After giving Louis Vuitton bags a touch of his trademark whimsical, comic-inspired illustration in 2003, Murakami became a popular figure beyond the art world. Take Care was produced primarily by 40 and also featured The Weeknd, two artists who have professed their admiration for the way Kanye was able to legitimize atmospheric and emotional rap. But even his detractors can’t ignore the raw talent and innovation that go along with his name. Shocking to many at the time, Graduation ended up out-selling Curtis by 266K copies within the first week. The rise and rise of Kanye West’s influence on fashion. The first non-athlete with a Nike shoe deal. After toppling the rap game, Kanye quickly parlayed his influence to the fashion and sneaker arenas. With each new photo of someone in the Nike Air Yeezy, blogs responded with multiple posts, and by the time the actual date in April 2009 drew near, people had lined up for days to purchase them. Kanye puts himself in the same breath as Axl Rose, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix; icons who have permanently shaped the sound and direction of their respective genres. Kanye West passion, creativity, intelligence determination, and ego have made him a cultural juggernaut. Whatever the truth may be, we again saw the artistic mind of Kanye at work with covers that matched the albums’ brooding tone. The Wicked Witch of the West put a … Kanye burst onto the hip-hop landscape by crafting a signature hip-hop production sound by chopping and speeding up old soul music samples, but he quickly graduated to releasing footwear for Louis Vuitton and Nike. The Undeniable Influence of Kanye West. In early 2011, there were scattered blog posts that appeared across the Internet showing a new model of the Air Yeezy (later known as Nike Air Yeezy 2). From West’s earliest days as a public figure, his sense of fashion has been central to his persona—one that has shifted … Share Tweet Flip. And none of us can deny his vast influence in music and fashion. This article is more than 2 years old. West insisted that Walmart and other retailers would ban the cover. Note: This article was written in 2017, simply as a retrospective of aspects of Kanye’s career. The use of these sounds helped to create a moody, atmospheric record that pushed the boundaries of what could be considered hip-hop. Both sides promoted their albums heavily, and the sales battle … The models were named for members of the Kanye inner sanctum, the Don (manager Don “Don C.” Crawley), the Jasper (Ibn Jasper, Kanye’s long-time barber), and the Mr. Hudson (fellow GOOD music artist). Immediately after his first show, there was a veritable deluge of cell phone video footage showing a mountain on stage, a full Maison Martin Margiela wardrobe, including multiple bejeweled masks, choreographed orgies, intense visuals, indoor snow, and even a white Jesus. Many remember seeing the lifestyle, music, and fashion blogs explode when it dropped. Kanye burst onto the hip-hop landscape by crafting a signature hip-hop production sound by chopping and speeding up old soul music samples, but he quickly graduated to releasing footwear for Louis Vuitton … In 2009, when news hit that ‘Ye would partner with Nike for his own model, first seen during his Grammy performance, instant internet mayhem ensued. Condo later suggested that West had intentionally designed a cover that he knew would be banned to stir the pot. On a Sunday afternoon in early February, to the surprise of absolutely everyone in the sneaker game, Nike sent out a tweet that the “Red October” was available for sale, and the shoe sold out in a flash. Following the release of College Dropout, another socially conscious rapper Common, found his 2005 album Be peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200, and his 2007 album Finding Forever reaching #1 (Common had previously never had a top 10 album). The shoe boasted visible influences from the elephant print and sole of the Air Jordan III to the lacelocks of the Air Jordan VI, and it an instant hit, and the secondary market saw record highs in sneaker prices. Lately, the two seem to go hand in hand. “808s and Heartbreak […] got mixed reviews but is one of the most important bodies of work of my generation. adidas has seen an uptick in interest in many circles, and even in the resale market, so when the adidas Kanye models do eventually drop, will that push adidas even closer to bridging the gap with the boys in Beaverton? So while Kanye may be pushing boundaries, his popularity has served as a means to influence civic issues related to race. Kanye brings fine art to the hip hop album cover. The hype for the release was fueled by Kanye himself, as he wore multiple colorways, some of which have never been released, before the drop. Nike even brought the thick forefoot strap onto other models in what were obvious Yeezy spinoffs. January 2011: Kanye West and Jay Z Commision Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci to Design the Album Artwork For Watch The Throne. Juice WRLD, Travis Scott, Drake and so on have all cited Kanye as a major influence for their style of music, Juice in particular, named 808s to be one of his favorite albums. I am Axl Rose, I am Jim Morrison, I am Hendrix. For years, Kanye West has served as a public icon, noted not only for his music, but for his political stances, beliefs, and fashion. The traditional rules within hip-hop tended to denounce any artist that connected even a little with their sensitive side, with there being huge pressure to maintain a sense of street cred by appearing ‘gangster’. Regardless, by creating an album with such an inventive sound that pushed hip-hop to new limits, Kanye created a piece of work that set the standard for the next decade of hip-hop music. In referring to the album’s lyrical content and his character, Kanye once said, “My persona is that I’m the regular person. Earlier that year, Condo lent his work to three skate decks for Supreme and kept up his momentum with the 5 “Artificial Realist” covers he designed for what ended up being Kanye’s most highly-acclaimed collection of songs. As can be seen by his inclusion to a list like this, along with his countless accomplishments from records sales to Grammy wins, Kanye’s impact remains undeniable. Discover the bands and musicians that influenced Kanye West. Ruben Ayala An avid Hip Hop fan and an avid baseball fan. Most pairs still sell for between $3,000-$6,000 after the initial hype spiked a few prices over the 10k mark. While his latest album, Yeezus, boasted ultra-minimal album art, his previous covers featured works from artists cut from many different cloths. It is not an endorsement of his political beliefs, or anything else related to his personal life. Japan’s own Takashi Murakami designed the album art for Graduation in 2007. GOOD Fridays yielded a total of 15 releases, three of which ended up on the album--”Power,” “Devil in a Blue Dress (though the album version cut Rick Ross’ verse), and “So Appalled.” Other tracks appeared on later West releases, like “The Joy,” which was a bonus cut from Watch the Throne. Moreover, some celebrities rocked this trend like Paris Hilton! In an interview, Drake confirmed Kanye’s impact by stating: “I [have] the utmost respect for Kanye West. Kanye Omari West, a person belittled against and a person subjected to a life of racism and hate. The impact of Kanye and 808s & Heartbreak can be seen directly in the years following the album’s release. Kanye West is a rapper, singer, songwriter and producer from Chicago, who over the past 15 years has emerged to be one of the most influential artists of all time. Any mention of 808s’ influence would not be complete without mentioning Drake, whose career thrives off the same emotional energy that Kanye transmitted back then: heartbreak, vulnerability and wistful hopes of reconciliation. His influence proved to be so powerful that many in the street followed suit in following more upscale trends. “Takeover” was ranked as the 51st best song of the 2000’s and is widely recognized as one of the most important rap songs ever. Since his weekly free track promotional approach, others blatantly copied the idea like Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Fridays” and “Lloyd Bank’s “Blue Fridays.”. “We Don’t Care”, “School Spirit” and the various skits littered throughout the album speak to Kanye’s experience of dropping out of college and his negative feelings towards higher education. While no official images have yet released from the collaboration, there have been rumors of up to 20 pairs already designed. And in Kanye's case that means a veritable treasure trove of photo evidence testifying to his influence, via image after image—after image—of his every internet-shattering outfit. Putting this disclaimer in as I have received comments along the lines of, “How can you glorify a person who believes in [xyz].” It’s not that deep. Learn more, Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. On the record, he delivered a collection of samples that provided the album with a clear soul influence, using songs from The Jackson 5, R&B group Bobby Blue Band and soul artist David Ruffin. The Undeniable Influence of Kanye West Kanye Omari West, an icon of hip-hop, pop culture, fashion and music in general. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. […] I was like, ‘Yo, fuck it, that shit crazy,’ and I ran with that sound.”. Predictably, even the tour merch got its due of hype and caused controversy among those who questioned the use of the Confederate flag. His performances during the Watch the Throne tour were marked with performances of “N***as in Paris” as many as 11 times in a row. As Guardian writer Rosie Swash put it, “[The sales competition] highlighted the diverging facets of hip-hop in the last decade; the former was gangsta rap for the 2000's, while West was the thinking man’s alternative. Lupe Fiasco, a spiritual successor to Kanye in many respects, saw his 2006 album Food and Liquor peak at #8 on the Billboard 200. Among the likes of legendary artists such as The Beatles, Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye and Bob Dylan, Kanye West was given a place with 808s & Heartbreak being selected as one of the most influential albums ever. “Love Lockdown” describes a relationship which does not meet expectations and has to be ended, while “Robocop” likens a woman to a fictional human cyborg who is too controlling. Kanye famously wore GIVENCHY leather skirt/pants and hoodie for the 12-12-12 concert for Hurricane Sandy relief, which raised more than a few eyebrows on the streets and some questioning whether Kanye was still connected to the ‘hood.