Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kanye West
How Kanye West built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Kanye Omari West, known as Ye, is a highly influential American rapper and record producer celebrated for his innovative musical approach and often controversial cultural and political statements. Initially a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, contributing to Jay-Z's 'The Blueprint,' he gained prominence with his debut album 'The College Dropout' (2004), which included the hit 'Slow Jamz.' He achieved further success with chart-topping singles like 'Gold Digger' and 'Stronger.' He has had a large cultural impact through his music and fashion, though his public persona has often faced criticism.
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.
1998: Inspiration from Roseland NYC Live
In 1998, Kanye West was inspired by Roseland NYC Live, a live album by Portishead, incorporating string arrangements into his hip-hop production.
1998: Signs with Hip Hop Since 1978
In 1998, Kanye West was the first producer signed to the management-production company Hip Hop Since 1978.
1999: Release of World Record Holders
In 1999, The Go-Getters, a hip-hop group formed by Kanye West and fellow Chicago natives, independently released their first and only studio album, World Record Holders through West's company, Konman Productions. In 1999 West also produced the third track on Foxy Brown's second studio album Chyna Doll
2000: Joins 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 made extensive contributions to Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, revitalizing Jay-Z's career.
2001: Co-producing for Roc-A-Fella Records
In 2001, Kanye West worked as an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records and co-produced albums, including Jay-Z's The Blueprint.
December 2002: Release of Get Well Soon... and Announcement of The College Dropout
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, which aimed to encourage listeners to make their own decisions.
August 2003: Initial Release Date of The College Dropout
In August 2003, the initial release date for Kanye West's album The College Dropout was set, but it was postponed three times.
February 2004: Release of The College Dropout
In February 2004, Kanye West's album The College Dropout was released, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200, with his debut single "Through the Wire" peaking at No. 15. The album was well-received.
2004: Release of The College Dropout
In 2004, Kanye West's debut studio album, The College Dropout, was released and received critical acclaim. It featured the hit single "Slow Jamz".
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 and was considered the only successful major album release of the fall season.
2005: Release of Late Registration
In 2005, Kanye West's second studio album, Late Registration, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.
2005: "Gold Digger" Success
In 2005, Kanye West's single "Gold Digger" peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
December 2006: Evel Knievel Lawsuit
In December 2006, Robert "Evel" Knievel sued Kanye West for trademark infringement of his name and likeness in West's video for "Touch the Sky".
September 2007: Release of Graduation and Sales Competition
Upon its release in September 2007, Kanye West's album Graduation outsold 50 Cent's Curtis, debuting at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and selling 957,000 copies in its first week. "Stronger" became his third number-one hit.
November 2007: Settlement of Knievel Lawsuit
Days before his death in November 2007, Evel Knievel amicably settled the lawsuit against Kanye West after being paid a visit by West.
2007: "Stronger" Hit Single
In 2007, Kanye West's single "Stronger" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2007: Release of Graduation
In 2007, Kanye West's third studio album, Graduation, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and became his most commercially successful album to date.
November 2008: Release of 808s & Heartbreak
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.
2008: Spotify's First Ten Years
From 2008, the start of Spotify's first ten years to 2018, Kanye West was the sixth most streamed artist, and the fourth fastest artist to reach one billion streams.
2008: First Solo Artist with Three 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.
2008: Release of 808s & Heartbreak
In 2008, Kanye West released his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak, which was later certified triple platinum.
2008: Glow in the Dark Tour
Shortly after his mother's death and the end of his engagement, Kanye West set off for his 2008 Glow in the Dark Tour.
November 2010: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Album Release
In November 2010, Kanye West's fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, was released. The album adopted a maximalist philosophy and dealt with themes of celebrity and excess.
December 2010: End of GOOD Fridays Music Program
In December 2010, Kanye West concluded the GOOD Fridays free music program, which had run from August to December 2010, offering free downloads of unreleased songs each Friday.
2010: Release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
In 2010, Kanye West released his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which was certified triple platinum.
August 2011: Watch the Throne Album Release
In August 2011, Kanye West released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z, which was released digitally weeks before its physical release.
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: Release of Watch the Throne
In 2011, Kanye West released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z.
2011: "E.T." Number One Hit
In 2011, Kanye West was a featured artist on the single "E.T.", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
June 2012: Conclusion of Watch the Throne Tour
In June 2012, Kanye West and Jay-Z concluded the Watch the Throne Tour.
June 18, 2013: Yeezus Album Release
On June 18, 2013, Kanye West's sixth album, Yeezus, was released, marking his sixth consecutive number one debut, although with his lowest solo opening week sales.
September 2013: Announcement of Yeezus Solo Tour
In September 2013, Kanye West announced his first solo tour in five years to support Yeezus, with Kendrick Lamar as the supporting act.
November 2013: Beginning Work on New Studio Album
In November 2013, Kanye West announced that he was beginning work on his next studio album, hoping for a mid-2014 release.
2013: Release of Yeezus
In 2013, Kanye West released his album Yeezus, which was certified double platinum.
March 2015: Album Title Change to So Help Me God
In March 2015, Kanye West announced that his upcoming album, initially named Yeezus II, would be tentatively called So Help Me God.
2015: Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award
In 2015, Kanye West became the third rap act to win the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.
January 2016: Release of "Real Friends" and Snippet of "No More Parties in LA"
In January 2016, Kanye West 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 Exclusive Release on Tidal
On February 14, 2016, Kanye West released The Life of Pablo exclusively on Tidal, following a performance on SNL.
February 2016: Announcement of Turbo Grafx 16 Album
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.
June 2016: Release of "Champions" and "Famous" Video
In June 2016, Kanye West released the collaborative lead single "Champions" off the GOOD Music album Cruel Winter, and also released a controversial video for "Famous".
August 2016: Saint Pablo Tour Launch
In August 2016, Kanye West embarked on the Saint Pablo Tour in support of The Life of Pablo, featuring a mobile stage suspended from the ceiling.
2016: Release of The Life of Pablo
In 2016, Kanye West released his album The Life of Pablo, which was certified triple platinum.
May 2017: Recording New Music in Jackson Hole
In May 2017, it was reported that Kanye West was recording new music in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with a wide range of collaborators.
April 2018: Announcement of Philosophy Book and New Albums
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 under the name Kids See Ghosts.
June 2018: Release 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: Announcement of Yandhi Album and Stage Name Change
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 Moving 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, though this plan was not executed.
2018: Spotify's First Ten Years
From 2008 to 2018, Kanye West was the sixth most streamed artist, and the fourth fastest artist to reach one billion streams on Spotify.
2018: Release of Ye and Kids See Ghosts
In 2018, Kanye West released his album Ye, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. He also released the collaborative album Kids See Ghosts with Kid Cudi.
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 and others' songs.
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.
October 25, 2019: Release of Jesus Is King Album
On October 25, 2019, Kanye West released the album Jesus Is King, which topped 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
In November 2019, Kanye West stated his intention to run for president again in the 2024 presidential election during an event.
December 25, 2019: Release of Jesus Is Born Album
On December 25, 2019, Kanye West and Sunday Service released Jesus Is Born, containing 19 songs, including re-workings of older West songs.
2019: Release of Jesus Is King
In 2019, Kanye West released his album Jesus Is King, which continued his series of consecutive number one debuts on the Billboard 200.
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, along with the music video.
July 4, 2020: Presidential Campaign Announcement
On July 4, 2020, Kanye West announced on Twitter that he would be running in the 2020 presidential election as an independent under the "Birthday Party."
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, amid claims that he was preparing to drop out of the presidential race.
July 2020: Statements to Forbes
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 Not Releasing Music Until Contract is Done
In September 2020, Kanye West stated that he would not be releasing any further music until he is "done with [his] contract with Sony and Universal".
November 4, 2020: Presidential Concession
On November 4, 2020, Kanye West conceded on Twitter after receiving 66,365 votes in the 12 states he had ballot access in, averaging 0.32%.
2020: Presidential Campaign
In 2020, Kanye West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign, advocating for a consistent life ethic.
January 4, 2021: Involvement in Election Tampering Claims
According to Reuters, on January 4, 2021, a Kanye West-linked publicist pressured a Georgia election worker to confess to bogus charges of election tampering to assist Trump's claims of election interference.
August 2021: Application to Change Name to 'Ye'
In August 2021, Kanye West applied to court to have his legal name changed from "Kanye Omari West" to "Ye", citing "personal reasons" for the change.
August 29, 2021: Donda Album Release
After multiple delays and listening parties, Kanye West's album Donda was released on August 29, 2021. West claimed the album was released early without his approval and that Universal had altered the tracklist.
October 2021: Legal Name Change to 'Ye' Granted
In October 2021, Kanye West's request to legally change his name to "Ye" was granted by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge.
November 14, 2021: Release of Donda Deluxe Edition
On November 14, 2021, Kanye West released a deluxe edition of Donda, including five new songs, to streaming services.
December 2021: Campaign Finance Irregularities
In December 2021, The Daily Beast reported that Kanye West's presidential campaign received millions of dollars in services from a secret network of Republican operatives, with payments concealed to hide a connection.
2021: Release of Donda
In 2021, Kanye West released his album Donda, continuing his series of consecutive number one debuts on the Billboard 200.
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.
November 2022: Official Launch of 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.
2022: Antisemitic Statements and Fallout
In late 2022, Kanye West made a series of antisemitic statements, resulting in the termination of his collaborations, sponsorships, and partnerships with Vogue, Universal Music Group, CAA, Balenciaga, Gap, and Adidas.
July 2023: Twitter Ban Reversed
In July 2023, Twitter reversed the ban on Kanye West's account, citing assurances from West that he would not post harmful content.
October 2023: Withdrawal from 2024 Election
In October 2023, an attorney for Kanye West stated that he "is not a candidate for office in 2024".
December 2023: Apology for Antisemitic Remarks
In December 2023, weeks before the release of his upcoming album, Kanye West apologized for his antisemitic remarks in a written statement on Instagram.
2024: Release of Vultures 1 and Vultures 2
In 2024, Kanye West released the collaborative albums Vultures 1 and Vultures 2 with Ty Dolla Sign.
2024: "Carnival" Hit Single
In 2024, Kanye West's single "Carnival" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
2024: Future Presidential Ambitions
Kanye West had stated his intention to run for president again in the 2024 presidential election, although he later withdrew.
February 2025: Antisemitic Rant on X and Super Bowl Advertising
In February 2025, Kanye West went on an antisemitic rant on X, professing his love for Hitler, and purchased local advertising during Super Bowl LIX which directed viewers to his website, where he was selling a swastika t-shirt. He also defended Sean Combs from sexual abuse allegations.
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