Early Life and Education of Kanye West: A Complete Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Kanye West. From birth to education, explore key events.

Kanye West, now known as Ye, is a highly influential American rapper, singer, and record producer celebrated for his innovative musical style and often controversial public persona. He gained prominence as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, contributing to significant albums like Jay-Z's 'The Blueprint' before launching his own successful recording career. His debut album, 'The College Dropout' (2004), garnered critical acclaim and featured the chart-topping single "Slow Jamz". He went on to have multiple number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Gold Digger," "Stronger," "E.T.," and "Carnival," solidifying his impact on popular music.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

June 8, 1977: Kanye West Born

On June 8, 1977, Kanye Omari West, now known as Ye, was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He is an American rapper, singer, and record producer.

Others born on this day/year

1997: Attends American Academy of Art

In 1997, Kanye West received a scholarship to attend Chicago's American Academy of Art and began taking painting classes.

2002: Began Relationship with Alexis Phifer

In 2002, Kanye West began an on-and-off relationship with the designer Alexis Phifer.

2005: Criticized George Bush's Response to Hurricane Katrina

In 2005, Kanye West criticized both the media and the government's racial disparities in their response to Hurricane Katrina, stating on live television that "George Bush doesn't care about black people".

August 2006: Engagement to Alexis Phifer

In August 2006, Kanye West became engaged to Alexis Phifer.

November 7, 2006: Apology for MTV Europe Music Awards Outburst

On November 7, 2006, Kanye West publicly apologized for his outburst at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards during his performance as a support act for U2's Vertigo concert in Brisbane.

2006: Father Opens Good Water Store and Café

In 2006, Kanye West's father, Ray West, opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland, with startup capital from his son.

November 2007: Death of Donda West

In November 2007, Kanye West's mother, Donda West, passed away, profoundly affecting him.

November 2007: Knievel Settles Lawsuit Amicably

In November 2007, days before his death, Robert "Evel" Knievel amicably settled his lawsuit against Kanye West after West visited him and seemingly resolved the dispute. Knievel described West as a "wonderful guy and quite a gentleman."

2008: Glow in the Dark Tour

In 2008, Kanye West embarked on his Glow in the Dark Tour following his mother's death and the end of his engagement.

2008: Ended Engagement with Alexis Phifer

In 2008, Kanye West ended his 18-month engagement with Alexis Phifer.

2008: West Declares Himself as a Voice for God

In a 2008 interview with The Fader, Kanye West stated, "I'm like a vessel, and God has chosen me to be the voice and the connector," expressing his spiritual beliefs.

2009: MTV Video Music Awards Incident

In 2009, Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards, proclaiming that Beyoncé deserved the award instead, leading to widespread criticism.

2009: Belief in God Without Religion

In a 2009 interview with Bossip, Kanye West expressed his belief in God but stated that he felt he "would never go into a religion" at that time.

November 2010: Recanting Apologies

In November 2010, Kanye West seemed to recant his past apologies for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards incident, describing his actions as "selfless".

2010: Apologized for Bush Comment

In 2010, Kanye West apologized for his 2005 comment about George Bush, saying he "didn't have the grounds to call [Bush] a racist".

2010: Relationship with Amber Rose Ended

In 2010, Kanye West's relationship with model Amber Rose ended.

April 2012: Began Dating Kim Kardashian

In April 2012, Kanye West began dating reality television star Kim Kardashian, with whom he had been long-time friends.

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.

June 2013: Birth of North West

In June 2013, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's first child, North West, was born.

October 2013: Engagement to Kim Kardashian

In October 2013, Kanye West became engaged to Kim Kardashian.

2013: Voiced Opposition to Abortion

In 2013, Kanye West voiced his opposition to abortion, citing his belief in the Sixth Commandment.

May 2014: Married Kim Kardashian

In May 2014, Kanye West married Kim Kardashian at Fort di Belvedere in Florence. Their private ceremony received widespread media coverage.

October 2014: Donation to the Democratic National Committee

In October 2014, Kanye West donated $15,000 to the Democratic National Committee.

2014: West Refers to Himself as a Christian

In 2014, Kanye West referred to himself as a Christian during one of his concerts, publicly expressing his religious identity.

April 2015: North West Baptized in Jerusalem

In April 2015, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian traveled to Jerusalem to have their daughter, North West, baptized in the Armenian Apostolic Church at the Cathedral of St. James.

August 2015: Donation to Hillary Clinton's 2016 Campaign

In August 2015, Kanye West donated $2,700 to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign.

December 2015: Birth of Saint West

In December 2015, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's second child, Saint West, was born.

November 19, 2016: Hospitalization for Hallucinations and Paranoia

On November 19, 2016, Kanye West abruptly ended a concert before being committed to the UCLA Medical Center due to hallucinations and paranoia. Initially described as "temporary psychosis" caused by dehydration and sleep deprivation, his condition was serious enough to trigger his insurance policy for 21 cancelled concerts.

November 21, 2016: Cancellation of the Saint Pablo Tour

On November 21, 2016, Kanye West cancelled the remaining 21 dates on the Saint Pablo Tour after a week of no-shows, curtailed concerts, and political rants. Subsequently, he was admitted for psychiatric observation at UCLA Medical Center.

December 2016: Meeting with President-elect Donald Trump

In December 2016, Kanye West met with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago. West later said he would have voted for Trump.

2016: Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder

In 2016, Kanye West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The diagnosis was not made public until his 2018 album Ye. He later told President Donald Trump that it was a misdiagnosis.

2016: Conviction Expunged

In 2016, Kanye West's appeal to have his misdemeanor battery conviction from 2014 expunged from his criminal record was granted by a judge.

February 2017: Deletion of Tweets about Trump

In February 2017, Kanye West deleted all his tweets about Donald Trump, reportedly disliking the new president's policies, particularly the travel ban.

January 2018: Birth of Chicago West

In January 2018, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's third child, Chicago West, was born via surrogate.

April 2018: Reiteration of Support for Donald Trump

In April 2018, Kanye West reiterated his support for Donald Trump.

September 2018: Announced 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. This did not occur.

October 2018: Donation to Amara Enyia

In October 2018, Kanye West donated to progressive Chicago mayoral candidate Amara Enyia.

2018: Alluded to Wishing to Change His Name

In 2018, Kanye West had alluded to wishing to change his name, and had used "Ye" as a nickname for several years prior.

2018: Commented on Slavery

In 2018, Kanye West stated that the 400-year enslavement of Africans "sounds like a choice", later clarifying his comment was in reference to mental enslavement.

2018: Addiction to Opioids

In a 2018 interview, Kanye West revealed that he had become addicted to opioids after they were prescribed to him following liposuction. He also mentioned addictions to alcohol, sex, and pornography.

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 his and others' songs.

May 2019: Birth of Psalm West

In May 2019, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's fourth child, Psalm West, was born via surrogate.

September 2019: Kim Kardashian on West's Religious Evolution

In September 2019, Kim Kardashian stated that Kanye West had experienced "an amazing evolution of being born again and being saved by Christ," highlighting his evolving religious journey.

October 2019: West Declares Love for Jesus Christ

In October 2019, Kanye West expressed that he loves Jesus Christ and Christianity, stating that serving multiple "gods of ego, money, pride, and fame" had driven him crazy in the past.

November 2019: Stated Intention to Run for President in 2024

In November 2019, Kanye West stated his intention to run for president in the 2024 presidential election, joking about creating so many jobs that he wouldn't need to run.

2019: Acceptance of Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis

Reportedly, by 2019, Kanye West had accepted the diagnosis of bipolar disorder again, although he had suggested it was a misdiagnosis.

July 4, 2020: Announced Presidential Run on Twitter

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

July 15, 2020: Filed Paperwork with 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: Acknowledged Possible Divorce and Attempted to Divorce Kardashian

In July 2020, Kanye West acknowledged the possibility of Kim Kardashian ending their marriage and later wrote on Twitter that he had been attempting to divorce her.

July 2020: Expressed Ignorance on Taxes and Foreign Policy

In July 2020, Kanye West told Forbes that he was not knowledgeable about issues such as taxes and foreign policy during his presidential campaign.

July 2020: Revealed Consideration of Abortion

In July 2020, during a presidential campaign rally, Kanye West revealed that he had previously considered abortion during Kim Kardashian's first pregnancy but has since adopted anti-abortion views.

November 4, 2020: Conceded Presidential Election on Twitter

On November 4, 2020, Kanye West conceded the 2020 presidential election on Twitter after receiving 66,365 votes in the 12 states where he had ballot access, averaging 0.32%.

2020: Independent Presidential Campaign

In 2020, Kanye West ran an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign in the United States.

January 4, 2021: Publicist Pressured Georgia Election Worker

On January 4, 2021, a publicist linked to Kanye West allegedly pressured a Georgia election worker to confess to false charges of election tampering to support Donald Trump's claims of election interference.

January 2021: Reported Divorce Discussions

In January 2021, CNN reported that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were discussing divorce.

August 2021: Applied to Court to Change Legal Name to "Ye"

In August 2021, Kanye West applied to court to have his legal name changed from "Kanye Omari West" to "Ye", with no middle or last name, citing "personal reasons".

October 2021: Began Selling Wyoming Ranch

In October 2021, Kanye West began the process of selling his Wyoming ranch.

October 2021: Name Change to "Ye" Granted by Court

In October 2021, Kanye West's request to legally change his name to "Ye" was granted by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge.

December 2021: Presidential Campaign Received Millions from Republican Operatives

In December 2021, it was reported that Kanye West's presidential campaign had received millions of dollars in services from a secret network of Republican operatives, with payments not properly reported, potentially to conceal connections.

2021: Net Worth as High as $1.8 Billion

In 2021, Kanye West's net worth was as high as $1.8 billion, making him one of the wealthiest musical artists.

2021: Jeen-Yuhs Documentary Announced to Debut

In 2021, a documentary titled "Jeen-Yuhs", which was shot over 21 years and featured footage of Kanye West's early life, the death of his mother, and his presidential run, was announced to debut.

January 2022: Confirmed Dating Julia Fox

In January 2022, actress Julia Fox confirmed in an Interview essay that she was dating Kanye West. West also publicly lashed out at Kim Kardashian's new boyfriend, Pete Davidson.

October 2022: Estimated Net Worth Dropped to $400 Million

In October 2022, Forbes estimated Kanye West's net worth had dropped to $400 million, largely due to Adidas's termination of their partnership following his antisemitic statements.

November 2022: Divorce Settlement Finalized

In November 2022, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's divorce settlement was finalized, with West ordered to pay $200,000 in monthly child support and be responsible for half of the children's medical, educational, and security expenses.

November 2022: Officially Launched 2024 Presidential Campaign

In November 2022, Kanye West officially launched his presidential campaign for the 2024 election.

December 2022: Speculation About Autism

In December 2022, Kanye West suggested he might be autistic.

2022: Deemed Abortion "Genocide and Population Control" of Black People

In 2022, Kanye West deemed abortion "genocide and population control" of black people.

2022: Netflix Released Jeen-Yuhs

In 2022, Netflix released the "Jeen-Yuhs" documentary after acquiring it for $30 million.

January 2023: Informal Marriage to Bianca Censori

In January 2023, it was reported that Kanye West informally married Bianca Censori, an architect working for Yeezy, in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills. However, the ceremony had no legal standing as they did not file for a marriage license.

July 2023: Twitter Reversed Account Ban

In July 2023, Twitter reversed the ban on Kanye West's account, citing assurances from him that he would not post harmful content.

October 2023: Attorney Stated West is Not a Candidate for Office in 2024

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

December 2023: Apologized for Antisemitic Remarks, Partially Retracted Statements

In December 2023, Kanye West apologized for his antisemitic remarks in a written statement on Instagram, but in a subsequent interview, he said "[s]ome of the stuff I was saying was true" and that Black people cannot be antisemitic because they "are Jew".

January 2024: Titanium Prosthodontics Installation

In January 2024, dentist Thomas Connelly installed permanent titanium prosthodontics for Kanye West.

June 29, 2024: Arrival in Moscow and Controversy

On June 29, 2024, Kanye West traveled to Moscow, Russia, to celebrate the 40th birthday of Russian fashion designer Gosha Rubchinskiy. Following the trip, West was labeled an "enemy of Ukraine".

2024: Intention to run for president in 2024

In November 2019 Kanye West stated his intention to run for president in the 2024 presidential election.

February 2025: Reported Autism Diagnosis

In February 2025, Kanye West stated that he had received a professional diagnosis of autism.

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.

April 2025: West Claimed Incestuous Relationship with Male Cousin

In April 2025, Kanye West said that he and a male cousin had an incestuous relationship as children, beginning when they attempted reenacting what they saw in gay pornography magazines. West claimed he performed oral sex on his cousin until he was 14.