Record producer.Rapper. Mover and shaker. Those are just a few words to describe the successful and highly acclaimed hip-hop artist, Kanye West.Kanye was born in Atlanta, Georgia on June 8, 1977. When his parents divorced Kanye was only 3, and was forced to move to Chicago with his mother. It was in Chicago, that he attending Chicago State University, where he helped musically produce for local artist. Through the exposure he gained producing for the local celebs, Kanye's name reached the ears of some pretty big names in the music industry. Kanye eventually ended up dropping out to follow his dreams of being a famed musician.Kanye really made a name doe himself in 2001 when he began producing hits for huge hip hop artist such as Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Jay Z; just to name a few. He soon was known for his unique style of using samples from old soul songs, which put high emphasis on instrumental value. Kanye thanks rappers such as Ghostface, RZA (from Wu-tang Clan), and Ol' Dirty Bastard for being a huge inspiration and guide in his musical career.Kanye's breakthrough and hit album, The College Dropout(which was true to his life), was released in February 2004 via Roc-A-Fella Records. The album was a huge success; Kanye was praised for his use of sampling and instrumentals.The second album, Late Registration was released on August 30, 2005, and of course, was a triumphant. Although the album was a huge success, Kanye was criticized for a bloated ego. The bad press didn't stop Kanye from pushing forward and working on his third and very anticipated album with already the hit single, stronger.Due to be released September 11, 2007 Graduation is Kanye's most anticipated album yet. Not to mention 50 Cent, Kanye's rival is releasing his album the very same day. There were even rumors that Kanye has said in more or less words that if 50 sells more albums than Kanye, that Kanye would retire. Talk about controversy!Controversy or not, we all love Kanye and his unique style. You can catch Kanye at the MTV Music Awards this Sunday live from Las Vegas.

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