BORN on June 8, 1977, Kanye West was raised in Chicago by his single mother, Donda West, who passed away in 2007.
14 later, the rapper is paying homage to her with his new album, Donda, which was released on Sunday, August 29, 2021.
Who was Kanye West’s mom Donda?
Donda was born on July 12, 1949, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
She was married to Ray West, father of Kanye, but after their divorce, she moved with her son to Chicago in 1980.
The single mother earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from the Virginia Union University, in Richmond Virginia.
She received a Master’s degree at Atlanta University, Georgia.
Donda furthered her education and received a Doctorate in English at Auburn University, Alabama.
How did Donda West die?
On November 10, 2007, Donda West died of coronary artery disease and multiple post-operative factors due to or as a consequence of liposuction and mammoplasty.
She underwent liposuction, a tummy tuck, and a breast reduction the day before she died.
She was 58 years old at the time of her death.
Records indicated that in 2001, two malpractice lawsuits against Jan Adams, the plastic surgeon who performed procedures on Donda, ended in judgments of $217,337 and $250,000.
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Then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger subsequently signed the “Donda West Law,” legislation which makes it mandatory for patients to receive medical clearance through a physical examination before undergoing elective cosmetic surgery.
Kanye was extremely close to his mother, and her death seemed to impact him greatly.
Kanye told Q magazine in 2015: “My mother was my everything.
“If I had never moved to LA, she’d be alive. I don’t want to go far into it because it will bring me to tears.”
Ahead of the release of his new album on Sunday, August 29, 2021, videos of the rapper with his mother emerged on social media.
In 2020, Kanye released the song Donda, a testament to his late mother, a year before unveiling his 10th album.
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Who is Kanye West’s father?
During the 1960s and 70s, Ray was a Black Panther.
After that, Ray became one of the first black photojournalists at the Atlanta Constitution-Journal, photographing former President Ronald Reagan and Maya Angelou.
In addition to his reputable credentials, Ray also worked as a paparazzo, a marriage counselor, and a store owner.
Although Donda primarily raised Kanye, Ye revealed in his songs that his father has always provided for him, despite his alleged financial struggles.
In November 2019, Kanye even shared a glimpse of his close bond with his father.
He tweeted: “My dad came to visit me at one of our ranches in Cody, Wyoming.
“He talked about his love for fishing and how he could come here in the summers. It took me 42 years to realize that my dad was my best friend.”
While he is allegedly still struggling to heal from his mother’s death, Kanye has received an abundant amount of love and support from Ray.
The rap genius has also been very present for his father who, as it was announced back in 2018, has battled with prostate cancer.