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 an influential American rapper and record producer celebrated for his diverse musical style and often controversial cultural and political opinions. Initially a producer for Chicago artists, he gained prominence at Roc-A-Fella Records, contributing to albums like Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001). His debut album, The College Dropout (2004), was critically acclaimed and spawned the hit "Slow Jamz." He achieved further success with chart-topping singles like "Gold Digger" (2005) and "Stronger" (2007) and "Carnival" (2024), solidifying his status as a major force in hip-hop and popular culture.
June 8, 1977: Kanye West is born
On June 8, 1977, Kanye Omari West, later known as Ye, was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He would become a prominent figure in hip-hop as a rapper and record producer.
1997: Attended American Academy of Art
In 1997, Kanye West received a scholarship to attend Chicago's American Academy of Art and began taking painting classes.
December 2002: "Through the Wire" Recorded and Get Well Soon... Released
In December 2002, Kanye West released his debut mixtape "Get Well Soon..." which included the song "Through the Wire", recorded two weeks after a car accident that shattered his jaw.
2002: Relationship with Alexis Phifer Begins
In 2002, Kanye West began an on-and-off relationship with designer Alexis Phifer.
2005: Hurricane Katrina Controversy
In 2005, Kanye West criticized the media and government's racial disparities in their response to Hurricane Katrina, stating "George Bush doesn't care about black people" on live television.
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.
September 2007: Spoofed Incident on Saturday Night Live
In September 2007, Kanye West spoofed the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards incident on the 33rd-season premiere of Saturday Night Live.
November 2007: Death of his mother and end of Engagement
In November 2007, Kanye West's mother's death and the end of his engagement to Alexis Phifer profoundly affected him.
2008: Engagement to Alexis Phifer Ended
In 2008, Kanye West and Alexis Phifer ended their 18-month engagement.
2008: God Chosen Voice
In a 2008 interview with The Fader, Kanye West stated that "I'm like a vessel, and God has chosen me to be the voice and the connector".
2009: Belief in God
In a 2009 interview with online magazine Bossip, Kanye West stated that he believed in God, but at the time felt that he "would never go into a religion".
2010: Apology for Bush Comment
In 2010, Kanye West apologized for his 2005 comment about George Bush, stating he "didn't have the grounds to call [Bush] a racist" and that he "was programmed to think from a victimized mentality".
2010: Relationship with Amber Rose
Kanye West dated model Amber Rose from 2008 until mid-2010.
April 2012: Relationship with Kim Kardashian Begins
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 Obama's 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 and Kim Kardashian became engaged.
2013: Opposition to Abortion
In 2013, Kanye West voiced his opposition to abortion, citing his belief in the Sixth Commandment.
May 2014: Marriage to Kim Kardashian
In May 2014, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian married at Fort di Belvedere in Florence. The private ceremony was subject to widespread mainstream coverage, with which West took issue.
October 2014: Donation to Democratic National Committee
In October 2014, Kanye West donated $15,000 to the Democratic National Committee.
2014: Christian Identity
In 2014, Kanye West referred to himself as a Christian during one of his concerts.
April 2015: North West Baptized
In April 2015, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian traveled to Jerusalem to have North baptized in the Armenian Apostolic Church at the Cathedral of St. James.
August 2015: Donation to Hillary Clinton's 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 Mental Health
On November 19, 2016, Kanye West abruptly ended a concert and was subsequently committed to UCLA Medical Center due to hallucinations and paranoia. Initially described as "temporary psychosis" from dehydration and sleep deprivation, his mental state was severe enough to trigger his insurance policy covering 21 cancelled concerts. He was released from the hospital on November 30.
December 2016: Meeting with Donald Trump
In December 2016, Kanye West met with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago.
2016: Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis
In 2016, Kanye West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, although he later told President Donald Trump that it was a misdiagnosis. This diagnosis was not made public until his 2018 album 'Ye'.
February 2017: Deletion of Trump Tweets
In February 2017, Kanye West deleted all his tweets about Donald Trump, purportedly disliking the new president's policies.
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: Reiterated Support for Trump
In April 2018, Kanye West reiterated his support for Donald Trump.
September 2018: Move Back to Chicago Announced
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
In October 2018, Kanye West donated to progressive Chicago mayoral candidate Amara Enyia.
2018: Opioid Addiction Revelation
In 2018, Kanye West revealed in an interview that he had become addicted to opioids after being prescribed them following liposuction. He also disclosed addictions to alcohol, sex, and pornography, along with suicidal ideation.
2018: Name Change Allusion
Since 2018, Kanye West had alluded to wishing to change his name.
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: Born Again
In September 2019, Kim Kardashian stated: "He has had an amazing evolution of being born again and being saved by Christ."
October 2019: Love of Jesus Christ
In October 2019, Kanye West said that "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: Presidential Ambitions
In November 2019, Kanye West announced his intention to run for president again in the 2024 presidential election, stating he would create so many jobs that he wouldn't need to run, but rather walk.
2019: Acceptance of Bipolar Diagnosis
Reportedly in 2019, Kanye West had accepted his bipolar disorder diagnosis, but later suggested it had been a misdiagnosis in 2022.
July 4, 2020: Announcement of Presidential Run
On July 4, 2020, West announced on Twitter that he would be running 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 West, under the "BDY" Party affiliation amid claims that he was preparing to drop out.
July 2020: Divorce Possibility Acknowledged
In July 2020, Kanye West acknowledged the possibility of Kim Kardashian ending their marriage due to his adoption of anti-abortion views. He also wrote that the Kardashian family was attempting "to lock [him] up".
July 2020: Admission of Ignorance on Key Issues
In July 2020, West told Forbes that he is ignorant on issues such as taxes and foreign policy, during his presidential campaign.
July 2020: Anti-Abortion Views
In July 2020, during a presidential campaign rally, Kanye West revealed that he had previously considered abortion during Kardashian's first pregnancy but has since taken anti-abortion views.
November 4, 2020: Concession from Presidential Race
West conceded from the 2020 presidential race on November 4, 2020, receiving 66,365 votes in the 12 states he had ballot access in.
2020: Independent Presidential Campaign
In 2020, Kanye West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign advocating for a consistent life ethic.
January 2021: Divorce Discussions
In January 2021, CNN reported that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were discussing divorce.
August 2021: Name Change Application
In August 2021, Kanye West applied to court to have his legal name changed from "Kanye Omari West" to "Ye", citing "personal reasons".
October 2021: Selling Wyoming Ranch
In October 2021, Kanye West began the process of selling his Wyoming ranch.
October 2021: Name Change 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.
January 2022: Relationship with Julia Fox
In January 2022, actress Julia Fox confirmed that she was dating Kanye West. West publicly lashed out at Kardashian's new boyfriend, Pete Davidson, and was dropped as a performer at the Grammy Awards.
November 2022: Presidential Campaign Launch
In November 2022, Kanye West officially launched his presidential campaign.
November 2022: Divorce Settlement Finalized
In November 2022, Kanye West's divorce settlement with Kim Kardashian was finalized, with West ordered to pay $200,000 in monthly child support.
December 2022: Speculation About Autism
In December 2022, Kanye West suggested he might be autistic.
2022: Abortion as Genocide
In 2022, Kanye West deemed abortion "genocide and population control" of black people.
January 2023: Informal Marriage to Bianca Censori
In January 2023, it was reported that Kanye West had informally married Bianca Censori in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills, with no legal standing.
July 2023: Twitter Account Restoration
In July 2023, Twitter reversed the ban on Kanye West's account, citing assurances that he would not post harmful content.
October 2023: Withdrawal from 2024 Presidential Race
In October 2023, Kanye West's attorney stated that he is not a candidate for office in 2024.
December 2023: Apology for Antisemitic Remarks
In December 2023, Kanye West apologized for his antisemitic remarks in a written statement on Instagram, weeks before the release of his upcoming album, but later walked back on the apology in a subsequent interview.
January 2024: Dental Work and Alleged Drug Supply
In January 2024, dentist Thomas Connelly installed permanent titanium prosthodontics for Kanye West and allegedly moved into West's apartment building to supply him with nitrous oxide.
2024: Presidential Election Ambitions
Kanye West stated his intention to run for president again in the 2024 election.
February 2025: Diagnosis of Autism
In February 2025, Kanye West stated that he had received a professional diagnosis of autism.
