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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Coastal Carolina chapter.

Kanye West, born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the most famous rappers, singer, songwriters, fashion designers, and producers.. He started out when he was in his early 20’s. His earliest album, “Get Well Soon….,” was dated all the way back to 2002. He founded a creative content company, “DONDA,” named after his late mother who was his inspiration for most of the things he did. Their relationship was insanely close as well as strong. 

Netflix has come out with a documentary on his life and how he grew up,blew up, and his overall journey to stardom. The documentary, “Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy,” was in the top 10 for most watched for over three months when it was first aired; everyone was talking about it. He talks about his vision for his songs and how he comes up with each idea and puts them into his songs. The way they filmed this documentary was intensely fascinating and captivating. It was filmed by one of his friends, Coodie, and Kris Parker, a filmmaker, through one camera. This makes the documentary feel very raw, personal, and authentic. The documentary features other big names who have been a part of the rise of rap and hip hop like Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, and Pharell Williams. 

Kanye was liked by many while also disliked by most, a defining characteristic of his career. Many talked about his soaring ego and behavioral issues. After the death of his mother, Miss Donda West, is when he took a turn for the worse. His mental health struggles did not start here, but they definitely were not improved after this, as well as his horrific car accident back in 2002. He is said to have Bipolar disorder, which is when an individual can experience drastic mood swings that could last for days or even months at a time. Between the years of 2016 and 2019, he had been hospitalized due to his Bipolar disorder and a few psychotic breakdowns that produced fear for his health across the globe.


He has had such an influence in the industry, that Michael Jackson once admitted that he was ‘intrigued’ by West’s fashion sense. In 2010, he ranked in Billboard’s Producers of the decade, meaning that he was one of the top producers and music artists in the world along with other artists such as Taylor Swift, Drake, and Lady Gaga. He is also the first artist to ever go Platinum from music streams alone and his achievements don’t stop there; he’s won countless awards and nominations along the years.

Kanye has recently been on a rollercoaster of emotions, controversies, and social media publicity. Unfortunately, due to his recent media presence and behaviors, he has received much attention in the media and most of it was negative. He has been dropped from record companies, brand deals, other designers, and other singers and rappers have lost interest in collabing with him. Since then, a majority of his social media accounts have been banned or deleted. People expressed major concerns for his actions and behaviors saying that he might really benefit from extensive mental assistance. 


I have always enjoyed Kanye’s music, and I truly wish that he will get the help that he needs and hopefully someday patch up his career if that’s what he would want to do. Every person, especially celebrities, should be able to get access to mental health care. 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year and celebrities are starting to open up about their struggles with these experiences. Hopefully he will take this action soon.

People can call or text  988 or chat for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. The lifeline is free and confidential. Learn more about 988

Kelsey Kenavan

Coastal Carolina '23

My name is Kelsey and I am from Long Island, New York. I hope to better myself as well as my writing skills. Hope you enjoy!!