Kanye West

One of the most influential, critically lauded, and controversial artists of the early 21st century, American rapper and producer Kanye West has gone from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker with a wildly successful solo career that counted an unbroken string of chart-topping, multi-platinum albums and nearly two-dozen Grammy Awards. His early-2000s production work quickly led to a major-label recording contract, yielding a classic trilogy comprised of 2004's The College Dropout, 2005's Late Registration, and 2007's Graduation. With each successive album, he pushed the bou...