Kanye West

Rapper/Producer Chicago-born Kanye West, one of today’s most original and controversial artists first rose to prominence as a producer for Jay-Z at Roc-A-Fella Records, and later as an MC. His Post–Hurricane Katrina remarks about President George Bush and subsequent awards-show stunts, however, have made him notorious as well. Love him or hate him, he continues to push hip hop’s boundaries with his music, lyrics and visual creativity. West, fresh off the success of the Watch the Throne album wth Jay-Z, has made his move into fashion, showing his women's wear line at Paris Fashion Week and screening his second film short at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Ye’s media-frenzied romance and baby-to-be with Kim Kardashian has propelled him even further into the spotlight. He continues to stir up controversy as an artist, polemically titling his eighth studio LP Yeezus (scheduled for release in summer 2013).