The Evolution of Kanye West
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The Evolution of Kanye West - He's the head honcho of G.O.O.D. Music and has come a long way since his days as a producer because now Kanye is a producer, rapper, designer, label head and much more. 106 & Park congratulates the man in charge with the release of G.O.O.D. Music's first major compilation release, Cruel Summer. Click on to follow the evolution of Kanye West. —Alex Gale (Photo: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson /Landov)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977 in Atlanta, but moved to Chicago when he was three years old. And you say, Chi-City?(Photo: Vibe.com)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - After dropping out of college to pursue his music career, Kanye found some big-time mentors, crafting beats under the watchful eye of fellow Windy City boardsman No I.D. and ghost-producing for Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie.(Photos from left: Courtesy XXLMag.com, Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - After landing credits with Foxy Brown and Jermaine Dupri, Kanye broke into the Roc-A-Fella camp by producing "The Truth" for Beanie Sigel in 2000. (Photos from left: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic, Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Kanye became one of the most sought-after producers after he crafted several standouts on Jay-Z's 2001 classic The Blueprint. His use of sped-up soul samples turned hip hop production on its ear.(Photo: Courtesy Roc-A-Fella Records)
Photo By Photo: Courtesy Roc-A-Fella Records
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Ludacris, Alicia Keys, Cam'ron and Talib Kweli are just some of the greats that had hits thanks to Yeezy's trademark chipmunk soul in the wake of his classic work with Hov. (Photos from left: Billy Farrell/BFAnyc/Sipa USA, Neilson Barnard/Getty Images, Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - In 2002, Kanye was involved in a near-fatal car crash and had to have his jaw wired shut. Soon after—with his jaw still mostly immobilized—he was in the studio recording "Through the Wire," his unforgettable 2004 debut single about the incident. (Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Kanye made his official debut on the mic with a verse on "The Bounce," from Jay-Z's 2003 double album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - After dropping a handful of acclaimed mixtapes, Kanye finally dropped his debut album, The College Dropout, in 2004. Packed with hits including the groundbreaking "Jesus Walks" and Kanye's first No. 1, "Slow Jamz," the album sold over 3 million copies and won a Grammy for Best Rap Album. (Photo: Courtesy Def Jam Records)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Soon after becoming a star in his own right, Yeezy also became a record exec. In 2004, his GOOD Music imprint launched the career of superstar singer John Legend, and a year later, the label resurrected the flagging fortunes of Common by releasing the classic, Kanye-produced Be. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Kanye went big on his sophomore album, the 2005 classic Late Registration. Working with acclaimed pop/rock producer Jon Brion, Kanye expanded past his chipmunk soul signature sound with lusher live instrumentation and epic bridges, crescendoes and breakdowns. Behind hits like "Gold Digger" and "Touch the Sky," the album was Kanye's first to hit No. 1. (Photo: Courtesy Def Jam Records)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Even back then, Yeezy was already known for his outspoken rants in his interviews and onstage, and for veering off script at award shows. But no one expected Kanye to speak out like he did at a telethon benefitting victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, just days after Late Registration dropped. But Kanye summed up the feelings of many appalled Americans when he said, "George Bush doesn't care about black people" on the air. (Photo: Courtesy NBC)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Kanye dropped another amazing album in 2007 with Graduation, selling nearly a million copies in a week. The album featured an evolving Kanye incorporating extensive synthesizer work and electronica into his music for the first time. (Photo: Courtesy Def Jam Records)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - In late 2007, Kanye's mother and manager, Donda West, died of complication from cosmetic surgery. The tragedy deeply affected Kanye, who often praised his mother in his music. (Photo: MJ Kim/Getty Images)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Reeling after the death of his mother and his split from fiancée Alexis Phifer, Kanye camped in Hawaii to record his fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak. The album was huge left turn for Kanye, veering toward electronica and techno, and featuring mostly Auto-tuned singing. Fans and critics were torn, but the album was hugely influential. (We're looking at you, Drake.) (Photo: Courtesy Def Jam Records)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - In 2008, Yeezy introduced the world to bald/blonde beauty Amber Rose, his girlfriend at the time. Though they split in 2010—and she's now engaged to Wiz Khalifa—Yeezy and Rose made a huge splash. (Photo: Rob Loud/Getty Images)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Kanye had even President Obama calling him a "jackass" when he infamously interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Awards to let the world know—correctly, in our opinion—that Beyoncé's "Put a Ring on It" was much more deserving. (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - After an avalanche of criticism in the wake of Taylorgate, Kanye holed up in Hawaii yet again. In 2010, he emerged with another masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. (Photo: Courtesy Def Jam Records)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Kanye has had an even more strained relationship with the press ever since this interview with Matt Lauer of the Today show in 2010. Kanye criticized the show for playing footage of the Taylor Swift incident, and later tweeted that he felt "tortured," "misunderstood" and "alone."(Photo: Courtesy NBC)
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The Evolution of Kanye West - Kanye made headlines earlier this year with the leaked song "Way Too Cold." The song says he fell in love with Kim Kardashian around the same time she was involved with ex-husband Kris Humphries. Sure enough, days after the song leaked, Kimye were spotted together all over by paparazzi. (Photo: WENN.com)
