181-575: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the fifth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West . It was released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 22, 2010. Retreating to a self-imposed exile in Hawaii after a period of controversy in 2009, following his interruption of Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards , West recorded the album at Honolulu's Avex Recording Studio in
362-478: A 529 plan to fully cover college tuition for Floyd's daughter. West made cameo appearances as himself in the films State Property 2 (2005) and The Love Guru (2008), and in an episode of the television show Entourage in 2007. West provided the voice for "Kenny West", a rapper, in the animated sitcom The Cleveland Show . In 2009, he starred in the Spike Jonze -directed short film We Were Once
543-533: A Hurricane Sandy benefit concert . In January 2019, West donated $ 10 million towards the completion of the Roden Crater by American artist James Turrell . In June 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the following protests , he donated $ 2 million between the family of Floyd and other victims of police brutality , Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor . The donation funded legal fees for Arbery and Taylor's families, as well as establishing
724-546: A consistent life ethic . In October 2022, he was widely condemned and lost many sponsors and partnerships—including his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga —after making a series of antisemitic statements, including denying the Holocaust . West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta , Georgia. After his parents divorced when he was three years old, he moved with his mother to Chicago , Illinois. His father, Ray West,
905-405: A manifesto on his architectural goals during a visit to Harvard Graduate School of Design . In May 2018, West announced he was starting an architecture firm called Yeezy Home, which will act as an arm of his already successful Yeezy fashion label. In June 2018, the first Yeezy Home collaboration was announced by designer Jalil Peraza, teasing an affordable concrete prefabricated home as part of
1086-564: A puppet state . Kamehameha the Great conquered Kalanikūpule's forces in the Battle of Nuʻuanu . Kamehameha founded the Kingdom of Hawaii with the conquest of Oahu in 1795. Hawaii was not unified until King Kaumualiʻi surrendered the islands of Kauai and Niihau in 1810. Kamehameha III moved his capital from Lahaina , Maui to Honolulu , Oahu in 1845. ʻIolani Palace , built later by other members of
1267-448: A social housing project. In March 2015, it was announced that West is a co-owner, with various other music artists, in the music streaming service Tidal . The service specialises in lossless audio and high definition music videos. Jay-Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro , in the first quarter of 2015. Sixteen artist stakeholders including Jay-Z, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Madonna, Chris Martin , Nicki Minaj co-own Tidal, with
1448-541: A string orchestra for his second album Late Registration . West collaborated with American film score composer Jon Brion , who served as the album's co-executive producer for several tracks. Late Registration sold over 2.3 million units in the United States alone by the end of 2005 and was considered by industry observers as the only successful major album release of the fall season, which had been plagued by steadily declining CD sales. When his song " Touch
1629-542: A 78% sales decline, while remaining above Pink Friday by one place. As of July 2013, it had sold 1,300,000 copies in the United States, as reported by Nielsen SoundScan . By June 2011, the album had sold 483,000 digital copies, ranking as the second best-selling digital rap album ever. On November 23, 2020, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for pushing 3,000,000 certified units in
1810-474: A Fairytale (2009), playing himself acting belligerently while drunk in a nightclub. West wrote, directed, and starred in the musical short film Runaway (2010), which heavily features music from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy . The film depicts a relationship between a man, played by West, and a half-woman, half- phoenix creature. Oahu Oahu ( / oʊ ˈ ɑː h uː / oh- AH -hoo ; Hawaiian : Oʻahu pronounced [oˈʔɐhu] )
1991-486: A Life " samples the Mojo Men 's "She's My Baby" (1966) and follows a narrative of marrying a porn star that Graves calls "pornographic anxiety". According to Dombal, the song "attempts to bend its central credo —'no more drugs for me, pussy and religion is all I need'—into a noble pursuit". He wrote that it crosses the lines of "fantasy and reality, sex and romance, love and religion, until no lines exist at all". " Blame Game "
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#17328690376462172-501: A Paris hotel. Determined to "undermine the commercial", he once again brought together close collaborators and attempted to incorporate Chicago drill , dancehall , acid house , and industrial music . Primarily inspired by architecture, West's perfectionist tendencies led him to contact producer Rick Rubin fifteen days shy of its due date to strip down the record's sound in favor of a more minimalist approach. Initial promotion of his sixth album included worldwide video projections of
2353-531: A communal environment involving numerous musicians. Additional recording sessions took place at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California , along with the New York City studios Electric Lady and Platinum Sound. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was mainly produced by West, alongside a variety of high-profile producers such as Mike Dean , No I.D. , Jeff Bhasker , RZA , Bink , and DJ Frank E . Critics noted
2534-706: A concert in Haikou , China at the Wuyuan River Stadium , West announced his eleventh solo album Bully , debuting the track "Beauty and the Beast". West's musical career is defined by frequent stylistic shifts and different musical approaches. In the subsequent years since his debut, West has both musically and lyrically taken an increasingly experimental approach to crafting progressive hip hop music while maintaining accessible pop sensibilities. Ed Ledsham of PopMatters said that "West's melding of multiple genres into
2715-590: A contender for Album of the Year at the 54th Grammy Awards was viewed as a "snub" by several media outlets. 2011 saw West embark on a festival tour to commemorate the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy performing and headlining numerous festivals including; SWU Music & Arts , Austin City Limits Music Festival , Oya Festival , Flow Festival , Live Music Festival , The Big Chill , Essence Music Festival , Lollapalooza and Coachella which
2896-460: A controversial video for " Famous ", which depicted wax figures of several celebrities (including West, Kardashian, Taylor Swift, businessman and then-presidential candidate Donald Trump , comedian Bill Cosby , and former president George W. Bush) sleeping nude in a shared bed. In August 2016, West embarked on the Saint Pablo Tour in support of The Life of Pablo. The performances featured
3077-434: A couch by an armless winged female, who has fearsome features and a long, spotted tail. Both are nude, with West shown holding a beer. Bailey sees Condo's style for the cover as pop surrealist and Cubist and portraying "various aspects of West's album themes". He also asserts that its royal red colour is "symbolic of passion, love, anger, and, of course, blood", marked by the starkness. According to Vulture writer Dan Kois,
3258-478: A free download of a new song for each Friday. West tweeted that he was aware his fans needed new music, "so I'm dropping 1 new song every weekend until Xmas" and he explained a release could be a song by him, Jay-Z, or another artist. Titled after his imprint label GOOD Music , the program generated considerable publicity ahead of the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy . Young Money Entertainment online marketing coordinator Karen Civil retrospectively called
3439-432: A frequent source of controversy due to his conduct on social media , at award shows and public settings, as well as his comments on the music and fashion industries , U.S. politics , race , and slavery . His Christian faith, high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian , and mental health have also been topics of media attention. In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that advocated for
3620-411: A full night there, opting instead to take power naps on a studio chair or couch in 90-minute intervals when working during the night. Engineers worked a similar schedule, remaining active 24 hours a day. The heavy work ethic led to West and his crew having multi-course breakfasts each morning at his Diamond Head residence, cooked by in-house chefs. Later in the mornings after breakfast, West and most of
3801-486: A list price of $ 3.99. The deal was only offered by Amazon, while the album was simultaneously made available on iTunes and West's website linked to this release. Four singles were released from it and all reached the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100 , with the lead single "Power" released on July 1, 2010, charting at number 22. "Runaway" was released on October 4, and reached number 12, while "Monster" and "All of
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#17328690376463982-571: A minimum of 80 percent was genuine, with the remainder "fulfilling a perception" for the public. West also insisted that he was not criticizing My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and instead failed to reach satisfaction, then openly revealed his idea of the truth. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was recorded at Avex in Honolulu , Hawaii. Additional recording took place at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California , and at Electric Lady Studios and Platinum Sound Recording Studios in New York City. It
4163-571: A mobile stage suspended from the ceiling. West postponed several dates in October following the Paris robbery of several of his wife's effects. On November 21, 2016, West cancelled the remaining 21 dates on the Saint Pablo Tour, following a week of no-shows, curtailed concerts and rants about politics. He was later admitted for psychiatric observation at UCLA Medical Center . He stayed hospitalized over
4344-664: A new album entitled Yeezus II slated for a 2014 release, West announced in March 2015 that the album would instead be tentatively called So Help Me God . In May 2015, West was awarded an honorary doctorate by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for his contributions to music, fashion, and popular culture. The next month, West headlined at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, despite
4525-588: A new shoe collaboration deal with West. After months of anticipation and rumors, West confirmed the release of the Adidas Yeezy Boosts. In 2015, West unveiled a Yeezy clothing line, premiering in collaboration with Adidas early that year. In June 2016, Adidas announced a new long-term contract with Kanye West that extended the Yeezy line to a number of stores, planning to sell sports performance products like basketball, football, and soccer, although Adidas terminated
4706-460: A period of public-image controversy. West said that fatigue from overworking led to his controversial outburst at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) when the singer Taylor Swift was awarded Best Female Video at the ceremony. He was disgusted with the ensuing media response, which led to a brief hiatus from recording. He also observed at the time of the album's release that Swift never defended him in any interviews, saying she continuously "rode
4887-528: A petition signed by almost 135,000 people against his appearance. Another petition aimed to block West from headlining the 2015 Pan American Games , garnering 50,000 supporters. West announced in January 2016 that Swish would be released on February 11, and later that month, released new songs " Real Friends " and a snippet of " No More Parties in LA " with Kendrick Lamar. On January 26, 2016, West revealed he had renamed
5068-406: A portrait showing his head, crowned and decapitated, placed sideways on a white slab, pierced by a sword. Condo also did a painting of a dyspeptic ballerina in a black tutu and one of the crown alongside the sword in a grassy landscape. He made five covers in total, which were all included with the purchase of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy . A second cover that contains a painting of a ballerina
5249-449: A record deal as a rapper. Multiple record companies, including Capitol Records , denied or ignored him because he did not portray the gangsta image prominent in mainstream hip hop at the time. Desperate to keep West from defecting to another label, then-label head Damon Dash reluctantly signed West to Roc-A-Fella as a recording artist. A 2002 car accident, which shattered his jaw, inspired West; two weeks after being admitted to
5430-407: A scholarship to attend Chicago's American Academy of Art in 1997 and began taking painting classes. Shortly after, he transferred to Chicago State University to study English. At age 20, he dropped out to pursue his musical career. This greatly displeased his mother, who was also a professor at the university, although she would later accept the decision. West began his early production career in
5611-412: A statement declaring the company's excitement about My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and its arrival in stores. Certain retailers did not carry the original cover, with West substituting it with Condo's ballerina artwork, while some shipped copies used a pixelated version of the original. In 2015, Billboard named the album's artwork as the 30th best of all time. The magazine wrote that West "matched
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Misplaced Pages Continue
5792-451: A style of hip-hop production dubbed "chipmunk-soul", a sampling technique involving the manipulation of tempo in order to chop and stretch pitched-up samples from vintage soul songs. On his debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), West formed the constitutive elements of his style, described as intricate hip-hop beats, topical subject matter, and clumsy rapping laced with inventive wordplay. The record saw West diverge from
5973-507: A supporting act. The tour was met with rave reviews from critics. Rolling Stone described it as "crazily entertaining, hugely ambitious, emotionally affecting (really!) and, most importantly, totally bonkers". Writing for Forbes , Zack O'Malley Greenburg praised West for "taking risks that few pop stars, if any, are willing to take in today's hyper-exposed world of pop", describing the show as "overwrought and uncomfortable at times, but [it] excels at challenging norms and provoking thought in
6154-509: A time, West acted as a ghost producer for Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie . Due to his association with Angelettie, West was not able to release a solo album, so he formed the Go-Getters, a hip hop group composed of him and fellow Chicago natives GLC , Timmy G, Really Doe, and Arrowstar. The Go-Getters independently released their first and only studio album, World Record Holders in 1999 through West's company, Konman Productions . West spent much of
6335-441: A trilogy of albums, with each of the album's three volumes set to be released on February 9, March 6, and April 5, 2024. In January 2024, West co-signed 4Batz and called him his favorite new artist. On February 8, 2024, West released the first volume's second single, " Talking / Once Again " featuring his eldest daughter North. A day later, producer Erick Sermon revealed in an interview that West's upcoming eleventh studio album
6516-406: A visit, Callahan-Bever noted that despite the presence of prominent musicians, "the egos rarely clash; talks are sprawling, enlightening, and productive" around the future, present, and past. Q-Tip described the process as "music by committee" and elaborated on its significance to the sessions and West's work ethic: He'll go, 'Check this out, tell me what you think.' Which speaks volumes about who he
6697-409: A way that just isn't common for mainstream musical acts of late". West subsequently released a number of singles featuring Paul McCartney , including " Only One " and " FourFiveSeconds ", also featuring Rihanna . In November 2013, West stated that he was beginning work on his next studio album, hoping to release it by mid-2014, with production by Rick Rubin and Q-Tip . Having initially announced
6878-430: A world where expectations have generally lowered. The album begins with " Dark Fantasy ", opened by rapper Nicki Minaj narrating a rework of Roald Dahl 's 1982 poem Cinderella , followed by a chorus including Auto-Tuned "oohs" and "ah-ah-ah-aahs", as well as backing accents. The song introduces the themes of decadence and hedonism, with West musing how it had been planned to drink to release pain, "But what's worse,
7059-485: A year to make his second album. West was inspired by Roseland NYC Live , a 1998 live album by English trip hop group Portishead , produced with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra , incorporating string arrangements into his hip-hop production. Though West had not been able to afford many live instruments around the time of his debut album, the money from his commercial success enabled him to hire
7240-403: Is "done with [his] contract with Sony and Universal". On October 16, he released the single " Nah Nah Nah ". West held several listening parties at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for his upcoming album Donda in the summer of 2021, where he had taken up temporary residence in one of the stadium's locker rooms, converting it into a recording studio to finish the recording. After multiple delays, Donda
7421-417: Is King (2019) and Donda (2021), and psychedelic music on Kids See Ghosts (2018). Early in his career, West made clear his interest in fashion and desire to work in the clothing design industry. He launched his own clothing line in spring 2006, and developed it over the following four years before the line was ultimately cancelled in 2009. In January 2007, West's first sneaker collaboration
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7602-420: Is a consistent drive to make every project his best. Critics often looked at the album as being among West's best work. Rolling Stone ' s Sheffield said My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy marked West's best and most wildly inspired album, asserting that no other act was recording music as dark or maximalist; he added the rapper transgresses the conventions he had established himself for rap and pop music in
7783-722: Is a former Black Panther and was one of the first black photojournalists at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Ray later became a Christian counselor, and in 2006, opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland , with startup capital from his son. West's mother, Donda C. West (née Williams), was a professor of English at Clark Atlanta University and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as his manager. West
7964-504: Is a low-key track that is built around a sample of Richard D. James 's piano composition " Avril 14th " (2001), and features additional vocals from Legend. The song focuses on a painful domestic dispute where West and a woman go back and forth aggressively, and contains a profane skit by comedian Chris Rock . " Lost in the World " features tribal drums and prominent samples from the indie folk band Bon Iver 's "Woods" (2009), with West applying
8145-495: Is an American rapper and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip hop , he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After dropping out of college to pursue a career in music, West began producing for regional artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records , he co-produced albums including Jay-Z 's The Blueprint (2001) before signing with
8326-409: Is and how he sees and views people. Every person has a voice and an idea, so he's sincerely looking to hear what you have to say—good, bad, or whatever ... When he has his beats or his rhymes, he offers them to the committee and we're all invited to dissect, strip, or add on to what he's already started. By the end of the sessions, you see how he integrates and transforms everyone's contributions, so
8507-459: Is around 70–85 °F (21–29 °C). The island is the warmest from June through October. The winter is cooler, but still warm, with an average temperature of 68–78 °F (20–26 °C). Oahu is 44 miles (71 km) long and 30 miles (48 km) across. Its shoreline is 227 miles (365 km) long. Including small associated islands such as Ford Island plus those in Kāneʻohe Bay and off
8688-439: Is built around piano and strings, with the performers delivering their odes to success and affirming that "this shit is/fucking ridiculous". " Devil in a New Dress " is built on a sample of Smokey Robinson 's " Will You Love Me Tomorrow " (1960). The lyrics range from self-criticism to warning and lust to heartache, with its sexual and religious imagery described by one critic as "part bedroom allure, part angelic prayer". The song
8869-410: Is considered to have had a significant effect on hip-hop music, encouraging other rappers to take more creative risks with their productions. While Taylor Swift was accepting her award for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards , West went on stage and grabbed the microphone from her to proclaim that Beyoncé deserved the award instead. He was subsequently removed from the remainder of
9050-649: Is notoriously secretive about the company's operations, maintaining neither an official website nor a social media presence. Contemporary critics have noted the consistent minimalistic aesthetic exhibited throughout Donda creative projects. West expressed interest in starting an architecture firm in May 2013, saying "I want to do product, I am a product person, not just clothing but water bottle design, architecture ... I make music but I shouldn't be limited to one place of creativity" and then later in November 2013, delivering
9231-613: Is the most populated and third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands . The island of Oahu and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands constitute the City and County of Honolulu . The state capital, Honolulu , is on Oahu's southeast coast. In 2021, Oahu had a population of 995,638, up from 953,207 in 2010 (approximately 70% of the total 1,455,271 population of the U.S. state of Hawaii , with approximately 81% of those living in or near
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#17328690376469412-432: Is the only track without production by West, yet features his characteristic style of manipulating the pitch and tempo of classic soul samples. " Runaway " contains a piano-based motif comprising a series of uninterrupted descending half and whole notes , with a coda that incorporates cello at first, before a violin section and West's vocoder -singing, which is distortion that covers the final three minutes. West uses
9593-541: Is what you have to do.'" West recorded the remainder of the album in Los Angeles while recovering from the car accident. It was leaked months before its release date, and West used the opportunity to remix, remaster, and revise the album before its release; West added new verses, string arrangements , gospel choirs , and improved drum programming. The album was postponed three times from its initial date in August 2003, and
9774-555: The Billboard 200 , the latter becoming West's most commercially successful to date. Three of his subsequent albums, 808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and The Life of Pablo (2016), were certified triple platinum , and Yeezus (2013) was certified double platinum. While not as well-received critically as his previous efforts, Ye (2018), Jesus Is King (2019), and Donda (2021) continued West's series of consecutive number one debuts on
9955-722: The ARIA Albums chart and on September 10, 2021, it was awarded a double platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association for over 140,000 copies shipped in Australia. The album charted within the top 10 in Norway, South Korea, New Zealand, and Switzerland. On January 22, 2021, it received a platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry for selling 300,000 units in
10136-549: The Billboard 200. West has also released the collaborative albums Watch the Throne (2011) with Jay-Z , Kids See Ghosts (2018) with Kid Cudi , as well as Vultures 1 and Vultures 2 (2024) with Ty Dolla Sign . In fashion design, he has collaborated with Nike, Inc. , Louis Vuitton , and Gap Inc. on clothing and footwear, and led the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas . One of
10317-719: The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . On January 5, 2022, West was announced as one of the 2022 headliners of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival . Later that month on January 15, West released the first single for his upcoming album Donda 2 , " Eazy " featuring The Game , to be executive produced by American rapper Future . West hosted a listening event for the album at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on February 22. In April, shortly before Coachella, West pulled out as headlining act, then proceeded to pull out of headlining Rolling Loud . West and The Game performed
10498-421: The chipmunk soul on The College Dropout . West displays varied emotions, which range from lows to highs of the rapper's mental state. He conveys feelings of despair with his public image since 808s & Heartbreak , depicting his out-of-control world. According to author Bernadette Marie Calafell, West used My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to celebrate monstrosity after his troubled year. West ventures into
10679-542: The death of Michael Jackson and present the narrative of a man who goes through multiple issues including abusing his lover and serving prison time. West enlisted 11 guest vocalists for the song, including Alicia Keys , John Legend , Tony Williams , and Elly Jackson ; Rihanna sings the hook . In an interview with MTV , Jackson said that West designated her to layer up the vocal arrangement with other people as he simply used his favorite vocalists worldwide "to create this really unique vocal texture on his record, but it's not
10860-475: The id of his own ego on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , showing his perspective as a celebrity. He poses a risk of self-destruction with the id, while perusing any goal or girl he can and driven by the buzz of consumer culture , despite ultimately being unsatisfied. Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times depicted the songs as "pornographic boasts, romantic disaster stories, devil-haunted dark nights of
11041-424: The 450,000 first-week sales of 808s & Heartbreak , with the debut becoming the fourth-best sales week of 2010. The album's first-week digital sales of 224,000 units accounted for 45% of the total and stood as the fourth-highest digital copies for an album in a week. In its second week on the Billboard 200, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy descended six places to number seven with 108,000 copies sold, marking
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#173286903764611222-673: The Honolulu urban area). The Island of Oahu in Hawaii is often nicknamed (or translated as) "The Gathering Place" . The translation of "gathering place" was suggested as recently as 1922 by Hawaiian Almanac author Thomas Thrum. Thrum possibly ignored or misplaced the ʻokina because the Hawaiian phrase " ʻo ahu " could be translated as "gathering of objects" ( ʻo is a subject marker and ahu means "to gather" ). The term Oʻahu has no other confirmed meaning in Hawaiian . The island rose above
11403-458: The Islands. The first great king of Oahu was Maʻilikūkahi , the lawmaker, who was followed by generations of monarchs. Kualiʻi was the first of the warlike kings and was succeeded by his sons. In 1773, the throne fell upon Kahahana, the son of Elani of Ewa. In 1783, Kahekili II , King of Maui, conquered Oahu, deposed the reigning family, and made his son, Kalanikūpule , king of Oahu, turning Oahu into
11584-617: The Kanye West Foundation in Chicago in 2003, tasked with a mission to battle dropout and illiteracy rates, while partnering with community organizations to provide underprivileged youth access to music education. In 2007, West and the Foundation partnered with Strong American Schools as part of their "Ed in '08" campaign. As spokesman for the campaign, West appeared in a series of PSAs for the organization, and hosted an inaugural benefit concert in August of that year. In 2008, following
11765-477: The Kardashians, Charlie Wilson , and Kid Cudi. West previewed a new song, " Water " at his "Sunday Service" orchestration performance at Coachella 2019, which was later revealed to feature on his upcoming album Jesus Is King ; West released the album on October 25, 2019. It became the first to ever top the Billboard 200, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Rap Albums, Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums at
11946-539: The Lights ". West also released an accompanying musical short film, Runaway (2010). The album was an immediate and widespread critical success, and reviewers lauded the maximalist approach. It was listed as the best album of 2010 in many publications' year-end lists. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was awarded Best Rap Album at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards and CD of the Year at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards . My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy debuted at number one on
12127-473: The Lights" were released on October 23, 2010, and January 18, 2011, respectively; they both charted at number 18. A 35-minute film entitled Runaway , featuring the titular song's official music video , was directed by West and released on October 23, 2010. Filmed in Prague over a period of four days in the summer of 2010, the film stars West and model Selita Ebanks , with the script penned by Hype Williams and
12308-609: The Simulation , later clarifying that he was sharing the book "in real time" on Twitter and began posting content that was likened to " life coaching ". Later that month, he also announced two new albums, a solo album and self-titled collaboration with Kid Cudi under the name Kids See Ghosts , both of which would be released in June. Additionally, he revealed he would produce upcoming albums by GOOD Music label-mates Pusha T and Teyana Taylor , as well as Nas . Shortly thereafter, West released
12489-620: The Sky " failed to win Best Video at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards , West went onto the stage as the award was being presented to Justice and Simian for " We Are Your Friends " and argued that he should have won the award instead. Hundreds of news outlets worldwide criticized the outburst. On November 7, 2006, West apologized for this outburst publicly during his performance as support act for U2 for their Vertigo concert in Brisbane . He later spoofed
12670-536: The Thanksgiving weekend because of a temporary psychosis stemming from sleep deprivation and extreme dehydration. Following this episode West took an 11-month break from posting on Twitter and the public in general. It was reported in May 2017 that West was recording new music in Jackson Hole, Wyoming , with a wide range of collaborators. In April 2018, West announced plans to write a philosophy book entitled Break
12851-458: The Throne in the category. For the Los Angeles Times , Randall Roberts pinpointed the exclusion of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – "the most critically acclaimed album of the year, a career-defining record" – as a snub in favor of nominating less substantial albums. Time journalist Touré deemed West's nominations in minor Grammy categories as booby prizes and stated that the album
13032-600: The US Billboard 200 and the Canadian Albums Chart , while reaching the top 10 in six other countries. The album eventually achieved a triple platinum certification in the United States from the Recording Industry Association of America , alongside sales certifications in a few other territories. It was ranked in lists as the best album of the 2010s and among the greatest of all time by several publications, including Pitchfork and Rolling Stone . Dark Fantasy
13213-447: The US and his culture. By contrast, Fennessey wrote that the seriousness of the denouement does not suit "an album that is more about the self's little nightmares than some aching societal rejection". My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was once titled Good Ass Job and then Dark Twisted Fantasy . On July 28, 2010, West announced on his newly registered Twitter account that the former title
13394-611: The US. According to Billboard , as of 2022, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is one of the 15 best-performing 21st-century albums without any of its singles being chart-toppers on the Hot 100. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy became West's fourth number one album on the Canadian Albums Chart . It reached number four on the Danish Albums chart, and in March 2021, was certified double platinum by IFPI Danmark for shipments of 40,000. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy opened at number six on
13575-538: The United Kingdom. By 2018, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy had registered a billion streams on Spotify . My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 94, based on 45 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of
13756-451: The album from Swish to Waves . In the weeks leading up to the album's release, West became embroiled in several Twitter controversies. Several days ahead of its release, West again changed the title, this time to The Life of Pablo . On February 11, West premiered the album at Madison Square Garden as part of the presentation of his Yeezy Season 3 clothing line. Following the preview, West announced that he would be modifying
13937-576: The album was released through several other competing services starting in April. In February 2016, West stated on Twitter that he was planning to release another album in the summer of 2016, tentatively called Turbo Grafx 16 in reference to the 1990s video game console of the same name . In June 2016, West released the collaborative lead single " Champions " off the GOOD Music album Cruel Winter , which has yet to be released. Later that month, West released
14118-429: The album's music and live television performances. Yeezus , West's sixth album, was released June 18, 2013, to rave reviews from critics. It became his sixth consecutive number one debut, but also marked his lowest solo opening week sales. In September 2013, West announced he would be headlining his first solo tour in five years , to support Yeezus , with fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar accompanying him as
14299-418: The album's recording sessions were secretive, placing paper sheets in the studio reading "no tweeting, no talking, no e-mailing", and also prohibiting speaking with people outside of the location. Pusha T recalled West's attitude in an interview for Rolling Stone , saying that following a leak he remembered his strictness, "Fuck this! We're not going to ever work there again!" In October 2010, West tweeted that
14480-511: The album, West's lyrics explore themes of excess, celebrity, grandiosity, self-aggrandizement, self-doubt, romance, escapism , decadence, and sex. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy also openly acknowledges alcohol and drug usage more than West's previous albums. West places an introspective focus on fame, detailing the perks of power that he links to neoliberalism . The rapper addresses deep personal insecurities, although philosopher Julius Bailey writes that he embraced his narcissism in contrast to
14661-462: The album, including Kid Cudi , Elton John , Rick Ross , Pusha T , and Justin Vernon . Vocals were also recorded by M.I.A. , Mos Def , Santigold , and Seal . Producers who contributed in the sessions included Q-Tip , RZA , Pete Rock , Madlib , Statik Selektah , and DJ Premier . Madlib said he made five beats for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , while DJ Premier revealed his work did not make
14842-450: The artwork, the rapper expressed his admiration for how they both "express ourselves with our truest vision". According to Condo, West requested the original cover image to be provocative enough to be banned by retailers, as a publicity stunt . In October 2010, a month before the album's release, West tweeted: "Yoooo they banned my album cover!!!!! Banned in the USA!!! They don't want me chilling on
15023-475: The best album of the 2010s so far, with Ian Cohen writing, "West broke the ground upon which the new decade's most brilliant architects built their masterworks; Bon Iver , Take Care , Channel Orange , and Good Kid, M.A.A.D City don't exist without the blueprint of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ." It was later ranked as the top album of the 2010s by The A.V. Club , Billboard , and Rolling Stone . Christgau named My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as
15204-549: The closing track "Who Will Survive in America". It serves as the album's coda and samples jazz poet Gil Scott-Heron 's "Comment No. 1" (1970), a surrealist piece delivered by him in spoken word about the African American experience and the fated idealism of the American dream. Scott-Heron's original speech is edited to an excerpt that, according to Kot, "retains its essence, that of an African-American male" feeling isolated from
15385-401: The couch with my Phoenix!" He also suggested Walmart had rejected the cover and cited the case of rock band Nirvana 's 1991 album Nevermind , which featured a photo of a naked baby. West questioned why the band are allowed to have someone nude on their cover, but he "can't have a PAINTING of a monster with no arms and a polka dot tail and wings". In response, Walmart denied the suggestion in
15566-507: The creative content company Donda , named after his late mother. In his announcement, West proclaimed that the company would "pick up where Steve Jobs left off"; Donda would operate as a "design company" with a goal to "make products and experiences that people want and can afford". In stating Donda's creative philosophy, West articulated the need to "put creatives in a room together with like minds" in order to "simplify and aesthetically improve everything we see, taste, touch, and feel." West
15747-470: The crew played games of 21 against locals at the Honolulu YMCA for leisure. Kid Cudi smoked marijuana in preparation and worked out on a treadmill, while RZA exercised in the weight room . Throughout the album's development, West enlisted other producers and musicians for opinions of its music. At the studio, they went through various conversations and contributions. Observing these discussions during
15928-571: The critical consensus. Numerous reviewers highlighted West's move towards maximalism. Andy Gill of The Independent praised the album as "one of pop's gaudiest, most grandiose efforts of recent years, a no holds-barred musical extravaganza" that forgoes the concept of good taste from the beginning. Powers, writing for the Los Angeles Times , found West's artistry comparable to Pablo Picasso , reaching "the Cubist mandate of rearranging form, texture, color and space" for suggesting newer viewpoints. The album
16109-517: The death of West's mother, the foundation was rechristened The Dr. Donda West Foundation. The foundation ceased operations in 2011. In 2013, Kanye West and friend Rhymefest founded Donda's House, Inc., a program aimed at helping at-risk Chicago youth. West has contributed to hurricane relief in 2005 by participating in a Hurricane Katrina benefit concert after the storm had ravaged black communities in New Orleans and in 2012 when he performed at
16290-450: The decade's eighth-best album, saying it remains "perversely superb". In 2014, Spin named My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as the eighth best album of the past 30 years, with Dan Weiss noting it is a world combining samples, interpolations , and vocalists; he expressed that West does not believe "one man should have all that power" of God, yet he "lives one hell of a life". Six years later, Marc Hogan from Pitchfork considered it among
16471-555: The eastern ( windward ) coast, its area is 596.7 square miles (1,545.4 km ), making it the 20th-largest island in the United States . The city of Honolulu —the state's capital and largest city is located on the island. As a jurisdictional unit, all of Oahu is in Honolulu County , although Honolulu occupies only part of its southeastern end. Well-known features of Oahu include Waikiki , Pearl Harbor , Diamond Head , Hanauma , Kāneʻohe Bay , Kailua Bay , North Shore , and
16652-408: The eighth greatest album of all time in 2016, while it was ranked 21st and 17th on the lists by NME and Rolling Stone in 2013 and 2020, respectively. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy won awards for both Album of the Year and Reader's Choice: Best Album at the 2010 HipHopDX Awards, receiving over 50 percent of
16833-553: The end of the month and a collaborative album with fellow Chicagoan rapper Chance the Rapper titled Good Ass Job . That same month, West announced that he would be changing his stage name to "Ye". Yandhi was originally set for release in September 2018 but was postponed multiple times. In January 2019, West pulled out of headlining that year's Coachella festival after negotiations broke down due to discord regarding stage design. In July, it
17014-465: The final cut. West block-booked the three session rooms of Avex simultaneously for 24 hours a day to work on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , until he felt it was complete. According to Callahan-Bever, when West "hits a creative wall", he changes to another studio room to work on a different song. Sheets of paper were posted on one side of the studio with what were known as "Kanye Commandments", such as "No Tweeting " and "No Pictures". West never slept
17195-424: The great art pop albums of the last 20 years to "have filled the void of full-length statements with both artistic seriousness and mass appeal that was formerly largely occupied by [rock] guitar bands". In 2017, the staff of HipHopDX wrote the album is "widely considered [West's] magnum opus" and the release that made the public's perception of him positive again. EW picked My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as
17376-400: The highly publicized incident, West took a brief break from music and threw himself into fashion, only to hole up in Hawaii for the next few months writing and recording his next album. Importing his favorite producers and artists to work on and inspire his recording, West kept engineers behind the boards 24 hours a day and slept only in increments. Noah Callahan-Bever, a writer for Complex ,
17557-579: The hip-hop fold is a complex act that challenges the dominant white notions of what constitutes true 'art' music ." West's rhymes have been described as funny, provocative and articulate, capable of seamlessly segueing from shrewd commentary to comical braggadocio to introspective sensitivity. West imparts that he strives to speak in an inclusive manner so groups from different racial and gender backgrounds can comprehend his lyrics, saying he desired to sound "just as ill as Jadakiss and just as understandable as Will Smith ". Early in his career, West pioneered
17738-562: The hospital, he recorded " Through the Wire " at the Record Plant Studios with his jaw still wired shut. The song was first included on West's debut mixtape Get Well Soon... , which was released in December 2002. At the same time, West announced that he was working on an album titled The College Dropout , whose overall theme was to "make your own decisions. Don't let society tell you, 'This
17919-448: The idea of a phoenix for a while and this could be parallel to his career that he "threw a Molotov cocktail " at in 2009, then felt the need to make a comeback "as a better person". At a Runaway screening in Paris, he broke down into tears. After another screening in Los Angeles, West said that the affect his music and art has on people people inspires him to continue in his career. The film
18100-464: The incident on the 33rd-season premiere of Saturday Night Live in September 2007. West's third studio album, Graduation , garnered major publicity when its release date pitted West in a sales competition against rapper 50 Cent 's Curtis . Upon their September 2007 releases, Graduation outsold Curtis by a large margin, debuting at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and selling 957,000 copies in its first week. Graduation continued
18281-449: The incident served as motivation for his works because he felt like "a soldier of culture", realizing no one wants this to be his role and admitted he will continuously "feel convicted about things that really meant stuff to culture that constantly get denied for years". In 2013, West clarified that the album served as a backhanded apology after his MTV VMAs outburst, detailing that he used the music to become accepted again. He elaborated that
18462-487: The joint record (with Bob Dylan ) for most albums (4) topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015. West's first six solo albums were included on Rolling Stone ' s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020, with the same publication naming him one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time . West's outspoken views have received significant media coverage. He has been
18643-400: The kind of thing where you can pick it out". " Monster " is a posse cut , which features staccato strings that invoke paranoia and it was described by Calafell as addressing critics through exploration of their "monstrous construction" of West. West rap about using inappropriate methods to drown his pain and Nicki Minaj asserts her queen status on the song. The fellow posse cut " So Appalled "
18824-531: The label as a recording artist. West's debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), was met with critical acclaim and yielded the Billboard Hot 100 -number one single " Slow Jamz ". He peaked the chart on four other occasions with the singles " Gold Digger " (2005), " Stronger " (2007), " E.T. " (2011, as a featured artist), and " Carnival " (2024). West's second and third studio albums, Late Registration (2005) and Graduation (2007), both debuted atop
19005-462: The label's inaugural artists. The label houses artists including West, Big Sean , Pusha T, Teyana Taylor, Yasiin Bey / Mos Def, D'banj and John Legend, and producers including Hudson Mohawke , Q-Tip, Travis Scott , No I.D., Jeff Bhasker , and S1. GOOD Music has released ten albums certified gold or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In November 2015, West appointed Pusha T
19186-528: The language, although he has since forgotten most of it. When asked about his grades in high school, West replied, "I got A's and B's." West demonstrated an affinity for the arts at an early age; he began writing poetry when he was five years old. West started rapping in the third grade and began making musical compositions in the seventh grade, eventually selling them to other artists. West crossed paths with producer No I.D. , who became West's friend and mentor. After graduating from high school, West received
19367-782: The late 1990s further producing for several musical acts. He produced the third track on Foxy Brown 's second studio album Chyna Doll (1999), which became the second hip-hop album by a female rapper to peak atop the US Billboard 200 chart. In 2000, West began producing for artists on Roc-A-Fella Records as an in-house producer. West is often credited with revitalizing Jay-Z's career with extensive contributions to his 2001 album The Blueprint , which Rolling Stone ranked among their list of greatest hip-hop albums. West produced songs for label cohorts such as Beanie Sigel and Freeway , but also produced beats which were used by artists on other labels including Ludacris , Alicia Keys , and Janet Jackson . Meanwhile, West struggled to attain
19548-495: The late 2000s. His mother's death in November 2007 and the end of his engagement to Alexis Phifer profoundly affected West, who set off for his 2008 Glow in the Dark Tour shortly thereafter. Recorded mostly in Honolulu, Hawaii in three weeks, West announced his fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak , at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards , where he performed its lead single, " Love Lockdown ". Music audiences were taken aback by
19729-405: The latter felt that " All of the Lights " denotes its varied elements and "maniacal extravagance". David Amidon of PopMatters observed the pop sound of Graduation and 808s & Heartbreak . My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was described as a progressive rap record by Carl Williott of Idolator and Rolling Stone ' s Christopher R. Weingarten, with the latter noting that it came at
19910-438: The latter of which accompanied a 35-minute film of the same name directed by and starring West. During this time, West initiated the free music program GOOD Fridays through his website, offering a free download of previously unreleased songs each Friday, a portion of which were included on the album. This promotion ran from August to December 2010. Dark Fantasy went on to go platinum in the United States, but its omission as
20091-518: The latter was viewed by The Hollywood Reporter as "one of the great hip-hop sets of all time". In its first week of release, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 , selling 496,000 copies. The entry blocked Nicki Minaj's debut album Pink Friday from the top spot with 375,000 sales; the week marked the first time in two years that the chart had two albums bow with over 300,000 units. It also gave West his fourth consecutive US number-one album and surpassed
20272-400: The majority owning a 3% equity stake. In October 2022, in direct response to bans he received on Twitter and Instagram stemming from his antisemitic comments, West reached an agreement in principle to acquire the alt-tech social network Parler for an undisclosed amount. Parler and West mutually agreed to terminate the proposed deal in mid-November. West, alongside his mother, founded
20453-515: The men's collection. In March 2011, West collaborated with M/M Paris for a series of silk scarves featuring artwork from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy . In October 2011, West premiered his women's fashion label at Paris Fashion Week. His debut fashion show received mixed-to-negative reviews. In March 2012, West premiered a second fashion line at Paris Fashion Week. Critics deemed the sophomore effort "much improved" compared to his first show. On December 3, 2013, Adidas officially confirmed
20634-433: The mid-1990s, creating beats primarily for burgeoning local artists in the Chicago area. He received his first official production credits at age nineteen, when he produced eight tracks on Down to Earth , the 1996 debut album of Chicago-based underground rapper Grav. In 1998, West was the first producer signed to the management-production company Hip Hop Since 1978 , founded by Gee Roberson and Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua. For
20815-579: The morning of December 7, 1941, brought the United States into World War II . The surprise attack was aimed at destroying the American will to fight and forcing the US to sue for peace. They attacked the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy and its defending Army Air Forces and Marine Air Forces . The attack damaged or destroyed 12 American warships, destroyed 188 aircraft, and killed 2,335 American servicemen and 68 civilians (of those, 1,177 were
20996-422: The most suitable point for it on the album. Expressing a similar sentiment, the rapper Malik Yusef said that he was mocked for his vision of incorporating collaborators from genres outside hip hop like John. DJ Premier recalled that West insisted to him during the production for no electro , describing him as "that crazy dude he's always been" and pointing out his focus on the album's rawness. West ensured that
21177-812: The music's maximalist aesthetic and opulent production style that utilizes various elements from his previous work, including soul , pop , baroque , electro , and symphonic sounds, as well as progressive rock influences. The album's lyrics explore themes such as West's celebrity status, consumer culture , self-aggrandizement, and the idealism of the American Dream . Guest vocalists include Nicki Minaj , Rihanna , Jay-Z , Pusha T , Rick Ross , Kid Cudi , John Legend , Bon Iver , and Elton John . Alongside several free songs released through West's weekly GOOD Fridays series, he supported My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy with four US Billboard Hot 100 top-40 singles, " Power ", " Runaway ", " Monster ", and " All of
21358-433: The mythological figure straddling West is "a kind of fragment , between a sphinx , a phoenix , a haunting ghost , a harpy ". The artwork was done at Condo's studio, after West visited for several hours and they listened to tapes of his music. Over the next few days, the painter designed eight or nine paintings for the album. Two of them were portraits of West: an extreme closeup, with mismatched eyes and four sets of teeth;
21539-488: The new president of GOOD Music. In August 2008, West revealed plans to open 10 Fatburger restaurants in the Chicago area after his company, KW Foods LLC, bought the rights to the chain in Chicago. The first location opened in September 2008 in Orland Park and a second followed in January 2009. The Orland Park location closed in early 2011 due to poor sales performance. In January 2012, West announced his establishment of
21720-540: The non-album singles " Lift Yourself " and " Ye vs. the People ", in which he and T.I. discussed West's support of Donald Trump. Pusha T's Daytona , "the first project out of Wyoming", was released in May to critical acclaim, although the album's artwork—a photograph of deceased singer Whitney Houston 's bathroom that West paid $ 85,000 to license—attracted some controversy. The following week, West released his eighth studio album, Ye . West has suggested that he scrapped
21901-416: The original recordings of the album and re-recorded it within a month. The week after, West released a collaborative album with Kid Cudi, titled Kids See Ghosts , named after their group of the same name. West also completed production work on Nas' Nasir and Teyana Taylor's K.T.S.E. , which were released in June 2018. In September, West announced his ninth studio album Yandhi to be released by
22082-568: The pain or the hangover?" The track's lyrics contain musical and popular culture references, including fellow rapper Nas , the 1820 short story " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ", British singer Leona Lewis , and the song " Sex on Fire " by Tennessee rock band Kings of Leon . " Gorgeous " is an uplifting blues -styled track, relying on a guitar riff juxtaposed with melodic piano. The track is seen by Graves as West's "scattershot mission statement" and it sees him tackling racial injustices, including comparing himself to black rights activist Malcolm X with
22263-507: The partnership with West in October 2022 due to his antisemitic remarks. In May 2021, West signed a 10-year deal linking Yeezy with GAP to create Yeezy Gap , however, in September 2022, West announced that he was ending the deal. West founded the record label and production company GOOD Music in 2004, in conjunction with Sony BMG , shortly after releasing his debut album, The College Dropout . West, alongside then-unknown Ohio singer John Legend and fellow Chicago rapper Common were
22444-558: The past five years. James Reed of The Boston Globe said that the album is "seamlessly his personal best" as West becomes self-involved in the varied styles and universal themes, standing as the most original hip hop record of 2010, through his efforts to push the genre's boundaries. Christgau, in MSN Music , hailed it as a " world-beating return to form" for the rapper. Michael Denslow of Consequence wrote that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy features "nine-minute rap epics" which break
22625-456: The program genius, detailing that West undertook a program not previously attempted and "at a point when he was the most hated person in music, he brought excitement back with his Friday releases". GOOD Fridays was intended to run until December 2010, but West extended it through to January 2011. On September 12, 2010, West premiered "Runaway" with a live performance at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards . Three weeks later, on October 2, he performed
22806-548: The record's highest-charting single, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The co-headlining Watch the Throne Tour kicked off in October 2011 and concluded in June 2012. In 2012, West released the compilation album Cruel Summer , a collection of tracks by artists from West's record label GOOD Music. Sessions for West's sixth solo effort begin to take shape in early 2013 in his own personal loft's living room at
22987-409: The recording of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy had been finished. The music was described as maximalist hip hop by numerous publications, incorporating East Coast rap , boom bap , R&B ballads, electronic music , and progressive rock samples. Various writers also noticed elements from West's previous four albums. The Village Voice ' s Sean Fennessey thought that West had adopted
23168-555: The resort destination Ko Olina . The island is composed of two separate shield volcanoes : the Waiʻanae and Koʻolau Ranges , with a broad valley or saddle (the central Oahu Plain) between them. The highest point is Kaʻala in the Waiʻanae Range, rising to 4,003 feet (1,220 m) above sea level. Oahu, along with the rest of the State of Hawaii, relies on tourism as a driving force of
23349-529: The result of the destruction of the USS ; Arizona alone). Oahu became a tourism and shopping haven after World War II. Over five million visitors (mainly from the contiguous United States and Japan) flock there every year. Oahu is known for having the longest rain shower in recorded history. Kāneʻohe Ranch reported 247 straight days of rain from August 27, 1993, to April 30, 1994. The average temperature in Oahu
23530-727: The royal family, still stands, and is the only royal palace on American soil. Oahu was apparently the first of the Hawaiian Islands sighted by the crew of HMS Resolution on January 19, 1778, during Captain James Cook 's third Pacific expedition. Escorted by HMS Discovery , the expedition was surprised to find tall islands this far north in the central Pacific. Oahu was not actually visited by Europeans until February 28, 1779, when Captain Charles Clerke aboard HMS Resolution stepped ashore at Waimea Bay . Clerke took command of
23711-553: The same time. On December 25, 2019, West and Sunday Service released Jesus Is Born , containing 19 songs, including several re-workings of older West songs. West released a single titled " Wash Us in the Blood " on June 30, 2020, featuring fellow American rapper and singer Travis Scott , along with the music video, which was set to serve as the lead single from his tenth studio album Donda . However, in September 2020, West stated that he would not be releasing any further music until he
23892-405: The sample "as the centerpiece of a catchy, communal reverie". West enthusiastically told Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon when listening to the song, "Fuck, this is going to be the festival closer." It features several musical changes, beginning with Vernon's faint vocals, followed by 4/4 drums, a gospel chorus, and increased tempo, and a final measured tempo. "Lost in the World" transitions into
24073-525: The sea during the Pliocene period from 4 million years ago when volcanoes erupted and formed the peaks from two shields. Then a period of extensive erosion followed, leaving the Wai‘anae and the young Ko‘olau Range as dormant volcanic ranges from remnants of volcanism. The island has been inhabited since at least the 3rd century A.D. The 304-year-old Kingdom of Oahu was once ruled by the most ancient aliʻi in
24254-572: The ship after James Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay ( island of Hawaiʻi ) on February 14, and was leaving the islands for the North Pacific. With the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands came the introduction of disease, mosquitoes, and aggressive animals. Although indirect, simple exposure to these foreign species caused permanent damage to the Native Hawaiian people and environment. The Imperial Japanese Navy 's attack on Pearl Harbor , Oahu on
24435-439: The show for his actions. West was criticized by various celebrities for the outburst, and by President Barack Obama , who called West a "jackass". The incident sparked a large influx of Internet photo memes . West subsequently apologized, including personally to Swift. However, in a November 2010 interview, he seemed to recant his past apologies, describing the act at the 2009 awards show as "selfless". Following
24616-430: The single on July 22, marking West's first performance in five months following the low profile he had been keeping since Donda 2 remained unfinished. A day later, despite cancelling as headliner, he appeared at Rolling Loud during Lil Durk 's set. In December 2022, after weeks of controversial antisemitic statements , West released a new song, "Someday We'll All Be Free", on his Instagram. On August 25, 2023, West
24797-502: The sixth-highest ranking of albums released in the 2010s to have at least 15 professional reviews. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy appeared on decade-end best albums lists. In 2012, Complex included it on their list of "25 Rap Albums From the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status". In October 2013, the magazine ranked the album as the best hip hop album of the last five years. In 2014, Pitchfork named it
24978-559: The skillful engineering and sequencing, through the way each song transitions over like "some long night out into the hazy morning after". Pitchfork awarded the album a 10/10, the first perfect score the publication had given to a new release since Wilco 's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in 2002. Dombal from the publication highlighted West's "blast of surreal pop excess" that the majority of artists would not even try to create. A few reviewers were more qualified in their praise, mostly focusing on West's rapping. For The Guardian , Kitty Empire
25159-527: The skills of his collaborators from the five years before My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , which he sometimes uses to an increased level. West incorporates lush soul from 2004's The College Dropout , orchestration from 2005's Late Registration , a rich atmosphere from 2007's Graduation , and emotionally tired electro from 808s & Heartbreak . Pitchfork ' s Ryan Dombal and AllMusic 's Andy Kellman wrote My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy seamlessly combines elements from West's earlier albums;
25340-466: The song a second time on Saturday Night Live , along with "Power". On October 4, 2010, West announced the album's release date of November 22, after he had previously tweeted that he was "contemplating my album date". The rapper also announced that certain songs from GOOD Fridays would be included on it. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was released by Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella on November 22, 2010, being made available for digital download on Amazon at
25521-581: The song's lyrics to address public opinion and his character issues, proclaiming a toast to all with those flaws. Fennessey cited "Runaway" as the point in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy where "self-laceration overtakes chest-beating", while Graves is taken aback by how the song contains all of its contradictions; "self-mythologizing, rife with hubris, [and] assertively 'artistic' to the point of unintentional parody". Inspired by West's two-year relationship with model Amber Rose , " Hell of
25702-499: The songs may be good yet he misses "the opportunity to provide us with answers", in spite of the lush production on one of hip hop's "most bloated, egotistical, fantastical, flat-out amazing release[s]" for a while. Numerous critics and publications included My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy on their year-end top albums lists. Many named it the best album of 2010, including Billboard , Time , Slant Magazine , Pitchfork , Rolling Stone , and Spin . My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
25883-435: The soul" and perceived West as not welcome nor sure about the purpose of his presence due to the discussion of race . Powers felt that rather than an issue for West, it is the inherent curse of author Michael Eric Dyson 's theory of "the exceptional black man" whose talents are welcomed, but he is excluded for his skin color. According to Rolling Stone ' s Rob Sheffield , the album serves as "a rock-star manifesto" in
26064-449: The story written by West. West described the video as an overall representation of his dreams and a reflection of feelings throughout his life, including a parallel of the situation from 2009 to 2010. He explained that it is "the story of a phoenix fallen to Earth", whom he makes his girlfriend, though she faces discrimination and eventually "has to burn herself alive and go back to her world". West elaborated how he had been deeply considering
26245-410: The string of critical and commercial successes by West, and the album's lead single, " Stronger ", garnered his third number-one hit. "Stronger", which samples French house duo Daft Punk , has been accredited to not only encouraging other hip-hop artists to incorporate house and electronica elements into their music, but also for playing a part in the revival of disco and electro -infused music in
26426-794: The then-dominant gangster persona in hip hop in favor of more diverse, topical lyrical subjects, including higher education, materialism, self-consciousness , minimum-wage labor, institutional prejudice , class struggle , family, sexuality, his struggles in the music industry, and middle-class upbringing. Over time, West has explored a variety of music genres , encompassing and taking inspiration from chamber pop on his second studio album, Late Registration (2005), arena rock and europop on his third album, Graduation (2007), synth -driven electropop on his fourth album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008), acid-house , drill , industrial rap and trap on Yeezus (2013), gospel and Christian rap on The Life of Pablo (2016), Jesus
26607-446: The time of lower album budgets . The album draws elements from varied genres like progressive rock, soul, and old-school rap, moving towards a new sound. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy follows a dense, wide scope of styles; Al Horner from NME called it a rap opera . The author Kirk Walker Graves thinks West became a collagist, who makes a bold and vulnerable work of art from "scattered pop shards and indelible beats". Throughout
26788-503: The title "Malcolm West". " Power " features a dark production that relies on a sample of King Crimson 's " 21st Century Schizoid Man " (1969), which Fennessey found to be "apocalyptic" and it is accompanied by chants loosely resembling a choir. West delves into escapism on the song, mentioning his struggles with the public and narrating his vision of a career suicide. "All of the Lights" incorporates drum 'n' bass breaks, energetic percussion , and horn instruments. The opening lines mention
26969-438: The tracklist once more before its release to the public. He released the album exclusively on Tidal on February 14, 2016, following a performance on SNL . Following its release, West continued to tinker with mixes of several tracks, describing the work as "a living breathing changing creative expression" and proclaiming the end of the album as a dominant release form. Despite West's earlier comments, in addition to Tidal,
27150-399: The traditional verse–chorus form and West manages to convey an attempt at the greatest album of all time, executing this well using "all the swagger and hype with an album that may actually be that good". The Village Voice ' s Sean Fennessey observed that while the album cannot be perfect as listeners "will reach to call [it]", West's point from the album is imperfection. He also noted
27331-433: The uncharacteristic production style and the presence of Auto-Tune, which typified the pre-release response to the record. 808s & Heartbreak was released by Island Def Jam in November 2008. Upon its release, the lead single " Love Lockdown " debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, while follow-up single " Heartless " debuted at number four. While it was criticized prior to release, 808s & Heartbreak
27512-422: The vote for the latter. The album was awarded CD of the Year at the next year's BET Hip Hop Awards , while it was nominated for Outstanding Album at the 2011 NAACP Image Awards . The album received a nomination for Top Rap Album at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards , though ultimately lost to fellow rapper Eminem 's Recovery . For the 54th Annual Grammy Awards in 2012, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
27693-436: The waves" from the controversy. West had held recording sessions at the same studio for his previous album 808s & Heartbreak (2008). In response to the backlash to West's behaviour, his scheduled tour Fame Kills: Starring Kanye West and Lady Gaga with the singer Lady Gaga to promote 808s & Heartbreak was cancelled on October 1, 2009, without an official explanation. A year later, he explained to Ellen DeGeneres
27874-467: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. He's a real wizard at it. What he does is alchemy, really. The rapper Pusha T characterized My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as "a collage of sounds" and found West's recording methods unorthodox. He explained that when the team thought they were focused on a song, West would hear the work of a record producer such as Jeff Bhasker and his attention would be captured as he went through "his mental Rolodex " to
28055-402: The widescreen brilliance of the album's music with boundary-cracking art", including a demonic image of him "being straddled by a nude angel". In 2017, NME listed the cover as the seventh best album artwork of the 21st century so far. Before the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , West initiated the music program GOOD Fridays through his website beginning August 20, 2010, offering
28236-485: The world's best-selling music artists with 160 million records sold, West has won 24 Grammy Awards , the joint 11th-most of all time and most awarded for any hip hop artist along with Jay-Z. His other accolades include a Billboard Artist Achievement Award , a joint-record three Brit Awards for Best International Male Solo Artist , and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award . West holds
28417-404: The year by American Music Awards and Billboard , and has consistently been ranked among the great hip-hop works and debut albums by artists. " Jesus Walks ", the album's fourth single, reached the top 20 of the Billboard pop charts, despite industry executives' predictions that a song containing such blatant declarations of faith would never make it to the radio. The College Dropout
28598-412: Was awarded Best Rap Album , while "All of the Lights" was nominated for Song of the Year , Best Rap Song , and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration , winning in the latter two categories. However, The Recording Academy 's decision not to nominate My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy for Album of the Year was viewed by many media outlets as a snub, along with the rejection of West and Jay-Z's 2011 effort Watch
28779-431: Was called a work of art and West's most lavish record in a review by Time magazine's David Browne , who said it proved again that few other artists shared his ability to adeptly mix diverse elements. Steve Jones of USA Today was impressed by West's display "of sonic flavors — old school hip-hop, progressive rock, R&B, classical music" for how he combines and matches these genres, concluding his only predictability
28960-443: Was certified triple platinum in the U.S., and garnered West 10 Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year , and Best Rap Album (which it received). During this period, West founded GOOD Music, a record label and management company that housed affiliate artists and producers, such as No I.D. and John Legend , and produced singles for Brandy , Common , Legend, and Slum Village . West invested $ 2 million and took over
29141-575: Was critical of his lyrics calling women "ruthless money-grabbers" on an otherwise "herculean [...] flawed near-masterpiece". AllMusic writer Andy Kellman found West's rapping inconsistent on "a deeply fascinating accomplishment" in his catalogue and one of complicated merit that is "as fatiguing as it is invigorating, as cold-blooded as it is heart-rending, as haphazardly splattered as it is meticulously sculpted", and maintains complexity across 70 minutes. David Amidon from PopMatters desired for West to utilize his rap skills from The College Dropout and that
29322-460: Was described by The Hollywood Reporter as "one of greatest hip-hop sets of all time", West released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay-Z in August 2011. By employing a sales strategy that released the album digitally weeks before its physical counterpart, Watch the Throne became one of the few major label albums in the Internet age to avoid a leak . " Niggas in Paris " became
29503-541: Was easily "the best reviewed album in many years", being lauded by critics "like nothing since Radiohead 's zenith", while achieving success with over 1,200,000 sales. Touré explored possible reasons for the academy to snub West, including split votes between My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Watch the Throne and concerns over his past controversies, but ultimately perceived "a lack of respect for hip hop and its complexity" from those who are into music, yet lack knowledge of this genre. Having expressed that he thought he
29684-462: Was eventually released in February 2004, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200 as his debut single, " Through the Wire " peaked at No. 15 while on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five weeks. " Slow Jamz ", his second single, featuring Twista and Jamie Foxx , became the three musicians' first No. 1 hit. The College Dropout received critical acclaim, was nominated for the top album of
29865-460: Was included on a bonus DVD for the deluxe edition of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy . For initial promotion of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , West performed at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in late November 2010. Following the release of the album, West performed headlining sets at several large festivals in 2011, including SXSW , Lollapalooza , Austin City Limits , and Coachella ;
30046-549: Was my long, backhanded apology. You know how people give a backhanded compliment ? It was a backhanded apology. It was like, all these raps, all these sonic acrobatics. I was like: "Let me show you guys what I can do, and please accept me back. You want to have me on your shelves." — Kanye West , speaking to The New York Times in 2013 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was conceived at Avex Recording Studio during Kanye West 's self-imposed exile in Oahu, Hawaii in 2009, following
30227-457: Was posted on the Amazon.com pre-order page. The image was originally intended to be the cover art for "Runaway", but West used a photograph of a ballerina instead. Another painting, The Priest , was completed for the album by Condo, who described it as an attempt to bring depictions of religious figures into the modern world. West told Condo that he wanted a phoenix painting and after he came up with
30408-496: Was present during the sessions and described the "communal" atmosphere as thus: "With the right songs and the right album, he can overcome any and all controversy, and we are here to contribute, challenge, and inspire." A variety of artists contributed to the project, including close friends Jay-Z, Kid Cudi and Pusha T , as well as collaborations with artists including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Gil Scott Heron . My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , West's fifth studio album,
30589-404: Was raised in a middle-class environment, attending Polaris School for Individual Education in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois , after living in Chicago. At the age of 10, West moved with his mother to Nanjing, China , where she was teaching at Nanjing University as a Fulbright Scholar . According to his mother, West was the only foreigner in his class, but he settled in well and quickly picked up
30770-442: Was released in November 2010 to widespread acclaim from critics, many of whom considered it his best work and said it solidified his comeback. In stark contrast to his previous effort, which featured a minimalist sound, Dark Fantasy adopts a maximalist philosophy and deals with themes of celebrity and excess. The record included the international hit " All of the Lights ", and Billboard hits " Power ", " Monster ", and " Runaway ",
30951-438: Was released on August 29, 2021. West claimed the album was released early without his approval and alleged that Universal had altered the tracklist. He released a deluxe edition of Donda , including five new songs, to streaming services on November 14, 2021. On November 20, days after ending their long-running feud, West and rapper Drake confirmed that they would stage the "Free Larry Hoover " benefit concert on December 9 at
31132-609: Was released, a special-edition Bapesta from A Bathing Ape . In 2009, West collaborated with Nike to release his own shoe, the Air Yeezys , becoming the first non-athlete to be given a shoe deal with the company. In January 2009, he introduced his first shoe line designed for Louis Vuitton during Paris Fashion Week . The line was released in summer 2009. West has additionally designed shoewear for Italian shoemaker Giuseppe Zanotti . In fall 2009, West moved to Rome , where he interned at Italian fashion brand Fendi , giving ideas for
31313-510: Was reported that West spent around $ 3 million provided by his record label Def Jam to record the album, making it one of the most expensive albums ever made. He explained the initial recording process to Noah Callahan-Bever, the editor-in-chief of Complex and West's then-confidant, telling him he had resided in Hawaii accompanied by his favorite producers and artists to work on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and provide inspiration. Various contributors engaged in sessions with West for
31494-523: Was reported that songs from West's unreleased album Yandhi were leaked online. The following month, Kim Kardashian announced that West's next album would be titled Jesus Is King , effectively scrapping Yandhi . By October, the entire unfinished album was available for a short time on streaming services Spotify and Tidal. On January 6, 2019, West started his weekly " Sunday Service " events, which included soul variations of both West's and others' songs and were attended by multiple celebrities, including
31675-426: Was reported to be in the process of recording his eleventh studio album, with two sources close to him stating that the release of new music was "imminent". On October 13, Billboard reported that West had finished recording a collaborative studio album with Ty Dolla Sign and was in the process of shopping the album to distributors, adding that the album was originally intended for an official release that day but
31856-487: Was scrapped and he had been considering "a couple of titles". He expressed uncertainty about the title in September, tweeting: "I can't decide on my album title [...] uuuugh!!!!" The official title, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , was announced by West on October 5, 2010; Good Ass Job was eventually planned as the title of a collaborative album with Chance the Rapper , which never materialized. The album's artwork, designed by George Condo , shows West being straddled on
32037-504: Was snubbed for Best Album without so much as a nomination". Two years later, Vibe listed the record as one of 10 rap albums snubbed of Album of the Year, with Preezy Brown mentioning this was "a Grammy snub that's one of the more egregious in recent memory". Track notes Sample credits Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. Kanye West Ye ( / j eɪ / YAY ; born Kanye Omari West / ˈ k ɑː n j eɪ / KAHN -yay ; June 8, 1977)
32218-574: Was snubbed for major awards in the past, West responded to the Grammy nominees onstage during a concert on the Watch the Throne Tour in December 2011. West believed the snub was due to releasing Watch the Throne and My Beautiful Dark Fantasy within a year of each other, feeling he "should've just spaced it out, just a little bit more". On the 10th anniversary of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , Will Lavin of NME recalled that despite winning Best Rap Album, "it
32399-592: Was titled Y3 , while also stating that he had contributed to the album in 2023. West has since denied working on an album titled Y3 . On February 10, 2024, hours after West held a listening party at UBS Arena, the first volume of the Vultures trilogy, entitled Vultures 1 , was officially released. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming West's eleventh consecutive and Ty Dolla Sign's first number one album, respectively. Vultures 2 released later that year on August 3. On September 28, during
32580-400: Was ultimately pushed back for unknown reasons and expected to drop within the coming weeks. The eponymous lead single for the album, " Vultures " featuring Bump J , was released on November 22, 2023. Throughout late 2023 and early 2024, West and Ty Dolla $ ign held several concerts previewing songs from the album. In a trailer for the album, West announced that Vultures would be released as
32761-570: Was voted best album in The Village Voice ' s Pazz & Jop critics' poll for 2010, winning by the largest margin in the poll's history with 3,250 points. "Power", "Runaway", and "Monster" were voted in the top-10 of the Pazz & Jop singles list. Metacritic, which collates reviews of music albums, identified it as the best-reviewed album of 2010. The album stood as the first rap release to achieve this since Outkast 's 2000 album Stankonia and
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