The talented young musician soon became a major name in hip-hop production but struggled to find a way to get a record deal of his own as he was not a stereotypical hip-hop artist, who is supposed to come from a poor family, wear baggy T-shirts and pants or have spent time in prison.
Companies felt he was not as marketable as rappers who portray the street image so prominent in hip-hop culture.
But they were all wrong. Named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world today, West has successfully shattered some stereotypes about rappers.
He displayed a dapper fashion sense that set him apart from most of his rap peers, calling himself a "Louis Vuitton don." He has collaborated with the French luxury house to come up with a limited line of shoes, and threw his 30-year-old birthday party at a Louis Vuitton store.
Designer Murakami was invited to design the album cover for him, while his personal blog on his official Website is filled with latest fashion news.
A frequent guest at the four international fashion weeks, West was also named GQ's "Man of the Year" along with Bill Clinton and Daniel Craig last year.
His most famous fashion creation is the shutter shades he designed with Alain Mikli. First appearing in his music video "Stronger," the shades soon became a must-have for fashionistas around the world.
West is a media darling, appearing and performing at almost every major awards show and event and offering opinions on virtually anything.
For example, once he posed for the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ and said during a Hurricane Katrina fundraiser on live television, "George Bush doesn't care about black people."
But celebrity status does not seem to have eclipsed his remarkable musical talent. West's style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments.
His combined use of vintage R&B, unique modern samples and live instrumentation pushed boundaries never before heard.
Such singularity has driven the Chicago-born artist to the top of the charts as well as the top of his game.
Date: November 3, 8pm
Address: 1111 Caoxi Rd N.
Tickets: 280-1,680 yuan
Tel: 6289-3919
(Shanghai Daily October 28, 2008)
