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Chicago rapper Kanye West is reinventing the game, one rhyme at a time. The socially conscious Kanye doesn't fit in with the hip hop thug image prevalent in the genre today and, if his popularity is any indicator, he shouldn't get a makeover any time soon. Kanye first got a buzz behind the production boards, cranking out smoking beats for established stars like Jay Z and Alicia Keys. Kanye's production style favors huge soul samples for hooks, and he often sets up call-and-response choruses. Kanye has gone on to make magic for the hip hop A-list, including Eminem, The Game, Brandy, Ludacris and Janet Jackson. In fact, his production genius almost lost him an MC career-Jay Z reportedly thought he was too valuable in the studio to give a record contract to. After surviving a potentially fatal car crash, Kanye got serious about his music and also became a born again Christian. His debut, The College Drop Out, featured the smash hit "Jesus Walks" as well as "Through The Wire," recorded weeks after the accident while Kanye's jaw was wired shut. 2005's sophomore Late Registration found Kanye's creative wordplay and fast flow reaching slick new heights on the Shirley Bassey-sampling, politically charged "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" and the Jamie Foxx collaboration "Gold Digger." Kanye is never silent about his political views, using his lyrics to accuse the Regan administration of deliberately planting crack in black ghettos and frequently speaking out against the Bush administration. He appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone photographed as Jesus, which stirred up controversy even among Christian music lovers who were fans. And he caught national attention immediately after Hurricane Katrina when, at a live fundraiser, he bluntly voiced a prevalent opinion with his line "George Bush doesn't care about black people." But it's not the first time ego and genius have gone together, and Kanye West's upcoming third disc Graduation is one of 2007's most anticipated releases.

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