Kanye West is keeping the legacy of his late mom, Donda West, alive through Loop Dreams, the inaugural program of the Kanye West Foundation, which educates high school students about hip-hop culture, songwriting and producing.
“Since my mom died I’m about living to cultivate myself by traveling the world,” says the 31-year-old West.
West, who dropped out of Chicago University where his late mother, Donda West, served as an English professor, is fighting to lower the alarming high school dropout rates.
“High School is mandatory for you to get the basic skills, but anything you have to pay for is a choice,” says West of his decision to leave Chicago University after a year and a half of enrollment.
More than 30,000 students will be treated to a special performance by Mr. West as his Kanye West Foundation hosts its second annual benefit concert at the Chicago Theater on June 11. The concert will is an effort to encourage students to stay in school.
Donda West, who instilled strong values in Kanye, wrote the best-selling book “Raising Kanye: Life Lessons From the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar,” and she was the inspiration to West’s single “Hey Mama” from his 2005 album, “Late Registration.”
Among the lyrics: “Hey Mama, I wanna scream so loud for you, cuz I’m so proud of you. I appreciate what you allowed for me. I just want you to be proud of me.”
West with his mom, Donda, who passed away in 2008 from complications following cosmetic surgery.
No one on the corner has swagger like Ye, Tip, Jigga and Weezy, who collaborated on the “Swagger Like Us,” one of the hottest hip-hop songs of the past year.
A dapper West makes his grand entrance at the Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2009 Collection during Paris Fashion Week.
West and fellow music producer Polow Da Don hold court as they watch NBA teams try to settle the score.
Dynamic duo Kanye West and Estelle move the crowd during a special performance of their hit song “American Boy.”
West, one of the most stylish men in entertainment and a front-row fixture at the hottest fashion shows, launched his own line of Louis Vuitton kicks recently.
West wears his sunglasses at night, shading his eyes from the flashing lights.
The Chi-town rapper reinvented the shag which complements his off-beat, throwback look.
