Though he did quite a bit of noteworthy production work during the late '90s (Jermaine Dupri, Foxy Brown, Mase, Goodie Mob), it was West's work for Roc-a-Fella at the dawn of the new millennium that took his career to the next level. Indeed, it was his beatmaking prowess that got his foot in the industry door. Like so many others who were initially inspired by Run-D.M.C., he began as just another aspiring rapper with a boundless passion for hip-hop, albeit a rapper with a Midas touch when it came to beatmaking. As his career progressed throughout the early 21st century, West shattered certain stereotypes about rappers, becoming a superstar on his own terms without adapting his appearance, his rhetoric, or his music to fit any one musical mold.Д¬oming out of left field (i.e., Chicago, a city rarely praised for its hip-hop exports), West was an unlikely sensation and more than once defied adversity. His production abilities seemed boundless during his initial surge of activity, as he not only racked up impressive hits for himself (including 'Jesus Walks' and 'Gold Digger'), but also collaborated on smash hits with the likes of Jay-Z and Ludacris. He frequently spoke out against the rampant homophobia evident in much rap music, posed for the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ, and even claimed during a televised Hurricane Katrina fundraiser that 'George Bush doesn't care about black people.' West courted controversy, no question about it, but his steady presence in the celebrity limelight couldn't eclipse his musical talent. He was a media darling, appearing and performing at countless awards shows (and winning at them, too), delivering theatrical videos to MTV, and mouthing off about whatever happened to cross his mind. This flamboyance, of course, made for good press, something that West enjoyed in spades during his sudden rise to celebrity status. His dapper fashion sense set him apart from many of his rap peers, and his confidence often came across as boastful or even egotistical, albeit amusingly so. West paired his beats with tongue-twisting raps and a self-assured, flamboyant personality. In the span of three short years, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for Jay-Z led to a major-label recording contract and, ultimately, a wildly successful solo career.

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