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 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.

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 and record producer.

Others born on this day/year

1997: Attends American Academy of Art

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

2002: Beginning Relationship with Alexis Phifer

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

2005: Hurricane Katrina Criticism

In 2005, Kanye West criticized the 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.

November 7, 2006: Public Apology for MTV 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 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.

September 2007: Saturday Night Live Spoof

In September 2007, Kanye West spoofed the MTV Europe Music Awards incident on the 33rd-season premiere of Saturday Night Live.

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November 2007: Death of Mother and End of Engagement

In November 2007, Kanye West's mother passed away and his engagement to Alexis Phifer ended, profoundly affecting him.

2008: Ending Engagement with Alexis Phifer

In 2008, Kanye West and Alexis Phifer ended their 18-month engagement.

2008: West's Self-Description as a Vessel for God

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: MTV Video Music Awards Incident

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

2009: West's Belief in God and Hesitation Towards Religion

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".

November 2010: Recanting Apologies for VMA Incident

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

2010: Apology 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: Ending Relationship with Amber Rose

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

April 2012: Beginning Relationship with 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.

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 married Kim Kardashian at Fort di Belvedere in Florence.

October 2014: Donation to the Democratic National Committee

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

2014: West Referred to Himself as a Christian

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

April 2015: North West's Baptism in Jerusalem

In April 2015, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian traveled to Jerusalem to have 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: Concert Abruptly Ended and Hospitalization

On November 19, 2016, Kanye West abruptly ended a concert and was subsequently committed to the UCLA Medical Center due to hallucinations and paranoia.

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

On November 21, 2016, Kanye West cancelled the remaining 21 dates on the Saint Pablo Tour and was subsequently 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 subsequently stated he would have voted for Trump had he voted.

February 2017: Deletion of Tweets About Trump

In February 2017, Kanye West deleted all his tweets about Donald Trump, purportedly due to dislike of 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: 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.

October 2018: Donation to Amara Enyia's Mayoral Campaign

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

2018: "Slavery Was a Choice" Comment

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

2018: Allusion to Name Change

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

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's Statement on Kanye's Religious Evolution

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

October 2019: West's Reflections on Past Idols and Embrace of Christianity

In October 2019, Kanye West reflected on his past, stating 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: 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.

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: Divorce Possibility Acknowledgment and Twitter Statement

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

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.

July 2020: Consideration of Abortion Revelation

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 taken anti-abortion views.

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 2021: Divorce Discussions Reported

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

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.

October 2021: Selling Wyoming Ranch

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

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.

January 2022: Dating Julia Fox

In January 2022, actress Julia Fox confirmed she was dating Kanye West.

October 2022: Decline in Net Worth

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 antisemitic statements.

November 2022: Divorce Finalization

In November 2022, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's divorce settlement was finalized, with West ordered to pay $200,000 in monthly child support.

November 2022: Official Launch of Presidential Campaign

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

December 2022: Suggestion of Being Autistic

In December 2022, Kanye West suggested that 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 Australian architect Bianca Censori in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills.

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".

January 2024: Installation of Titanium Prosthodontics

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. Following this trip, he was labeled an "enemy of Ukraine."