Yeezus In 2012 West presented Cruel Summer, a compilation album featuring him and some of the artists signed to his GOOD Music label. A year later, on (2013), West continued to explore the dark corners of his psyche, at times filtering his observations through the provocative lens of racial politics, as on “New Slaves.” In contrast to the extravagance of his previous solo efforts, the album found him rapping over jagged minimalist arrangements evocative of and and embellished with spare samples of and vocalists. Its most successful single was “Bound 2,” in part because of its racy featuring West and his then girlfriend, the star . (The couple, who were frequently in the public eye, were married in 2014 and eventually had four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. In 2021 it was announced that they were divorcing, and their split was finalized in 2022.) YEEZY fashion debut and The Life of Pablo In February 2015 West, in conjunction with German apparel company , unveiled the first “season,” or collection, of his long-awaited fashion line, YEEZY. YEEZY Season 1 featured men’s and women’s streetwear, including oversize sweaters, military- and surplus-inspired jackets, sneakers, boots, and more. West’s fashion work continued leading up to the release of his eighth studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016); in fact, he debuted tracks from the album at his showcase of YEEZY Season 3 at in New York. The gospel-tinged album further demonstrated West’s inventiveness as a producer, but critics found it disjointed. In addition, the work itself was somewhat overshadowed by the unconventional circumstances of its release; after making an initial version of the album available online, West continued to tinker with it in the studio, calling it a “living breathing changing creative expression.” The tour supporting the album was abruptly canceled in November 2016, and West was briefly hospitalized. West’s fifth fashion collection, YEEZY Season 5, was released at in February 2017. Social media controversies, ye, Donald Trump, and Donda Kanye WestKanye West, 2018.(more)Kanye WestKanye West speaking in the Oval Office of the White House in October 2018 during a meeting with U.S. Pres. Donald Trump to discuss the criminal justice system and prison reform.(more)West was uncharacteristically quiet for several months before provocatively reemerging on in April 2018. He notably defended a statement he had made in a televised interview suggesting that enslaved had cooperated in their enslavement. Later that year he released the chaotic and unsettling ye, on which he declared that he is . Kids See Ghosts, a collaboration with rapper Kid Cudi, followed shortly thereafter. Like ye, it focused on but to much better effect; intense and spooky, the album was widely viewed as more interesting and rewarding than West’s solo effort. His next release, Jesus Is King, was a gospel album that reflected his recommitment to ; it later won the Grammy for best contemporary Christian music album. During this time West remained involved in fashion, and YEEZY Season 6 and Season 7 were released in 2018 and 2019, respectively, though neither was shown at New York Fashion Week. In July 2020, less than four months before the U.S. presidential election, West announced that he was as a member of the so-called Birthday Party. He did little campaigning, but he released a platform that notably called for reforming the police and legal system, reducing student debt, and having prayer in schools. Pres. and his followers supported West’s candidacy, believing that he could lure some voters away from the nominee, , in what was expected to be an incredibly close election. However, West ultimately garnered only 0.04 percent of the national vote, not enough to have any effect on the outcome. In 2021 he released his 10th studio album, Donda. Named for his mother, it features collaborations with such artists as and . He also opened a private Christian school in called Donda Academy, though the school was soon beset with numerous complaints and lawsuits. Later that year Kanye West officially changed his name to Ye. Continuing controversies and Vultures 1 While not a stranger to controversy, West faced particular backlash for objectionable behavior in 2022. During his YEEZY show at Paris Fashion Week in October, he and his models wore shirts emblazoned with “White Lives Matter.” Shortly thereafter West made a series of comments that were widely seen as . Notably, he posted on that he was preparing to “go death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.” Many interpreted the tweet as a reference to defcon, a U.S. military readiness system. This and other comments resulted in and Twitter locking his accounts and removing content. West subsequently announced that he planned on acquiring Parler, a conservative social media platform. However, the proposed sale never materialized. During this time a number of companies, including , ended their endorsement deals with West, and his booking agency, Creative Arts Agency, stopped representing him. It was also revealed that Def Jam Records had parted ways with West and GOOD Music, their contract having expired in 2021., Kanye West is an outspoken Grammy Award-winning rapper known for the songs “Gold Digger” and “Stronger.” Read about his wife Bianca Censori, albums, and more., Ye[a] (/ jeɪ / YAY; born Kanye Omari West / ˈkɑːnjeɪ / KAHN-yay; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, [3] he is known for his varying musical style [4] and polarizing cultural and political commentary. [5].