Life & public record

Born in Atlanta

Kanye Omari West was born in Atlanta on June 8, 1977.

Chicago and a year in China

After his parents separated when he was three, West grew up in Chicago with his mother, Donda. At ten, he accompanied her to China for a year while she taught.

No exact event date asserted.

Art studies and music

West attended the American Academy of Art before leaving college to pursue music. Biography.com identifies No I.D. as an early mentor.

No exact event date asserted.

Donda West: educator and manager

Donda West, Ye’s mother, left academia in 2004 to help manage his career. She had chaired Chicago State University’s English department and later led West Brands and the Kanye West Foundation.

Date precision: year. No exact day asserted.

Donda West dies

Donda West died on November 10, 2007. The AP obituary connects her to “Hey Mama” and records her memoir, Raising Kanye, published that year.

• Hey Mama →

Coroner’s findings reported

AP reported that heart disease and postoperative complications likely contributed to Donda West’s death; the exact cause remained uncertain.

Donda West Law enacted

California approved AB 1116, named the Donda West Law. The act required an appropriate examination and written clearance within 30 days before specified elective cosmetic procedures, with the history confirmed on the procedure date.

Ray West appears in Follow God

Ye’s father, Ray West, appeared with him in the “Follow God” video. The published video includes Ye reflecting on their relationship.

Alexis Phifer: engagement ends

AP reported the end of West’s engagement to Alexis Phifer. It described an on-and-off relationship dating to 2002.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

Amber Rose: publicly discussed relationship

Amber Rose publicly discussed her former relationship with West. The interview report dates it to 2008–2010.

Date precision: year range. No exact day asserted.

Marriage to Kim Kardashian

West and Kim Kardashian married on May 24, 2014.

Legally single status

A judge declared Kardashian and Ye legally single in March 2022; other divorce issues were still unresolved at that stage.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

Divorce settlement reported

AP reported that Kardashian and Ye had submitted an agreed divorce settlement for judicial approval. This is distinct from the earlier order ending their marital status.

Julia Fox: public account

Julia Fox publicly described dating Ye in an essay for Interview magazine.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

Julia Fox: separation confirmed

Fox’s representative confirmed that their romantic relationship had ended.

Bianca Censori: marriage in public interview

In a February 2026 interview, Bianca Censori discussed her marriage to Ye. This entry records that dated public account, not a claim about their present private circumstances.

Jay-Z: The Throne announcement

Live Nation announced West and Jay-Z’s collaboration as The Throne, with an album and tour. This announcement documents a project, not a permanent friendship status.

• Watch the Throne →

Drake: joint benefit concert

Ye and Drake performed the Free Larry Hoover benefit concert together at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The public reunion does not establish a lasting resolution of every disagreement.

Donald Trump: Trump Tower meeting

West met president-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower. West said they discussed multicultural issues and violence in Chicago; Trump described the conversation as about life.

Donald Trump: White House meeting

The official record documents West’s meeting with President Donald Trump and Jim Brown on October 11, 2018.

Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk

After publicly praising commentator Candace Owens, West was photographed meeting her and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. This records the reported meeting, not mutual endorsement of every position.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

Barack Obama: public criticism and praise

In a published interview, President Barack Obama praised West’s talent while repeating criticism of his behavior following the 2009 MTV interruption. The comments establish a public response, not a personal association.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

Trump and Nick Fuentes: dinner

ABC reported that Ye attended a dinner with Donald Trump and Nick Fuentes, whom the outlet identifies as a white nationalist. Trump said he had expected Ye alone and did not know the additional guest.

Elon Musk: Twitter account suspension

Reuters reported that Twitter suspended Ye’s account after Elon Musk said it violated rules against incitement to violence. This records Musk’s stated reason and the platform action; it does not reproduce the post or describe the account’s current status.

Parler purchase plan ends

Parlement Technologies said that it and Ye had agreed in mid-November to end the proposed Parler sale announced in October. The proposal did not establish completed ownership.

2020 presidential bid announced

West publicly announced a presidential bid. Announcement, federal registration and state ballot eligibility are separate steps.

Statement of Candidacy filed

The FEC lists West’s Statement of Candidacy as filed July 16, 2020, document FEC-1425224. A filing does not itself establish ballot access.

South Carolina campaign event

West held a presidential campaign event in North Charleston, South Carolina. Private family disclosures made at the event are not repeated here.

2020 election outcome

FEC results record less than 0.1% of the national presidential popular vote for West. He did not win the election. An exact total is withheld here while differing FEC publications are reconciled.

2024 plans and reported end

After announcing plans for another run in late 2022, Ye’s political operation wound down. In October 2023, his attorney Bruce Marks said he was not a candidate for the 2024 election.

Date precision: year range. No exact day asserted.

Hurricane Katrina telethon

During NBC’s Hurricane Katrina relief broadcast, West criticized racial disparities in news coverage and the government response, including President George W. Bush. NBC said his remarks were unscripted and did not represent the networks.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

Taylor Swift: MTV interruption

West interrupted Taylor Swift’s Best Female Video acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards to argue for Beyoncé’s video. Beyoncé later invited Swift back to finish.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

Taylor Swift presents Video Vanguard award

Taylor Swift presented West with MTV’s Video Vanguard award. In his speech, West said he intended to run for president in 2020; this was a statement of intent, not an election filing.

Famous: public dispute revisited

BBC reporting revisited the 2016 disagreement over what Taylor Swift had approved before the release of “Famous.” Swift publicly disputed the claim that she had approved its final wording. No lyrics or private-call transcript are reproduced here.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

• Famous →

adidas terminates partnership

adidas ended its partnership with Ye, stopped Yeezy production and payments, and explicitly cited his antisemitic comments and conduct. The company’s announcement is the source for these business actions.

adidas reports settlement

adidas said its legal proceedings with Ye had been settled without money changing hands. A settlement does not itself re-establish a partnership.

Shopify removes storefront

CNN reported that Shopify removed Yeezy’s storefront after it offered swastika merchandise, citing a terms violation. This is a dated platform action, not a description of every later Yeezy website.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

Public apology for antisemitism

Ye published an apology for antisemitic conduct in a Wall Street Journal advertisement. He expressed regret and commitment to change. The Anti-Defamation League said future behavior would be the test; the statement is not treated here as a permanent resolution.

Car crash and Through the Wire

West was injured in a Los Angeles car crash in October 2002. His recovery became part of the public story behind “Through the Wire.”

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

• Through the Wire →

Hospitalization reported

NPR reported that West had been hospitalized in Los Angeles for medical evaluation after the remainder of the Saint Pablo tour was canceled. This entry does not determine a diagnosis, cause or legal basis for treatment.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

Public account in Letterman interview

West discussed bipolar disorder and his experiences in an interview with David Letterman. This records his public account, not an independent medical assessment.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

• ye →

Family statement asks for compassion

Kim Kardashian West publicly discussed bipolar disorder in a statement about Ye and asked for compassion and empathy. Her statement is attributed to her, not treated as the archive’s diagnosis.

Ye describes a different diagnosis

In a podcast interview, Ye said he had been diagnosed with autism and believed his earlier bipolar diagnosis was mistaken. This is a historical self-report; his January 2026 statement below gives a later account.

Date precision: month. No exact day asserted.

Later public health account

In his public apology, Ye again described bipolar disorder and treatment, and attributed difficulties to an earlier injury. Those are his explanations, not an independently established diagnosis or causal link between illness and harmful conduct.