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, 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.

Sections (6)

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

June 8, 1977: Kanye West is born

On June 8, 1977, Kanye Omari West, now known as Ye, was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He would later become a prominent figure in hip-hop.

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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 before transferring to Chicago State University to study English.

2002: Relationship with Alexis Phifer Begins

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

2005: "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People"

In 2005, Kanye West criticized George Bush and the government's response to Hurricane Katrina on live television, saying "George Bush doesn't care about black people".

August 2006: Engagement to Alexis Phifer

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

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: Mother's Death

In November 2007, Kanye West's mother's death profoundly affected him.

November 2007: Settlement of Knievel Lawsuit

In November 2007, shortly before his death, Robert "Evel" Knievel amicably settled his lawsuit against Kanye West after a visit from West. Knievel stated that he found West to be a wonderful guy and a gentleman.

2008: Engagement to Alexis Phifer Ends

In 2008, Kanye West and Alexis Phifer ended their 18-month engagement. Phifer stated that they had split amicably and remained friends.

2008: The Glow in the Dark Tour

In 2008, Kanye West embarked on his Glow in the Dark Tour shortly after his mother's death and the end of his engagement to Alexis Phifer.

2008: Declaration as a 'Vessel' of 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 and sense of divine purpose.

2009: Belief in God, Rejection of Religion

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

2010: Relationship with Amber Rose Ends

In 2010, Kanye West and model Amber Rose ended their relationship. West later commented that he had to take "30 showers" before dating Kim Kardashian, and Rose said she had been "bullied" and "slut-shamed" by West.

2010: West Apologizes for Bush Comment

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

April 2012: West Begins Dating Kim Kardashian

In April 2012, Kanye West began dating reality television star Kim Kardashian, with whom he had already 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, indicating his political alignment at the time.

June 2013: North West Born

In June 2013, North West, the first child of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, was born.

October 2013: West and Kardashian Get Engaged

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

2013: West Voices Opposition to Abortion

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

May 2014: West and Kardashian Get Married

In May 2014, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian married at Fort di Belvedere in Florence. Their private ceremony was subject to widespread mainstream coverage.

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.

2014: Referring to Himself as a Christian

In 2014, during one of his concerts, Kanye West referred to himself as a Christian, further demonstrating his evolving spiritual 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, continuing his support for Democratic political figures.

December 2015: Saint West Born

In December 2015, Saint West, the second child of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, was born.

November 19, 2016: Abrupt End to Concert and Commitment to UCLA Medical Center

On November 19, 2016, Kanye West abruptly ended a concert before being committed to the UCLA Medical Center due to hallucinations and paranoia. The episode was initially described as "temporary psychosis" caused by dehydration and sleep deprivation.

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. Subsequently, West stated he would have voted for Trump had he voted.

2016: Diagnosis with Bipolar Disorder

In 2016, Kanye West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, although this diagnosis was not publicly revealed until his 2018 album, Ye. He later questioned the accuracy of the diagnosis.

February 2017: Deletion of Pro-Trump Tweets

In February 2017, Kanye West deleted all his tweets about Donald Trump in purported dislike of the new president's policies, particularly the travel ban, signaling a shift in his political stance.

January 2018: Chicago West Born

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

April 2018: Reiteration of Support for Donald Trump

In April 2018, Kanye West reiterated his support for Donald Trump, despite previously deleting pro-Trump tweets, indicating a complex and evolving political viewpoint.

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.

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: 400-Year Enslavement Comment

In 2018, Kanye West stated that the 400-year enslavement of Africans "sounds like a choice", later clarifying it was about mental enslavement. He later apologized for the comment.

2018: Addiction to Opioids and Other Substances

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. West said that he often experiences suicidal ideation.

2018: Allusion to Name Change

Kanye West alluded to wishing to change his name since 2018 and had used Ye as a nickname for several years prior, stating in a 2018 interview that he believed "ye" (/jiː/) was the most commonly used word in the Bible: "In the Bible it means 'you'. So, I'm you. I'm us. It's us. It went from being Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye."

May 2019: Psalm West Born

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

September 2019: Kim Kardashian's Statement on West's Spiritual Evolution

In September 2019, Kim Kardashian stated about Kanye West: "He has had an amazing evolution of being born again and being saved by Christ," highlighting a significant transformation in his spiritual life.

October 2019: West's Reflections on Serving Multiple Gods and Embracing Christianity

In October 2019, Kanye West reflected on his past, saying, "When I was trying to serve multiple gods it drove me crazy" in reference to the "god of ego, god of money, god of pride, the god of fame", and that "I didn't even know what it meant to be saved" and that now "I love Jesus Christ. I love Christianity."

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.

2019: Acceptance of Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis

By 2019, Kanye West had reportedly accepted his diagnosis of bipolar disorder, though he later suggested it might have been a misdiagnosis.

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.

July 2020: Potential Divorce Acknowledged

In July 2020, Kanye West acknowledged the possibility of Kim Kardashian ending their marriage due to his adoption of anti-abortion views. Later that month, West wrote on Twitter that he had been attempting to divorce Kardashian and that the Kardashian family was attempting "to lock [him] up".

July 2020: West Discusses Political Ignorance

In July 2020, Kanye West admitted to Forbes that he was not knowledgeable on topics such as taxes and foreign policy during his presidential campaign.

July 2020: West Reveals Consideration of Abortion

In July 2020, 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: 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.

2020: Unsuccessful presidential campaign

In 2020, Kanye West ran an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign.

January 4, 2021: Publicist Pressured Election Worker

According to reports from Reuters, on January 4, 2021, a publicist linked to Kanye West pressured a Georgia election worker to confess to false allegations of election tampering to support Donald Trump's claims.

January 2021: Divorce Discussions Reported

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

August 2021: West Applies 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.

October 2021: Selling Wyoming Ranch

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

October 2021: 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.

December 2021: Campaign Finance Irregularities Reported

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 not properly reported, potentially concealing a connection.

2021: West's Net Worth Reaches $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.

October 2022: West's Net Worth Drops

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

November 2022: West Officially Launched His Presidential Campaign

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

November 2022: Divorce Settlement Finalized

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

December 2022: Suggestion of Being Autistic

In December 2022, Kanye West suggested that he might be autistic, raising questions about his neurodevelopmental condition.

2022: Abortion as 'Genocide and Population Control'

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

2022: Antisemitic Statements and Fallout

In late 2022, Kanye West made a series of antisemitic statements, resulting in the termination of collaborations, sponsorships, and partnerships with Vogue, Universal Music Group, CAA, Balenciaga, Gap, and Adidas.

January 2023: Informal Marriage to Bianca Censori

In January 2023, it was reported that Kanye West had an informal marriage ceremony with Bianca Censori, an architect working for Yeezy. The ceremony, held in Beverly Hills, was not legally binding. In response to West's trips to Australia, concerns were raised about his potential visa denial due to his antisemitic remarks.

July 2023: Twitter Reinstates West's Account

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

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".

December 2023: West Apologizes for Antisemitic Remarks

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: Trip to Moscow for Gosha Rubchinskiy's Birthday

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

2024: Intention to Run for President

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

February 2025: Professional Diagnosis Suggesting Autism

In February 2025, Kanye West said that he had received a professional diagnosis suggesting that he is autistic.

February 2025: Antisemitic Rant on X and Super Bowl Ad

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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April 2025: West Describes Incestuous Relationship

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 said that he performed oral sex on his cousin until he was 14, when he ended the relationship.