Kanye West Biography

History In The Makin', Man…

While driving back to his hotel in Los Angeles, West was involved in a near-fatal auto accident that left his jaw fractured in three places. "I have flashbacks of what happened every day," says West. "And anytime I hear about any accident my heart sinks in and I thank God that I'm still here. I found out how short life is and how blessed you are to be here." Surviving the accident had been a miracle, and West - down but not out - used the experience as inspiration for his breakthrough single as an MC, the haunting and triumphant "Through The Wire," in which he chronicled the painful experience through a jaw literally wired shut.

With "Through The Wire" simmering at radio, West defied the industry, the media, and the odds. He financed and shot his own video, delivering it to MTV and BET himself. The track became a breakout hit, and Kanye again went against the script by giving away the single rights to "Slow Jamz" - a track he originally recorded for Dropout with Jamie Foxx and Twista. "Slow Jamz" became a #1 on hit for Twista, and ratcheted up the buzz on Kanye to deafening. Finally, with Dropout's debut at the top of the album charts with a stunning 440,000 copies sold in its first week, Kanye delivered his penultimate coup d'etat.
page << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >>