What is Kanye West’s net worth, has he changed his name to Ye and when did he marry Kim Kardashian
KANYE West is a larger than life rapper and the husband of reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
The star rose to fame with his hit albums but has found himself remaining in the headlines thanks to his controversial opinions and he's caused further fury for his support of Donald Trump. Here's everything you need to know about his life and career so far...
Who is Kanye West and how much is he worth?
Kanye Omari West, 41, was born June 8, 1977, and is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, Kanye first became known as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the early 2000s before becoming an international superstar.
The name Kanye means "Let's give" or to "give honour".
Kanye West’s net worth is $160 million (£120 million).
Kanye married American reality TV star Kim in 2014.
However, Kanye shocked fans in 2016 by making the announcement that he was in a whole load of debt.
He confessed: “I write this to you my brothers while still 53 million dollars in personal debt… Please pray we overcome… This is my true heart…
“My dreams brought me into debt and I’m close to seeing the light of day.”
However, declaring bankruptcy in the US doesn't necessarily mean you are completely broke.
Sometimes, it is simply used to manage debt or as an accounting procedure and shouldn't be interpreted as meaning the debtor has no money.
Many people, including the new US President Donald Trump, have filed for bankruptcy multiple times.
Why did Kanye change his name to Ye?
The rapper stunned fans on September 29, 2018, when he made a dramatic announcement on Twitter.
He said he would be shortening his name – a bit like how wife Kimberly Kardashian calls herself Kim.
“The being formally known as Kanye West,” the Jesus Walks star began.
He then dramatically announced: “I am YE.”
He added: "I believe 'ye' is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and in the Bible it means 'You'.
"So I'm you, I'm us, it's us. It went from Kanye, which means the only one, to just Ye - just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confused, everything.
"The album is more of a reflection of who we are."
When did Kanye West meet Kim Kardashian?
Kanye first started dating Kim in April 2012, six months after she split from NBA player Kris Humphries.
At the time, Kim was still married to Humphries – her second husband, the first being Damon Thomas – because her divorce wasn’t finalised until June 2013.
This divorce came less than a fortnight before the birth of North West, her and Kanye’s first child.
When North was eleven months old, parents Kim and Kanye got married in a lavish ceremony on May 24, 2014.
The couple have two other children - Saint, 2, and one-year-old Chicago.
What are Kanye's biggest hits?
- Gold Digger
- All Mine
- Fade
- Heartless
- Stronger
- FourFiveSeconds
- Lift Yourself
- Famous
- Yikes
- All of the Lights
How much property does Kanye West own?
In 2013, Kim and Kanye both moved into a £7million mansion, spending over £1.5million on renovations alone.
It was also reported that they purchased a £15.6million pad in Hidden Hills, California, which is still in the re-vamping process.
The couple also own homes in Paris and New York City.
Does Kanye West support Donald trump and is he running for US president?
In April 2018 Kanye suggested that he could be running for US president in 2024 by posting a tweet which showed him mocked-up campaign posters with the hashtag 2024.
He has also come under fire after publicly expressing his love for Donald Trump.
The US president signed Kanye's Make America Great Again hat and called him "very cool."
Kim Kardashian has defended her husband after some suggested he could be mentally ill.
She said on Twitter: "He’s a free thinker, is that not allowed in America?
"Because some of his ideas differ from yours you have to throw in the mental health card? That’s just not fair."
In October 2018 Yeezy visited The Donald at the White House resplendent in his MAGA hat.
The topic of West’s potential future presidential career was also raised – with the star suggesting that could happen “only after 2024”.
“Let’s stop worrying about the future, all we have is today. Trump is on his hero’s journey right now. He might not have thought he’d have a crazy motherf***** like [me],” the musician added.
The president – who remained silent for several minutes during West’s rant – remarked: “I tell you what, that was pretty impressive folks… that was quite something.”
West replied: “It was from the soul, I just channelled it.”
What is the feud between Jay Z and Kanye West about?
After having his talent discovered by New York rap king Jay Z, eccentric Chicago-born Kanye was mentored by him for many years.
Mr West worked as a producer for Jay’s Rock-A-Fella Records before being signed as a rapper to the same label.
Jay and Kanye recorded numerous tracks together including Paris, Monster, Run This Town and Diamonds From Sierra Leone.
But tensions between the men began to rise after Kanye earned ridicule at the 2009 VMAs by upstaging both Taylor Swift and Jay’s wife Beyonce.
Since then, Jay has failed to attend Kanye’s wedding or offer him support in his hour of need – and last year, Kanye made several rants about his former friend on stage, suggesting he’s keen to have him shot by one of his “killas”.
The feud intensified in the summer of 2017 when Jay Z dissed Kanye on his album and Kanye retaliated by removing all his music from Jay's streaming service Tidal.