On June 8, rapper, songwriter and producer, Kanye West turned 38 years old. His career, much like most internationally known artists, has been riddled with painful moments and the greatest moments of his life. When we first met West, he was better known as Kanye Titter—one of the greatest producers at the turn on the century and one of the people responsible for Jay Z’s Blueprint sound. His first album, The College Dropout, introduced us to who the Chicago native was and what he stood for. He spoke about poverty, getting out of the hood and not fitting in to the norm, changing the formulaic narrative of the gangsta-G-Unit sound of the early 2000s.
And yes, these days the husband and father speaks out more about his own troubles than the issues in his community but whether he is ranting about a fashion house or his newest pair of Yeezy Boosts’, his passion is what draws you in. He cares about people, whether we realize it or not, and he cares that we know the things he has recently learned. His content is undoubtedly moving and though this list touches the top of the iceberg, we wanted to gather five exceptionally inspirational songs to listen to when you are in need a boost.
1. “All Falls Down”
2. “Jesus Walks”
3. “Stronger”
4. “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”
5. “I Wonder”
Honorable Mention: “The Good Life”
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