There once was a time when Kanye West was just a producer. Today, this ego-heavy rapper has charted a music career and ventured into an endless world of entrepreneurship.
To start, Kanye has backed two highly-anticipated sneaker lines, sparking excitement among sneakerheads and fashion gurus across America and beyond. Last Saturday, Nike released the limited edition Air Yeezy sneakers, the same ones that Mr. West wore during his Glow in the Dark Tour in 2008 and at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. The following Sunday, these shoes were selling for as high as $2,000 on eBay. Additionally, Kanye has designed the “Louis Vuitton DON” men’s shoe line for European designer Louis Vuitton, where he now works as an intern in preparation for the launch of his very own clothing label, Past Tell Clothing.
Past Tell, originally branded as Pastelle, was born in 2006. Lacking financial support, Kanye failed to make much progress with the new company. In mid-May of 2008, however, Past Tell collaborated with Australian fashion designer Iabel Ksubi, to create a line of eyewear. Since then, Kanye has been seen at award shows in Paris and on stage wearing clothes branded with the Past Tell logo. Now, with designer experience and new financial partners, Past Tell is set and ready to go. The company’s first store will open soon in Chicago, followed by stores in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Past Tell is not the only Kanye entrepreneurship Chicago will see. Kanye has opened two Fatburger fast-food restaurants in the Windy City, and plans to open an additional eight in the upcoming years. Co-owned by Magic Johnson, Fatburger coins itself as “The Last Great Hamburger Stand.” The chain of restaurants is especially popular on the West Coast and is well known for its Kingburgers, whose patties weigh a minimum of half of a pound.
Kanye is also still expanding his music empire. Founded by Kanye in 2004, G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music record label has signed more than 15 hip-hop and R&B performers. Included on the label are rappers Common, Kid Cudi, Consequence and John Legend, among others. Collectively, G.O.O.D.’s artists have won more than 10 Grammy awards and its artists have climbed the charts while establishing renowned praise.
When Kanye’s not racking up money, he’s giving it away. The Kanye West Foundation, commonly referred to as the Dr. Donda West Foundation, was established to combat the nation’s high dropout rate. Kanye has donated more than $500,000 to his foundation and has performed concerts and run events to expand its fund. Two years ago, African American Empowerment chose Kanye West as the fifth-ranked Black Celebrity Philanthropist.
Kanye is about as much of a renaissance man as modern history has ever seen. He is a producer, singer, rapper, record label owner, fashion designer, restaurateur, philanthropist and at times ... comedian, political activist and all-around one-man show. But maybe this head-heavy, veteran hip-hop icon deserves to be a little cocky. After all, he has out-accomplished nearly all of the players in his field, and after doing so, ventured into new fields to begin to conquer those as well. From dropping beats to designing clothes, Kanye has raised the bar for what is possible in a given lifetime, and has done so with confidence, style and swagger.
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