West has made albums that are always challenging and dripping with artistic integrity.

Following College Dropoutin 2004, fans loved and embraced his authenticity, which shined through from then on. Despite his rich successes behind the desk, his aim from day one was to become a rapper, and despite doubts about his capabilities to make the step up, West proved them wrong with apparent ease.Īlthough his most recent releases have been a little off the boil, commercially and critically, as this list alludes to, Kanye is an artist that has proven time and time again that you can never write off a true innovator. It was an ethos that allowed West to become one of the most sought-after producers in the world.

I was so excited to be trying out for that song.West’s career saw him begin life in the music industry as a producer, working his way up the hip-hop ladder quickly after word spread of his futuristic approach to beat creation.

I was so nervous when I played it for Kanye. That’s not a DJ thing when you hear my voice go like that. I did all the scratches and the cuts myself with my voice. He put me in another room by myself and said, “Go.” I came back with a whole intro and chorus. So then he tells me to do “Dark Fantasy.” At the time it was pretty empty, just verses. Like I said, we were more fashion friends. Yo, can you put some backgrounds on this song ‘Hell of a Life’?” He knew I was signed to Pharrell and all that, but I guess he didn’t know what I could really do. So he hears me and is like, “You can really sing. I came in there humming! I knew what I was doing. He’s like, “I knew you’d like this!” Then he started playing his album and I start humming and doing some little runs to what I’m hearing on the sly tip. I’m not even a morning person and he wanted me to come at 9 a.m. Even though the invite really was to check out clothes, I had told myself I was going to get on that album-whether he knew or not.

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