Kanye West

Born in Atlanta in 1977 and raised on Chicago's South Side, Kanye West first made his mark as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, crafting beats for Jay-Z's The Blueprint. His debut album The College Dropout (2004) won the Grammy for Best Rap Album and established his signature style of sped-up soul samples paired with confessional lyrics. Each subsequent album — Late Registration (2005), Graduation (2007), 808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), Yeezus (2013) — represented a deliberate sonic reinvention. His influence extends beyond music into fashion and design, though his public persona has generated as much attention as his art.