Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kanye West
How Kanye West built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Kanye West, professionally known as Ye, is a highly influential American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Widely regarded as one of hip-hop's greatest figures, he's celebrated for his innovative and diverse musical approach. However, Ye is also known for sparking controversy through his outspoken cultural and political views, often generating polarizing reactions.
1978: Foundation of Hip Hop Since 1978
In 1978, Gee Roberson and Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua founded the management-production company Hip Hop Since 1978. Kanye West would later sign with them in 1998.
1998: Signing to Hip Hop Since 1978
In 1998, Kanye West was the first producer signed to the management-production company Hip Hop Since 1978, founded by Gee Roberson and Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua.
1998: Inspiration from Roseland NYC Live
In 1998, Roseland NYC Live album by Portishead inspired Kanye to incorporate string arrangements into his hip-hop production.
1999: Release of World Record Holders
In 1999, The Go-Getters independently released their first and only studio album, World Record Holders through West's company, Konman Productions. Kanye West also produced "My Life" on Foxy Brown's album Chyna Doll.
2000: Producing for Roc-A-Fella Records
In 2000, Kanye West began producing for artists on Roc-A-Fella Records as an in-house producer.
2001: Contributions to The Blueprint
In 2001, Kanye West contributed extensively to Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, which Rolling Stone ranked among their list of greatest hip-hop albums.
2001: Co-producing for Roc-A-Fella Records
In 2001, Kanye West worked as an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, co-producing albums such as Jay-Z's The Blueprint.
December 2002: Release of Get Well Soon... and Album Announcement
In December 2002, Kanye West released his debut mixtape Get Well Soon... and announced that he was working on an album titled The College Dropout.
August 2003: Album Postponement
In August 2003, the initial release date for Kanye West's album The College Dropout was postponed.
February 2004: Release of The College Dropout
In February 2004, Kanye West released The College Dropout, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and contained the hit singles "Through the Wire" and "Slow Jamz".
2004: Release of The College Dropout
In 2004, Kanye West released his debut studio album, The College Dropout, which received critical acclaim and featured the hit single "Slow Jamz".
2005: Late Registration Success
By the end of 2005, Kanye West's Late Registration sold over 2.3 million units in the United States, and was considered a successful major album release.
2005: Release of "Gold Digger"
In 2005, Kanye West topped the charts with the single "Gold Digger".
December 2006: Evel Knievel Sues Kanye West
In December 2006, Robert "Evel" Knievel sued Kanye West for trademark infringement related to his name and likeness in the "Touch the Sky" music video. Knievel objected to the video's content and portrayal of "Evel Kanyevel", claiming it damaged his reputation.
September 2007: Graduation Album Release
In September 2007, Kanye West's third studio album, Graduation, was released, debuting at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and selling 957,000 copies in its first week. The album's lead single was "Stronger".
November 2007: Knievel and West Settle Lawsuit
In November 2007, days before his death, Robert "Evel" Knievel amicably settled the lawsuit against Kanye West after West visited him. Knievel described West as a "wonderful guy and quite a gentleman."
2007: Release of "Stronger"
In 2007, Kanye West topped the charts again with the single "Stronger".
2007: Graduation Album Release
In 2007, Kanye West's album Graduation was released and included on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2020.
November 2008: 808s & Heartbreak Release
In November 2008, Kanye West released his fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak. The lead single "Love Lockdown" debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, while follow-up single "Heartless" debuted at number four.
2008: West Featured on Spotify
From 2008 to 2018, Kanye West was the sixth most streamed artist in Spotify's first ten years.
2008: Album of the Year Grammy Nominations
In 2008, Kanye West became the first solo artist to have his first three albums receive nominations for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.
2008: Glow in the Dark Tour
In 2008, Kanye West set off for his Glow in the Dark Tour after his mother's death and the end of his engagement to Alexis Phifer.
2008: 808s & Heartbreak Album Release
In 2008, Kanye West's album 808s & Heartbreak was released and included on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2020.
November 2010: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Release
In November 2010, Kanye West's fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, was released to widespread acclaim. The album included international hits like "All of the Lights", "Power", "Monster", and "Runaway".
December 2010: GOOD Fridays Program
From August to December 2010, Kanye West initiated the GOOD Fridays free music program, offering a free download of previously unreleased songs each Friday, a portion of which were included on the album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
2010: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Album Release
In 2010, Kanye West's album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was released and included on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2020.
August 2011: Release of Watch the Throne Album
In August 2011, Kanye West released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z. The album employed a sales strategy that released the album digitally weeks before its physical release, preventing leaks. "Niggas in Paris" became the record's highest-charting single.
October 2011: Watch the Throne Tour Kickoff
In October 2011, Kanye West and Jay-Z kicked off the co-headlining Watch the Throne Tour.
2011: Chart Topping with "E.T."
In 2011, Kanye West, as a featured artist, topped the charts with the single "E.T.".
September 2012: West Donates to Obama Campaign
In September 2012, Kanye West donated $1,000 to Barack Obama's re-election campaign.
June 18, 2013: Release of Yeezus Album
On June 18, 2013, Kanye West's sixth album, Yeezus, was released to rave reviews from critics. Despite the positive reception, it marked his lowest solo opening week sales.
September 2013: Yeezus Tour Announcement
In September 2013, Kanye West announced his first solo tour in five years to support Yeezus, with Kendrick Lamar as a supporting act. The tour received rave reviews.
November 2013: Beginning work on next album
In November 2013, Kanye West announced that he was beginning work on his next studio album, hoping to release it by mid-2014, with production by Rick Rubin and Q-Tip.
2013: Yeezus Album Release
In 2013, Kanye West's album Yeezus was released and included on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2020.
October 2014: West Donates to Democratic National Committee
In October 2014, Kanye West donated $15,000 to the Democratic National Committee.
March 2015: Album Title Change Announcement
In March 2015, Kanye West announced that his upcoming album, initially called Yeezus II slated for a 2014 release, would be tentatively titled So Help Me God.
August 2015: West Donates to Hillary Clinton Campaign
In August 2015, Kanye West donated $2,700 to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign.
2015: West Wins Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award
In 2015, Kanye West became the third rap act to win the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.
January 2016: Swish Album Release Date and New Songs
In January 2016, Kanye West announced that Swish would be released on February 11, and later that month, he released new songs "Real Friends" and a snippet of "No More Parties in LA" with Kendrick Lamar.
January 26, 2016: Album Renamed to Waves
On January 26, 2016, Kanye West revealed that he had renamed the album from Swish to Waves.
February 14, 2016: The Life of Pablo Released on Tidal
On February 14, 2016, Kanye West released 'The Life of Pablo' exclusively on Tidal after a performance on Saturday Night Live. The release followed a premiere at Madison Square Garden.
February 2016: Turbo Grafx 16 Album Announcement
In February 2016, Kanye West stated on Twitter that he was planning to release another album in the summer of 2016, tentatively called Turbo Grafx 16, named after the 1990s video game console.
June 2016: Release of Champions and Famous Video
In June 2016, Kanye West released the collaborative lead single "Champions" from the GOOD Music album Cruel Winter. He also released a controversial video for "Famous" featuring wax figures of celebrities.
August 2016: Saint Pablo Tour Launch
In August 2016, Kanye West began the Saint Pablo Tour in support of The Life of Pablo. The performances featured a mobile stage suspended from the ceiling.
May 2017: Recording New Music in Wyoming
It was reported in May 2017 that Kanye West was recording new music in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with a wide range of collaborators.
April 2018: Philosophy Book and New Albums Announced
In April 2018, Kanye West announced plans to write a philosophy book entitled Break the Simulation, and announced two new albums - a solo album and a collaboration with Kid Cudi called Kids See Ghosts - both to be released in June.
June 2018: Releases of Nasir and K.T.S.E.
In June 2018, Kanye West completed production work on Nas' Nasir and Teyana Taylor's K.T.S.E., which were released.
September 2018: New Album Announcements and Name Change
In September 2018, Kanye West announced his ninth studio album, Yandhi, and a collaborative album with Chance the Rapper, Good Ass Job. He also announced that he would be changing his stage name to "Ye".
September 2018: Announcement to move Yeezy headquarters to Chicago
In September 2018, Kanye West announced that he would be permanently moving back to Chicago to establish his Yeezy company headquarters there.
October 2018: West Donates to Amara Enyia Campaign
In October 2018, Kanye West donated to progressive Chicago mayoral candidate Amara Enyia.
2018: West Featured on Spotify
From 2008 to 2018, Kanye West was the sixth most streamed artist in Spotify's first ten years.
January 6, 2019: Start of Sunday Service Events
On January 6, 2019, Kanye West started his weekly "Sunday Service" events, which included soul variations of both West's and others' songs, attended by celebrities.
January 2019: Coachella Pull-Out
In January 2019, Kanye West pulled out of headlining that year's Coachella festival after negotiations broke down due to discord regarding stage design.
October 25, 2019: Jesus Is King Album Release
On October 25, 2019, Kanye West released his album Jesus Is King. It became the first album to ever top the Billboard 200, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Rap Albums, Top Christian Albums, and Top Gospel Albums charts simultaneously.
November 2019: Intention to run for president in 2024
At an event in November 2019, Kanye West stated his intention to run for president again in the 2024 presidential election, saying he would "walk" instead of run due to job creation.
December 25, 2019: Jesus Is Born Album Release
On December 25, 2019, Kanye West and Sunday Service released Jesus Is Born, containing 19 songs, including several re-workings of older West songs.
June 30, 2020: Release of Wash Us in the Blood
On June 30, 2020, Kanye West released "Wash Us in the Blood" featuring Travis Scott. It was intended to be the lead single from Donda.
July 4, 2020: Presidential announcement on Twitter
On July 4, 2020, Kanye West announced on Twitter his intention to run in the 2020 presidential election.
July 15, 2020: Filing with the Federal Election Commission
On July 15, 2020, official paperwork was filed with the Federal Election Commission for Kanye West, under the "BDY" Party affiliation, amidst claims that he was preparing to drop out of the presidential race.
July 2020: Statements to Forbes on taxes and foreign policy
In July 2020, Kanye West told Forbes that he is ignorant on issues such as taxes and foreign policy during his presidential run.
September 2020: Statement on Music Release
In September 2020, Kanye West stated that he would not be releasing any further music until he was "done with [his] contract with Sony and Universal".
November 4, 2020: Concession on Twitter
On November 4, 2020, Kanye West conceded the presidential election on Twitter, having received 66,365 votes across 12 states and an additional 3,931 write-in votes across 5 states.
August 29, 2021: Donda Album Release
On August 29, 2021, Donda was released. West claimed the album was released early without his approval and that Universal had altered the tracklist.
November 14, 2021: Donda Deluxe Edition Release
On November 14, 2021, Kanye West released a deluxe edition of Donda, including five new songs, to streaming services.
January 5, 2022: Coachella Headliner Announcement
On January 5, 2022, Kanye West was announced as one of the 2022 headliners of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
January 2022: Julia Fox Confirms Dating Kanye West
In January 2022, Julia Fox confirmed she was dating Kanye West. During that time, West publicly expressed his desire to reunite with his family and criticized Kim Kardashian's new relationship with Pete Davidson. His behavior towards Davidson and Kardashian was described as harassment. The Grammy Awards dropped him as a performer due to his online behavior. Fox and West split less than two months later.
June 29, 2022: Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Filed
On June 29, 2022, a copyright infringement complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in New York, alleging unauthorized use of a sample from Marshall Jefferson's 1986 house track "Move Your Body" in Kanye West's song "Flowers".
November 2022: Official launch of presidential campaign
In November 2022, Kanye West officially launched his presidential campaign.
August 25, 2023: Recording Eleventh Studio Album
On August 25, 2023, it was reported that Kanye West was in the process of recording his eleventh studio album, with new music release being "imminent".
October 2023: Attorney states West is not a candidate
In October 2023, an attorney for Kanye West stated that he "is not a candidate for office in 2024".
November 22, 2023: Release of Vultures
On November 22, 2023, Kanye West released "Vultures" featuring Bump J. It is the lead single from a collaborative studio album with Ty Dolla Sign.
2024: Intention to run for president again in 2024
In 2024 Kanye West stated his intention to run for president again.
2024: Chart Topping with "Carnival"
In 2024, Kanye West topped the charts with the single "Carnival".
April 2025: West Claims Censori Left Him in Song
In April 2025, West claimed in his song "Bianca" that Censori had left him after his controversial Twitter comments, but he later shared a photo indicating they were still together.
September 19, 2025: Release of "In Whose Name?" documentary
On September 19, 2025, the documentary "In Whose Name?", directed by Nico Ballesteros, was released after being shot over six years with a billion-dollar budget.
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