Rapper Kanye West announced on Saturday that he would be challenging Donald Trump for the US presidency in 2020. “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! #2020VISION,” the born-again billionaire rapper tweeted as Americans marked Independence Day.

He offered no further details on his campaign, four months before the November election.

This move has peaked interest of global audience towards him.

Here’s everything you need to know about Trump’s latest challenger and one of rap music’s:

Personal life

West was born in Atlanta but raised in a middle-class household in Chicago with his mother after his parents divorced at the age of 3.

His mother was an English professor at Chicago State University, and his father Ray was an award-winning photojournalist-turned-pastor.

He attended Chicago State University for one year before dropping out to pursue a career in music. Early on he demonstrated his considerable abilities as a producer, contributing to Jermaine Dupri’s album ‘Life in 1472’ in 1998 before relocating to the New York City area.

Career in rap music

Perhaps one of the most notable celebrities in contemporary culture, Kanye West is a producer, rapper, songwriter, record executive and fashion influencer who rose to prominence after producing Jay Z’s influential album ‘The Blueprint’ in 2001.

After suffering a major car accident in 2002, West turned to rapping to recover, amassing the release of ‘College Dropout’ in 2004 and ‘Late Registration’ (2005) that kickstarted his career as a rapping sensation.

The rapper and record producer has released 137 singles, 4 promo singles and has similarly charted with 65 other songs as features. West has sold 100 million digital downloads worldwide, and 32.7 million albums. With 21 Grammy Awards, West is one of the top winners in the awards’ history, and is tied with Jay Z as the highest-decorated hip-hop artist.

By 2016, he achieved the tenth most top-40 hit records by a male artist in Billboard’s near-70 year history. 

A family man

West is married to reality star and business entrepreneur Kim Kardashian. The two had known each other for a long time and they started dating in 2012. The two tied the knot in Italy in 2014.The rapper had made many appearance on Kim’s reality show ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’

The couple had their first daughter in 2013 and their first son in 2015, followed by two children via surrogacy in 2018 and 2019.

Life outside music

The rapper has a considerable business outside the music world. He’s considered a global trendsetter and urban style leader and has collaborated with Nike and Louis Vuitton on sneaker lines, with A.P.C on a collection of menswear and launched womenswear ready-to-wear label Yeezy.

West’s most notable influence came through his collaboration with sneaker giant Nike. West’s Air Yeezy I and II designs for Nike made a huge impact on sneaker culture. However, the partnership was called off soon which led to the rapper signing with Adidas. The collaboration has become notable for its sneakers with Yeezy Boost sneaker line.

Influence on pop-culture 

West’s outspoken views and life outside of music have received significant media attention. He has been a frequent source of controversy for his conduct at award shows, on social media, and in other public settings, as well as for his comments on the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, and race. His infamous tiff with Taylor Swift and Jay-Z have garnered him enough scrutiny in the eyes of music critic. 

The rapper enjoys a flamboyant lifestyle and his known for his impulsive statements and decisions, regarding politics. He gained attention in 2004 when he criticised the Bush administration response after Hurricane Katrina. In 2018, he created a stir when he notably defended a statement he had made in a televised interview suggesting that African American slaves had cooperated in their enslavement.

West has also been quite vocal about his mental health, giving strength and hope to his fan. In 2018 he said he was bipolar and in many interviews had explained his struggles with mental health problems and constant limelight. 

He gained a fair praise recently when he decided to set up a fund for the daughter of Geroge Floyd, the man whose death sparked a nation wide protest in the US and highlighted the police brutality against the black community in the nation. 

He also donated around $2 million to other causes, including paying the legal fees of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, who were killed in 2020. He had donated to several black-owned businesses in America and actively participated in the Black Lives Matter movement. 

With a huge influence over the youth and a controversial but honest personality, West is a celebrity with massive popularity, within and outside America.