He may be a chart-topping rapper, a prestigious producer, and now a fashion designer, but each creative venture Kanye takes on is more than another project birthed from his career; it becomes a new window into the surpassing vision that is the artist himself. He has won fans worldwide with his musical innovation as well as with his trendsetting designs, and the cultural admiration poured upon his achievements is a testament to the artist’s ability to see beyond what is current and into what is to come in his field.
Simply put, Kanye West is a visionary. With over 30 million albums sold internationally, Kanye has stretched his influence around the globe through his music career. With the release of his 2004 debut album, The College Dropout, Kanye presented himself to fans and critics as a voice to be reckoned with—a voice that was matched by creativity unlike most of his contemporaries.
This creativity only grew stronger and more expressive as Kanye released album after album; his intriguing 808s & Heartbreak of 2008 was an unexpected change from the rapper’s hip hop style and a move toward an electropop style, which is seen in his single, “Love Lockdown.”
Kanye showed more interesting facets of his musical persona with his fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, released in 2010, which echoed a deeper side of the artist. This album offered audiences new emotional texture that had only been hinted at in Kanye’s previous recordings, and showed the avant-garde nature that was once hidden in the form of a best-selling rapper. Kanye’s thoughtful choice of collaborators and rhythmic patterns, notably in his track, “All of the Lights,” prove his adaptability to commercial pressure while maintaining his goal of progressing musical culture through new vision.
Along with creating music that has won him 21 Grammy Awards, Kanye has taken his colorful mind to the fashion world, partnering with Adidas in an effort to champion the footwear industry. the Adidas YEEZY sneaker is one of the hottest shoe styles to hit the runway and department stores, and the clothing in the YEEZY line portrays a minimalistic, simple style with linear designs and dark aesthetics.
All of these artistic adventures of Kanye West are perhaps outlets for the artistic ability gained from his time at Chicago’s American Academy of Art. The rapper received a scholarship to attend the art school to study painting, however, after transferring to Chicago State University, Kanye saw his music as the method in which his talent could shine the most.
It’s no wonder why Kanye West has been named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. Now, with his North American tour, you have the chance to see this influential entrepreneur and experience his talent live. This tour is the opportunity to experience the songs from Kanye’s seventh solo album, The Life of Pablo, which has already received critical acclaim. The album broke records as the first album to reach the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart from streaming services only.
This year’s Saint Pablo Tour is expected to be as interesting and entertaining as every live show in which Kanye West performs on his usual grand scale. Be sure to catch Kanye on display at the Amalie Arena on September 14.
