Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kanye West

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Kanye West

How Kanye West built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Kanye West, also known as Ye, is a highly influential American rapper, singer, and record producer recognized for his significant impact on hip-hop. Celebrated for his innovative and evolving musical style, he is often considered one of the greatest rappers ever. However, West's artistic achievements are frequently juxtaposed with his controversial public image and often polarizing commentary on cultural and political issues.

1978: Establishment of Hip Hop Since 1978

In 1978, Gee Roberson and Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua founded the management-production company Hip Hop Since 1978, which Kanye West would later sign with in 1998.

1996: First official production credits

In 1996, Kanye West received his first official production credits at age nineteen, producing eight tracks on Down to Earth, the debut album of Chicago-based rapper Grav.

1998: Signs with Hip Hop Since 1978

In 1998, Kanye West became the first producer signed to Hip Hop Since 1978, a management-production company. He also acted as a ghost producer for Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie.

1998: Roseland NYC Live Inspiration

In 1998, the live album Roseland NYC Live by Portishead inspired Kanye West to incorporate string arrangements into his hip-hop production for his second album.

1999: Releases 'World Record Holders' album

In 1999, Kanye West, as part of the hip-hop group The Go-Getters, independently released their first and only studio album, 'World Record Holders', through his company, Konman Productions. He also produced the third track on Foxy Brown's album 'Chyna Doll'.

2000: Begins producing for Roc-A-Fella Records

In 2000, Kanye West started working as an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, producing for artists on the label.

2001: Co-producing for Roc-A-Fella Records

In 2001, Kanye West began co-producing albums such as Jay-Z's 'The Blueprint' as an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records before signing with the label as a recording artist.

2001: Contribution to Jay-Z's 'The Blueprint'

In 2001, Kanye West is credited with revitalizing Jay-Z's career through his extensive contributions to the album 'The Blueprint'.

December 2002: Releases 'Get Well Soon...' mixtape and announces 'The College Dropout' album

In December 2002, two weeks after a car accident shattered his jaw, Kanye West recorded "Through the Wire" and released his debut mixtape 'Get Well Soon...'. He also announced his work on the album 'The College Dropout'.

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August 2003: Initial release date postponement for 'The College Dropout'

In August 2003, the initial release date for Kanye West's album 'The College Dropout' was postponed, leading to revisions and improvements before its eventual release.

February 2004: 'The College Dropout' Released

In February 2004, 'The College Dropout' was officially released, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The single "Through the Wire" peaked at No. 15, and "Slow Jamz" became a No. 1 hit.

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2004: Release of 'The College Dropout'

In 2004, Kanye West's debut studio album, 'The College Dropout', was released to critical acclaim. It also featured the hit single "Slow Jamz".

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2005: Late Registration Success

By the end of 2005, Kanye West's album 'Late Registration' had sold over 2.3 million units in the United States. It was also considered the only successful major album release of the fall season due to declining CD sales.

2005: "Gold Digger" tops the charts

In 2005, Kanye West's single "Gold Digger" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking another achievement in his music career.

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September 2007: Graduation Album Release

In September 2007, Kanye West released his third studio album, 'Graduation', which debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 957,000 copies in its first week. The album's lead single, "Stronger", became his third number-one hit.

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2007: "Stronger" hits number one

In 2007, Kanye West's single "Stronger" reached the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, solidifying his success in the music industry.

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November 2008: 808s & Heartbreak Release

In November 2008, Kanye West's fourth album, '808s & Heartbreak', was released by Island Def Jam. The lead single "Love Lockdown" debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

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2008: Spotify's First Ten Years

From 2008 to 2018, in Spotify's first ten years, Kanye West was the sixth most streamed artist and the fourth fastest artist to reach one billion streams.

2008: First Solo Artist with Album of the Year 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, marking a significant achievement in his career.

November 2010: Release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

In November 2010, Kanye West released his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, to widespread critical acclaim. Many critics considered it his best work and a solid comeback. The album featured international hits such as "All of the Lights", as well as Billboard hits like "Power", "Monster", and "Runaway".

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December 2010: End of GOOD Fridays Free Music Program

In December 2010, Kanye West concluded his GOOD Fridays free music program, which he initiated in August of the same year. Through his website, West offered a free download of previously unreleased songs each Friday, some of which were later included on the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album.

August 2011: Release of 'Watch the Throne' with Jay-Z

In August 2011, Kanye West and Jay-Z released their collaborative album, Watch the Throne. A sales strategy was employed that released the album digitally weeks before its physical counterpart, allowing it to avoid leaks.

October 2011: Start of the Watch the Throne Tour

In October 2011, Kanye West and Jay-Z kicked off the co-headlining Watch the Throne Tour.

2011: "E.T." tops Billboard

In 2011, Kanye West was a featured artist on the song "E.T.", which reached the number one spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

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June 2012: Conclusion of the Watch the Throne Tour

In June 2012, the Watch the Throne Tour, co-headlined by Kanye West and Jay-Z, came to a conclusion.

September 2012: Donation to Barack Obama's Re-election Campaign

In September 2012, Kanye West donated $1,000 to Barack Obama's re-election campaign, indicating his political alignment at the time.

2012: Co-Directs 'Cruel Summer' Short Film

In 2012, Kanye West co-directed the short film "Cruel Summer" with Alexandre Moors. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in a custom pyramid-shaped pavilion with seven screens. The film was intended to complement the compilation album of the same name.

June 18, 2013: Release of Yeezus

On June 18, 2013, Kanye West released his sixth album, Yeezus, to rave reviews from critics. The album marked his sixth consecutive number one debut, although it also had his lowest solo opening week sales.

September 2013: Announcement of Yeezus Tour

In September 2013, Kanye West announced his first solo tour in five years to support Yeezus. Kendrick Lamar was chosen as the supporting act. The tour received rave reviews.

November 2013: Beginning Work on Next Album

In November 2013, Kanye West stated he was beginning work on his next studio album, aiming for a mid-2014 release, with production by Rick Rubin and Q-Tip.

2013: Cameo Appearance in 'Anchorman 2'

In 2013, Kanye West made a cameo appearance in the comedy film "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" as an MTV News representative during a fight scene.

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October 2014: Donation to the Democratic National Committee

In October 2014, Kanye West donated $15,000 to the Democratic National Committee, furthering his financial support for the Democratic Party.

March 2015: Album Title Change to So Help Me God

In March 2015, Kanye West announced that his upcoming album, initially called Yeezus II slated for a 2014 release, would tentatively be titled So Help Me God.

May 2015: Honorary Doctorate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago

In May 2015, Kanye West was awarded an honorary doctorate by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for his contributions to music, fashion, and popular culture.

August 2015: Donation to Hillary Clinton's 2016 Campaign

In August 2015, Kanye West donated $2,700 to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, continuing his support for Democratic political figures.

2015: Winner of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award

In 2015, Kanye West became the third rap act to win the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, recognizing his impact and contributions to music videos.

January 2016: Announcement of Swish Release and New Song Releases

In January 2016, Kanye West announced that his album Swish would be released on February 11. Later that month, he released new songs "Real Friends" and a snippet of "No More Parties in LA" with Kendrick Lamar.

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January 26, 2016: Album Renamed Waves

On January 26, 2016, Kanye West revealed that he had renamed his upcoming album from Swish to Waves.

February 14, 2016: Exclusive Release of The Life of Pablo on Tidal

On February 14, 2016, Kanye West released his album The Life of Pablo exclusively on Tidal following a performance on SNL.

February 2016: Plans for Turbo Grafx 16 Album

In February 2016, Kanye West stated on Twitter his plans to release another album in the summer of 2016, tentatively titled Turbo Grafx 16, referencing 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", depicting wax figures of celebrities sleeping nude in a shared bed.

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August 2016: Start of the Saint Pablo Tour

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.

November 21, 2016: Cancellation of Saint Pablo Tour and Hospitalization

On November 21, 2016, Kanye West cancelled the remaining dates of the Saint Pablo Tour after a week of erratic behavior. He was then admitted for psychiatric observation at UCLA Medical Center due to temporary psychosis stemming from sleep deprivation and dehydration.

April 2018: Announcement of New Albums and Philosophy Book

In April 2018, Kanye West announced plans to write a philosophy book entitled Break the Simulation and began sharing content on Twitter. He also announced two new albums: a solo album and a collaboration with Kid Cudi under the name Kids See Ghosts. Additionally, he revealed his plans to produce albums for Pusha T, Teyana Taylor, and Nas.

June 2018: Release of Nasir and K.T.S.E.

In June 2018, Kanye West completed production work on Nas' album Nasir and Teyana Taylor's K.T.S.E., and both albums were released.

September 2018: Announcement of New Album Yandhi and Name Change to Ye

In September 2018, Kanye West announced his ninth studio album, Yandhi, and a collaborative album with Chance the Rapper titled Good Ass Job. He also announced that he would be changing his stage name to "Ye".

September 2018: Announcement of Move to Chicago

In September 2018, Kanye West announced that he would be permanently moving back to Chicago to establish his Yeezy company headquarters there, but this did not occur.

September 2018: West Announces Film Production Company

In September 2018, Kanye West announced the launch of his film production company, Half Beast, LLC.

October 2018: Donation to Amara Enyia's Mayoral Campaign

In October 2018, Kanye West donated to progressive Chicago mayoral candidate Amara Enyia, showing support for local political figures.

2018: Spotify's First Ten Years

From 2008 to 2018, in Spotify's first ten years, Kanye West was the sixth most streamed artist and the fourth fastest artist to reach one billion streams.

January 6, 2019: Start of Sunday Service Events

On January 6, 2019, Kanye West started his weekly "Sunday Service" events, featuring soul variations of his songs and others, attended by multiple celebrities.

January 2019: Pulling Out of Coachella Festival

In January 2019, Kanye West pulled out of headlining that year's Coachella festival due to discord regarding stage design negotiations.

October 25, 2019: Release of Jesus Is King

On October 25, 2019, Kanye West released his album Jesus Is King. It topped multiple Billboard charts simultaneously.

November 2019: West Announces Intention to Run for President in 2024

At an event in November 2019, Kanye West stated his intention to run for president in the 2024 presidential election, saying he would have created so many jobs that he would "walk" instead of run.

December 25, 2019: Release of Jesus Is Born with Sunday Service

On December 25, 2019, Kanye West and Sunday Service released Jesus Is Born, containing 19 songs, including reworkings of older West songs.

June 30, 2020: Release of 'Wash Us in the Blood'

On June 30, 2020, Kanye West released the single "Wash Us in the Blood" featuring Travis Scott, which was set to be the lead single from his upcoming album Donda.

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July 4, 2020: West Announces Presidential Run

On July 4, 2020, Kanye West announced via Twitter that he would be running in the 2020 presidential election.

July 15, 2020: Paperwork Filed for West's Presidential Campaign

On July 15, 2020, official paperwork was filed with the Federal Election Commission for Kanye West under the "BDY" Party affiliation.

September 2020: Statement on Not Releasing Music

In September 2020, Kanye West stated that he would not release any further music until he was "done with [his] contract with Sony and Universal".

November 4, 2020: West Concedes Presidential Election

On November 4, 2020, Kanye West conceded the presidential election on Twitter. He received 66,365 votes across 12 states where he was on the ballot, averaging 0.32% of the vote. He also got 3,931 write-in votes across 5 states, and the Roque De La Fuente / Kanye West ticket won 60,160 votes in California.

August 29, 2021: Release of Donda

On August 29, 2021, after multiple delays and listening parties, Kanye West's album Donda was released. West claimed the album was released early without his approval and that Universal altered the tracklist.

November 14, 2021: Release of Donda (Deluxe)

On November 14, 2021, Kanye West released a deluxe edition of Donda, featuring five new songs, to streaming services.

2021: Netflix Acquires Jeen-Yuhs Documentary

In 2021, Netflix acquired the documentary "Jeen-Yuhs", which featured footage of Kanye West's life from his early days in Chicago through his mother's death and his presidential run, for $30 million.

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January 5, 2022: Announcement as Coachella Headliner

On January 5, 2022, Kanye West was announced as one of the 2022 headliners of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

January 2022: Dating Julia Fox and Public Criticism of Pete Davidson

In January 2022, Julia Fox confirmed she was dating Kanye West. During this time, West publicly expressed his desire to reconcile with his family and criticized Kim Kardashian's new relationship with Pete Davidson. His behavior towards Davidson and Kardashian was widely condemned, leading to the 64th Annual Grammy Awards dropping him as a performer.

November 2022: West Officially Launched His Presidential Campaign

In November 2022, Kanye West officially launched his presidential campaign.

December 2022: Release of 'Someday We'll All Be Free'

In December 2022, after weeks of controversial antisemitic statements, Kanye West released a new song, "Someday We'll All Be Free", on his Instagram.

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2022: Release of Jeen-Yuhs Documentary

In 2022, the documentary "Jeen-Yuhs", acquired by Netflix the previous year, was released.

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October 2023: West's Attorney States He Is Not a Candidate

In October 2023, an attorney for Kanye West stated that he "is not a candidate for office in 2024".

2024: "Carnival" tops the charts

In 2024, Kanye West's single "Carnival" reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

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2024: Documentary Announcement

In 2024, a documentary titled "In Whose Name?" with a billion-dollar budget was announced to debut.

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2024: Intention to Run for President

Kanye West had stated his intention to run for president again in the 2024 presidential election.

April 2025: Claimed Separation and Reconciliation with Bianca Censori

In April 2025, West claimed in his song "Bianca" that Censori had left him following his controversial Twitter comments. However, later that month, West shared a photo indicating that they were still together, contradicting the earlier claim.

2025: Effort to Change Social Media Handles

In 2025, Kanye West began releasing music under the name Ye and made an effort to change his social media handles from @kanyewest to @ye.

2025: Release of "In Whose Name?" Documentary

In 2025, the Nico Ballesteros-directed documentary "In Whose Name?" is slated for release.

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