Kanye West

Did you know?!

1. A first

   West's own shoe, the Air Yeezys, came out through a 2009 collaboration with Nike, and that deal made him the company's first non-athlete to receive one.

2. First role

   At nineteen, West earned his first official production credits by making eight tracks for Down to Earth, the 1996 debut album from Chicago underground rapper Grav.

3. A first

   West's five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles are "Slow Jamz", "Gold Digger", "Stronger", "E.T." and "Carnival". He became the first rapper to reach the top of that chart in three different decades.

4. Behind the camera

   West started GOOD Music, a label and production company, in 2004 with Sony BMG, shortly after his debut album came out. Its first artists were John Legend, an Ohio singer, and Common, a Chicago rapper.

5. A first

   In 1998, West became the first producer to sign with Hip Hop Since 1978, a management and production company started by Gee Roberson and Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua.