Nigeria took its turn at the 2011 BET Cypher of the Black Entertainment (BET) Hip Hop Awards when it was aired on BET international over the weekend.

Discography[link]

• 2008: U Know My "P"

• 2011: Super C Season

Awards and nominations[link]

Won - Best New Musician (MTV Africa Music Awards 2008) "Won" - Video Of The Year (Channel O Music Video Awards 2009)

Won- Best New Artist (MTV Africa Music Awards 2009)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Naeto C Supporters MySpace
• Storm 360 - The Entertainment Company

This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (December 2010)

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Scarface (1983 film)#Plot. (Discuss) Proposed since April 2011.

Antonio "Tony" Montana is a fictional character and the main character of the 1983 film Scarface. He is portrayed by Al Pacino in the movie, and is voiced by André Sogliuzzo in the 2006 video game Scarface: The World Is Yours. A prequel novel written by L.A. Banks, "Scarface: The Beginning", tells the tragic events that lead into the movie. Tony Montana has become a cultural icon and is one of the most famous movie characters of all time, embodying the rise from the bottom to the top. In 2008, Montana was named the 27th Greatest Movie Character by Empire Magazine.^[1] He is partly based on Tony Camonte, the main character of the 1932 movie of the same name. According to Oliver Stone, Tony's last name was inspired by former NFL quarterback, Joe Montana, Stone's favorite player. His net worth is $1 billion. A prequel novel of the same name was also written.

Overview[link]

[edit] Scarface (1983)

In May 1980, Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro opens Mariel Harbor in Mariel, Cuba allowing departing Cubans, former convicts, and criminals to emigrate to Miami, Florida on boats. Tony is one of the many 125,000 Cubans on the Mariel Boatlift to Miami, an estimated 25,000 of whom had a criminal record. When he gets to Miami, he is questioned by U.S. officials; he lies about his whole life, telling them that his entire family is dead or stayed behind in Cuba and that he was a "political prisoner". However, because of a tattoo on his left hand, which indicates that he was an assassin in prison, he is not granted a green card.

Tony and his friend Manolo "Manny" Ribera are sent to "Freedomtown," a refugee camp under I-95 that held Cuban immigrants without green cards. After one month in the camp, Frank Lopez, head of a Miami drug cartel, offers to obtain them green cards in return for murdering Emilio Rebenga. Soon after Rebenga arrives at the camp, Manny and his accomplices cause a riot, where Tony stabs Rebenga while rioting Cubans yell "Libertad".

Tony and Manny are granted green cards and released, and the two get jobs as dishwashers for a small food stand in Little Havana, Miami. In August 1980, after another month of working, they are approached by Omar Suarez, Frank Lopez's right-hand man who contacted Manny for the Rebenga hit. He offers Tony and Manny $500 each to work for Lopez to help unload 500 kilograms of marijuana from a boat from Mexico. Tony is unsatisfied with this offer and demands at least $1,000, which angers Omar and as he reaches his gun to murder Tony, he is stopped by his driver. Omar offers Tony a cocaine deal with Colombians instead, for $5,000 each, which Tony accepts.

A few days later, Tony, Manny, and two associates — Angel and Chi Chi, Cubans who also spent time in Freedomtown — drive to a small hotel in Miami Beach to meet with the Colombians for the deal. While Manny and Chi Chi wait in their car, Tony and Angel go to the hotel room to meet with the Colombians. The cocaine dealer, Hector "The Toad," says he doesn't have the cocaine with him; Tony replies that he doesn't have the money either. Suddenly, the deal goes bad and Angel and Tony are handcuffed to a shower pole at gunpoint by a couple of Colombian enforcers. Hector demands the money, implying that he plans to kill Tony instead of selling them the cocaine, but Tony refuses. Hector then murders Angel with a chainsaw. Manny — instructed to stay in the car with Chi Chi and come in case they don't return in ten minutes — and Chi Chi approach the hotel, and hear the commotion. Manny bursts through the door with a MAC-10 submachine gun. After a short gunfight in which Manny is shot in the arm, and Hector is killed by Tony along with Hector's associates, Tony, Manny, and Chi Chi escape with the cocaine and the money. Instead of allowing Omar to take the cocaine to Frank, however, Tony takes it to Frank personally. Frank and Tony take a liking to each other, but Tony later confides to Manny that Frank may be too "soft" to be a major player for long. Tony and Manny end up working under Frank in the drug dealing business. Meanwhile, Tony takes an interest in Frank's girlfriend, Elvira Hancock. Frank takes Tony, Manny, and his associates out to the Babylon Nightclub, a high-class venue that Frank frequents. Although Tony flirts with Elvira, she doesn't show any interest in him.

Three months later, Tony pays a visit to his mother Georgina and younger sister Gina, neither of whom he has seen for five years. Gina is excited to see Tony, but his mother is ashamed of him, having long ago learned of his life of crime. When he gives his mother $1,000 while claiming he is a community organizer and involved in running an "Anti-Castro" pamphlet group, his mother angrily rejects the gift and throws him out. Tony leaves, but Gina runs after him; he slips her the $1,000 secretly, and tells her to give a little to their mother from time to time.

Later, while in Bolivia, Tony and Omar are organizing smuggling to the United States with a major drug cartel lord Alejandro Sosa on behalf of Frank, who couldn't travel due to a pending criminal trial. Tony begins independently making major decisions about the distribution of the drugs through Panama, angering Omar, who believes only Frank has authority to make such decisions. Omar and Tony begin arguing over the matter, while Sosa offers Omar a quick helicopter ride back home to talk over the transaction with Frank. Sosa then orders his enforcer, the Skull, to hang and assassinate Omar, and explains to Tony that he was a police informant. However, Sosa believes that Tony is trustworthy and makes him one of his business partners, sternly warning Tony never to "fuck him" (betray him in any way). After returning to Florida, Tony is berated by Frank, who is angry about what happened to Omar, as well as Tony's new setup with Sosa. Frank warns Tony that Sosa is a traitor and cannot be trusted. Tony and Frank subsequently terminate their business relationship, while Tony begins making bolder passes at Elvira.

At the Babylon Nightclub, Tony is shaken down by a corrupt Miami narcotics detective Mel Bernstein, who informs him he has evidence linking Tony to the murders of Rebenga and the Colombian drug dealers. Bernstein then proposes to "tax" Tony on his transactions in return for police protection and information. Bernstein immediately negotiates himself a large bribe and two first-class airline tickets to London. Tony is convinced Frank sent Bernstein because only Frank would know details about the murders. While talking to Bernstein, Tony is distracted by the sight of his sister Gina dancing with a low-level drug dealer. Tony sees him take her into the men's restroom to make out with her in the stall, prompting him to beat the man and berate Gina. When Gina tells Tony that she is old enough to do whatever she wants, Tony slaps her. Manny, who was at the club with him, calms him down. He spots Elvira and promptly flirts with her right in front of Frank.

While at the Babylon, Tony is almost assassinated when two men attempt to kill him with submachine guns. He escapes, wounded but alive, and is convinced that Frank is responsible for the attempted murder. Tony instructs two of his men to call Frank at exactly 3 a.m. at his office with the words: "We fucked up. He got away." Armed with silencer pistols, Tony and Manny track Frank down to his car dealership, and find Frank in the middle of a meeting with Bernstein. Using the phone call, Tony tricks Frank into confirming he was behind the attempted hit. Admitting what he did, Frank then begs for mercy at Tony's feet, even offering $10,000,000 he keeps in a safe in Spain (a country which at that time was a tax haven due to Franco's recent death). Tony orders Manny to shoot Frank, and Tony proceeds to kill Bernstein. Afterward, Tony goes to Frank's house, telling Elvira that the drug lord is dead and that he wants her. Tony looks at the sky and sees a Pan American blimp with the words "The World Is Yours" on the side.

Over the next year, Tony makes $75 million off of 2,000 kilos of cocaine that he brings to America, and is soon making $15 million every month in profits from his business relationship with Sosa. He marries Elvira and takes over Frank's empire, creating a large number of lucrative business fronts and purchasing a huge mansion, complete with luxury items, such as a tiger, as well as multiple surveillance camera monitors. He makes Manny his second-in-command and in charge of security at his warehouses and mansion. However, cracks in Tony's "American dream" begin to form as both he and Elvira become heavily addicted to cocaine. As a result, Tony becomes more paranoid and violent, and Elvira becomes bored and distant. Tony becomes greedy and selfish with his wealth, while the bank that launders his drug money wants increasingly higher fees. Manny and Gina begin dating behind Tony's back, afraid of Tony's wrath should he find out.

In February 1983, Tony is arrested for tax evasion and money laundering $1,300,000 by Mel Seidenbaum, a local money launderer who turns out to be an undercover cop. Tony posts a $5 million bail and is out of jail while awaiting trial. Tony's lawyer, Sheffield, tells him that although he can plea bargain away most of the time Tony faces, he will still end up serving at least three years in prison for evading income taxes.

Sosa, not wanting to lose his main distributor, calls Tony down to Bolivia and asks him for help assassinating a Bolivian anti-government activist, who is exposing Sosa's dealings with Bolivian leaders on television. In exchange, Sosa will use his contacts in the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, D.C., to keep Tony out of prison. Tony is clearly reluctant to assassinate a civilian, but seeing no other options, agrees to the deal. After returning to Miami, Manny tries to talk Tony out of going to New York, even though Tony doesn't tell him about the hit, because he has a bad feeling about it.

Not long after, Elvira leaves Tony for good after he insults her heavily in a local Miami restaurant. Minutes later, an intoxicated Tony starts yelling at the patrons for looking at him in disgust. He tells them that they need people like him to blame — a "bad guy."

Tony and Alberto, Sosa's most senior associate, travel to New York to murder the activist. Alberto plants a bomb under the activist's car, planning to detonate it as he drives to the United Nations Building to give a speech about his activist work. On the day the assassination is to take place, Tony orders Alberto not to set off the bomb because the activist's wife and children are in the car as well. When Alberto tries to detonate the bomb anyway, Tony shoots him in the head, thus double-crossing Sosa in the process.

Tony returns to Florida to find his mother accusing him of corrupting Gina, and a furious Sosa threatening to kill him for not going through with the plan. During a heated telephone conversation, Tony and Sosa's relationship effectively breaks down. Tony attempts to locate Manny, and finds him and Gina together. Realizing Manny has slept with his sister, Tony shoots and kills him in a cocaine-fueled rage, before Gina reveals that they had just married. Tony and his men take a distraught Gina back to his mansion. Meanwhile, a large group of gun-toting assassins sent by Sosa surround the mansion. While Tony sits in his office, distraught at his actions and snorting vast quantities of cocaine, the gunmen begin quietly killing Tony's guards outside.

A grief-stricken Gina enters Tony's office wielding a Smith & Wesson Model 36, accusing him of wanting her for himself, before shooting him in the leg. Tony attempts to calm her down, before one of the assassins enters the office through the window and opens fire, accidentally killing Gina. Tony immediately tackles the man out of the window, and shoots his body multiple times, creating a large commotion.

Robbed of the element of surprise, Sosa's gunmen launch an all-out assault on Tony's mansion. As Tony cradles Gina's body in his arms, Sosa's men fight their way through the mansion with ease. Tony bursts from his office wielding an M16 assault rifle with an M203 grenade launcher attachment, yells "Say hello to my little friend!" and begins shooting wildly at the henchmen, killing dozens of them despite being heavily wounded himself by return fire. The carnage continues until The Skull, who had quietly broken into the back of the mansion, shoots Tony in the back with a sawed-off shotgun, killing him. Tony's corpse falls from his balcony into a small fountain in the lobby below, floating face-down in the water beneath a statue of the globe carrying the inscription "The World Is Yours" in pink neon.

[edit] Scarface: The World Is Yours

This section requires expansion.

The video game titled Scarface: The World Is Yours, a quasi-sequel to the film, features an alternate ending in which Tony survives the assassination attempt but still loses most of his possessions. Tony detects his would-be assassin and shoots him before escaping his mansion. The end of the first mission shows that he lost $65,884,703 (which is how much Scarface made in box office) and 2,500 kilograms of drugs.

For the next three months he went into hiding in a small shack near Virginia Key Beach Park in Miami where he only had basic necessities, his trademark Cadillac Series 62, $1,000, and a M1911 pistol. His mansion was seized by "Vice" (undercover vice squad police officers who resemble the co-stars of the 1980s television show Miami Vice), and he is able to move back in by bribing them $10,000 that he makes in a single day of drug dealing.

During this quest for vengeance, Tony has to take down several rivals who are eager to take over his empire after the assassination attempt. Gaspar Gomez and Alejandro Sosa have since teamed up to form a drug monopoly, and set their prices unreasonably high. George Sheffield (James Woods), his former lawyer, is indifferent to Tony and later betrays him to Gomez and Sosa.

Tony first reclaims Little Havana, which had been taken over by the Diaz brothers. This included the "Lopez Motors" dealership where he bought his Porsche 928 in the film, which the brothers since renamed "Diaz Motors." The game allows the player to venture outside Miami to the Caribbean, where he takes down Nacho Contreras. Tony also meets a bartender named Venus, who becomes one of his girlfriends at the end of the game. At the end of the game, Tony single-handedly takes on a small army at Sosa's home in Bolivia where he kills Sheffield, Gomez and Sosa.

In popular culture[link]

• Tony's quote, "Say hello to my little friend", has become a cliché, used and parodied in a number of movies and video games:
  • Kick-Ass
  • Demolition Man
  • Hitman: Codename 47
  • Next Friday
  • Epic Movie
  • Kangaroo Jack
  • Drillbit Taylor
  • New Jack City
• The Lonely Island did a music video entitled "Jack Sparrow" in which the ending features Michael Bolton as Tony Montana in the climatic shootout scene and snorting cocaine.
• Tee shirts from various manufactures have appeared in the US and other countries, citing "The Rules" according to Tony Montana. They consist of:
  1. Everyday above ground is a good day.
  2. Never get high on your own supply.
  3. All you have in this world is your balls and your word. Don't break 'em for nobody.
  4. Always remember, this is business.
  5. Always tell the truth, even when you lie.
  6. Every dog has his day.
  7. You're always going to be the "Bad Guy."
  8. Never underestimate the other guy's greed.
  9. Never forget, the world is yours.
  10. Never trust nobody.
• The popular professional wrestling gimmick of World Wrestling Federation (WWF) wrestler Razor Ramon was largely based on Tony Montana.
• The rapper, Future, released a song in late 2011 called "Tony Montana", in which he says "Tony Montana" a total of 52 times.
• In the South Park season 14 episode Medicinal Fried Chicken, Cartman mirrors Montana in character and eventually in appearance, as he rises from the bottom to the top of an illegal black market business and eventually falls from power when he becomes addicted to his product. However, in the episode, KFC was used rather than cocaine.
• In the last season of Car Scum, it is revealed that Ramiro G. is really Tony Montana in the Federal Witness Protection Program.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Tony Montana

• Tony Montana at the Internet Movie Database

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]