Donda West - Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar

I am deeply grateful to my mother and father for making me who I am, and to Kanye West for being my greatest joy.

To my entire family for always believing in me. To Miki Woodard, Jeanella Blair, Bill Johnson, Sakiya Sandifer, Alexis Phifer, Michael Newton, Damien Dziepak, Stephan Scoggins, and to my editor, Lauren McKenna for invaluable feedback on the manuscript.

To Adlaidie Walker and Terry Horton for encouraging me to be bold. To the James Hotel in Chicago for incredible hospitality while I worked there on the manuscript. To Ann and Ralph Hines for providing me with the perfect place to retreat and for being the perfect hosts.

To Jahon Rashid, Linda Ames, and Sonya Spencer for rescuing me from a writing marathon and encouraging me to return to it. To Ian Kleinert for selling Simon & Schuster on the vision, to Simon & Schuster for seeing the vision and providing this opportunity.

To Lou Takacs, Brad Rose, Robert Stein, and Alison Finley for outstanding legal counsel. To Jennifer Rudolph Walsh for scrutinizing this deal. To Sheila Roberson and Janelle Keith for critical research and follow up. To Reshawn Jackson for being the perfect model, to Jean Roberson for supplying the model. To Tre Major (cover photo hair and makeup) for attentiveness to every detail and incredible workmanship. To Charlene Roxbury (wardrobe), to Sharron Winbush for nutrition and physical training throughout this process. To Jon Platt at EMI Publishing. To Gabe Tesoriero, Al Branch, and Jeanella Blair for promoting the book.

To Gee Roberson, Shawn Gee, Susan Linns, Sheila Roberson, John Monopoly, Ibn Jasper, Don Crawley, Alison Finley, Brett Goetsch, Barry Ray, Al Branch, and John Hicks for always having Kanyes back (and mine, too). To Stephan Scoggins for always inspiring me.

And to Karen Hunter for being a brilliant cowriter without whom I could never have done this project.

Ive known my mom since I was zero years old. She is quite dope. What stands out most about her is not only how she taught me but her willingness to learn new things and that she listens to me.

When some people become parents, they are so busy teaching, they sometimes close off to learning. A lot of parents are so stuck in their ways they cant adjust to new things. You have to be in touch with what your kids are doing. You have to be a part of them.

If parents could be more open-minded to their children, more open to what their children are intolike their music, their clothes, and their interestsmaybe they could raise children who become open-minded adults. Thats how my mom was. And I was open to what she told me because she always valued what I had to say.

I remember one time we were having a discussion about proper En glish. I was saying something and asked her if it was proper. She told me it depends. Language is situational.

If youre in a room full of people and everyone is speaking Ebonics and you break out with the Queens En glish, super proper, then even if youre speaking so-called correct En glish, youre not correct. To communicate effectively, you have to speak so that people can understand you.

I remembered that when I wrote my songs. And she in turn lived it. It was nothing for her to break out into perfect Ebonics. What up, dog?

When I wrote that song, HeyMama! about my mom, I worked on it for months. I wanted to make it as great as she is. I wanted to tell the whole world about our friendship and how it came to be. I also wanted to talk about her in the most artistic way I could. I wanted her to know how much I appreciate her for the way she raised me.

Youll see that in these pages and youll learn things that I didnt even know until I read this book. But what I did know is that because of who she is, I am able to be who I am.