As of late, Kanye West, formally known as Ye, has made headlines for his questionable online behavior. Evidently, some people believe that his antics have somewhat overshadowed his nearly 20-year career.
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Most recently, his public feud with ex-wife Kim Kardashian, which sparked the concerning social media posts, appears to be the initial reason why he’s no longer set to perform at the 2022 GRAMMYs. However, he is still invited to attend as a nominee.
Conversely, die-hard Kanye West fans note that his timeless discography still positions him as one of the most influential artists of this generation. The rapper-producer has been credited as a musical genius since the beginning with The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation. Alternatively known as “Kanye’s trilogy,” his first three albums released in 2004, 2005, and 2007 respectively, paved a way for superstardom that surpassed the borders of Hip Hop.
Then came 808s & Heartbreak in 2008, which delivered a more electronic and auto tune-reliant sound. At the turn of a new decade in 2010, Ye dropped My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, another foundational album for his current framework. And of course, Yeezuz, The Life of Pablo, Ye, and Jesus is King followed consecutively. With each album, Ye brought forth a new era that is forever stamped in music and pop culture.
Fast forward to present day, Donda, the prequel to his latest (and very mysterious) LP Donda 2, is a feature-heavy Hip Hop album – that is an overall frontrunner at the 2022 GRAMMYs. Arguably, it was depicted as “tonally complex” and “musically adventurous” by Rolling Stone. The overwhelming 27-track project partly includes collabs with JAY-Z, Fivio Foreign, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, Baby Keem, DaBaby, and most controversially Marlyin Manson.
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Donda additionally explores Progressive Rap, Pop, and Gospel. Out of the four GRAMMY Rap categories, Ye dominates three with his critically acclaimed album: Best Melodic Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Album. Ultimately, Ye is nominated for the coveted Album of The Year award as well. This year, the 22-time GRAMMY winner is up against his peers J.Cole, Drake, and Nas in the following Rap categories. Along with Cardi B, Tyler, the Creator, Doja Cat, Baby Keem, Megan Thee Stallion, and the late DMX.
The 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards will air live from Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3, featuring performances from Olivia Rodrigo, BTS, Billie Eilish and more. Stay with Audacy for more exclusive coverage of music's biggest night at audacy.com/grammys.
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