Jeff Burlingame - Kanye West. Hip-Hop Mogul

Kanye West: Hip-Hop Mogul

Kanye West is one of the best-selling and among the most awarded artists in popular music. He has won a total of 21 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all-time and the most awarded artist of anyone his age. West has never been the typical rapper or hip-hop artist.

Quotes, personal stories, and accessible features along with a discography and where to contact this hip-hop mogul make this biography of Kanye West a must read.

Grammy Awards ceremonies are star-studded events. Held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, they are the American music industrys crowning moment. They are the time when music-business executives, famous celebrities, and excited nominees gather to see who wins the top awards in dozens of categories. Those winners are then called up to the stage to give an acceptance speech.

At the 2005 Grammys, held on February 13, Kanye West was nominated for more awards than any other performer. His ten nominations included the coveted Best New Artist award. It was considered one of the biggest of the Grammys, and Kanye believed he deserved to win it. But early in the night, he lost the award for Best New Artist to a band from Los Angeles named Maroon 5, whose singer, Adam Levine, went on to become a judge on the popular television show, The Voice. Kanye was angered by the loss. He had a reputation for being a sore loser. A few months earlier at the American Music Awards, he had left abruptly after he lost a similar award. I definitely was robbed, he told the media after the AMAs. I was the best new artist this year.

Kanye is shown wearing his angel wings as he performs at the 2005 Grammys.

When Kanye lost at the Grammys, even the winning Levine was stunned. Oh, my God. Kanye West, I want to thank you so much for being unbelievable, he said during Maroon 5s acceptance speech. The loss bothered Kanye for years. In interviews, he often talked about how upset he was over not winning Best New Artist. There was only one chance to win that award. And Kanye missed his.

At the 2005 Grammys, however, Kanye shook off his frustration and did not act out. Many considered that a surprise. But Kanye simply took to the stage to perform his single Jesus Walks, which was nominated for a couple awards, too. Kanyes performance took place with a church as a backdrop and a gospel choir backing up the suit-and-tie wearing rapper. Kanye was joined on stage by John Legend, Mavis Staples, and the Blind Boys of Alabama. The performance ended with Kanye being lifted in the air, wearing large, white angel wings and surrounded by dancers.

The winner of the Best Rap Album category was announced after Kanyes performance. This was the one category most insiders felt Kanye surely would win. College DropoutKanyes debut albumhad sold more than 2 million copies the previous year, and many critics already had placed it on their lists of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. The popular Rolling Stone magazine had said the album was the best release of 2004. Spin magazine did too, saying Kanye speaks a universal gospel.

After a successful trip to the Grammys, Kanye poses with all three of his Grammy awards.

Kanye makes it rain. during a concert.

Kanye was well aware of the praise the album had received and felt certain it would win Best Rap Album. Still, he also knew nothing was certain, and that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciencesthe body which chooses the Grammy winnerswas unpredictable. So when actor Kevin Bacon opened the envelope and read Kanyes name as the winner, the rapper was genuinely surprised. Wearing the white suit he had finished his performance of Jesus Walks in and standing off to the side of the stage, Kanye flashed a toothy smile and jogged up the stairs to accept the award. Lifting his hand to silence the cheering crowd, Kanye said: This is gonna take a while.

Kanyes a while turned out to be less than two minutes. But that did not make his speech any less impactful. He began by talking about the car accident he had been in two-and-a-half years earlier that had almost taken his life:

When I had my accident, I found out at that moment nothing in life is promised except death. If you have the opportunity to play this game of life, you need to appreciate every moment. A lot of people dont appreciate their moment until its past.Right now is my time and my moment, thanks to the fans, thanks to the accident, thanks to God. Kanyes voice grew louder as he continued:

Kanye West is shown giving his Grammy acceptance speech for Best Rap Album earnednfor Late Registration in 2006.

I plan to celebrate and scream and pop champagne every chance I get, cause Im at the Grammys, baby! Everybody wanted to know what I would do if I didnt win. I guess well never know. Kanye lifted the award above his head and walked off the stage to a standing ovation. The fit many felt Kanye might throw after he lost Best New Artist was not going to happen.

Kanye ended up winning three Grammys in 2005and has won several more over the course of his career. Hes given many acceptance speeches at future awards shows, though none have been as legendary as his first one. Kanyes inspirational speech is one of the most talked-about speeches in the history of awards ceremonies. Through the years, Kanye also has had some not-so-flattering moments at awards ceremonies. He has had a career riddled with controversy, and has created some of the best-selling records in history. He is certainly a polarizing figure: Those who like him really like him. Those who dislike him really dislike him. And almost everyone knows his name.

Unlike many hip-hop artists, his childhood was not spent hustling inner-city streets. Kanye Omari West was born June 8, 1977, in the Atlanta, Georgia, suburb of Douglasville, to successful parents. His mom, Donda West, was well on her way to earning her doctorate and becoming a university professor. His father, Ray West, worked as a photojournalist and had won many awards for his efforts. The new parents selected the name Kanye [pronounced Con-yay] from a book of African names because they wanted him to represent his culture. It was an Ethiopian name that meant the only one. His mom said she chose it because she knew he would be her only child.

Baby Kanye lived with his parents in Atlanta, but shortly after he was born, his parents separated. When Kanye was three years old, they officially divorced. Kanye and his mother then left Atlanta for Chicago, Illinois. Donda West found a good job there teaching at Chicago State University. Both parents were active in the civil rights movement, a period of activism where African Americans fought to end racism and bring about equality in the United States and other countries. Ray West was even a member of the Black Panther Party, a sometimes-militant group fighting for equality for all minorities. Donda West raised Kanye by herself during the school year, and he went to stay with his father in Atlanta during spring and summer breaks.