Kanye West is 49 years old as of October 2026. He was born on 8 June 1977.
rapper whose stylistic innovations opened hip-hop beyond gangsta conventions, though later condemned for antisemitic statements and praising Hitler
Quick facts
Date of birth8 June 1977
Age49
NationalityAmerican
BirthplaceAtlanta, United States
Editor's Take:
West's career embodies hip-hop's contradictions: artistic brilliance alongside destructive behaviour. His production work in the early 2000s genuinely expanded the genre's sonic palette, making space for introspective artists. The College Dropout challenged prevailing gangsta orthodoxies with middle-class perspectives and Christian themes. Yet his legacy became inseparable from controversy. His marriage to Kim Kardashian amplified his celebrity beyond music. The antisemitic statements from 2022 onward—praising Hitler, denying the Holocaust—represent a decisive break, costing him commercial partnerships. Time's dual recognition in 2005 and 2015 now reads as tragic irony.
Key Milestones
2000: joined Roc-A-Fella as in-house producer
2004: The College Dropout reached number two on Billboard 200
2007: became first rapper charting across three decades
2022: lost sponsors after expressing antisemitic views
Ye ( YAY; born Kanye Omari West KAHN-yay oh-MAH-ree, June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He has been listed among the greatest rappers of all time and referred to as one of the most prominent figures in hip-hop.
