Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. He is known for his contributions to progressive rap and subverting the conventions of gangsta rap as a dominant subgenre of hip hop music. After dropping out of university to pursue a career in music, West started producing for various artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, West co-produced Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001) before getting signed by the label as a solo artist. West released his debut studio album The College Dropout in 2004 to critical acclaim, yielding the chart-topping single "Slow Jamz". His other singles reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 include "Gold Digger" (2005), "Stronger" (2007), and "E.T." (2011) as a featured artist.

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, 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.