His production abilities seemed boundless, as he not only racked up impressive hits for himself (including number one singles 'Gold Digger' and 'Stronger') but also had smash hits with longtime collaborator Jay-Z (on their 2011 Watch the Throne track 'Ni**as in Paris') and even Paul McCartney (along with Rihanna on 2015's 'FourFiveSeconds').

And yet, his steady presence in the celebrity limelight couldn't eclipse his musical talent. With his outsized personality, he courted plenty of controversy, posing for the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ, claiming that 'George Bush doesn't care about Black people' during a televised Hurricane Katrina fundraiser, and infamously interrupting an awards speech by Taylor Swift in 2009.

This flamboyance made for good press, something that West enjoyed, for better or worse, throughout the course of his career. With a backpack and brightly colored polo shirt, his dapper fashion sense set him apart from many of his rap peers, while his attitude often came across as boastful and egotistical. Early on, West paired his beats with tongue-twisting raps and outspoken confidence. One of the most influential and critically lauded artists of the early 21st century, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker as his production work for artists such as Jay-Z led to a major-label recording contract and, ultimately, a wildly successful solo career that counted an unbroken string of chart-topping, multi-platinum albums and nearly two-dozen Grammy Awards for classic sets like 2005's Late Registration, 2007's Graduation, and 2010's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

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