Kanye Omari West was born on June 8, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He initially gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, producing hit singles for artists such as Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Alicia Keys. West’s production style, characterized by sped-up vocal samples from soul records, earned him accolades and opened the door to his own recording career. In 2004, he released his debut album, “The College Dropout,” which was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.