Skip to main content

For years, Kanye West has been making headlines for his controversial ideas and outspoken personality. There is no denying that West is not afraid to speak his mind when it comes to a topic that he feels very passionate about. In the past, some fans have had a hard time agreeing with some of his opinions and antics. However, whether you agree with West’s actions or not, there is no denying that he is one of the most talented hip-hop artists of our time.

Over the last decade, West has had a very prosperous career. He has had several number one hits and has collaborated with some of the greatest artists that the music industry has to offer. So, exactly how many albums has Kanye West made during his career? Keep reading to find out.

When did Kanye West start his career?

Kanye West on the red carpet
Kanye West | ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

West grew up in a middle-class home with his mother in Chicago. Growing up, music had always been a big part of his life. He actually got his start in the music industry as a producer in the mid-90s. Back then, West mainly produced music for local artists around Chicago.

He quickly made a name for himself in the music industry because of his unique method of creating new beats. He would take samples of music and speed up the track to create an entirely new sound.

This unique style was later nicknamed “chipmunk soul” and it had quickly gotten him recognized by some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including Jay Z. In 2001, he moved to New York and began producing albums for well-known artists like Jay Z, Beyonce, and Alicia Keys.

Once Wet got to New York, it didn’t take him long before he decided that he would rather be in front of the microphone instead of behind it. According to Biography, West had pleaded with Roc-A-Fella records to sign him on as an artist, but they were hesitant because he didn’t seem as “street” as the other rap artists did at the time.

Because they were afraid that they would lose him as a producer, Rock-A-Fella Records decided to finally sign him to the label in 2001. But soon after he was signed, h was involved in a serious car accident that left him with his jaw wired shut for several weeks.

Instead of being down and depressed about his current condition, West used his recent tragedy as motivation and inspiration for his first album. He wrote most of his first album while he was recovering from the accident and had even written the song entitled Through the Wire while his jaw was still wired shut.

Since that time, West has sold out arenas all over the world and has had several singles hit the top of the Billboard music charts.

What artists has Kanye West collaborated with?

Throughout his career, West has collaborated with a number of different artists and even some actors. His collaboration with Jamie Foxx on the song Gold Digger was actually the first song that West had made that made it to the Billboard Top 100 chart. He also has some other iconic collaborations with other artists like Jay Z, 2 Chainz, and Young Jeezy.

One of his first collaborations was with his BFF, Jay Z. The song was entitled Never Let Me Down and it appeared on West’s first album. This song is arguably the song that helped West gain some recognition in the music industry.

How many albums has Kanye West made?

In total, West has made nine different albums. His debut album, entitled College Dropout, did not have as good reception when it debuted back in 2004. However, every album that he has made after that has seemed to get better and better and with each album, you can see how much he has grown as an artist.

His 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is arguably one of the best albums that West has ever made. He started writing songs for it after he received a lot of backlash for interrupting Taylor Swift at the VMAs.

Because he was having such a hard time dealing with the constant criticism over his actions, he decided to hide away in Hawaii for about a year and completely submerged himself in his music.

The seclusion definitely paid off, and the end result was an album that many consider to be a musical masterpiece.