Ye (born Kanye Omari West, June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists and producers and as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West initially gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s, producing singles for several artists and developing the "chipmunk soul" sampling style. Intent on pursuing a solo career as a rapper, he released his debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), to critical and commercial success. He founded the record label GOOD Music later that year. West's outspoken views have received significant media coverage; he has been a frequent source of controversy due to his conduct on social media and at awards shows and public settings, as well as his comments on the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, race, and slavery. In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that primarily advocated for a consistent life ethic. In 2022, he faced backlash and lost a number of sponsors and partnerships—including his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga—after making anti-Semitic statements. Description above from the Wikipedia article Kanye West, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.