Kanye West

=== 2003–2006: ''The College Dropout'' and ''Late Registration'' ===
{{Main|The College Dropout|Late Registration}}
[[File:Kanye West in Portland.jpg|thumb|right|upright|West in [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] in December 2005 as a supporting act for [[U2]] on their [[Vertigo Tour]]]]

West recorded the remainder of the album in Los Angeles while recovering from the car accident. It was leaked months before its release date,<ref name="Road" /> and West used the opportunity to remix, remaster, and revise the album before its release;<ref>{{cite web|last=Patel|first=Joseph|title=Producer Kanye West's Debut LP Features Jay-Z, ODB, Mos Def|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1472302/kanye-west-readying-debut-lp.jhtml|date=June 5, 2003|publisher=MTV|access-date=April 21, 2009|archive-date=October 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026080735/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1472302/kanye-west-readying-debut-lp.jhtml|url-status=live}}</ref> West added new verses, [[String section|string arrangements]], [[gospel choir]]s, and improved drum programming.<ref name="Road" /> The album was postponed three times from its initial date in August 2003,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://popmatters.com/pm/review/westkanye-getwellsoon/|title=Kanye West: Get Well Soon / I'm Good|first=Hartley|last=Goldstein|date=December 5, 2003|work=[[PopMatters]]|access-date=March 21, 2013|archive-date=June 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621015704/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/westkanye-getwellsoon/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cdn.best.complex.com/music/2011/09/clinton-sparks-30-favorite-mixtapes/get-well-soon|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119184429/http://cdn.best.complex.com/music/2011/09/clinton-sparks-30-favorite-mixtapes/get-well-soon|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 19, 2013|title=Kanye West × The Heavy Hitters, Get Well Soon (2003)—Clinton Sparks' 30 Favorite Mixtapes|work=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]|date=September 21, 2011|access-date=December 9, 2012|author=Ahmed, Insanul}}</ref> and was eventually released in February 2004, reaching No.&nbsp;2 on the ''Billboard'' 200 as his debut single, "[[Through the Wire]]" peaked at No.&nbsp;15 while on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart for five weeks.<ref name=acharts>[http://acharts.us/song/337 Kanye West—Through the Wire—Music Charts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930204917/http://acharts.us/song/337 |date=September 30, 2007 }}. aCharts.us. Retrieved July 3, 2010.</ref> "[[Slow Jamz]]", his second single, featuring [[Twista]] and [[Jamie Foxx]], became the three musicians' first No.&nbsp;1 hit. ''The College Dropout'' received critical acclaim, was nominated for the top album of the year by ''[[American Music Awards of 2004|American Music Awards]]'' and ''[[2004 Billboard Music Awards|Billboard]]'',<ref>{{Cite magazine |author=Billboard Staff |date=September 14, 2004 |title=32nd American Music Awards Nominees |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/32nd-american-music-awards-nominees-66500/ |access-date=February 12, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US |archive-date=February 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212181432/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/32nd-american-music-awards-nominees-66500/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |author=Billboard Staff |date=November 30, 2004 |title=2004 Billboard Music Awards Finalists |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/2004-billboard-music-awards-finalists-65464/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151112062939/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/65464/2004-billboard-music-awards-finalists |archive-date=November 12, 2015 |access-date=February 12, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> and has consistently been ranked among the great hip-hop works and debut albums by artists.<ref name=USAToday/><ref name=NYTimes/>

"[[Jesus Walks]]", the album's fourth single, reached the top 20 of the ''Billboard'' pop charts, despite industry executives' predictions that a song containing such blatant declarations of faith would never make it to the radio.<ref name=USAToday>{{Cite news|last=Jones|first=Steve|title=Kanye West runs away with 'Jesus Walks'|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2005-02-10-kanye-west-main_x.htm|work=[[USA Today]]|date=February 10, 2005|access-date=January 7, 2009|archive-date=October 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025231046/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2005-02-10-kanye-west-main_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=NYTimes>{{Cite news|last=Leland|first=John|author-link=John Leland (journalist)|title=Rappers Are Raising Their Churches' Roofs|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/arts/music/13hiph.html?pagewanted=all&position=|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 13, 2004|access-date=January 7, 2009|archive-date=May 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528052014/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/13/arts/music/13hiph.html?pagewanted=all&position=|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The College Dropout'' was certified [[RIAA certification|triple platinum]] in the US, and garnered West 10 Grammy nominations, including [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]], and [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Album|Best Rap Album]] (which it received).<ref name="grammy">{{Cite news|last=Montgomery|first=James|title=Kanye Scores 10 Grammy Nominations; Usher And Alicia Keys Land Eight|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1494569/kanye-scores-10-grammy-nominations.jhtml|publisher=MTV|date=December 7, 2004|access-date=January 7, 2009|archive-date=April 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110411073415/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1494569/kanye-scores-10-grammy-nominations.jhtml|url-status=live}}</ref> During this period, West founded GOOD Music, a record label and management company that housed affiliate artists and producers, such as No I.D. and [[John Legend]],<ref name="Sheffield">Sheffield, Rob (November 22, 2010). [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/my-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy-20101109 Review: ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218061924/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/my-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy-20101109 |date=December 18, 2010 }}. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. Retrieved November 11, 2010.</ref> and produced singles for [[Brandy (musician)|Brandy]], [[Common (rapper)|Common]], Legend, and [[Slum Village]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/kanye-west/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930054329/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/kanye-west/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 30, 2011|title=2004–2005 production credits|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=August 19, 2016}}</ref>

West invested $2&nbsp;million and took over a year to make his second album.<ref>Brown, p. 120</ref> West was inspired by ''[[Roseland NYC Live]]'', a 1998 live album by English [[trip hop]] group [[Portishead (band)|Portishead]], produced with the [[New York Philharmonic Orchestra]],<ref name=Praise>{{cite news|author=Scaggs, Austin|title=Kanye West: A Genius In Praise of Himself|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kanye-west-a-genius-in-praise-of-himself-20070920|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=September 20, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309060656/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/16257550/kanye_west_a_genius_in_praise_of_himself/print|archive-date=March 9, 2009|access-date=August 9, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> incorporating [[string arrangement]]s into his hip-hop production. Though West had not been able to afford many live instruments around the time of his debut album, the money from his commercial success enabled him to hire a [[string orchestra]] for his second album ''[[Late Registration]]''.<ref name=Praise /> West collaborated with American [[film score]] composer [[Jon Brion]], who served as the album's co-executive producer for several tracks.<ref name=Pilot>Perez, Rodrigo (August 12, 2005). [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1507538/20050812/west_kanye.jhtml "Kanye's Co-Pilot, Jon Brion, Talks About The Making Of Late Registration"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051105015432/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1507538/20050812/west_kanye.jhtml |date=November 5, 2005 }}. [[MTV]]. [[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]]. Retrieved March 2, 2006.</ref><ref name=Pg124>Brown, p. 124</ref> ''Late Registration'' sold over 2.3&nbsp;million units in the United States alone by the end of 2005 and was considered by industry observers as the only successful major album release of the fall season, which had been plagued by steadily declining CD sales.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Knopper, Steve|title=Kanye Couldn't Save Fall|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/8829100/kanyewest|magazine=Rolling Stone|publisher=RealNetworks, Inc|date=November 15, 2005|access-date=November 27, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051201190546/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/8829100/kanyewest|archive-date=December 1, 2005|url-status=dead}}</ref>

When his song "[[Touch the Sky (Kanye West song)|Touch the Sky]]" failed to win Best Video at the 2006 [[MTV Europe Music Awards]], West went onto the stage as the award was being presented to [[Justice (band)|Justice]] and [[Simian (band)|Simian]] for "[[We Are Your Friends (song)|We Are Your Friends]]" and argued that he should have won the award instead.<ref>{{cite news|access-date=April 24, 2008|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227304,00.html|title=Kanye West Unleashes Tirade After Losing at MTV Europe Music Awards|publisher=Fox News |date=November 3, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023223440/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227304,00.html|archive-date=October 23, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.co.uk/channel/mtvuk/news/02112006/emas_shocker_kanye_stage_invasion|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070603120826/http://www.mtv.co.uk/channel/mtvuk/news/02112006/emas_shocker_kanye_stage_invasion|archive-date=June 3, 2007|title=EMAs Shocker: Kanye Stage Invasion!|access-date=June 7, 2007|publisher=MTV}}</ref> Hundreds of news outlets worldwide criticized the outburst. On November 7, 2006, West apologized for this outburst publicly during his performance as support act for [[U2]] for their Vertigo concert in [[Brisbane]].<ref>{{cite news|access-date=April 24, 2008|url=http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Nov03/0,4670,MTVAwardsKanye,00.html|title=Kanye West Upset at MTV Video Award Loss|publisher=Fox News|first=Jan M.|last=Olsen|date=November 3, 2006|archive-date=May 10, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510113205/http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Nov03/0,4670,MTVAwardsKanye,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He later spoofed the incident on the 33rd-season premiere of ''Saturday Night Live'' in September 2007.<ref name="snlarchives">{{cite web|url=http://snlarchives.net/Episodes/?2007092913|title=SNL Archives {{!}} Episodes {{!}} September 29, 2007 #13|work=SNL Archives|last=Navaroli|first=Joel|date=September 29, 2007|access-date=January 10, 2015|archive-date=March 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317152741/http://snlarchives.net/Episodes/?2007092913|url-status=live}}</ref>