Ye is an American rapper and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip hop,he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After dropping out of college to pursue a career in music,West began producing for regional artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records,he co-produced albums including Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001) before signing with the label as a recording artist. West's debut studio album,The College Dropout (2004),was met with critical acclaim and yielded the Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Slow Jamz". He peaked the chart on four other occasions with the singles "Gold Digger" (2005),"Stronger" (2007),"E.T.",and "Carnival" (2024).
"Lost in the World" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his fifth studio album,My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The song features vocals by Justin Vernon of indie folk band Bon Iver,as well as sampling his 2009 song "Woods". It also contains portions of "Soul Makossa" written by Manu Dibango,and samples of "Comment No. 1",performed by Gil Scott-Heron. It was produced by West and Jeff Bhasker,who wrote the track with Vernon and Malik Jones. "Lost in the World" was initially leaked on September 29,2010,and was 5 minutes and 55 seconds long. The version on the album was divided into two parts,with the outro becoming a new track entitled "Who Will Survive in America".
"Devil in a New Dress" is a song by American hip hop recording artist and rapper Kanye West from his fifth studio album,My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). Originally released through West's GOOD Friday initiative,a weekly free music giveaway started by the rapper to promote My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,it later appeared on the album with an added guitar solo by producer Mike Dean and an additional guest verse featuring rapper Rick Ross. "Devil in a New Dress" was produced by Bink,and is the only song on the album not to be produced by West. The song samples Smokey Robinson's slow jam recording "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?",and is themed lyrically to lust and heartache. Both the topics of love and religion serve as the main inspiration to the song.
"Mercy" is a song by American rapper Kanye West featuring fellow American rappers Big Sean,Pusha T,and 2 Chainz. The song was released April 10,2012 through GOOD Music and Def Jam as the lead single from the compilation album Cruel Summer (2012). The song's production was handled by Lifted,with additional production from West,Mike Dean,and Mike Will Made It,and additional instrumentation from Hudson Mohawke. The song heavily samples the dancehall song "Dust a Sound Boy" by Super Beagle. The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics who praised the bombastic production,the varying quality of the verses,and the wordplay of the individual rappers. The song was featured on the soundtrack for NBA 2K13.
"I Wish You Would" is a hip hop song by American musician DJ Khaled,released as the second single from his sixth studio album,Kiss the Ring. The song features American rappers Kanye West and Rick Ross,and production from Hit-Boy. The song premiered on Hot 97 with Funkmaster Flex. It was later released for digital download in the United States on June 27,2012.
"New God Flow" is a song by American rappers Kanye West and Pusha T. It was released as the third single from the compilation album Cruel Summer (2012),a collaboration between members of their record label GOOD Music. Produced by West,Anthony Kilhoffer and Boogz &Tapez,"New God Flow",which is a hip hop song,incorporates numerous samples into its arrangement. It features lines by Pusha T directed at American rapper and record producer Birdman. American rapper Ghostface Killah,whose song "Mighty Healthy" is prominently sampled in the song,is featured on an alternate version entitled "New God Flow.1" that appears on Cruel Summer. West and Pusha T performed "New God Flow" on several occasions,including the 2012 BET Awards and Jay-Z's Made in America Festival. The song was awarded Best Beat at the XXL Awards.
"Clique" is a song by American rappers Kanye West,Jay-Z,and Big Sean from West's record label GOOD Music's debut compilation album,Cruel Summer (2012). The song features additional vocals from Cocaine 80s,Aude Cardona,and Travis Jones. It was produced by Hit-Boy,while co-produced by West,and additional production was handled by Anthony Kilhoffer alongside Noah Goldstein. Numerous rappers recorded verses for the song,yet only West,Jay-Z,and Big Sean made the final cut. Two days after it leaked,the song was debuted via West's website on September 7,2012,and simultaneously released for digital download as the album's fourth and final single,through GOOD Music and Def Jam.
Yeezus is the sixth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 18,2013,through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West gathered a number of artists and close collaborators for the production,including Mike Dean,Daft Punk,Noah Goldstein,Arca,Hudson Mohawke,and Travis Scott. The album also features guest vocals from Justin Vernon,Chief Keef,Kid Cudi,Assassin,King L,Charlie Wilson,and Frank Ocean.
"Bound 2" is a song by American rapper Kanye West,featured as the final track from his sixth studio album,Yeezus (2013). It was produced by West and Che Pope,with additional production being handled by Eric Danchick,Noah Goldstein,No ID and Mike Dean. The song features vocals from American soul singer Charlie Wilson and serves as the album's second single. "Bound 2" incorporates samples from "Bound" by Ponderosa Twins Plus One and the lines "Uh-huh,honey" and "Alright" from Brenda Lee's "Sweet Nothin's". The song also interpolates Wee's "Aeroplane (Reprise)" for the bridge,sung by Charlie Wilson.
"Black Skinhead" is a song by American rapper Kanye West,from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). It was produced by West and Daft Punk. The song's lyrics center on racial tensions and the crumbling mental state of the character West portrays on the album. The song premiered on Saturday Night Live in May 2013,with West performing it in front of a projected backdrop. He has since performed the song live on various occasions,including at the Glastonbury Festival and the Billboard Music Awards in 2015. It was universally praised by music critics and ranked by numerous sites,including Rolling Stone and NME,as one of the best tracks of 2013. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Nick Knight and features computer-generated imagery of West,with interactive options including "screen grabbing" and adjusting the speed of his vocals. The video was released in July 2013 and has received positive reviews from critics.
"Blood on the Leaves" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). In the song,West presents his thoughts on how fame can cause the destruction of relationships,while making comparisons of contemporary times to the lynching of African Americans in the United States during the pre-civil rights era. West delivers his vocals through an Auto-Tune processor,like on his 2008 album 808s &Heartbreak. It contains samples of both singer Nina Simone's 1965 rendition of Billie Holiday's song "Strange Fruit",and "R U Ready" by the duo TNGHT,who co-produced the track.
"I Am a God" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). The song credits God as a featured performer. It was produced by West,Hudson Mohawke,Daft Punk,and Mike Dean,and includes vocals from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. The song contains samples of "Forward Inna Dem Clothes",written by Capleton and H. Hart,and performed by the latter,and "Are Zindagi Hai Khel" by Manna Dey,R. D. Burman and Asha Bhosle.
The Yeezus Tour was the fifth concert tour by American rapper Kanye West,in support of his sixth studio album,Yeezus (2013). Announced with a promotional poster in September 2013,it served as West's first solo concert tour since the Glow in the Dark Tour (2007–08). West shared the opening North American dates that same month and in January 2014,he revealed an additional stint across the continent. The rapper announced legs across Europe and Australia for 2014,although the European dates were cancelled. The tour was intended to combine staging,production,and West's aesthetic to showcase his creativity. Its stage design was handled by Es Devlin,the firm Family,Virgil Abloh,and John McGuire,with Devlin having worked on the likes of mountains and icebergs with West. For the imagery,such as the mountain,West was largely inspired by Alejandro Jodorowsky's cult film,The Holy Mountain (1973). West was accompanied by an opening act from Kendrick Lamar on most of the dates and Pusha T for some of them,while A Tribe Called Quest opened two shows and Travis Scott accompanied Pusha T at one show.
"Sanctified" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Rick Ross,taken from his sixth studio album Mastermind (2014). The song,produced by Kanye West,Mike Dean,and DJ Mustard,featuring guest appearances by rappers Kanye West and Big Sean. It was written by the aforementioned rappers and producers and Betty Wright sang the hook. "Sanctified" garnered critical acclaim from music critics,with most praising the production and Kanye West's appearance. Despite not being released as a single,it is the highest-charting song on Mastermind to date,debuting at number 25 on the UK R&B Chart,number 78 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 99 on the Canadian Hot 100 upon the album's release.
"I Won" is a song by American rapper Future featuring fellow American rapper Kanye West. The song was released on April 8,2014,as the fifth single from the former's second studio album,Honest (2014). The song features Future and West rapping about their respective then-fiancées,Ciara and Kim Kardashian,whom they see as their "trophy wives". Following its release,the song peaked at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"I'm In It" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his sixth studio album,Yeezus (2013). The song features additional vocals from Justin Vernon and Assassin. West served the role of lead producer and Evian Christ co-produced it with Dom $olo,while Noah Goldstein,Arca,and Mike Dean contributed additional production. The rapper,Evian Christ,and Dean served as co-writers with the vocalists,Malik Yusef,Cyhi the Prynce,Sakiya Sandifer,and Elon Rutberg,while Dre &Vidal,Jill Scott,Carvin Haggins,and Kenny Lattimore received credits due to a sample of their composition. The song started as a six-minute arrangement with a different sample and melody,edited down to run for around three minutes. Assassin recorded different verses unaccompanied to instrumentals at Gee Jam Studios,which West used a verse from with no prior notice.
Khaled Mohammed Khaled,known professionally as DJ Khaled,is an American DJ,record producer,and record executive. Originally a Miami-based radio personality,Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry artists to perform on singles and albums,for which he often serves as hype man. His distinctions are his booming voice presence,"motivational" abstractions,and numerous catchphrases. While his musical contribution is often questioned,Khaled's role has been described as "organization,direction,[and] promotion".
"Street Lights" is a song by American record producer and vocalist Kanye West from his fourth studio album,808s &Heartbreak (2008). The song features background vocals from Esthero and Tony Williams. It was produced by West and co-produced by Mr Hudson. The producers co-wrote the song with Esthero and Williams. For the song,West was inspired by driving past street lights. A pop piano ballad with indie pop elements,it features shoegaze synths. Lyrically,West references street lights passing by like memories and time.
"Use This Gospel" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his ninth studio album,Jesus Is King (2019). The song features guest appearances from hip hop duo Clipse and jazz saxophonist Kenny G. It was produced by West,Angel Lopez,DrtWrk,Federico Vindver,and Timbaland,with co-production from BoogzDaBeast and Pi'erre Bourne. The song was recorded as a new version of the leaked track "Law of Attraction",which West came up with in a freestyle session. Clipse's feature on the song marked their reunion,after West requested for a collaboration. A gospel number with a maximalist style,it samples Two Door Cinema Club's "Costume Party" and includes a saxophone solo from Kenny G.
"Come to Life" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his tenth studio album,Donda (2021). The song features overlapping pianos and guitar chords,as well as a sample of David Paul Moten's sermon. The lyrics allude to the emotional fallout from West's divorce,while showcasing themes of liberation and God.
